First, have a solid grounding in the biblical basis for sexual sin and sexual purity, how to deal with temptation, and how God cleanses a wicked, deceitful heart. This Question and Answer section, our ministry workbook, and some of the items in our Resources section should be helpful in beginning to research and organize God's revelation in these matters.

Second, you may want to teach on sexual sin and sexual purity the same way Paul did: within the larger context of teaching and demonstrating genuine, sacrificial, Christlike love. For example, in 1 Thessalonians Paul recounts the deep love that he, Silvanus and Timothy demonstrated to believers there in the short three weeks he had ministered to them (not much longer than our modern short-term mission trips!) Listen to the love expressed in these verses: "We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers" (1:2); "we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children" (2:7); "so being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us" (2:8); "for ye remember, brethren, our labor and travail: for laboring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God" (2:9); "ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you, as a father doth his children" (2:11); "we... endeavoured the more abundantly to see your face with great desire" (2:17); "ye are our glory and joy" (2:20); "we were comforted over you in all our affliction and distress by your faith" (3:7); "now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord" (3:8); "night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face" (3:10). Amazing! Then Paul calls them to demonstrate the same love that they have witnessed through him (3:12 and 4:1), following it with a warning: do not engage in sexual sin (4:3). Why mention sexual sin first of all? Paul realized that sexual sin is a self-serving, self-centered counterfeit to Christ's love; one cannot demonstrate the genuine love of Jesus Christ and the self-centered counterfeit of sexual sin at the same time (4:7-8). Taking a lesson from Paul, we can take ongoing opportunities to teach, identify, encourage and demonstrate in a concrete way Jesus' love in action versus its sinful, selfish, hidden falsification.

Third, it will also be important to place teaching on sexual sin and sexual purity within a larger context of repentance and brokenness over sin as a lifestyle rather than a one-time decision. Keeping a broken, contrite heart before the Lord, manifesting our complete dependence on His mercy, prepares a heart for lifelong battles against sexual temptation much better than a one-time experience of confession and forgiveness.