Reformed Baptist Church of Kalamazoo

Sexual Purity Course Lesson 23

The fire of lust's pleasures must be fought with the fire of God's pleasures. If we try to fight the fire of lust with prohibitions and threats alone - even the terrible warnings of Jesus - we will fail. We must fight it with a massive promise of superior happiness. We must swallow up the little flicker of lust's pleasure in the conflagration of holy satisfaction. ¹

Which option offers pleasure: sexual immorality or obedience to God? The truth is that they both offer their own kind of pleasure. So let's ask a more specific question. Which offers the greatest pleasure; which offers eternal pleasure: sexual immorality or obedience to God? The topic of this study is the unmatched joy of radical obedience to God.

Scripture: Read Psalm 119:14, 16, 24, 35, 47, 70, 77, 92, 143, 174; John 7:7-14; and Hebrews 11:23-26.

Study:
1. First let's consider pleasure, delight, and joy:
Where are these things to be found? What is the real source of all goodness, truth, light, and joy? Where can we find an endless spring of contentment and satisfaction?
2. Now lets consider disobedience:
What kind of pleasure does disobedience offer?
Explain how disobedience actually robs you of genuine pleasure.
3. Now let's consider obedience to God:
What kind of pleasure does obedience give?
Explain how obedience leads to pleasure in this age and in the age to come.

Application:
1. Describe some of the lies that you have believed about sin and pleasure.
2. Explain how you will begin to seek after genuine pleasure rather than the false and counterfeit pleasure offered through sexual immorality.

¹ John Piper, Future Grace, pg. 336.

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