The Lower Nature

I have been studying Paul's writing for quite sometime. There were many passages that left me in a quandary and I either went back over them to meditate on or just left it alone until I could grow up in the Spirit for a better understanding. Marriage was one of those quandaries by which my inner response was, "how could Paul teach something that he has no experience and no knowledge of what the institution consists of?" His rules seemed too strict and bordered on contradiction of the original text (Old Testament). Tried as I could, I still liked my own ideals more than what Paul was trying to teach.

The rules that began frustrating me had nothing to do with if you don't have a wife don't try to find one (1 Corinthians 7:27 KJV). Nor was it that if you do marry, you didn't sin; though when you put the two verses together your entire expression would be a question mark. The problem I was having was if I marry I would no longer try to be pleasing to God but my mind would be on matters of the world. How could this be when he wrote that marrying would not be a sin and we know to be friends with the world is being an enemy to God? Why would marriage have my mind on worldly matters (1 Corinthians 7:26-28 AMP)?

I scowled for months leaving that verse to study something else but there is no getting away from Paul's writing when studying scriptures. So how does one advance, grow up and be mature negating vital verses in the bible? It just doesn't happen! One must be able to rightly divide the Word in order to answer every man's question for him to have a true understanding as well. It must be the Truth.

The Word tells us to be pure and delivered from sexual vice (1 Thessalonians 4:2-4 AMP). I haven't heard much teaching on this because it would mean for believers to stop meandering around what we all know not to do. A vice becomes acceptable when there is more than 10 that has the same need. The reasoning behind the acceptance is that it hurts no one and the individual likes seeking that sort of release. The TLC Network ran a story about a woman who had a condition where she experienced involuntary orgasms daily and often. She narrated how her life had to change because of her condition and she made it sound as if it was so horrible as she sought medical attention for her condition. She couldn't work or function as most others would, she claimed. Then one day she was offered an opportunity to go on a vacation with her friend. She knew she would be flying so she went to her doctor to get a prescription for air sickness. When she got to her destination and within hours of the trip she realized that her condition had subsided. Through trial and error she found that the air sick medication was the cure that alleviated her from her so called horrible condition. You would think her prayers were answered. Instead, she stopped taking the meds to resume the condition she had complained about for so long. She made her condition her sexual vice. It started off innocent, but according to the scripture - it is no longer.

So wouldn't we all be at a cross road? Who doesn't like having sex, talking about sex, learning more about sex, and in so doing being aroused? What do you do single Christian when you are aroused?

There is a Christian website that teaches women about various sexual positions for the purpose of enjoying their own husbands, as the scripture states. I was fascinated that there was such a venue - one that is much needed in the body of Christ. But then I read a portion of the site that condoned masturbation. I had to stop and think about what they were actually trying to tell believers to do. How could they tell their readers that it was alright to masturbate? Though some wouldn't think it was a Selah moment, I still had to pause and think about it.

The website is promoted for married couples... this is the difference. I asked the question to you  - single believer. What do you do when the lower nature is speaking to you. I have received a variety of answers and some are sort of funny. I heard one woman tell me that a cold shower doesn't work but taking a bath with the water on full force does help. I was in my early 20's when she said this to me. I had no idea what she was talking about. When I did understand her, years later, I thought it was sort of sad, seeing she is a married woman to a pastor. Still, it really doesn't answer the question. We are looking for that good and acceptable behavior. Something that is only pleasing to God. What could it be?

Could it be as simple as trusting in God (Isaiah 26:3 AMP)? How is it that when the finances get low, or the children act as if they were playing in the devil's pit all the live long day, or the boss tries to rip you a new one, or when the bills get overwhelming, or when anything else happens that is outside of our realm of righteousness, we can go before God and use that faith knowing God will do what He said, but when it has to do with sex and our desire for it, we seek ways that has nothing to do with faith? A pastor said in a sermon that God gave us sexual desire and it is good. Alright, but when you are single, how good is it then (Romans 13 :14 AMP)?

Here is the only practical resolve I know. If you never had chocolate in your life, would you ever crave it? If you never had to purchase anything because it was always given to you and you always had an ample supply, would you ever have the desire to go shopping? What are you doing, watching, saying, and listening to? If you didn't allow sex or sexual things to be apart of your life, would it still be a stronghold on your mind? If you stop watering a plant, won't it die? If you stop feeding an animal, won't it ceased to exist. If you stop watching television programs and movies that have sexual innuendo or blatant acts would you crave it all the more? Examine yourself (2 Corinthians 13:5 AMP). 

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