LIWD :: day 21 :: It's Not Too Late

...If you are reading this "after the fact" and are dealing with the guilt of the lost gift, do not be discouraged.  Although it is true that there is only one first time, God is the God of the first-time experience.  Let Him heal your broken heart through forgiveness.  Agree with God that you have sinned and leave the sin before Him.  Then guard yourself from entering into that sin pattern again.  Learn a valuable lesson, but do not continue to beat yourself with condemnation.  Jesus paid for those sins at Calvary.  Do not continue to allow youself or the enemy to defeat you with remembering a sin once you have confessed it to God and those you have offended.  There may be consequences of your sin, but you do not have to live with the guilt of it.

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Even though you have been freed from the guilt by confession, do not use it as an opportunity to continue in sin or to leave yourself open to temptation.  Continue to choose freedom over sin's mastery.  Lay aside every encumbrance and the sin that so easily entangles you and run with endurance the race set before you (see Hebrews 12.1).

Lay aside every encumbrance and the sin that so easily entangles you and run with endurance the race set before you.

God intended for sex to be within a marriage.  He intended for us to share that intimacy with one person only.  Yes, there is adultery and polygamy in the bible...but nowhere does it say that these things were in Gods will.  Abstinence is hard.  Especially when you're in a relationship.  But it is in Gods will for you to be this way, and through Him we can do anything!

It is considerably more difficult to abstain when you've already had sex than it is when you don't know what you're missing.  This is what God wants.  Who am I to doubt Him or His will?  Just because it's been done doesn't mean it has to be done again. 

Suppose you stole from someone and they found out and forgave you.  Would you feel blessed by their forgiveness and earn a new respect for them and their belongings?  Or would you continue to steal from them and tell them 'well I've stolen from you before so it's no big deal.'.  I hope you would choose the former.  It's the same way with sex.  God gave us this pleasure to share only in our marital bed.  We are stealing from Him when we betray His word.

I'm not saying abstinence it's easy.  Quite the opposite.  When you put your trust in the Lord, He will give you strength.  You'll be surprised at what you can accomplish with Him on your side.