The following program discusses sensitive issues. 00:00:01.36\00:00:03.77 Parents are cautioned that some material 00:00:03.80\00:00:05.57 may be too candid for younger children. 00:00:05.60\00:00:07.70 Welcome to Pure Choices. I am your host Timothy Lawson. 00:00:42.47\00:00:45.54 We have an amazing program for you today. 00:00:45.57\00:00:48.18 Well, before we get into that, I want to start off 00:00:48.21\00:00:50.38 and introduce some of my friends 00:00:50.41\00:00:52.11 in our panel that we have here. 00:00:52.15\00:00:53.65 To my right, we have Xavier Morales. 00:00:53.68\00:00:56.05 And, Xavier, who is this young lady right next to you? 00:00:56.08\00:00:58.69 This is my beautiful, 00:00:58.72\00:01:00.06 intelligent wife Brittany Hill-Morales. 00:01:00.09\00:01:02.22 Brittany Hill-Morales. 00:01:02.26\00:01:03.59 And this is Jacques LaGuerre 00:01:03.63\00:01:05.83 and this is a very special person 00:01:05.86\00:01:07.60 near and dear to my heart, 00:01:07.63\00:01:08.96 this is my lovely wife Myesha Lawson. 00:01:09.00\00:01:12.00 Amen. 00:01:12.03\00:01:13.37 "He that findeth a wife findeth a good thing." 00:01:13.40\00:01:15.14 Amen. 00:01:15.17\00:01:16.50 Now on this program today, 00:01:16.54\00:01:18.84 we're gonna talk about fornication 00:01:18.87\00:01:21.44 and what it has to do with our spirituality. 00:01:21.48\00:01:24.01 Just what is, 00:01:24.05\00:01:25.38 how does fornication directly impact 00:01:25.41\00:01:27.35 our relationship with God. 00:01:27.38\00:01:29.05 But before we get into that, 00:01:29.08\00:01:30.49 let's say exactly what fornication is. 00:01:30.52\00:01:32.72 On this program we're talking about 00:01:32.75\00:01:35.49 that fornication is premarital sex. 00:01:35.52\00:01:39.16 And before we get too deep into that, 00:01:39.19\00:01:41.16 we want to pray first 00:01:41.20\00:01:42.76 and ask the Lord's blessing to be on our show. 00:01:42.80\00:01:44.47 So would you bow your heads with me? 00:01:44.50\00:01:47.34 Dear kind and gracious Heavenly Father, 00:01:47.37\00:01:48.94 we ask that You guide our discussion 00:01:48.97\00:01:50.94 and guide our topic 00:01:50.97\00:01:52.31 so that we will hear words from You in Jesus' name, amen. 00:01:52.34\00:01:56.44 Amen. Amen. 00:01:56.48\00:01:57.81 So when we speak about fornication, 00:01:57.85\00:01:59.41 we're talking about sex outside of the marriage covenant, 00:01:59.45\00:02:03.22 either by two people who are not married or a person 00:02:03.25\00:02:07.26 who is married with somebody who they're not married too, 00:02:07.29\00:02:09.86 that's what we are talking about. 00:02:09.89\00:02:11.23 And we want to go right into our first question. 00:02:11.26\00:02:13.43 Our first question is what is God's will for our lives? 00:02:13.46\00:02:17.40 And I'm gonna need some help from you guys with that one. 00:02:17.43\00:02:19.57 What is God's ultimate will for our lives? 00:02:19.60\00:02:21.57 What does He want from us? What does He want to do to us? 00:02:21.60\00:02:25.47 He wants obedience. He wants obedience? 00:02:25.51\00:02:27.81 Yes. Okay, all right. 00:02:27.84\00:02:29.18 He wants us to love Him, to really worship Him, 00:02:29.21\00:02:32.68 you know, just to serve Him completely. 00:02:32.71\00:02:34.08 Right. Anybody else? 00:02:34.12\00:02:37.12 You want to chime in God's ultimate will. 00:02:37.15\00:02:39.89 I think it's God's will for our life 00:02:39.92\00:02:41.26 that we reflect His character 00:02:41.29\00:02:42.72 and so that other people can see Christ in us. 00:02:42.76\00:02:45.06 I love that answer. 00:02:45.09\00:02:46.43 Reflect His character 00:02:46.46\00:02:47.80 so that other people can see Christ in us, 00:02:47.83\00:02:50.50 and that ties directly in to the verse 00:02:50.53\00:02:54.20 that is gonna answer our question. 00:02:54.24\00:02:56.71 The Bible says, "For this is the will of God, 00:02:56.74\00:03:00.18 even your sanctification." 00:03:00.21\00:03:02.68 And so the Bible calls God, 00:03:02.71\00:03:04.48 a Holy God and he wants us to make holy beings 00:03:04.51\00:03:07.28 and what sin did is it destroyed 00:03:07.32\00:03:09.32 this image of God. 00:03:09.35\00:03:10.89 But what is beautiful about that verse 00:03:10.92\00:03:13.46 that ties directly into our topic 00:03:13.49\00:03:15.76 is the latter end of that verse says, 00:03:15.79\00:03:18.76 "That you would have stayed from fornication." 00:03:18.79\00:03:21.43 And now I find that tremendously interesting 00:03:21.46\00:03:24.63 that in the same breath, in the same verse that God says 00:03:24.67\00:03:28.34 "This is My will," He brings up fornication. 00:03:28.37\00:03:32.94 Now when God wants to sanctify us, 00:03:32.97\00:03:35.14 there is another characteristic or a part of His image 00:03:35.18\00:03:38.61 as where that goes along with it. 00:03:38.65\00:03:40.02 What do you guys think 00:03:40.05\00:03:41.38 that is that always ties into sanctification, 00:03:41.42\00:03:43.89 it's never apart from it? 00:03:43.92\00:03:47.09 Brittany, I want to go to you, 00:03:47.12\00:03:49.02 I want you to answer this one for me. 00:03:49.06\00:03:52.09 When I think of God's character and Him being a holy God, 00:03:52.13\00:03:55.96 that element of loving Him and serving Him 00:03:56.00\00:03:59.60 that those true forms 00:03:59.63\00:04:00.97 of worshipping God and how that, 00:04:01.00\00:04:03.34 He wants that to be part of our character 00:04:03.37\00:04:05.34 to resemble holiness. 00:04:05.37\00:04:07.28 And I think of an example with my mom. 00:04:07.31\00:04:11.28 I love my mom. I care for her. 00:04:11.31\00:04:14.32 And, on like days like Mother's Day 00:04:14.35\00:04:17.02 because I love her, 00:04:17.05\00:04:18.72 I would probably go out, travel and probably 00:04:18.75\00:04:21.92 the entire city of Antigua back home, 00:04:21.96\00:04:24.39 or probably what I did last year, 00:04:24.43\00:04:26.36 I called all the different florists 00:04:26.39\00:04:28.13 and I was like, "Can you take an American card, 00:04:28.16\00:04:30.33 I would like to leave a flowers to my mom?" 00:04:30.37\00:04:32.43 And I do those things because I love her. 00:04:32.47\00:04:35.14 And it's a same thing with God, when you love Him 00:04:35.17\00:04:37.44 and your character is becoming more holy, 00:04:37.47\00:04:38.91 and it's becoming 00:04:38.94\00:04:40.28 more of what He would want like us to be. 00:04:40.31\00:04:42.68 We want to do things that will please Him 00:04:42.71\00:04:44.85 and truly show our dedication and appreciation 00:04:44.88\00:04:47.75 for who He is and what He does for us. 00:04:47.78\00:04:49.85 Well, that was a beautiful story. 00:04:49.88\00:04:51.89 That just tied in everything. 00:04:51.92\00:04:53.49 God making us holy also has to do 00:04:53.52\00:04:55.56 with His love. 00:04:55.59\00:04:56.93 You know, there is a verse in 1 Thessalonians 3:12 00:04:56.96\00:04:59.89 and 13 says that 00:04:59.93\00:05:01.26 "As we abound actually in love, 00:05:01.30\00:05:04.80 we increase in holiness." 00:05:04.83\00:05:07.20 And so the two are never separated, 00:05:07.24\00:05:09.20 they're always together but since God wants us 00:05:09.24\00:05:11.14 to make us these loving holy beings, 00:05:11.17\00:05:14.78 what parts of us does He want to do that to? 00:05:14.81\00:05:17.05 Is it just our minds? Is it just our feet? 00:05:17.08\00:05:20.05 Is it just our arms? 00:05:20.08\00:05:21.42 Is it just our hearts? It's our hearts. 00:05:21.45\00:05:22.78 It's our hearts? It's our hearts. 00:05:22.82\00:05:24.22 I think he talks about it too where, 00:05:24.25\00:05:25.59 you know, we give every member of our body into holiness. 00:05:25.62\00:05:30.13 Yeah. 00:05:30.16\00:05:31.49 One of the biggest detriments is, 00:05:31.53\00:05:33.40 you know, you mention fornication, 00:05:33.43\00:05:35.10 you know, like we have to give every aspect of us, 00:05:35.13\00:05:38.53 every part of our being, 00:05:38.57\00:05:39.90 physically and psychologically to Him 00:05:39.93\00:05:43.24 that it may be presented holy on to Him. 00:05:43.27\00:05:47.14 Every part of our being. Perfect. 00:05:47.18\00:05:49.08 That's what I like, Tim, 00:05:49.11\00:05:50.45 and I believe what Christ really wants, 00:05:50.48\00:05:52.15 like deep down inside, He wants our heart. 00:05:52.18\00:05:54.68 You know, 'cause Matthew 5 says, 00:05:54.72\00:05:56.05 "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." 00:05:56.08\00:05:58.82 And the Bible also says that 00:05:58.85\00:06:00.19 "Out of the abundance of the heart 00:06:00.22\00:06:01.56 the mouth speaketh." 00:06:01.59\00:06:03.02 And so if God has our heart and He's changing our heart 00:06:03.06\00:06:05.43 and He's giving us a heart of flesh 00:06:05.46\00:06:07.46 instead of a heart of stone, 00:06:07.50\00:06:09.06 then all of these works 00:06:09.10\00:06:10.43 in our obedience and our actions, 00:06:10.47\00:06:12.63 they all flow out of a pure heart 00:06:12.67\00:06:14.54 because that's what God has given us. 00:06:14.57\00:06:16.54 So you're saying, God wants to... 00:06:16.57\00:06:18.44 Every member and you're saying for God 00:06:18.47\00:06:20.38 to sanctify every member, 00:06:20.41\00:06:22.41 He first has to have the heart, 00:06:22.44\00:06:23.78 the controlling factor. 00:06:23.81\00:06:25.45 Now let's not forget that. 00:06:25.48\00:06:26.85 Everybody, remember that 00:06:26.88\00:06:28.45 and we jump right into our next question. 00:06:28.48\00:06:31.45 What did God make the body for? 00:06:31.49\00:06:35.69 There's a particular Bible verse 00:06:35.72\00:06:37.13 that says the body is not for fornication 00:06:37.16\00:06:40.16 but for something else? 00:06:40.20\00:06:43.80 Does anybody know? 00:06:43.83\00:06:46.07 What does God make the body for? 00:06:46.10\00:06:47.44 It says, it's for Him. Yeah. 00:06:47.47\00:06:49.10 Okay. He made it for the Lord. 00:06:49.14\00:06:52.34 So God didn't make the body for fornication, 00:06:52.37\00:06:55.61 He made it for the Lord. 00:06:55.64\00:06:56.98 So when God's trying to sanctify us, 00:06:57.01\00:06:58.45 when He's trying to perfect our wills, 00:06:58.48\00:07:01.52 what He wants to do is get to our minds 00:07:01.55\00:07:03.39 because our body 00:07:03.42\00:07:04.75 is just an expression of what's inside. 00:07:04.79\00:07:06.86 You see? 00:07:06.89\00:07:08.22 So we can't understand God's love, 00:07:08.26\00:07:10.99 unless we have His love in our hearts. 00:07:11.03\00:07:12.63 Right. 00:07:12.66\00:07:14.00 And if we are out there 00:07:14.03\00:07:15.56 or if we are involved in things with our body, 00:07:15.60\00:07:18.47 may be fornicating and premarital sex, 00:07:18.50\00:07:20.97 it shows that we have a distorted picture of reality 00:07:21.00\00:07:24.67 of what God's love is in our hearts. 00:07:24.71\00:07:28.58 And so the body, the outward, our physical presence 00:07:28.61\00:07:32.48 is only a manifestation of what's inside. 00:07:32.51\00:07:35.28 Now I want to ask another question 00:07:35.32\00:07:36.69 and we can take some time on this. 00:07:36.72\00:07:38.55 How does fornication affect our ability 00:07:38.59\00:07:43.53 to live out God's commandments of love? 00:07:43.56\00:07:46.29 Well, first, I start off 00:07:46.33\00:07:47.66 what are God's commandments of love? 00:07:47.70\00:07:50.80 They're broken down into two parts, 00:07:50.83\00:07:52.57 who're we supposed to love? 00:07:52.60\00:07:54.20 "Love God with all of your heart." 00:07:54.24\00:07:55.57 "Love God with all of our heart?" 00:07:55.60\00:07:56.94 And there is another. 00:07:56.97\00:07:58.31 "And love your neighbor as yourself." 00:07:58.34\00:07:59.67 "And love your neighbor as ourself." 00:07:59.71\00:08:01.04 Now this is supposed to be where? 00:08:01.08\00:08:02.41 In our toes or is this supposed 00:08:02.44\00:08:04.28 to be in our hearts or in our minds? 00:08:04.31\00:08:05.81 What do you think? Both. 00:08:05.85\00:08:07.18 Both. 00:08:07.22\00:08:08.55 And so when God puts that love in my mind, 00:08:08.58\00:08:11.29 then it gets manifested in the physical world. 00:08:11.32\00:08:14.92 And so fornication is one of the biggest examples, 00:08:14.96\00:08:18.43 I guess we could say that this isn't happening. 00:08:18.46\00:08:22.33 And I want to talk about 00:08:22.36\00:08:25.37 just how fornication affects our spirituality. 00:08:25.40\00:08:28.60 I know that when I struggle with this a lot of times, 00:08:28.64\00:08:33.27 it wouldn't be that, may be necessarily, 00:08:33.31\00:08:35.98 I said I just hated God or anything or denounce God, 00:08:36.01\00:08:40.48 but it gave me a disinterest in spiritual things. 00:08:40.52\00:08:43.72 It does that. 00:08:43.75\00:08:45.29 As I think about just where... 00:08:45.32\00:08:48.49 As we talked about before, loving God, worshiping, 00:08:48.52\00:08:50.86 wanting to serve Him, 00:08:50.89\00:08:52.46 when you start doing things 00:08:52.49\00:08:53.86 that is not in relation to what God wants for us, 00:08:53.90\00:08:57.03 you start, you know, stepping back away from Him. 00:08:57.07\00:09:00.77 "Okay, God, I know 00:09:00.80\00:09:02.14 that you want me to wait until marriage, 00:09:02.17\00:09:03.84 but I really love him, I really like him, 00:09:03.87\00:09:06.37 I think he is the one" 00:09:06.41\00:09:07.74 and we're gonna get married anyways, 00:09:07.78\00:09:09.14 so why not. 00:09:09.18\00:09:10.51 But as you start engaging, 00:09:10.55\00:09:11.88 you start pushing further and further away, 00:09:11.91\00:09:14.12 you don't do your devotion every morning 00:09:14.15\00:09:15.68 like you used to do. 00:09:15.72\00:09:17.19 You used to go to church for Sabbath school, 00:09:17.22\00:09:18.69 may be I'll go for divine worship 00:09:18.72\00:09:20.29 or may be I'll go just in time for the sermon. 00:09:20.32\00:09:23.26 Like, you slowly start doing things 00:09:23.29\00:09:25.26 that is not really, 00:09:25.29\00:09:27.63 how it was before 00:09:27.66\00:09:29.00 because you know you're doing something 00:09:29.03\00:09:30.37 that's not what God wants for you 00:09:30.40\00:09:32.20 and that guilt starts coming over you, 00:09:32.23\00:09:34.67 that "Okay, I know I shouldn't be doing this 00:09:34.70\00:09:37.21 but he's so good, but then, Lord, 00:09:37.24\00:09:39.67 I love you too" 00:09:39.71\00:09:41.11 and then you feel this guilt that may be 00:09:41.14\00:09:42.88 that's even why some people don't go to church 00:09:42.91\00:09:44.55 because they have that guilt and that shame. 00:09:44.58\00:09:46.61 I know I'm not supposed to, but yet, it's fun. 00:09:46.65\00:09:50.42 But, yeah, I love guy and it's like that, 00:09:50.45\00:09:52.72 you know, twist and turn trying to figure out 00:09:52.75\00:09:54.82 what exactly it is I am supposed to be doing. 00:09:54.86\00:09:57.69 And it's almost like 00:09:57.73\00:09:59.79 when we're engaged in that pivotal moment 00:09:59.83\00:10:02.90 that we're not loving our neighbor as ourself 00:10:02.93\00:10:07.74 because we're not being selfless 00:10:07.77\00:10:10.64 but we're being selfish. 00:10:10.67\00:10:12.37 We desire something from them 00:10:12.41\00:10:14.11 and sometimes it can affect on how we view God. 00:10:14.14\00:10:16.91 We could think God's keeping something away from us. 00:10:16.95\00:10:19.28 Has anybody experienced that? 00:10:19.31\00:10:20.72 Or known people that because they want, 00:10:20.75\00:10:25.79 you know, to engage in fornication so much, 00:10:25.82\00:10:27.99 it directly affects how they think God 00:10:28.02\00:10:30.09 is managing their life. 00:10:30.13\00:10:32.56 Well, when you get into sexual sin 00:10:32.59\00:10:35.96 and when you get into just sin in general, 00:10:36.00\00:10:38.07 you begin to fall in love if I can use that word. 00:10:38.10\00:10:41.54 And then when you go to church 00:10:41.57\00:10:42.94 or when you do devotion every now 00:10:42.97\00:10:44.87 and then or when you read your Bible, 00:10:44.91\00:10:46.78 and you read that 00:10:46.81\00:10:48.14 God doesn't want you to do this, 00:10:48.18\00:10:50.21 God is asking you to do, 00:10:50.25\00:10:51.65 not do something that you really like doing. 00:10:51.68\00:10:54.38 And so now, you see God as a parent 00:10:54.42\00:10:56.92 who's trying to take something away 00:10:56.95\00:10:58.35 from you that's good instead of as a parent 00:10:58.39\00:11:00.86 who's trying to keep you away 00:11:00.89\00:11:02.22 from something that's dangerous. 00:11:02.26\00:11:04.03 And especially with fornication, 00:11:04.06\00:11:06.33 like what Brittany was saying 00:11:06.36\00:11:08.16 that it's selfish and it's not selfless. 00:11:08.20\00:11:11.53 And you're racked with all this guilt, 00:11:11.57\00:11:12.93 and all this shame, and all this remorse, 00:11:12.97\00:11:15.00 and even if you do end up marrying that person, 00:11:15.04\00:11:17.87 you have associated sex with sin, and shame, and guilt 00:11:17.91\00:11:23.71 that there is many people who even when they're married, 00:11:23.75\00:11:25.91 they can't really enjoy sex the way God wants them to 00:11:25.95\00:11:29.52 because they did it the wrong way 00:11:29.55\00:11:31.85 and in the wrong time for so long. 00:11:31.89\00:11:33.69 Wow! Wow! 00:11:33.72\00:11:36.36 And I think too what people don't understand 00:11:36.39\00:11:38.76 is that God is not just a father figure 00:11:38.79\00:11:42.33 that's just, you know, tries to put you down. 00:11:42.36\00:11:44.93 He is the one that made you, 00:11:44.97\00:11:46.80 so He knows how you gonna function, 00:11:46.84\00:11:48.67 meaning that, even science, regular science, 00:11:48.70\00:11:51.51 you know, non-Christian science is proving the fact that, 00:11:51.54\00:11:53.91 you know, when you have fornication part of you 00:11:53.94\00:11:55.91 literally goes, you know, part of your DNA goes, 00:11:55.94\00:11:59.01 you know, intermixes with the other person 00:11:59.05\00:12:00.48 that you're fornicating with, 00:12:00.52\00:12:01.95 so He already has seen, 00:12:01.98\00:12:04.52 you know, He put that in place 00:12:04.55\00:12:05.92 because He knows physiologically 00:12:05.95\00:12:07.46 and psychologically, there is more, 00:12:07.49\00:12:09.39 you know, there is a huge detriment 00:12:09.42\00:12:11.06 to your system, to your body, 00:12:11.09\00:12:12.43 to the way you think, to the way you act. 00:12:12.46\00:12:13.80 You know, now, 00:12:13.83\00:12:15.16 you're gonna associate the word love 00:12:15.20\00:12:17.23 with intermixing it with lust. 00:12:17.27\00:12:19.27 When it is intermixing with fornication, 00:12:19.30\00:12:21.17 and then anytime you need love, 00:12:21.20\00:12:23.47 you're gonna go out and find somebody to give you 00:12:23.51\00:12:25.24 that physical love 00:12:25.27\00:12:26.61 rather than the spiritual aspect of it. 00:12:26.64\00:12:29.14 Wow! I like to say something. 00:12:29.18\00:12:32.05 It was amazing what you just said how... 00:12:32.08\00:12:34.95 The Bible says that "Two shall become one." 00:12:34.98\00:12:37.59 And so when you're giving someone your body, 00:12:37.62\00:12:40.16 you're giving them a piece of you, 00:12:40.19\00:12:41.82 you're taking a piece of them as well. 00:12:41.86\00:12:43.86 But when you're doing it, the way God didn't design it, 00:12:43.89\00:12:47.76 there can be consequences to that, you know. 00:12:47.80\00:12:50.53 There's a lot of scarring, you're scarring yourself, 00:12:50.57\00:12:53.67 you know, so when we do things 00:12:53.70\00:12:55.37 the way God designed us to do it, 00:12:55.40\00:12:57.64 it's so much better, you know, it's so much... 00:12:57.67\00:12:59.97 It's beautiful, you know, and the way... 00:13:00.01\00:13:01.78 I just love the way 00:13:01.81\00:13:03.14 'cause the way He designed things, 00:13:03.18\00:13:04.51 He's a mathematical, 00:13:04.55\00:13:05.88 you know, He is a great teacher, 00:13:05.91\00:13:07.48 He's an awesome God. 00:13:07.52\00:13:08.85 So I just like the way that you broke that down. 00:13:08.88\00:13:11.22 It was amazing. That's beautiful. 00:13:11.25\00:13:15.02 I love that point. 00:13:15.06\00:13:16.76 And so it seems like kind of what you're saying 00:13:16.79\00:13:19.63 is when I engage in fornication, 00:13:19.66\00:13:23.26 it really is gonna distort 00:13:23.30\00:13:25.33 my reality of what I think love is 00:13:25.37\00:13:28.10 and what I think a marriage should be in a partnership. 00:13:28.14\00:13:32.11 And even, what I think my relationship 00:13:32.14\00:13:34.11 with God should be. 00:13:34.14\00:13:35.48 I think he should, you know, give me what this wants 00:13:35.51\00:13:37.65 'cause like you said, I'm in love now, 00:13:37.68\00:13:39.81 you know, but then now, 00:13:39.85\00:13:41.18 I know, I am doing something wrong. 00:13:41.22\00:13:42.85 And so now, I am gonna be in this almost circle 00:13:42.88\00:13:45.85 this whirlwind trying to justify my actions 00:13:45.89\00:13:48.99 in such a way 00:13:49.02\00:13:50.36 where I am distorting the beautiful stuff 00:13:50.39\00:13:54.23 as you put that God has for me. 00:13:54.26\00:13:56.67 And so, okay, I'm in fornication, 00:13:56.70\00:14:00.90 I see that it's distorting my reality, 00:14:00.94\00:14:02.90 I see it's affecting my spirituality. 00:14:02.94\00:14:05.24 Is it broken now? Is there any way I can fix it? 00:14:05.27\00:14:08.51 Can I do something different now 00:14:08.54\00:14:11.28 to mend this relationship? 00:14:11.31\00:14:13.55 What do you guys think? 00:14:13.58\00:14:14.92 I think you should start off with recognizing your sins, 00:14:14.95\00:14:19.15 you know, and the things that you're doing 00:14:19.19\00:14:22.22 because you want to realize 00:14:22.26\00:14:23.59 what is separating you from God. 00:14:23.63\00:14:25.46 He never left us. We're leaving Him. 00:14:25.49\00:14:28.73 So personally, I've been through this before 00:14:28.76\00:14:33.03 and I went into a state of depression. 00:14:33.07\00:14:35.14 And, you know, the devil, 00:14:35.17\00:14:36.50 he always like to whisper things in your ear, 00:14:36.54\00:14:38.07 you know, that your God is not there for you, 00:14:38.11\00:14:41.94 you're not a Christian, you know, all these things, 00:14:41.98\00:14:44.88 you're doing this, you're doing that. 00:14:44.91\00:14:46.35 Well, the Lord is good 00:14:46.38\00:14:48.88 because we're able to go to Him as we are. 00:14:48.92\00:14:53.99 And we should fast and we should pray for this 00:14:54.02\00:14:56.93 because it's a stronghold. 00:14:56.96\00:14:59.19 And so, yes, the Lord, 00:14:59.23\00:15:00.93 He wants us to come to Him, broken, 00:15:00.96\00:15:03.67 you know, so He can fix, 00:15:03.70\00:15:05.03 and He can mould us and heal us. 00:15:05.07\00:15:07.74 So yes, I believe 00:15:07.77\00:15:09.10 that we can be restored to God because He never left us. 00:15:09.14\00:15:11.51 He's always there for us. 00:15:11.54\00:15:14.44 Jacques, Jacq, what are some steps 00:15:14.48\00:15:17.81 that you've seen somebody else take 00:15:17.85\00:15:20.18 or you may have taken yourself, you know, finding out 00:15:20.22\00:15:23.92 they had a severed relationship with the Lord 00:15:23.95\00:15:26.52 and involved in fornication. 00:15:26.55\00:15:27.89 What are some steps 00:15:27.92\00:15:29.26 they started making back to reform? 00:15:29.29\00:15:30.99 Well, in my own personal experience, 00:15:31.03\00:15:32.83 when I came back to the Lord, 00:15:32.86\00:15:34.23 I was involved in that lifestyle 00:15:34.26\00:15:37.27 with fornication 00:15:37.30\00:15:38.63 and with an addiction to pornography, 00:15:38.67\00:15:40.34 and one thing I had to do was get, 00:15:40.37\00:15:42.50 ask God one to help me to hate what I loved. 00:15:42.54\00:15:47.98 And I think that's one of the first steps. 00:15:48.01\00:15:49.48 It's claiming the promise that found in Genesis, 00:15:49.51\00:15:52.75 take the first promise of the Bible, 00:15:52.78\00:15:54.78 where He says "I will give you enmity." 00:15:54.82\00:15:57.59 So I had to learn to hate what I once loved. 00:15:57.62\00:16:00.89 And then once that happened, 00:16:00.92\00:16:02.92 I ask God to reeducate me on what sex really is 00:16:02.96\00:16:06.56 because I feel like the best way 00:16:06.59\00:16:08.70 to fight the devil and his lies is with God's truth. 00:16:08.73\00:16:12.43 And so personally, 00:16:12.47\00:16:13.84 I started reading the Song of Solomon 00:16:13.87\00:16:15.47 and I started learning what the Bible says about sex, 00:16:15.50\00:16:18.71 and I started reading more and reading letters 00:16:18.74\00:16:21.94 to young lovers by Ellen White, 00:16:21.98\00:16:23.91 reading testimonies on sexual behavior 00:16:23.95\00:16:27.32 and all these different books 00:16:27.35\00:16:28.92 so that I get reeducated on what sex really is. 00:16:28.95\00:16:32.55 And what it really is in God's really plan. 00:16:32.59\00:16:35.49 All right, we spoke earlier, 00:16:35.52\00:16:36.86 you said, God wants to make us in His image, 00:16:36.89\00:16:39.39 and when He decided to do that, 00:16:39.43\00:16:40.76 He decided to make us male and female in His plan, 00:16:40.80\00:16:43.87 He incorporated sex in His plan for us 00:16:43.90\00:16:46.57 to be in His image. 00:16:46.60\00:16:48.17 So now that I have fornicated, it's affecting my spirituality 00:16:48.20\00:16:51.67 and, Brittany, this question is going to you. 00:16:51.71\00:16:53.78 Now I am married, and so like before, 00:16:53.81\00:16:56.11 you know, I've been in this lifestyle, 00:16:56.14\00:16:57.65 I have the guilt and shame mixed in. 00:16:57.68\00:16:59.85 How do I separate the lust and the guilt and shame, 00:16:59.88\00:17:03.52 and now coming to oneness with my spouse to where, 00:17:03.55\00:17:09.16 instead of being fornication her 00:17:09.19\00:17:10.89 to my spirituality, 00:17:10.93\00:17:12.29 it say, love relationship 00:17:12.33\00:17:14.56 and it's actually boosting my spirituality. 00:17:14.60\00:17:17.97 As I think about being married to my loving husband, 00:17:18.00\00:17:23.10 there's so much beauty in sex as married couple versus 00:17:23.14\00:17:29.11 fornication outside of that beautiful covenant 00:17:29.14\00:17:31.81 that God has in place. 00:17:31.85\00:17:33.18 And I think that's what we need to also remember. 00:17:33.21\00:17:35.58 Sex isn't bad, sex is wonderful. 00:17:35.62\00:17:38.85 It's when you're trying to do it outside 00:17:38.89\00:17:40.29 of what God intended and created it to be. 00:17:40.32\00:17:43.12 Like there are so many young couples, 00:17:43.16\00:17:45.83 they're in love with each other, 00:17:45.86\00:17:47.70 they really care for each other, they're like, 00:17:47.73\00:17:49.76 "Okay, this is our expression of intimacy" 00:17:49.80\00:17:52.50 but you're not married yet, you're not there. 00:17:52.53\00:17:54.97 So you need to spend that time 00:17:55.00\00:17:56.77 actually getting to know each other 00:17:56.81\00:17:58.84 and that's what I love about Xavier and myself. 00:17:58.87\00:18:01.41 We spent like two years 00:18:01.44\00:18:04.11 and because we weren't engaging in sex, 00:18:04.15\00:18:06.35 we were actually getting to know each other 00:18:06.38\00:18:08.48 on a different level. 00:18:08.52\00:18:09.85 And I could actually be able to safely say, yes, 00:18:09.88\00:18:13.02 I do want to marry him. 00:18:13.05\00:18:14.39 In relationship, 00:18:14.42\00:18:15.76 I was in before because we were engaging. 00:18:15.79\00:18:18.66 All like the red flags were there 00:18:18.69\00:18:20.93 but I couldn't see it because when you have sex, 00:18:20.96\00:18:23.10 you have that chemical release that allows you to intermingle 00:18:23.13\00:18:27.04 and to intertwine with that person, 00:18:27.07\00:18:29.04 and to care for that person on a different level. 00:18:29.07\00:18:32.01 So because of that I wasn't able see 00:18:32.04\00:18:34.08 all the red flags, 00:18:34.11\00:18:35.44 but when we stopped 'cause we were like, 00:18:35.48\00:18:37.18 you know, Lord wants us to stop, 00:18:37.21\00:18:38.55 we need to be on the right and narrow path, 00:18:38.58\00:18:41.45 I mean, to straighten our path. 00:18:41.48\00:18:42.98 As soon as we stopped, 00:18:43.02\00:18:44.65 it was like all the red flags started appearing. 00:18:44.69\00:18:47.32 It's started coming clear and I was like, 00:18:47.36\00:18:49.86 "Wait, we probably shouldn't be together." 00:18:49.89\00:18:52.73 And a few months later, issue was over, terminated, 00:18:52.76\00:18:55.10 done with. 00:18:55.13\00:18:56.46 Wow! Wow! 00:18:56.50\00:18:57.83 And that's basically, really how it is 00:18:57.87\00:18:59.83 because, you may be like, okay, 00:18:59.87\00:19:01.20 it is a formal expression but you may be lined it 00:19:01.24\00:19:04.21 with what really is happening in that relationship 00:19:04.24\00:19:07.24 because God intended for the chemicals 00:19:07.28\00:19:10.51 that are being released to make 00:19:10.55\00:19:12.11 that relationship tighter, to bring you guys closer, 00:19:12.15\00:19:15.75 to make it go deeper and it's worship to Him. 00:19:15.78\00:19:19.09 So when you're engaging before you're married, 00:19:19.12\00:19:21.76 you're just setting yourself up 00:19:21.79\00:19:23.12 because you don't really know who you are bonding with, 00:19:23.16\00:19:25.66 who you're becoming one with. 00:19:25.69\00:19:28.13 So it's damaging a little bit 00:19:28.16\00:19:31.37 when you do it before you get married 00:19:31.40\00:19:33.07 and it's also blinding. 00:19:33.10\00:19:34.80 So have you seen that in other relationships 00:19:34.84\00:19:37.14 in other couples 00:19:37.17\00:19:38.51 where it actually your emotions and your thoughts, 00:19:38.54\00:19:40.88 you get real blinded and you get real damaged? 00:19:40.91\00:19:43.18 I mean, I've been through in the past, 00:19:43.21\00:19:44.55 you know, and that's the issue there. 00:19:44.58\00:19:46.85 I've faced that guilt, 00:19:46.88\00:19:48.22 you know, that when I used to talked 00:19:48.25\00:19:49.58 about that guilt because essentially, 00:19:49.62\00:19:51.59 you know, I know God is gonna provide 00:19:51.62\00:19:52.95 the right spouse for me, yes, He did. 00:19:52.99\00:19:54.72 But in that process, 00:19:54.76\00:19:56.62 when I know she is the right one, 00:19:56.66\00:19:58.99 I felt guilty 'cause I was like, 00:19:59.03\00:20:00.63 I'm bringing all this baggage with me, 00:20:00.66\00:20:02.66 you know. 00:20:02.70\00:20:04.03 Yes, God restores, 00:20:04.07\00:20:05.77 but your mind doesn't get erased. 00:20:05.80\00:20:08.00 You know, the damage that you've done to it. 00:20:08.04\00:20:09.57 Yes, God removed 00:20:09.60\00:20:10.94 that emotional aspect of that hurt and heals you 00:20:10.97\00:20:14.58 but you still have that in your subconscious 00:20:14.61\00:20:16.64 where you remember the people that you were with, 00:20:16.68\00:20:19.78 you know, how is that fair to your wife, 00:20:19.81\00:20:22.68 how is that fair to your spouse. 00:20:22.72\00:20:24.42 And furthermore, you know, God created us in His image 00:20:24.45\00:20:26.89 to the point where, we have this gift of sex. 00:20:26.92\00:20:30.43 We're able to procreate. 00:20:30.46\00:20:33.03 It's a form of creation. Right. 00:20:33.06\00:20:34.80 You know, God is the creator 00:20:34.83\00:20:36.23 and He gave us the ability to procreate. 00:20:36.26\00:20:38.67 You know, it's a form of godliness to be able 00:20:38.70\00:20:42.00 to reproduce, to create a new life. 00:20:42.04\00:20:44.21 We have been given this great honor, 00:20:44.24\00:20:47.28 to be able to create life. 00:20:47.31\00:20:48.64 And we often just wasted all just to have more, 00:20:48.68\00:20:53.08 you know, more kids out there or even just wasted. 00:20:53.11\00:20:55.75 You know, it's a beautiful thing 00:20:55.78\00:20:57.12 to be able to be, you know, in this oneness 00:20:57.15\00:20:59.82 where we got be able to create like He does in that form. 00:20:59.85\00:21:03.99 I like that you said the creation part of it is 00:21:04.03\00:21:07.26 the same as godliness. 00:21:07.30\00:21:09.60 You know, really just showing how in reality, 00:21:09.63\00:21:12.93 we're opposed to be godly and the sexual relationship 00:21:12.97\00:21:16.87 is supposed to be used to that affect. 00:21:16.91\00:21:18.77 And so one of Satan's biggest plans 00:21:18.81\00:21:21.14 is to take pieces 00:21:21.18\00:21:23.18 of what God used to make us godly 00:21:23.21\00:21:25.81 and to distort him for his own purposes, 00:21:25.85\00:21:28.65 you know, whether it be sex, whether it be, 00:21:28.68\00:21:32.22 you know, just any kind of relationships 00:21:32.25\00:21:33.72 we have out there. 00:21:33.76\00:21:35.09 So I got another question. 00:21:35.12\00:21:37.56 All right, I've been in this relationship, 00:21:37.59\00:21:40.63 I have done all this stuff, 00:21:40.66\00:21:42.00 I have all this guilt and shame, 00:21:42.03\00:21:44.30 may be I'm watching the show 00:21:44.33\00:21:45.87 and I'm involved in fornication. 00:21:45.90\00:21:47.84 Am I a bad person? Is there a hope for me? 00:21:47.87\00:21:51.81 What are the kind of help 00:21:51.84\00:21:53.61 can I get to get out of the situation I am in? 00:21:53.64\00:21:58.41 One piece of advice 00:21:58.45\00:21:59.78 that I would give to that person 00:21:59.81\00:22:01.15 is make it a priority to make God a priority 00:22:01.18\00:22:06.79 because if you truly want to put God first, 00:22:06.82\00:22:09.62 then this has to stop 00:22:09.66\00:22:12.96 because we all want love, we all desire love, 00:22:12.99\00:22:16.03 God made our heart 00:22:16.06\00:22:17.40 with a hole so big that only He could fill it. 00:22:17.43\00:22:21.20 And so when we fornicate, many of us we think, 00:22:21.24\00:22:24.44 we're making love. 00:22:24.47\00:22:26.94 But making love, 00:22:26.98\00:22:29.08 the definition that I find in the scripture 00:22:29.11\00:22:31.15 is doing something that God would do. 00:22:31.18\00:22:35.72 And so if God were married and He had a wife, 00:22:35.75\00:22:39.35 He would be intimate with her physically, 00:22:39.39\00:22:40.76 so that is making love. 00:22:40.79\00:22:42.36 But if you're not married, you're not making love, 00:22:42.39\00:22:44.46 you're making sin. 00:22:44.49\00:22:46.49 And so if there is someone who's watching this 00:22:46.53\00:22:49.96 and who's interested in, 00:22:50.00\00:22:51.33 how can I get closer to God, I'm fornicating, 00:22:51.37\00:22:54.44 I'll tell them that they need to make it a priority 00:22:54.47\00:22:57.01 to make God a priority, 00:22:57.04\00:22:58.64 put themselves away from the person 00:22:58.67\00:23:00.84 or the people that they're fornicating 00:23:00.88\00:23:03.24 with and to go to God humbly in prayer 00:23:03.28\00:23:06.45 and ask for forgiveness one 00:23:06.48\00:23:07.88 'cause we have to recognize our sin 00:23:07.92\00:23:09.98 and then ask God for power to do the right thing. 00:23:10.02\00:23:14.19 Hang on, did you record it, Brittany? 00:23:14.22\00:23:15.69 Amen. Amen. 00:23:15.72\00:23:17.46 I would also add for 'cause sometimes 00:23:17.49\00:23:20.66 because you've been engaging for like, 00:23:20.70\00:23:22.56 extended period of time, 00:23:22.60\00:23:24.20 your first thing is okay, if we stop, 00:23:24.23\00:23:26.94 then what's gonna happen to the relationship. 00:23:26.97\00:23:29.40 And I would advise any person, if that person is really 00:23:29.44\00:23:32.54 who God has for you and you guys made a mistake, 00:23:32.57\00:23:36.71 I think we do know a couple, 00:23:36.75\00:23:38.85 they had engaged first and then they stopped 00:23:38.88\00:23:41.02 and they really took that time to really pray 00:23:41.05\00:23:43.05 and dedicate relationship to God 00:23:43.08\00:23:44.82 and God was able to restore. 00:23:44.85\00:23:46.65 So if you know you're in it right now, 00:23:46.69\00:23:49.69 and you stop, and you say, 00:23:49.72\00:23:51.69 "God, we know, we did this wrong 00:23:51.73\00:23:54.10 but we want to be completely yours. 00:23:54.13\00:23:55.73 Do you still want us together? 00:23:55.76\00:23:57.10 Do you want us to be on this path?" 00:23:57.13\00:23:59.93 And if God says yes, 00:23:59.97\00:24:01.54 then you can be able to move forward 00:24:01.57\00:24:03.37 and do different boundaries, have those boundaries 00:24:03.41\00:24:06.07 and all that different stuff and be able to move forward. 00:24:06.11\00:24:08.51 And if He says no, God is the priority, 00:24:08.54\00:24:12.01 you have to go your separate ways. 00:24:12.05\00:24:14.82 Wow! 00:24:14.85\00:24:16.18 So putting God first, putting in Him everything. 00:24:16.22\00:24:20.09 I want to deal with the guilt and shame real quick. 00:24:20.12\00:24:21.96 I've done this 00:24:21.99\00:24:23.32 and I feel guilty, I feel ashamed. 00:24:23.36\00:24:24.79 So I feel like, you know, 00:24:24.83\00:24:26.43 the Lord doesn't love me the same. 00:24:26.46\00:24:28.06 So I want to hear 00:24:28.10\00:24:29.43 from a male perspective Xavier and Myesha, 00:24:29.46\00:24:32.13 how do I deal with the guilt and shame now, 00:24:32.17\00:24:34.50 I've stopped my relationship, I'm putting God first, 00:24:34.54\00:24:37.24 I'm making Him the priority but I still have this heavy, 00:24:37.27\00:24:41.44 you know, almost, like, 00:24:41.48\00:24:43.38 "Man, you know, I cant believe, 00:24:43.41\00:24:44.75 I used to do this." 00:24:44.78\00:24:46.11 How do I...? 00:24:46.15\00:24:47.48 Well, what I did personally, 00:24:47.52\00:24:50.29 I took it to the Lord in prayer. 00:24:50.32\00:24:52.09 I've prayed and I've continued to pray 00:24:52.12\00:24:55.96 because not only God, 00:24:55.99\00:24:58.43 you know, He is your friend, you know. 00:24:58.46\00:25:01.30 It's so easy to go to a person 00:25:01.33\00:25:02.66 and tell them what you're going through. 00:25:02.70\00:25:04.30 But it is easy for you to go to God 00:25:04.33\00:25:06.30 and tell him how you're feeling 00:25:06.33\00:25:07.84 because your friend can't heal you but God can. 00:25:07.87\00:25:11.04 So someone told me that, 00:25:11.07\00:25:13.24 you know, when you're struggling 00:25:13.27\00:25:14.61 with depression, read your Bible, 00:25:14.64\00:25:16.98 you stick to these promises, you know. 00:25:17.01\00:25:19.75 My favorite is 00:25:19.78\00:25:21.35 "Thou wilt keep me in perfect peace, 00:25:21.38\00:25:23.05 with my mind is stayed upon thee, 00:25:23.08\00:25:24.59 because I trusted in thee." 00:25:24.62\00:25:26.35 And that is something 00:25:26.39\00:25:28.16 I will continue to have in my mind 00:25:28.19\00:25:31.06 when I'm in the state of depression 00:25:31.09\00:25:32.89 or I'm feeling guilty. 00:25:32.93\00:25:34.56 I need peace, I need joy, I need happiness, 00:25:34.60\00:25:37.33 and the only way 00:25:37.37\00:25:38.70 I will experience that is with Christ. 00:25:38.73\00:25:42.47 So I encourage to continue to pray 00:25:42.50\00:25:45.81 and read the Word of God. 00:25:45.84\00:25:47.24 Amen. Amen. 00:25:47.28\00:25:48.61 Xavier, same question from a male perspective. 00:25:48.64\00:25:50.85 Yeah, from our perspective, sometimes, I mean, 00:25:50.88\00:25:53.21 that was difficult for me, you know, it's like, 00:25:53.25\00:25:55.52 you got that testosterone, 00:25:55.55\00:25:56.89 you know, you got to go out there, 00:25:56.92\00:25:58.45 you know, and get that. 00:25:58.49\00:25:59.92 But when you actually sit back and pray about it, 00:25:59.95\00:26:02.96 how much, if you say, 00:26:02.99\00:26:04.33 if you profess you love your significant other, 00:26:04.36\00:26:06.59 do you love him enough to respect their body 00:26:06.63\00:26:09.00 and respect your own. 00:26:09.03\00:26:10.67 You know, are you willing to respect them 00:26:10.70\00:26:12.80 in their decision, 00:26:12.83\00:26:14.17 are you respecting your body too, in that sense, 00:26:14.20\00:26:16.20 in that regard, 00:26:16.24\00:26:17.77 you need to have a certain level of respect 00:26:17.81\00:26:19.34 for the other person. 00:26:19.37\00:26:20.71 You know, there is no need to go out there 00:26:20.74\00:26:23.11 and satisfy what you're getting from God. 00:26:23.14\00:26:27.45 You know, the sex aspect 00:26:27.48\00:26:28.82 is gonna come once you're married. 00:26:28.85\00:26:30.19 I'm not saying, you know, go rush to the altar 00:26:30.22\00:26:32.45 'cause now I want to have sex, 00:26:32.49\00:26:33.86 that's a whole different topic but I'm just saying that, 00:26:33.89\00:26:36.26 you know, have enough self respect, 00:26:36.29\00:26:39.16 that you know, guilt comes and it's fine. 00:26:39.19\00:26:41.80 Jesus died on the cross for the guilty. 00:26:41.83\00:26:43.26 Come now, yes. 00:26:43.30\00:26:44.63 He died on the cross for the guilty, you know. 00:26:44.67\00:26:46.57 I'm jacked up and I know that and that's okay, 00:26:46.60\00:26:48.80 that's how Jesus wants me, 00:26:48.84\00:26:50.17 He's not gonna leave me that way. 00:26:50.21\00:26:51.91 But that's how He wants me to be. 00:26:51.94\00:26:53.48 He wants me to be messed up, so I can come to Him 00:26:53.51\00:26:55.74 and He'll fix me little by little and that's the thing, 00:26:55.78\00:26:57.98 you know, take your guilt, it's okay to feel guilty. 00:26:58.01\00:27:00.62 That's called conviction and go to the Holy Spirit, 00:27:00.65\00:27:02.92 you know, go to prayer 00:27:02.95\00:27:04.29 and, you know, start working with God on that. 00:27:04.32\00:27:06.96 It's not impossible. 00:27:06.99\00:27:09.52 So we just really want you to see today, 00:27:09.56\00:27:11.96 on today's program that fornication really 00:27:11.99\00:27:14.86 does have a direct affect on your spirituality. 00:27:14.90\00:27:17.37 It'll affect the way you see people in relationships 00:27:17.40\00:27:19.43 that are intimate, 00:27:19.47\00:27:20.80 and it will also affect the intimate relationship 00:27:20.84\00:27:23.10 that God wants to have with you. 00:27:23.14\00:27:25.27 What we really want to also bring out 00:27:25.31\00:27:27.31 that no matter how guilty you feel, 00:27:27.34\00:27:28.98 no matter how shameful you feel, 00:27:29.01\00:27:30.75 it's Christ that came to take away your shame. 00:27:30.78\00:27:33.42 He came to take away your guilt and to make you a new creature 00:27:33.45\00:27:36.79 and you can start today, 00:27:36.82\00:27:38.42 being that new creature in Christ. 00:27:38.45\00:27:40.62 Where the devil meant for evil, 00:27:40.66\00:27:42.42 God always meant it for good 00:27:42.46\00:27:43.79 'cause however we're feeling inside 00:27:43.83\00:27:45.16 that's bad, 00:27:45.19\00:27:46.53 it makes us run to Christ and run to the cross. 00:27:46.56\00:27:49.40 Well, I do hope you've enjoyed our discussion today. 00:27:49.43\00:27:52.37 I just want to thank my guests 00:27:52.40\00:27:54.37 that came on the panel when I want. 00:27:54.40\00:27:55.94 And I'm Timothy Lawson, 00:27:55.97\00:27:57.31 and I want you to always remember to make pure choices. 00:27:57.34\00:28:00.68