Week 35, Day 4: Flee Sexual Immorality

Today’s Reading:  Genesis 39:1-23

Some thoughts from the reading…

In 1 Corinthians 6:18, the Apostle Paul told us to “flee sexual immorality.”  There is no better passage to illustrate the idea that Paul was conveying than Genesis chapter 39 and the account of Joseph in Potiphar’s house.  Joseph was sold into slavery and ended up in Egypt as a servant over Potiphar’s house.  He was in control of everything that Potiphar owned, the only thing held back from him was Potiphar’s wife.  But, Potiphar’s wife was intent on causing Joseph to commit adultery with her.  Joseph refused to commit such an atrocity against God and fled from Potiphar’s wife, leaving his cloak in her hand.  Joseph was then accused by Potiphar’s wife of sinning against her, and he was put into prison.

This is a very interesting passage to consider.  Many people think about sin from the standpoint of what they can get by with.  Joseph, for example, could have gotten by with this sin, at least from the standpoint of other men knowing about it.  His family would never have known about it.  How could his father have been disappointed in him?  Jacob thought that Joseph was dead.  Joseph could have thought that God had given up on him, stranding him in this heathen country.  Surely, Joseph could have come up with any number of excuses to succumb to Potiphar’s wife’s seduction.  But, in the end, he simply could not sin against God!  He was determined that he would do what was right, even if that were to cost him dearly.

We should remember that God is always watching us.  Even when no one else may know of our sin, God knows.  Even if we think we can get by with something sinful, God will see.  We can hide our sin from our family, and from our brethren, but God is aware of everything that we do.  We cannot hide anything at all from Him.

When we read that we are to “flee sexual immorality” we should think of Joseph.  We should be willing to run away from this sin against the Lord and against our own bodies in the same way that he did.  If we try to stay close to sinfulness, it will not be long until we are caught up in it ourselves, and we will be guilty of sinning against our God!

Question: What can a young person today do to flee from sexual immorality?  How might they insure that they do not succumb to the temptations of the world?

One Comment »

1. 

   Laura said :
   September 12, 2009 at 8:49 am

   It’s not just sexual immorality; we need to flee whatever temptations we face! The Bible specifically tells us to flee from idolatry (1 Cor. 10:14), the love of money (1 Tim. 6:10-11), and youthful lusts (2 Tim. 2:22). The Scriptures also tell us to get rid of absolutely anything that makes us sin (Mt. 18:8-9).
   The concept of fleeing temptation is very simple – if there is a temptation in a particular place, get out of there and don’t go back! But in practice, it’s more difficult for us, because it means avoiding things we want to do and places we want to be. (After all, that’s the whole idea behind “temptation” – you’re never tempted by what you don’t like!) Like Joseph, we have to put God before anything else. Making God happy has to be more important to me than making myself happy.