January 17, 2019
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Remember the old days? Yeah, with hotels, you know, and the keys? Yeah, the keys; not the little card they give you that opens the door. In those days I had a little problem. I don't remember when a guy asked me when I checked out of a hotel one day, "Ron did you turn in your key?" I thought somewhere along the way he talked to my wife, because see was the one who got to mail all those keys back. It's true, I have been known to own a hotel key collection. I mean, everybody needs a hobby, right? Some people collect stamps, coins, you get the idea! Well, actually it's never my intention to walk off with hotel keys, but sometimes I end up taking what I never meant to take. When I didn't even know I was taking it.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Four-Way Theft."
Now our word for today from the Word of God comes from 1 Thessalonians 4:3. These are some revealing words for people who are living in a sex-saturated culture. I mean, let's face it, it's everywhere. And here is some insight from the inventor of sex, on invisible tragedy that takes place when people have sex premaritally or extramaritally. Here's what he says, "It is God's will that you should be sanctified, that you should avoid sexual immorality. Each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable. Not in passionate lust like the heathen who do not know God. And in this matter, none should wrong his brother, or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins."
Now notice here it says first of all that it is God's will that we keep sex pure. I mean, this is like a destiny thing. And he says I want him to be sanctified which means kept special, not diminished by sex with anyone but your lifetime partner. He says the way to do that is to "avoid sexual immorality." In other words, don't be anywhere near where you could mess this up. And then he says you do it by controlling your own body. Don't let your body, don't let your mind get to a point where your passions are controlling you... Then there's this sudden tack about not wronging or taking advantage of your brother. What's this all about? Well obviously there is a third person being hurt when two people are physically involved outside of marriage. What's happening is really four-way theft.
First, sex outside of marriage boundaries hurt you, and then it hurts your partner. You're robbing yourselves of the enjoyment of sex that is guilt free, regret free, judgment free, inside of marriage. This unique love gift is no longer unique because you've given it to someone else which in tum robs two other people - both your future partners, or both of your present partners if you're married.
Four-way theft, four people - two of them innocent parties - lose what could be so special because someone could not control their hormones. In reality it's total selfishness, probably masquerading as love. Like my key problem, you may not know what you're taking, you may not even mean to be taking it, but it's gone. However, it's not easy to return what you've taken in this case.
If you are in the middle of a sexual relationship with anyone other than your marriage partner whether it's your present or future partner - please take this program as a warning from God. He stands ready to forgive you if you'll honestly repent at the cross where Jesus died for every sin now that you wish you could take back. And He'll strengthen you as you face whatever fall out there might be. And if you're on the edge of a sexual mistake or just flirting with fantasies, would you run from it now! The bill's going to last longer than the thrill.
And if all of this has just reminded you of which you wish you had not done, but it seems to be an indelible ink in your soul, I can tell you this, Jesus died for it. He died to pay for every wrong thing, every dirty thing, every angry thing, every forget God thing you've ever done. And today He offers to erase that from God's Book once and for all. You will be forgiven and clean.
If you want that, tell Him, "Jesus, I'm yours." Go to our website and get the information you need to begin your relationship with Him. That's ANewStory.com.
Sexual sin? It's a four-way robbery! It costs so many people, so very much.