Scripture:
And many will follow their sensuality and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. 2 Peter 2:2
Observation:
Peter gets right in their confronting the readers with statements, extrapolations of actions, and certainty of results. And (get this) Peter is talking to and about Believers, Church folk-not unbelievers. Folks like you and me.
Application:
Stuff like this stops me in my tracks. I like it soooo much when I can read the Scriptures and I know they are talking about the heathen, the unbelievers, the great un-washed. I am not threatened or challenged. This is the stuff to preach to others about—-and to not forget this—I am not aware of the safety of the wall of self-righteousness I have built.
To be transparent and candid: Sensuality is everywhere. Can’t hardly do anything without being confronted with sensual stuff. Ok, the overt stuff like pornography is fairly easy to recognize. Still-some are still captive and enslaved by that.
But what is insidious is the COVERT stuff-the sensuality the world is training us to grow insensitive to.
Let’s note that Sensuality is not synonymous with Sex. Sensuality can be thought as the presentation of the allure of sex and everything that can cascade from that. Sensuality is an attitude, a way of thinking, a particular kind of self-image to project and to be attracted to. There is nothing Godly about sensuality in this context and it is not to be excused away as something that God created so it must be ok.
This could be a whole book-and probably not a best seller either. Who wants to tackle this subject anyway?
God does.
Tackling the subject of sensuality in our own lives does not start with “do this, don’t do that…” it can, you know, and some of that is pretty good to embrace fiercely. There is something to be said about “just obey.”
But if a person in Christ really wants to tackle the subject of sensuality in their own life it starts with this: “I want to please You, O God. I do not want to please myself. I do not want to “go with the crowd.” “I want to serve You and You alone no matter what the cost.” Say that often to the face in the mirror and mean it.
A determination to please Him is where it starts. We have been set free from sin. We have been given Grace. Our operating system has been re-booted. We are not slaves to sin. We have been given and provided with tools to pursue sanctification with. One particular tool is the Brotherhood (or Sisterhood if you will).
Guys: Practice averting your eyes. There is NOTHING innocent about sneaking a peek at billboards, commercials, magazines, walkers, runners, etc. Nothing innocent-remember.
Gals: Because I am a guy I am reluctant to advise anything about girls and sensuality. However, I do know that girls learn sensuality from an early age. You may not even be aware of it. Advice: Get into the scriptures with the attitude “I want to please You, O God”, not adding “and I want to please myself” or “nobody can tell me what to do.” Beauty and attractiveness is not the same thing.
Prayer:
Father. Sensuality is like a computer virus, a worm. It can imbed itself and constricting to our Walk with You without our even knowing it. How many have been brought low because sensuality was thought to have an innocence in my mind only to find out that soft touch was a choke hold-squeezing the life out of me day by day. Help me and all who read this to find, implement, and practice particular and specific disciplines-mental, spiritual, and especially physical-to combat sensual temptation. AMEN.