Sexual sin affects people in different ways. 1) There is a soul tie formed to that person. 2) There are memories, pictures of what they did, and what they experienced. 3) There are reactions in the heart when the relationship breaks up. So when a person has been involved with someone sexually, and the relationship breaks up, there’s always grief. Often because of the pain, people make bitter judgements about men or women; they make inner vows; or even death wishes to try and shut down the pain. 4) Demonic spirits that can enter the person’s life.
Sexual sin affects people deeply. God wants us to be clean, so we can love and worship. It’s very common for people who’ve been involved in sexual sin, to find it hard to worship without unclean pictures coming into their mind. So one of the unfortunate consequences of sexual sin, is there are imprints into your mind as a result of these experiences. The journey of freedom can take a little bit of time.
When we are dealing with sexual sin, we are dealing: 1) with the spiritual issues – which is sin being confessed and repented of, and demonic spirits being cast out; 2) we’re dealing with the soul ties, the attachments to other people. 3) We’re dealing with the defilement in the soul – reactions to being hurt; and lasting impressions, or toxic memories, that are there. People can be forgiven in a moment, just by confessing the sin. They can be delivered in a short time; but the mind then, needs to be renewed, so they begin to pursue holiness and purity, and overcome the invading sexual temptations.
In the area of sexual sin, we need to understand that the Bible teaches very strongly and clearly about its dangers. The reason the Bible speaks so strongly about it, is not because it’s worse than any other sin. Sexual sins are sins; it’s because the impact on people’s ability to be intimate with God, and with one another, is deeply affected. God made us for relationships. He gave the power to be able to express love in an intimate way. So, when we’re involved in sexual sin, it affects people’s ability to be intimate, to be close and feel loved. It affects people’s ability to form relationships. It’s like a constant polluting of the mind.
The kinds of areas that you need to be able to identify are the following kind of sins. Now the church needs to be able to speak really clean, clearly into this area. It’s a far bigger problem than you realise; and because there’s a shame and secrecy over it, these problems go underground, and people live tormented with these unclean things going on in their life. They conceal it, and then become isolated because of it.
Some examples of sexual sin: Fornication – that’s sexual sin, you’re not married; Homosexuality, Lesbianism; Pornography. I believe habitual masturbation is a major problem; Sodomy, or anal sex; Prostitution; Rape, or sexually molesting someone; Incest (sexual relationships between people in the same family); Adultery; and Bestiality (sexual connection with animals); then just the whole realm of fantasy and perversion.
We need to understand that the Bible has got a lot to say about these things. We need to learn how to minister to people to set them free. This can be a whole area of addiction in a person’s life, and they may need to go through a course, to help reprogram their lives to be free. But at a very simple level of ministering to people, this is what they would need to do.
1.) Acknowledge the sin. Acknowledge specifically what it is; and confess it to the Lord. Repent of it. Remember that’s our first step, so lead the person to confess their sin. “Father I come to You in Jesus’ name. I confess these sins of fornication, of pornography. I bring them to the cross, and ask You to forgive me.” Assure people of the promise: if we confess, then we are forgiven. So, number 1, people need to confess the sin.