Holy Spirit Guide

Disclosure:

This word is a bit explicit. Originally, I did not plan on sharing, but I feel as if God wants me to because the purpose of this blog is to edify through God given revelations. Honestly, it would be remiss of me not to share for the sake of those who possess the same questions as I once did regarding these subjects.

Subject #1: Shacking

Let’s talk about a little something the church community calls “shacking”, which is when a romantic couple chooses to live together without being married. As a little girl, I remember the church folks kind of condemning those within the church who had been “shacking” with their romantic partner. “Shacking” is one of those shaky subjects if you ask me, I say this because as I began to get more into my word, I began to realize that the act within itself is not a sin, but instead it is what it opens a door to that is in fact the sin. I remember mentioning this to my father throughout our conversation about the subject, and he agreed, but reminded me of a few scriptures that pointed to why we shouldn’t “shack” for the sake of resisting the schemes of the enemy (temptation to commit adultery). Now, though the subject is not specifically mentioned, here’s a quick little nugget, Romans 14:16 says, “Therefore do not let what you know is good be spoken of as evil.” So, though your intentions may be pure, avoid placing yourself in situations where that fact can be questioned by others, remember we’re to be examples to the lost, so that they may one day be found.

Subject #2: Self Gratification

This subject has been the talk of the Christ following town for years, but I’m here to add a little clarity for those of you who are now connected to me through Christ in this season of your life. We can assume all we like regarding where we believe the Lord is referring to self gratification in the bible, but though unfortunate, He does not specifically mention the subject. Now because it is not specifically mentioned, does not mean God has not provided the wisdom through His word on how to approach such an act. I ask God about this subject A LOT, because in the Christ following community, everyone seems to be on different pages, just check google. I want to start by saying, Romans 14:23 says, “But whoever has doubts is condemned if they eat, because their eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin”. Just from that verse alone, God has already ended the drawn out conversation by calling for us to walk away from anything that causes us to question our obedience to Christ. Much like subject #1 I cannot sit here and say, “self gratification is a sin”, because it does not specifically say that it is in the bible. What I can say, is what I know, and that is that it leads to one of the main sinful open doors in many people's lives today, and that is lust. I’ve found that really it is lust that leads to self gratifications, so if you’re tempted to self gratify, examine your thoughts.

Correlation (bringing it all together):

While talking with God this morning, I received the comparison between both self gratification and “shacking”. We are called to resist the devil and his schemes, and flee from temptation. The thing about “shacking” with someone you’re romantically involved with is that you’re smack dab in the blast zone to fall into sin. The temptation to commit adultery is greater when you’re around someone 24-7, especially if you’re sleeping with them. Now, here is how the two subjects compare. Much like “shacking”, self gratification is very similar in that we’re unsure whether or not the act is sinful, but we’re very well aware of how it opens a door to lustful thoughts and acts. Mathew 5:28 says, “But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart”. So my friends, yes, you are also held accountable for your thoughts. This is why daily I ask the Lord to forgive me for anything I may have said, THOUGHT, or have done that was not pleasing to Him. Regarding the way we think, and how to keep our thoughts as clean as possible, I’ve spoken on this before, but to reiterate for your convenience, be sure to watch what you feed your spirit, Proverbs 4:23 says to guard your heart, for everything flows from it.

Subjects like these we have to ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom and understanding. When we are living lives that we feel are in tune with the flow of the Holy Spirit, we shouldn’t ignore when some of our old habits cause us to feel discomfort as we get closer to God. That discomfort may very well be the Holy Spirit leading you towards a more righteous path by implanting conviction which will leads to correction.

Scripture to reflect on:

1 Corinthians 10:13

No temptation[a] has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted[b] beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted,[c] he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

Proverbs 6:25

Do not lust in your heart after her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes.

Romans 8:6

The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.