Tuesday, April 16, 2019

🛑Is It Possible For A Single Person To Live A Clean Life?

By Bishop Elijah H. Hankerson III, BA, MA, DD
(Unless otherwise stated, all Scripture quotations are from the New International Version)[1]

GREETING

Psalm 134:1-2.1 Behold, bless ye the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord, which by night stand in the house of the Lord.2 Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the Lord.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

1.     Life Center Service Tonight. 7 pm. (also this week is Communion, Good Friday and Resurrection Day).

2.     Please register for the International AIM Convention under “COGIC Department of Evangelism.” July 1-5, Tampa, FL.

3.     Davenport, IA (Region 2 Evangelism Meeting).

4.     COGIC Department of Evangelism Men on Fire Crusade. Monday, April 29th 2019, 7PM at Graham Temple COGIC, 4215 Frazier Pike, Little Rock, AR, 72206, Pastor Sylvester Bush. Pastor A D Shaw Coordinator.

5.     COGIC Department of Evangelism Shelter Outreach. Tuesday, April 30, 12 Noon, Nehemiah House, 2921 Springer Blvd, Little Rock, AR

6.     Missouri Midwest Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction Holy Convocation 4th Annual Holy Convocation July 21-26. In 2020 I will be celebrating 5 years as a jurisdictional bishop.

LESSON NOTES

I.      WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THIS LESSON? God blessed me for 25 years to live “clean“ as a single person. Tonight’s lesson will help provide some principles that will help Christian singles (whether they are a minister or not) to live a clean life. It will also explain some of our beliefs and standards to those who are not Christian. 

II.    HOW DO YOU AVOID LONELINESS.

A.    Being mean is not being holy. I have observed that in order to remain pure, Christians will act mean and rude to other people. While a person may feel that this is being holy; it actually is a turn off to other people. Where a single person could benefit from the friendship of others; people will avoid you if you do not treat them right. You do not want to be a naïve person, or one that is desperate for friends or tries to buy friendship; but you should be a kind person. 

Proverbs 18:24 King James Version.[2] A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

Luke 6:31. Do to others as you would have them do to you.

B.    Do not be so desperate to be accepted. Just because you are single it does not mean that you have to be insecure or desperate for friendship and acceptance. Because you have value, you have a right to choose your friends. Yes, we are to love everyone. But, that does NOT mean that we have to associate with everyone. Everyone is not good for us.

Proverbs 12:26. The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray. 

Proverbs 22:24-25. Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person, do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn their ways and get yourself ensnared. 

1 Corinthians 15:33. Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”

Proverbs 13:20. Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.

C.    Stay out of other people’s business. As a single person, you should want your time to be productive and fruitful. Church is a haven of gossip. Because church is many people’s life; they often spend their time delving into everyone else’s business. Focus on your career, ministry, goals and hobbies. 

2 Thessalonians 3:11-12. We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies. Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the food they eat.

1 Peter 4:15. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or a thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. 

III.   HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH SEXUAL URGES?

A.    Do not tempt yourself. Your body has different urges: sleep, hunger, thirst, etc. Sexual urges are no exception. If you are single (and married) you should avoid things that would stir up passions that will lead you to sin: like pornography

Psalm 101:3. I will not look with approval on anything that is vile. I hate what faithless people do; I will have no part of it.

B.    Do not put yourself in compromising situations. If you being alone with somone would cause you to be tempted to indulge in sexual immorality; then avoid those types of situations. It does not mean that you are weak. It means that you know your limitations and how to control yourself.

2 Timothy 2:22 King James Version.[3] Flee also youthful lusts: but follow after righteousness, faith charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

Proverbs 5:1-9. 1My son, pay attention to my wisdom, turn your ear to my words of insight, 2that you may maintain discretion and your lips may preserve knowledge. 3For the lips of the adulterous woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil; 4but in the end she is bitter as gall, sharp as a double-edged sword. 5Her feet go down to death; her steps lead straight to the grave. 6She gives no thought to the way of life; her paths wander aimlessly, but she does not know it. 7Now then, my sons, listen to me; do not turn aside from what I say. 8Keep to a path far from her, do not go near the door of her house, 9lest you lose your honor to others and your dignity to one who is cruel,

C.    You do have a choice. Sexual urges will come, but we are not animals controlled by passion and instinct. We are human beings. We are created in the image of God. Our body is God’s temple. Therefore, we have every right to CHOOSE not to induldge in sexual immorality.

Genesis 39:7-10. 7and after a while his master's wife took notice of Joseph and said, "Come to bed with me!" 8But he refused. "With me in charge," he told her, "my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. 9No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?" 10And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her.

Hebrews 11:25 King James Version.[4] Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;

1 Corinthians 6:12-20. 12"I have the right to do anything," you say-but not everything is beneficial. "I have the right to do anything"-but I will not be mastered by anything. 13You say, "Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy them both." The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the LORD, and the LORD for the body. 14By his power God raised the LORD from the dead, and he will raise us also. 15Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! 16Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, "The two will become one flesh." 17But whoever is united with the LORD is one with him in spirit. 18Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. 19Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

1 Thessalonians 4:4. That each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable.

D.    The Word does work. Memorizing God’s Word is a sure protection that will help you to avoid temptations. 

Psalm 119:11. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

IV.   HOW CAN YOU MAINTAIN A “GOOD NAME?“ There is a stigma that often goes with singleness. People just assume that you are laden with lusts and indulging in sexual sin. This is not true. Just because you are single does not mean that you have to fit this stereotype. You can conduct yourself in a respectable manner and have a good name. 

Proverbs 22:1. A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.

1 Timothy 3:14-15. 14Although I hope to come to you soon, I am writing you these instructions so that, 15if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God's household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.

The following principles from the Word will help you:

A.     Be a loyal and faithful person.

Proverbs 3:3-4. 3Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. 4Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.

B.     Ask God to give you wisdom.

1 Kings 3:9. So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?"

C.     Allow each experience in life (good and bad) help you to mature and grow as a person. 

Luke 2:52. And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.

Hebrews 5:8. Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered

V.    IS DATING ACCEPTABLE FOR A CHRISTIAN SINGLE?

The Bible addresses engagement and marriage; but it does not address the subject of dating. With that in mind, we can, however, address how a Christian should and should not act.

A.    Some very important terms to consider.

1.     Dating defined.[5] To go out with (someone in whom one is romantically or sexually interested).

2.     Romance.[6] a feeling of excitement and mystery associated with love.

B.    You should never play with another person’s emotions. While a person may want to go out on a date to be social and have something to do; you must take the other person into consideration. Another person may take a date as something more serious and get hurt in the process. A Christian should never be involved in anything that would crush another person.

Luke 6:31. Do to others as you would have them do to you.

Luke 17:1-2. 1Jesus said to his disciples: "Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come. 2It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble.

C.    Do not put yourself in a compromising position. Just going to dinner with someone is not going to automatically cause you to want to go to bed with the person. But, why even put yourself into a situation where the enemy COULD use the situation to tempt you to do such?

1 Corinthians 7:36-38 36If anyone is worried that he might not be acting honorably toward the virgin he is engaged to, and if his passions are too strong and he feels he ought to marry, he should do as he wants. He is not sinning. They should get married. 37But the man who has settled the matter in his own mind, who is under no compulsion but has control over his own will, and who has made up his mind not to marry the virgin-this man also does the right thing. 38So then, he who marries the virgin does right, but he who does not marry her does better.

VI.   IT IS PROPER FOR A PREACHER TO BE SINGLE?

A person’s ministry is enhanced by marriage (you have experience to counsel married couples, you learn to be unselfish by giving 100% to another person). However, the Bible does not say that you have to or have not to be married. Jesus was single. Paul was single. Peter was married. And the list goes on. So there is no rule to either be single or married. However, the rule is to be holy and live clean. Here is what Paul had to say on the matter:

1 Corinthians 7:1-2 1Now for the matters you wrote about: "It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman." 2But since sexual immorality is occurring, each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband.

1 Corinthians 7:32-35 32I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the LORD's affairs-how he can please the LORD. 33But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world-how he can please his wife- 34and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the LORD's affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the LORD in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world-how she can please her husband. 35I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the LORD.

VII. WITH SO MANY SCANDALS AND PROMISCUITY IN CHURCH, WOULD IT BE PROPER FOR A SINGLE CHRISTIAN TO MARRY A “MORAL“ UNBELIEVER?

The world has become crazy. And that craziness is even in the church. People are getting sex changes. People are openly heterosexual while living undercover as homosexual. People appear to be holy; but behind closed doors they are physically and emotionally abusive. And, that list goes on. Just because a person professes to be saved; does not mean that they are. The Bible is very clear that Christians are not to marry non Christians. But, the Bible is also strict on who is a believer and who is not. Profession means nothing. A person must be changed and live holy. No exceptions. 

1 Corinthians 7:39 GOD'S WORD® Translation.[7] A married woman must remain with her husband as long as he lives. If her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but only if the man is a Christian.

2 Corinthians 6:14 Aramaic Bible in Plain English.[8] Do not be associates with those who are unbelievers; for what partnership has righteousness with evil, or what intimacy has light with darkness?

[1] Holy Bible, New International Version. 1973, by Biblica, Inc.
[2] Public Domain.
[3] Public Domain.
[4] Public Domain.
[7] https://biblehub.com/1_corinthians/7-39.htm. (Accessed, April 15, 2019).

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