Here is an appropriate posting for Valentine’s Day. This is taken from my notes and the article I wrote from the OBC Winter 2008 Men’s Breakfast.

Saturday February 9th Paul Felix from The Master’s Seminary spoke to the Men’s Breakfast at Omaha Bible Church. The topic of his message was “The Ancient Battle Plan for Sexual Purity” and he used 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 verses 3 thru 8 as the biblical text to support the message. The message is a much needed one for believing men, and a message that should be heeded indeed. I have provided an outline from the message. The reason for the message is out of a concern for the roles men have in our society, and those roles include: Father, husband, teacher, minister…and so on. He referenced a book “Disciplines of a Godly Man. by R. Kent Hughes. Hughes provides three concerns for his focus on purity – and it requires sweat, hard work, and effort for the believer.

1. Our culture sweats sensuality from its pores.
2. The evangelical church is like the world.
3. Sensuality is the biggest challenge in our spiritual life.

Many well respected spiritual leaders have fallen to sexual sin. Our hope rests in “Thus saith the Lord.” In Thessalonica sexual impurity was rampant. There was no stemming of the tide with the churches of truth. So we cannot use the excuse that our culture is worse than it was then. The call to be sexually pure is the same. We have a battle plan. Paul Felix also mentioned I Cor. 6:12-20 as another truth for the battle plan. He challenged the men to memorize and meditate on I Thes. 4:3-8 and presented three hard points in the “Ancient Battle Plan for Sexual Purity”.

The battle plan requires that we engage our minds and view sexual purity the same way God does.

Kick to the curb the old view of sexual purity. It is warped. Many times our view reflects the filth of the world and not the purity of a transformed life in Christ. Replace sexual purity on its high and lofty platform. Paul creates a chain with four links on I Thes. 4:3-8.
Paul states that he taught them how to walk in a way pleasing to God. (v. 2)
Pleasing God – the first link
Knowing the will of God is how we know how to please God(v.3a)
Your sanctification is the will of God (v 3b)
Abstaining from sexual immorality is the last link to sanctification.
It is God’s will that we abstain from sexual immorality. God’s will begins the chain and ends with the abstaining from sexual immorality. God’s will is for us to be sexually pure. This is a proper view of sexual purity.

The battle plan requires that we rely on the guidelines God has laid out for sexual purity.

1. Avoid sexual sin – Eph. 5:3 not even a hint or trace. Keep away, distance yourself from sexual immorality; flee not flirt! Stay away from the edge, lest we fall. Apply it to the TV you watch, magazines you read, web sites you view, and music you listen to.
2. Control your body – I Thes. 4:4
Learn your body and how to control your body. Only you can learn how to control your own We respond differently to what we are exposed to. Buffet your body. When your body wants to rise up, give it a black eye. Knock it down. You know what turns you on. What led you to previous immorality? If it creeps back in, knock it down. “Change your hitching post.” Use your body to glorify the Lord.
3. Don’t cheat your brother. I Thes. 4:6
Sexual sin is a sin against God, your body, and someone else. Sexual sin is all about selfishness. Remember there is a sign that says “Don’t Trespass” when it comes to the woman you are not married to.
The battle plan requires that we remember the motivating reasons for sexual purity.

1. 4:6b – Sexual sin will be repaid by God. The Lord is the avenger – righteous Judge.
2. 4:7 – Sexual sin is incompatible with God’s calling – not for immorality but sanctification and holiness.
3. 4:8 – Sexual sin is a rejection of God, the Holy Spirit

I am providing a link to an interview of Paul Felix by Pastor Eric Raymond and the audio to the Men’s Breakfast message below.

Interview script with Paul Felix

The OBC Winter 2008 Men’s Breakfast audio