A Pastor's View on Sexual Purity for People in Ministry

Sexual Purity in Ministry

October 15th, 2008 by Carl Thomas.

At times, it seems that God puts His finger on something and then everywhere you look you see it. In the last couple of weeks I have seen God pointing out sexual purity among ministers. You hear lots of ministers talk about purity in the singles but God seems to be challenging the ministers directly.

John Piper summed up Jesus’ thoughts in Matthew 5:28-29 by stating

But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell.

If you don’t fight lust you won’t go to heaven.

Pretty sobering thought.

Perry Noble has a post today that is titled, Hey Pastors, Keep It in Your Pants. In it, he pleads with pastors to deal with their lust issues now instead of after their ministry is destroyed. While the post is a little crass, here is a great excerpt

Pastors…I am NOT a legalist…except for this subject! We simply CANNOT allow the enemy to steal our calling, kill God’s work and destroy our families simply because we began thinking between our legs and not between our ears!

My advice…take RADICAL steps. Make a committment to NEVER be alone with a woman! EVER…under ANY circumstances. Form a relationship with a godly man whom you trust and talk about your struggles…every single one of them. Pastors–we’ve GOT to stop trying to impress others with how “godly we are!” HONESTY paves the way to INTIMACY with GOD…and the reason a lot of pastors don’t feel a connection with the ALMIGHTY is because they are too busy trying to “connect” with a willing woman…BUT denying that they have the desire to do so!!!

Hey Perry, how do you really feel?

My wife recently reminded me that there is an attractive quality about the preacher with the microphone. I am no model, but the anointing is beautiful and attracts people. I have a bunch of folks in my little ministry that came from a church that fell apart after it was found out that the pastor was having relations with several women. What a shame. I am asking God to search my heart and purify me. But it can’t stop there.

Pastors I have a challenge for you. Ask your wife if she is ucomfortable with any of your relationships. Ask your leaders if they think there are any blind spots in your relationships with women. Let God, the devil, and everyone in between know that you are not going to be lulled to sleep in this issue. Then don’t be offended when you get honest answers you were not ready for. Thank the Lord you found out while you can still deal with it.