A Fresh Start After Sexual Sin
By Rick Warren
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 (NIV)
God’s standards never change: Premarital sex is unacceptable. It always has been. It always will be. Living together without getting married is unacceptable to God. It always has been. It always will be. Adultery—being unfaithful in your marriage—is unacceptable to God. It always has been. It always will be. Pornography is unacceptable to God. It always has been. It always will be.
But if you’ve been guilty of one of those sins, that’s not the end of your story. God gives you a chance to come clean and start over.
How do you do that?
Repent. Repent means “to change your mind.” You say, “You were right, God. I was wrong. What I did was sin.” You don’t rationalize your sin or excuse it. The most important part is, you do this now. If you’re currently in the middle of an affair, end it today.
Receive forgiveness. God is waiting to forgive, cleanse, and restore you. He’ll release you from the shame, regrets, hidden hurts, and pain that come from your sin so you don’t carry them into your next relationship. God wants to wipe the slate clean. The good news is, once he’s forgiven you, you can forgive yourself.
Refocus and replace. You make a commitment to live morally pure by God’s standard from this day forward. That means having sex only with the person you’re married to.
Request help daily. Commit your life to Christ (if you haven’t already). Ask him to help you manage your mind, because you know that your decisions about sex start with the way you think. Don’t just ask him for help for the next week or the next month. Ask him for help every day—even minute by minute as you fight to stay sexually pure.
Your sexual drive can destroy you if you let it. It’s your choice! Choose to repent and receive God’s forgiveness today. God will give you a fresh start and will even bless your future relationship when you follow him in faith.
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This devotional © 2018 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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