With good intentions, we often warn single Christians about the relational damage associated with premarital sex. In a noble desire to urge single believers to follow God’s design of abstinence before marriage, we can unwittingly sabotage God’s design after marriage if we’re not just as pastoral claiming the victory of God over confessed sin as we are warning Christians away from prior sin.
Satan assaults us with three attacks, not one. He tempts (1 Cor. 7:5), yes, but then he also accuses us after we give in to the temptation (Rev. 12:10), and finally he condemns us as forever wrecked following the temptation. We need to learn how to apply God’s promised grace to all three attacks: temptation, accusation, and condemnation.
The church often focuses almost exclusively on Satan’s role in temptation while leaving believers floundering in the face of spiritual accusation and condemnation. We need the same pastoral heart as the apostle Paul who gave his warnings to the Corinthians “So that we may not be taken advantage of by Satan. For we are not ignorant of his schemes” (2 Cor. 2:11).
Jack Deere, a popular author, was earnest about his faith as a young man. But there was that one time before marriage that he had sex with a prostitute in Mexico… It was a stupid and evil thing to do, a rash spur of the moment decision to find out what sex was like, but now, he couldn’t make the memories or the spiritual pain go away.
And then there were the many times he almost had sex in college. He had done everything short of intercourse and while confessing it to his fiancée he realized the difference between what he had done and actually “going all the way” didn’t seem all that wide.
His future wife Leesa then confessed that she and her high school boyfriend had also “done everything short of intercourse.”
Jack decided he could live with that.
A couple days later, Leesa’s conscience made her “up” the confession and she nervously admitted that she and her prior boyfriend had actually had sex. Jack told her he was okay with that knowledge, but then he went home and rammed his fist into a metal filing cabinet.
Leesa was the same person after the confession as before, but the knowledge of her past seemed to change everything for Jack.
Should it have?
Jack’s struggles with their respective pasts robbed their early marriage of the joy married sex offers. Because Jack didn’t adequately understand Satan’s role as accuser and condemner as well as tempter, he allowed a past sin to assault his present relationship and even vandalize his future wedding night. In one of the saddest passages I’ve ever read about a marriage night Jack writes:
My belief in the irrevocable damage of my sin had stolen much of the joy of our courtship and all of my joy in our wedding. To me, our wedding was not a celebration of our love; it was an empty formality to make our sex legal.
All her life, Leesa had imagined her groom telling her how beautiful she was on her wedding night. I was so preoccupied with what I shouldn’t have done that I neglected to do what she needed most. When the morning came, Leesa thought I had settled for her out of obligation caused by my sin.
What’s worse: sex before marriage, or forgetting to tell the bride how beautiful she is on her wedding night? (Jack Deere, Even in Our Darkness)
As a pastor, that last line is so painful for me to read: “What’s worse: sex before marriage, or forgetting to tell the bride how beautiful she is on her wedding night?”
As Christians we can’t pretend that premarital sex doesn’t have an impact—it does (or else God wouldn’t warn us away from it in His word). But the Bible also teaches us there is a remedy for our sin—the grace and forgiveness won by the death and resurrection of Jesus. You can’t erase the past and may even have to deal with a few consequences in the present, but you can move toward a glorious, uninhibited and joyful future when you embrace all that God offers us in this fallen world.
To take hold of such a future we have to remember and refute each point of Satan’s three-fold attack. First, he tempts us to sin, then viciously accuses us after we sin, and then lies to us by insisting that we, rather than Christ, must pay the price for our sin (condemnation). After we fall, we think that making ourselves feel miserable and condemned and perhaps even accepting a sub-par sex life in marriage somehow makes up for our past sin. It doesn’t. Only Christ can pay that price. Our suffering adds nothing to His.
All three lies (temptation, accusation, and condemnation) come from the evil one. Sometimes, we recognize only the first (temptation) as being from Satan, but accusation and condemnation can do just as much damage. Don’t make your spouse pay for your or their past sin. Jesus has us covered from beginning to end. Embrace His gift of forgiveness and the freedom that follows.
So let’s learn to respond to temptation with truth. In Luke 11:28 we’re told, “Blessed are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” Jesus wants to give us abundant life, and the most abundant life is found in obedience. Let God bless you by doing what He asks of you.
When we fail to do that, for whatever reason, let’s also learn to respond with Scripture to the accusation that follows our sin. Romans 8:33 tells us, “Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies.”
And finally, whenever you hear the whispers that you are condemned, and must accept “punishment” for your disobedience (financial wreckage, vocational failure, sexual frustration) remind yourself of Romans 8:1: “There is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.” Jesus paid the price so we don’t have to.
We need to learn to surrender to God in the face of temptation, but also to surrender to God in the face of accusation and condemnation. It’s a threefold battle. Let’s apply Scripture in every arena of the fight, to ourselves and to others.
Gabby says
“Don’t make your spouse pay for your or their past sin”
I had the s same trouble when my then fiancee, now wife “up-ed” her confession on a past sexual relationship. I almost wanted to end the relationship and was very judgemental on why she didn’t tell me or what else she may be hiding.
I thank God for his grace. I would have missed out of the wonderful woman that is now my wife.
TGK says
Thank you for writing on this important topic and sharing the Word of God. John 8:31 “The Truth shall set you free”
Nonhlanhla sthandiwe Cele says
God bless you Gary and your ministry , for setting God’s people free from the assault of the enemy through truth, the word of the Lord. Luke 1:74 speaks of the deliverance that Christ has brought so that we serve him without fear and condemnation.
Patricia S Ivie says
Thank you Gary. I have suffered many years and have wounded my husband over this issue. I thank you for sharing this scriptural perspective! God’s Word has brought healing, but what a long journey it’s been.
Gwen says
I wish I could have read this years ago. But I’ll start applying it now. Thank you so much for writing it!
Frances Thompson says
This is good. It also applies when sexual abuse(being a victim of someone else’s sin)has stolen from you and caused self condemnation. Sometimes I think that can be more confusing and harder to find that freedom in Christ.
Angel Wills says
I became born again when a coworker witnessed to me how much she loves Christ due to him forgiving her when a john called her to repentance while she was stripping in a club she also worked as a prostitute at. She also was sexually abused by her dad as a child.
Charles says
Very helpful. Thank you.
EDL says
As Christians, we must belief God and His Word more than our feelings. 1 John 1:9 says ” If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” Write that verse down on an index card, repeat it slowly with emphasis on
a different word each time, think about it, memorize it, and use it as a sword in the spirit. God’s word is TRUE, no matter how we feel. Human feelings and moods are fickle and ever changing. Don’t put the focus on yourself. Put your focus on the reliability of God’s character and His Word, His promises. Believe and receive it. Regardless of your feelings. Otherwise you are calling God a liar. 1 John 4:16 “So we know and RELY ON the love God has for us.” It’s all about His dependability and faithfulness.
Julie Millard says
Thank you, Gary, for your pastoral heart. We have many friends who have suffered profoundly in their marriages because of condemnation due to premarital sex. I pray this message reaches and brings healing to many.
Doug says
Needed this, this morning.