Understanding Sexual Sin: Redemption And RestorationSample

LIBERATING MARRIAGE FROM THE SEXUAL SINS OF THE PAST Many husbands and wives struggle with guilt from wrong sexual choices they’ve made in the past. Others are bitter about wrong choices made by an abuser. Still others wrestle with anger over wrong choices a spouse has made in having an affair. These ghosts from the past can have profound negative effects on a marriage – both in the bedroom and in every other area of a relationship. A husband who won’t take personal responsibility for his actions may unfairly accuse his wife of wrongdoing. A wife who was abused as a child may be too inhibited to be intimate. Spouses who had sexual relations with each other before marriage while publicly professing a commitment to wait may blame each other for the shame they feel. If dark clouds of this sort are hanging over your marriage, take heart. It is possible to leave the past behind and make a new start. The solution in every instance is to embrace reality and cultivate honesty. It’s a matter of turning a deaf ear to Satan's lies and learning to speak truth about your past. The words of the apostle Paul have a special application to this situation: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2). If you’re suffering from the fallout of your sexual past, here are some things you should keep in mind. 1) Unresolved hurt from your sexual past disrupts healthy sexual functioning. Many people have been pressured into a sexual act at some point in their lives. The intense emotions that are part of such events are often too much for a child or adolescent to process. Consensual sex prior to, or outside of, marriage may also influence present sexual functioning. If either of these scenarios describes you, don’t be surprised or alarmed if you’re experiencing sexual difficulties in your marriage. Instead, face the problem honestly and determine to seek a solution. 2) Problems are opportunities to draw closer to God. A troubled sexual past may look insurmountable, but it isn’t – not if you run toward God instead of away from Him. Only a relationship with Him through Christ can set us free from guilt, shame, and anger. 3) God wants to heal the deep hurts of your sexual past. Healing is available, but it has to be individually applied to each wounding of the human spirit. The first step in sexual healing is gaining the courage to face your pain. This process may be time-consuming and may require the help of others. Because broken trust is always involved at some level, you must deal simultaneously with the two things you fear most: recalling the trauma and becoming vulnerable again. 4) Core beliefs, thoughts, and feelings affect present sexual behavior. Outward behavior is really the tip of an iceberg composed of underlying emotions, thoughts, and core beliefs. Great freedom comes from understanding these factors and the deeper assumptions that drive them. 5) Professional help is often needed to resolve past sexual hurts. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and with the help of qualified Christian therapists, many sexually wounded people come to experience profound emotional healing. This includes breaking longstanding destructive behavior patterns. For more help, visit Focus on the Family’s website, or call the ministry’s Counseling Department for a free consultation at 855-771-HELP (4357).