#3 An Exclusive Design: Whole-hearted | Running the Race

By Paul J. Bucknell

God's Sexual Design for our Lives

#3 An Exclusive Design: Whole-hearted

Too many have wished to get married so that they would get rid of their impure thoughts to other women. This does release the frustration somewhat, but the young should realize that marriage does not solve all their problems! After marriage, there still remains three of the old problems.
    Impure thoughts - having sexual thoughts with one who is not your spouse.
    Lack of self control in thinking. One's mind is trained to think sexually and lustfully of others.
    Being of split heart - not totally fixed on one's own woman (i.e. wife). This is different from the first by the lack of commitment to the one you made vows to.

We need to remember our passions and feelings often lead us in the wrong direction! They are not natural. They are not good. God's design for us is to have our whole heart devoted to our marriage partner. If our whole attention is on them, then it will not be elsewhere. Note the two passages below that highlight violations of this whole-hearted devotedness.

Teaching #1 "You have heard that it was said, 'YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY'; but I say to you, that everyone who looks on a woman to lust for her has committed adultery with her already in his heart." Matthew 5:27-28	Teaching #2 "You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor." Exodus 20:17
Jesus states in unqualified terms that adultery starts in the heart. If this be the case, then purity is needed in the heart. Purity must go beyond abstinence which is speaking of only limiting physical contact. We must train ourselves to care for the needs of others rather than to use or abuse them for our own sexual excitement.	God highlights another important command.. Those we might be sexually interested in do not belong to us. They are not ours. Greed and coveting are devious sins taking what is not our own. The word covet strikes right at the heart of this 'mind' problem.