This month’s article is about a topic that has influenced both me and my family.  It is one of the biggest generational sins that’s been passed down through the men in my clan.  It has destroyed lives, families, and relationships.  What is this topic?  It is sexual temptation. 

 

Sexual immorality is a sin that has been prevalent in the men of my family. I was forced to face this issue head on so that I would be free to minister to other men.  I was ten years old the first time I had to deal with this issue.

 

My father and I were helping a friend in his garage.  When I walked into the garage, there were pictures of naked woman all over the walls.  I was stunned.  Even more than that, I was heartbroken.  I made the decision in my young heart that I didn’t want to see a naked woman until my wedding night.  That dream was over.  Stunned, I turned to my dad for comfort and reassurance only to have him tell me to get over it.  He said it was no big deal.

 

From that time forward, sexual temptation was an issue I faced daily.  It started with those pictures and developed into a desire to see more.  I watched things on tv and movies I shouldn’t have watched.  Eventually, my curiosity led me to look at online pornography until I was trapped.  Thankfully, I had a godly mother to whom I could confess my sin and seek help.  She prayed with me and encouraged me to go through spiritual deliverance to get rid of the demonic influences that attached themselves to me. I did it.  However, much hard work was necessary so that I would be able to stand up and fight the temptations that daily come my way.  This chapter is the result of my ongoing battle.   I learned a lot from Joseph, the man we are going to study.   From his example, we will learn how to refuse to sin sexually, to resist sexual opportunities, and to run from sexual temptations.

 

  We live in a culture where sensuality and perversion dominate our lives.  Sex is used to manipulate, control, and sell.  We are bombarded daily with images through the tv, internet, magazines, and even newspaper adds.  Hollywood is constantly bombarding us with their images of a real man. 

 

Our society views a real man as a ladies’ man-- someone who has sex with a different girl each night.  The more women he sleeps with the better a man he is.  This is one of Satan’s biggest lies used to destroy the lives of men.  I have learned and I firmly believe that it is possible to live a pure and holy life in the area of sex.   God showed me ways to do it, and you can do it, too. 

 

Joseph was one of Jacob’s 12 sons.   His brothers sold him into slavery.  We are going to pick up Joseph’s story while he is a slave in Egypt.  

 

Joseph became a success in Egypt.   He was sold as a slave to Potiphar, who was the chief of the executioners, an elite force in Pharaoh’s army. This was one tough dude Joseph now served!  Joseph had to grow up fast to survive in this man’s household.

 

TheLord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.  And his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all he did to prosper in his hand.  So Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him.

 

The secret to Joseph’s success in Egypt is that he learned to rely on the Lord.    As a result, the Lord rewarded him by giving him favor and blessing in all he did.  However, this was not the end of the rewards for Joseph:

 

Then he (Potiphar) made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put under his authority. So it was, from the time that he had made him overseer of his house and all that he had, that the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the Lord was on all that he had in the house and in the field. Thus he left all that he had in Joseph’s hand, and he did not know what he had except for the bread which he ate.

 

Joseph, the man who started out as a beloved son, despised brother, and now slave became the most powerful man in the household of one of Egypt’s most powerful leaders.  Notice that it says he controlled everything except what Potiphar ate.  Joseph was never questioned.  He had free reign. What could possibly go wrong?

 

  Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance.

 

  Joseph relied on God, overcame adversity, and become a huge success in Egypt.  Who cares what he looks like?  While this statement seems out of place, it is the transition into the next part of Joseph’s life.  Let’s continue looking at the Scripture.

 

 And it came to pass after these things that his master’s wife cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, “Lie with me."

That is what is known as the direct approach!  She saw that Joseph was good-looking and she wanted to sleep with him.  Most men will go through life and never have anything like this happen to them.  However, we will all face situations in life that will open us up to sexual temptation.  It could be something we see on tv, or be innocent as a woman bending over to pick up something.  These things can open the sight-driven male mind to be tempted to commit sexual sin.  It is our job to be a godly man and not allow our integrity to be challenged.  As we continue through this article, I want to share with you three ways we can overcome sexual temptation.

 

1. We must decide to refuse to sin.

 

The first way that Joseph overcame sexual sin was by refusing to give into His desires and commit a sexual sin.

 

But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand.  There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because youare his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?”

 

  Faced with an extreme temptation, he stood firm and refused to sin sexually.  Understand how significant this is.  Joseph was a slave who had free reign over Potiphar’s entire household.   Potiphar had complete trust in Joseph.  He had achieved great success.  He was at the pinnacle of his career.  Who knows what opportunities could have been afforded him if he had just slept with her?  Still, Joseph chose not to do it.  Why?  If we look back at the passage, we see three reasons why Joseph did not consider her advances.

 

The first reason Joseph refused her is because he didn’t want to betray Potiphar’s trust.  If Joseph had an affair with Potiphar’s wife, he would totally destroy his good reputation.  He respected Potiphar, he respected the institution of marriage, and he wouldn’t allow her advances to destroy these relationships. 

I wonder how many men stop to think how many lives they ruin, hurt and destroy when they have sex outside of marriage.  It causes life-changing damage to the spouse and children involved. It hurts co-workers, friends, and churches.  It is not just a private act.  It kills relationships and destroys reputations. Joseph was not going to have any of that in his life.  He would not betray Potiphar, and more importantly, he would not betray himself.

 

The second reason why Joseph would not give into her advances is he refused to sin against his God.  This is the biggest reason, even more important than Potiphar’s opinion of him.

 

 How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?”

 

Joseph knew something that Mrs. Potiphar didn’t know...His life was an open book before God, and he could not commit such blatant sin against his God. He was a normal man with the same desires we all face, but Joseph’s God was more real to him than anything or anyone else on earth.  Instead, He made the choice to walk away.

 

Men, we have a responsibility before God to stay sexually pure.  While sexual sin affects a lot of people, it is really a sin against God.  David, after being caught having an affair with Bathsheba, realized this.  His repentance is found in Psalm 51:4