06 Purity in Sexual Matters — Zac Poonen

God's Longing for His People to Obey

Deuteronomy chapter 5, this is, there's a verse here, Deuteronomy 5 verse 29, where God says, Oh, that they had such a heart in them, that they would fear me, keep all my commandments always, that it may be well with them and with their sons forever.

Deuteronomy 5 verse 29, that they and their children may be well forever, that they would fear me, keep all my commandments always, that it may be well with them and with their sons forever. There's a word in English which is not translated in the Tamil, and that makes a lot of difference.

So, if you have an English Bible, you'll see the first word is, Oh, that means, it's, you know, we don't use the word, Oh, in English, unless there's a great longing in our hearts. You know, there's a difference between saying, I want my sons to follow the Lord, and saying, Oh, I want my sons to follow the Lord.

You know, there's a difference between saying, I want my sons to follow the Lord, and saying, Oh, I want my sons to follow the Lord. That word, Oh, it means a longing and a grief in the heart when they don't do it.

It's like a parent saying, Oh, I wish my children would study hard, so that they can grow up and earn their living soon. Or, Oh, I wish this sick child of mine would be healed soon, so that he can be healthy and run around.

There are very few places in the Bible where you read God saying, Oh, and there you see the heart of God. See, I have said many times, when you read the Bible, you must try to understand the heart of God.

If you don't do that, you know, reading the Bible can be very heavy and boring, like studying some chemistry book or something like that. I remember once, I was in another conference in Tamil Nadu, and I spoke to the little children.

And the little children are more daring than older people to ask questions. So, if I were to ask you, ask questions, you'll all keep quiet. But if you ask little children, they'll come up with some questions.

One of those children asked me, Uncle Zach, when you read the Bible, do you find it boring sometimes? What do you think I said? I said yes, it is boring sometimes. But I still read it. It's just like sometimes we have to take some medicine which is not very tasty.

Which is more tasty, some bitter medicine or chocolate? I'll say, yeah, chocolate is definitely more tasty. But when you are sick, particularly if you are sick in your stomach, you eat chocolate, it will become worse.

But that bitter medicine will heal you. So, I say, I don't worry whether the food is tasty or sweet, is it good for my body? So, when I read the scriptures, I say, I'm not worried whether it's boring or not boring.

See, particularly some places, there are just big list of names, so and so, so and so, so and so. What do I get from that? We may say, we get nothing. But there are many places like that in Chronicles, in Matthew, in Luke, where there are big list of names.

In Numbers, in one chapter, it gives each tribe how much they offered to God. See, we may say, it's all boring. But if you try to look into the heart of God, God doesn't want to say, hundred people went.

God doesn't want to say, hundred people went. He lists the names. Who all went from Babylon to Jerusalem? So many people from this tribe and so many people from this tribe. That shows God's interest, personal interest in different people.

And when he makes the list of names, he shows how he is interested in who are father and grandfather, everything. It shows God's personal interest. So, even when I read things like that, I say, oh, I see your heart, Lord, that you are interested in so many details about me.

But if you read the Bible without trying to see the heart of God, this will be boring. So, I give you one advice. Think of this as a letter from your heavenly father. In everything, there is something you can see of the heart of God there.

So, if you see that, you will be blessed. That's the way I try to read the Bible now. Yesterday evening, I was saying how we can think God's thoughts. Because we have the Holy Spirit. There was a great scientist who said that once.

Searching Scripture for God's Answers

You know, we discover many things in the world. There is a difference between a discovery and an invention. See, a computer, for example, is not a discovery. It's something man made. But a magnet, that is something you discover in nature.

There is a thing which is a magnet. So, there are many things like the law of gravity. We don't invent it. It's there. We discover it. So, this scientist said that what science discovers is thinking God's thoughts after him.

I mean way back when he created the earth, he put certain laws into this earth like gravity and different things. And even when he cursed the earth with sickness, See, he has placed so many minerals and herbs and all in the world to cure these sicknesses.

It was there. It was there in Adam's time. But over many years, only man is discovering, ah, this herb is good for this sickness. Who put it there? God put it there thousands of years ago. So, in the same way, much more than all these earthly things, God has put many things in scripture.

And if you are lazy, you will never discover them. But if you search them and read it and read it and read it, I will tell you something I have discovered from 50 years of studying this book. I have found an answer to every problem I faced in my life.

I am not exaggerating. It is true. What to do when you face any problem? And everything God has commanded, I have discovered is for my good. That's what he says here. I wish, oh means, I wish my people would understand that if they keep my commandments, it will go well with them.

If they keep my commandments, it will be good for their hearts. Oh, they won't keep it like this. That's what God wants. You know what it's like? A mother saying, I wish this child will realize this bitter medicine is going to heal it.

But you know, a child says, no, give me chocolate. I don't want this. This is all boring. That's how people say, oh, the Bible is boring. And so that child keeps on getting sick because it won't take the medicine.

And because we think, oh, the Bible is boring, I don't read it. When you have a problem in life, you don't know what the answer is. Do you know there is an answer to every problem in life in this book?

Sometimes when we organize games for young people, there's a game called treasure hunt. Under some bush or under a stone, we will put some small little gift. Small, small gifts here and there. Whoever finds it first can get it.

That's a very interesting game. Now, in the same way, there are more important treasures than that in the Bible. Those treasures are maybe one key chain, one chocolate, something like that. But here, there are treasures hidden here and there.

And we have to search for it. And if we study this book, there is an answer to all of life's problems. Everything that God has commanded is for our good. If you believed it, it would change your life.

God's Commands Are for Our Good

One of my greatest longings is this. I wish I could tell all the young people in the world that every command of God in this book is for your good. Not for God's good, for your good. Why did God make all the angels and men?

God doesn't need anything. Why did he make Adam? He already had millions of angels to serve him and worship him. Everything that God commanded Adam was for his good. And every commandment in the Bible is for our good.

And if you keep it, it will go well with you. There are so many attractive things in the world. They are like poison coated with sugar. Sugar. A little bit of poison put inside a very sweet chocolate.

Or a little bit of poison inside some ice cream. That is what an enemy would like to give you. Take this ice cream, I want to give you some. And it tastes so nice. Finally you die. Everything the devil gives is like that.

There is a saying in one of our Indian languages. That the cup the Lord gives us may be bitter, but there is no poison in it. But the cup the devil gives may be sweet, but there is poison in it. So if you only go by the external taste, you will be deceived.

God's Design for Sexuality

See, when you are a young person, one of the strong forces that drive you is sex. And a lot of preachers don't speak about it. When I was a young person, I was like you. Every human being has a tremendous drive for sex when they become young.

And in all the churches I went to, as a young man, nobody spoke on that subject. They thought, oh, that is all for cinemas. It is not for cinemas. They do it in a wrong way. See, it's like God put some tremendous power in a little thing called an atom.

You have heard about the atom bomb. With that one breaking one atom, one whole city can be destroyed. If they drop an atom bomb on Tuticorin, the whole of Tuticorin will be destroyed. Completely, everybody will die.

A small little atom. At the same time, if you channel that energy into electricity, the whole of Tuticorin can get electricity. And that is what, in some parts of India they do that. So, if we discover that, we can use it for good or bad.

Now, if sex was created by the devil, then we have to say, it must be a bad thing. But the devil cannot create anything. He takes what God has created and spoils it. So, we must remember, the Bible says, sex was created by God.

Before sex was created by God, sin came. God told Adam and Eve, I know that when I speak about sex, everybody will pay good attention. Everybody. Even the older people. So, please listen carefully. See what God said before sin came.

Genesis chapter 1. When God created Adam, how did he bless them? The first words. Genesis 1 .28. Be fruitful and multiply. Be fruitful and multiply. That means you must have children. That is the first thing he told Adam and Eve.

How are they going to have children? Just by shaking hands? God had made a way by which they are to have children and that was through sexual relationship. So, he was telling them, you are husband and wife now, you must have sex together and have children.

It's God who said that. God only speaks holy things. It's a very holy thing. But like the devil has taught people to use the atom to kill people, the devil has perverted this God given gift of sex into all types of evil things.

So many women sell their bodies for sex. So many evil men kidnap little girls and use them for sex. So many evil men kidnap little girls and use them for sex. So many young men get into bad habits in this area and destroy their body.

You got to be very careful. Remember this is a holy gift God has given to be used only in marriage. It's a very good thing in marriage. But a very bad thing outside of marriage. So you must be very careful when you are young.

Guarding the Heart Against Temptation

Because you know once you are 14 -15 years old, you find an attraction towards the opposite sex. That is natural. If you have studied physics, you have seen a magnet with north pole and south pole. They attract each other.

I remember when I used to be in the physics lab in school. I used to take these two magnets. And I would see how close can I bring it without making it touch. I want to keep it from touching very close.

Every time it will suddenly touch. It's very difficult to keep it like that for some time. If you relax for a moment, it touches. Men and women are like that. You got to be very careful. If you keep those magnets at a distance, no danger.

You can hold it for years like that. But if you keep it very close, you can't even hold it there for a few seconds. That is a parable. When you are young, be very careful that you don't get too close to somebody of the opposite sex.

You may say, I have self-control. I really wanted to keep those magnets apart, but I couldn't do it. And however much self-control you have, you will sin, I'll tell you that. But if you keep a little distance, even for years you will not sin.

When you go to a computer, there are sites that tempt you. Come and see here. It's just a site. And if you click there, you will go to some dirty pictures. It will usually be some, I've never been there, but I presume it must be some thing to stimulate your sexual drive.

In all my life, I have never gone to one of those sites. I'll tell you why. Because once I get some dirt into my mind, it is very difficult to get it out. If you get dirt on your hands, you can wash it away.

If you get dirt in a vessel, you can wash it away. But remember this. If you get dirt into your mind, you can never wash it away in 50 years. My mind is like a pipe through which God can't take it out.

God wants to send his pure water. If I dirty that pipe with filthy pictures and all that, the water you get will be dirty. So, if you want God to use you, that should be your greatest longing in life.

God, I want you to use me. God, I want you to use me. That should be your greatest longing in life. When I was 21 years old, I had that kind of longing. I have made mistakes many times. Especially in the early years when no one taught me about victory over sin.

But one day God showed me how I can have a life of victory over sin. When I was about 35 and a half years old, then my life changed completely. Before that, I only knew how to sin, ask God to forgive me, sin, ask God to forgive me, sin, ask God to forgive me.

Sin, ask God to forgive me. Sin, ask God to forgive me. Get angry, ask God to forgive me. Swear at others, ask God to forgive me. Tell a lie, ask God to forgive me. We all have done that. But there is a better life.

Where I finish with all that. By the power of the Holy Spirit, I can keep my heart pure. See, purity is like health. How many of you like to be sick? Even small sickness? How many of you like to have a headache?

Not every day. But can you say, I like to have a headache at least once a month. I don't want to have a headache even once a year. I don't want to have a stomach ache even once in my life. Who likes sickness?

Nobody. Do you know that sin is worse than sickness? So, in the sexual area, we have to be very careful. All those dirty pictures of women they have there, Just think, That is your sister. Would you like your sister to take off her clothes and stand like that?

Would you like your mother to stand like that? If you don't want your sister to stand like that, Remember that person is somebody's sister. If you are a Christian, You say, Lord, I don't want anybody's sister or daughter to stand like that.

I don't want my sister or daughter to stand like that. Maybe they are poor. They have no way to get money. So, they are making money like that. But even if my sister is poor, I don't want her to make money like that.

So, we must never feed the devil by going to all these, seeing all these pictures. That is why these movies are also so bad. Even when you see a cricket match sometimes, In the middle they will show you some advertisement of some woman dressed improperly.

No, it's alright to watch a cricket match. But be careful about all those advertisements. The devil is so evil. He is eager to capture your mind. If he gets your mind, he knows I put some poison into his mind, now I will destroy it.

So, keep your sexual desire under control. You know, many of us in India can get married only after we are 26, 27 years old. Because we have to earn our living and we have to sometimes help in the home and earn enough to be able to start a house.

So, supposing you can get married only when you are 28. I once told a story I once asked God God, why does a boy develop a sexual desire at the age of 14? It's alright if you start it when you are 26, God.

Why don't you wait till then? Till the age of 26, all boys and girls are just like little children. That would have been wonderful. Then in 26 years old the desire comes up and they can get married immediately.

But if they get that desire when they are 12 or 13 years old and now with all the movies I think some people get it when they are 10 years old. They have to wait 15 -20 years before they can fulfill it in marriage.

The Fear of God and Sexual Temptation

I said, Lord, why you made people struggle like this for 15 years? And this is the answer I got. You know the first time the first time in the Bible where the word the fear of God comes you know where it is?

No, the fear of God is a phrase that comes many times in the Bible. But do you know the first time it comes in the Bible? I am almost certain that most of you don't know. But today you will know it. I will show it to you.

It's not in Genesis 22 where God told Abraham now I know that you fear me. That is where the first time God gives a certificate to a man you fear me. That is in Genesis 22 and verse 12. When he gave up everything to God when he gave Isaac he gave everything.

That's like giving all our desires to God and saying Lord, I want to give it all to you. But the phrase fear of God comes before that. That is in Genesis 20. And this is the story where Abraham went into one place called Gerar in verse 1.

And even though his wife was about 80 years old she was a very good looking lady. Actually she was nearly 90. Now if you see a 90 year old woman you can't imagine anybody is going to be tempted by her.

But those days people lived up to 200 and all. So even though Sarah was 90 years old she looked like a 20 year old girl. So Abraham is going around with his 90 year old wife and he says she is so good looking that somebody will take her and kill me.

So Abraham did a very selfish thing. He said if I say she is my wife they will kill me and take her. So I will say she is my sister. Was he so stupid? If you say a sister nobody will take her? They will say then we can definitely take her.

But he thought my life will be spared. See how selfish a husband can be. Never mind if they take her and rape her let my life be spared. He is a great man of God. Abraham also makes some stupid mistakes.

So what happened he went there. He said in verse 2 she is my sister. Abimelech said you are sister I can take her as my wife. But you know I like verse 3 where it says God cared for his servant even when he made a mistake.

Because Abraham had already made some wonderful choices in his life for God. He had left his country he had left his relatives he had done so many things for the Lord. He never fought with Lot for property.

But he made one mistake. You know God understands. God understands if you have given up everything for God and you made one mistake God will still stand by you. He stood by Abraham. God came in a dream to Abimelech that night and said you have taken somebody else's wife return her.

And the king began to tremble. So he called Abraham in the morning and said why have you done this verse 9 why did you say to your sister and Abraham says because I thought verse 11 there is no fear of God in this place and they will kill me because of my wife.

I thought they will kill me because of my wife. Why would they kill him? Because they wanted to have sex with his wife. So notice the first time the phrase fear of God comes in the Bible is in relation to sexual sin.

First time in the Bible the fear of God is connected with sexual sin. They will kill me so that they can have sex with my wife. Why? Why? Because they have no fear of God and that's what the Lord told me.

Through sexual desire I test people to see whether they fear me or not. Because almost all people commit their sexual sins in darkness. In private where nobody can see. In the thoughts or in some private rooms that's where almost everybody commits sexual sin.

And in that room it will be just the man and the woman or sometimes they commit sexual sin alone also. Nobody else is in the room. Except God. God is everywhere. Now if a man is there he will not commit that sexual sin.

Say no, no, no we can't do that this man is here. We have to wait till he goes away. But when he goes away and you think there is nobody else in the room now but God is there and he is watching everything and the angels are watching.

Do you know how many hundreds of angels are in the room watching you? Do you know how many hundreds of demons are watching you? If you recognize that you will not commit sexual sin. But you say now only God is here.

Now we say only God is here. Nobody else. God, ha I don't care for him. And you sin. What do you prove thereby? If a man is there you are afraid of him. God is there you don't care for him. But another person like Joseph you read in Genesis 39 he was alone in one room and his master's wife saw this Joseph is a handsome man he said come Genesis 39 come let's have verse 7 come and sleep with me.

And what is Joseph's reply? He didn't look around and see oh nobody is here then we can do something. He said no verse 8. And what is the reason? The last part of verse 9 How can I sin against God and do this great evil?

He is not worried whether people are looking or not. He was a young 20 year old man young 20 year old man with a lot of passions in his body and this attractive woman is calling him and what does he say?

Sister God is also here. It's not only you and me in this room. You don't see this God but I see this God here. I see this God standing between me and you. I have to push him aside and come to you. I cannot do that.

How can I sin against God? And it says here day after day. He said come come come she said. But always Joseph would say God is here. God is here. God is here. You say that and you will not sin. Whenever you are tempted to sin.

You say if a man was here I would not sin. But no man is here. God is here. God is here. And everyday Joseph would run away. And God from heaven was watching that young 20 year old man. God was so happy.

At last I found a man whom I can use on this earth. Do you make God happy or do you make him sad? Never mind the past. You have made so many mistakes in the past. We have all made so many mistakes in the past.

Forgiveness, Purity, and New Life in Christ

Say Lord forgive me. Some have done less things some have done more things. Even if you are like Mary Magdalene a prostitute demon possessed God can cleanse you so thoroughly that you become pure and holy.

You know that is why God chose Mary Magdalene to be the first person to see Jesus after he rose from the dead. God chose to be the first person to see Jesus after he rose. When Jesus rose from the dead that was the greatest event that took place on this earth.

In the whole universe the greatest event that took place was not even the death of Christ but the resurrection of Christ. Many people have died. Many people have been crucified like the thieves. But only one rose from the dead.

Never to die again. And who was the first person to see that? Not Peter or John. Not even his mother Mary. Who was the first person to see Jesus risen from the dead? Who was the first preacher who went and said to people Jesus is risen?

It was not a man. It was a woman. It was not an ordinary woman. It was a very sinful woman. It was a woman who was demon possessed with seven demons inside her. Why did God choose her? You and I would not have chosen such a woman to be the first preacher of the resurrection.

Because God knew that in the world people despise women. They knew that even in the church they despise women. And like in India. Oh! They say a girl baby. Oh! How sad! God knew that. And he said Okay I am going to make a woman glorious.

And not a holy woman. A sinful woman. Then God cleansed her sin. And made her as pure as any of the angels in heaven. That is a great encouragement for all of us. That even if you have been the most sinful person in the world.

If you come to Jesus You say Lord I am sorry I made so many wrong decisions in my life. I am very sorry for what I did. I don't blame anybody else. I was foolish. I did some wrong things. Please forgive me.

Cleanse me in the blood of Jesus. God will make you as pure as a new born baby. Isn't that wonderful? There is a verse in 1 John 3 Which reads like this. There are two reasons why the son of God was manifested.

Verse 5. He was manifested to take away our sin. Number 1. Forgive all our sin. Number 2. Verse 8. He was manifested to destroy the works of the devil. There are two things in us. Sin and the works of the devil which the devil has done in us.

He has come to take away our sin. Cleanse us and destroy the works of the devil. So the Lord the correct translation of that word is to undo the knots that the devil has tied in our life. I get this picture when I read this verse.

When we are born like a new born baby God gives each of us a nice ball of thread very nicely wound up or you see this they sell sewing machine thread in rolls. It's so beautifully rolled up. You pull it out it comes out so easily.

Because it's tied up so neatly. No knots nothing. That's how we are when we are born. But from almost one year onwards We start sinning. We tie knots. Every sin is like a knot. One knot on top of the other on top of the other.

There are so many knots now. By the time you are even 16 -17 years old It's no longer this beautiful roll of thread. It is one crore knots. Sometimes about 50 knots on top of each other. And all tight.

How to open this? You look at this mess that you have made of this beautiful roll of thread. You look at this mess that you have made. Somebody asks you. Can you make this roll of thread again? Impossible.

Then Jesus comes along and says I'll do it. I will untie all the knots that the devil made in your life. I will untie all the knots that the devil made in your life. I will make you a new person. And I'll give you that ball of thread again.

That roll of thread. Just like when you were born. That should make us so happy. I made such a mess of my life and the Lord straightened it all out. That is the power of the blood of Jesus Christ. It doesn't matter whether there are 10 knots or 10 crore knots.

Whether you are a small sinner or a big sinner. You come and give your life to Christ. He will take away your sin and undo all the knots that the devil tied in your life. I praise God for the gospel. This is the gospel.

Not only that he will forgive my sin. That itself is good news. But more than that that he will untie all the mess I made in my life. And start using me again like a free thread in that roll. And you look at this roll and say nobody has ever tied a knot in this.

It's so clean and straight. And you say it wasn't like this before Jesus found me. It was a mess. But Jesus found me and straightened it all out. I thank God for that in my life. He made me a clean roll of thread again.

And now sometimes we again tie a knot. Will the Lord untie it? Yes or no. Yes. But one bit of advice. Is it easier to untie one knot or after you have tied up 50 knots in the same place. So as soon as you made one mistake go to Jesus immediately.

Lord, Lord I'm sorry I did it again. Please open it out for me. It can be done quickly. So don't wait. If you fall go to Jesus immediately. Say Lord I fell again. And after a few years maybe 5 years 10 years.

You will come to a life where you don't get angry. You don't get anxious. You don't grumble and complain. You can look at a girl with pure eyes. You can say that's my sister. I don't think anything impure about her.

Or some badly dressed woman walks down the street. And you say Lord You created that woman to be a child of God. But she has given herself to the devil. Please save her soul. Help her to repent. Help her to be a holy, pure woman for you.

You pray like that you will never be able to lust after her. That's what one young man did. Whenever he was tempted with some good looking girl who was walking down He would pray for her. Oh Lord. I want her to be saved.

I want her to be born again. I want her to repent of her sins. I want her to be child of God. And he said after praying like that he can never lust for her. Isn't that good? That we can turn a temptation into a prayer.

There is a way of escape in every temptation. And when your sisters are tempted to be attracted to some man. Sisters when you are tempted by a young man. Be careful. You must be the one who pulls back.

Practicing Self-Control and Seeking Holiness

You know in a scooter there is an accelerator. If you move that will go full speed. In the foot there is a brake. Or in the moped there is a brake like that. Now I will tell you something. You girls. The boy's hand is always on the accelerator.

When they come near you They want to come very fast. Your hand must always be on the brake. Your foot must be on the brake. You keep that in mind. Both of you will be safe. But it is the girl's responsibility to put the brake.

Boys are not interested in putting the brake. Only accelerator. That's because they are boys. All boys' hand is on the accelerator. Have you seen some 16 year old boy with a new motorbike. He goes off.

They go and kill themselves. Sex also is the same thing. You girls must put your foot on the brake and say no. So that way you will be safe and you will have a very happy marriage one day. And to you boys I would say please slow down your driving.

Bring it down Zero. You also put your foot on the brake. Let's pray Heavenly Father I pray you will help these young men and women to become godly people. Help them to live for the glory of God. Help them to please you in their life.

And protect them from all the evil. The devil has surrounded them with. We humbly ask in Jesus name. Amen.