Category: Basic Training

I conclude this series about a man’s greatest challenge of maintaining sexual purity with some guidelines for all the relationships with women in our lives, whether it is relationally with our co-workers, friends, and neighbors, or relationally and sexually with our wife. My earlier posts indicated that God designed sex for the pleasures of marriage but also to guard us against the temptations of sexual sin. I provided some useful tips on how to change the behaviors that reinforce our sexual temptations but suggested that we could only enjoy proper relationships with women after a “heart transformation”.   So before I provide those guidelines, let’s start with some understanding of the different kinds of relationships a man has with the opposite sex. Types of Male-Female Friendships The article Can Christian Men and Women Be Friends? describes four types of male-female friendships that deserve unique attention:  A single woman and a

In this series about man’s battle to maintain sexual purity, I indicated that men and women can, in fact, have legitimate friendships but we must proceed with caution and keep proper boundaries. My previous posts gave some practical tips about how we can change the behaviors that reinforce lustful desires. I also suggested that we really needed a “heart transformation” though, in order to overcome any unhealthy sexual desires.  So despite God’s original design for sex within the pleasures of marriage, today’s hypersexualized world makes developing friendships with the opposite sex, and at times even with the same sex, extra difficult. Anyone who is drawn to somebody in an emotionally-connected way or when we show any kind of physical intention, it is often viewed as having sexual intent. This is especially true for male friendships, where physical intimacy such as “bro-hugging” or conveying affectionate words, is often misunderstood.  So how did

My last post on man’s battle for sexual purity provided some practical tips to help change our lustful behavior by learning to bounce our eyes, starving our mind, and protecting our hearts. I also suggested that what we really needed was a “heart transformation” in order to avoid sexual sin.  Now, I want to follow-up with some biblical foundation about our sexual desires and provide a new starting point to help all of our relationships with women, whether sexually with our wife, or relationally with our co-workers, friends, and neighbors.  First, it is important to understand that men and women are wired very differently. God did this on purpose—it’s part of His grand design and plan.  God’s Design for Sexual Pleasure Through the act of creating male and then female “in His own image”, God created human sexuality. The fact that we’re of the same species, but of different genders,