Daily Power #160

But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality. (Eph. 5:3)

Times have changed.

But that doesn’t mean our morality should. While all the sexy stuff in our culture may seem normal, that doesn’t make it right. No matter how much others try to normalize what God calls sin, normal doesn’t make wrong right. As Paul points out in today’s verse, there shouldn’t even be a hint of sexual immorality.

Now, some sites, movies, and pictures may seem obviously immoral. But others may catch you by surprise if you’re not careful. Years ago I had teenage boys from my youth group confess that they lusted after department store newspaper ads of models wearing underwear. If that can create lust, surely more suggestive ads do the same.

What about a sexually suggestive YouTube clip or a joke posted on Facebook?

Again, to God—that would likely qualify as a hint.

If this sounds severe, you might be tempted to write me off as a religious fuddy-duddy. That’s totally fine. If you don’t strive to know and follow Jesus—then fair enough—that’s your choice. But you want to live in a way that honors our Savior—if you want to follow Jesus in a sin-saturated, selfie-centered world, then you will have to be different.

You will have to fight.

Our convictions must be guided by God’s timeless principles, not the ever-eroding popular opinion of what’s now acceptable. We must stand firm in our faith, fighting a battle against the temptations and sinful habits that our Enemy gladly uses to pull us away from knowing God and loving others.

Power Lift

It’s so easy to “go with the flow” of the culture around me, Lord. Today sensitize my heart to anything that carries even a hint of immorality and help me resist it.