Dealing with Youthful Passions

by Ven Dr I. U. Ibeme http://priscaquila.6te.net ; http://www.scribd.com/ifeogo ;

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Comment on The Chapel of Grace Blog: http://thechapelofgrace.wordpress.com

Humans are emotional beings, just as they are biological, spiritual and social
beings. Emotions or passions are matters of the human heart and could be
biologically helpful or harmful, socially positive or negative, mentally elating
or depressing, morally good or bad, and spiritually saintly or sinful.

From ancient times the Sages and Prophets have always known that
emotions and the heart could be dangerous but difficult to gage and manage
except with some extra effort or extra help.
Ecclesiastes 9:3
(3) This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there
is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and
madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.

Jeremiah 17:9
(9) The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can
know it?

Similar to harmful emotional or behavioural addiction (i.e. harmful

compulsive habituation), is the case of chemical or drug addiction (i.e.
obsession, craving, uncontrollable indulgence and dysfunctional behavior
associated with dependence on a chemical or drug). All emotional
experiences or chemical influences that people crave for, usually intensify
their grip more and more on the people who indulge in them. The more such
psychotropic chemicals/drugs are abused, the greater the dose that will be
sought after! Such enslaved indulgence which bring self-destruction with
harmful evil and helpless dependence which bring self-defilement with sinful
evil are due to rebellion and revelry as well as reprobation and bondage
befalling vain and dark Gentile minds (Eph 4:17-20). Our bodies, souls and
spirits are made in God’s image and likeness (Gen 1:26), so we are meant
to be God’s temple which must reflect His glory (Eph 4:24; Col 3:10) and
never be defiled or destroyed for our own ends. (1Cor 3:16-17).

The basic mystery is that every functional system requires regular use to
perform well, muscles grow bigger by exercise, whereas they would atrophy
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by disuse. So also emotions or passions require regular stirring and firing to
wax their gusto, otherwise they will ebb and wane. Therefore, whatever the
emotions there may be – desirable or undesirable, safe or unsafe, holy or
sinful – they all thrive on being stirred through provocation/invocation,
inflammation/manipulation, infatuation/flirtation, and exposure/company.

Even God whose loving-kindness is ever enduring and compassions are

unfailing, ensures that He sustains them by making them new every morning
so His covenant people shall not be consumed (Lam 3:22-23; Psa 103:17-
18). God’s everlasting covenants always require regular or constant
celebration, remembering and commemoration in order to ensure our
constant zealousness and faithfulness.

Undesirable emotions like anger are to be short before the sun sets (Eph
4:26) or not allowed to go beyond a moment (Psa 30:5a; 103:9; Isa 54:8) or
to be hidden from for a while (Isa 26:20). In this way ager is dowsed and not
stirred to uncontrollable intensity. The same inflaming and deflating principle
applies to other emotions.

Today’s postmodern world of Luciferan, New Age and Illuminati charter for
subjective libertinism and emotional anarchy, seeks to let human emotions
and passions loose in pursuit of unbridled pleasurable excitement as their
purpose of life and being. Wanton sexual emotions (and other emotional
debauchery – lust of eyes, lust of flesh and pride of life Eph 2:3; Tit 3:3; 1John
2:15-17; 1Pet 4:2-3) are persistently propagated or provoked visually and
verbally through the Media, advertisements, entertainment and advocacy, as
well as habituated to addictive and abusive levels of bondage or perversion
through cinematography and pornography.

It is important to realize that the Media today is dominated by operators

and proprietors who believe in and are intent on using their vulgar and
vile vogue, vocal, verbal and visual productions as means of psychic
enchantment to condition, manipulate and enslave their clientele for
compulsive and addictive patronage. That is why the hyper-
communicated world of recent times is so enmeshed into debauchery,
molestation, abuse and other excesses due to freaky manners and
emotional intemperance.

It has become trendy and a pride today to propagate flirtatious behavior,

popularize sensual/salacious culture, and mass-produce seductive/sexy
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fashion. These combine to heighten sexual and reprobate emotions among
the populace today especially the youths. This is not because people do not
know God, but because they mean to pursue these subjective and hedonistic
trends that are obviously rebellious against the much they know about God.
(Rom 1:18ff).

Romans 1:18-32
(18) For God's wrath is being revealed from heaven against all the
ungodliness and wickedness of those who in their wickedness suppress the
truth.
(19) For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God
himself has made it plain to them.
(20) For since the creation of the world his invisible attributes-his eternal
power and divine nature-have been understood and observed by what he
made, so that people are without excuse.
(21) For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor
gave thanks to him. Instead, their thoughts turned to worthless things, and
their ignorant hearts were darkened.
(22) Though claiming to be wise, they became fools
(23) and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images that looked
like mortal human beings, birds, four-footed animals, and reptiles.
(24) For this reason, God gave them over to impurity to follow the lusts of
their hearts and to dishonor their bodies with one another.
(25) They exchanged God's truth for a lie and worshipped and served the
creation rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
(26) For this reason, God gave them over to degrading passions. Even their
females exchanged their natural sexual function for one that is unnatural.
(27) In the same way, their males also abandoned the natural sexual
function of females and burned with lust for one another. Males committed
indecent acts with males, and received in themselves the appropriate
penalty for their perversion.
(28) Furthermore, because they did not think it worthwhile to retain the
full knowledge of God, God gave them over to degraded minds to perform
acts that should not be done.
(29) They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed,
and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, quarreling, deceit, and
viciousness. They are gossips,
(30) slanderers, God-haters, haughty, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil,
disobedient to their parents,
(31) foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless.

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(32) Although they know God's just requirement-that those who practice
such things deserve to die-they not only do these things but even applaud
others who practice them.

One needs to understand this process or principle syndicated sustained

emotional provocation of both natural and artificial stimulants as well as
mortifying internal and external forces. This is geared at finding ways of
overcoming means and modes of emotional provocation in order to maintain
godly sanity and sanctity (1Cor 9:26-27; Col 3:5-10; 1Thes 4:3-5).

Fact is that the deathblow to sinful emotions is to refuse firing them or resist
stirring them up but to rather rechannel your heart to saintly alternatives.
2Tim 2:22
(22) FLEE also youthful lusts: BUT FOLLOW righteousness, faith, love,
peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

When by the enablement of Divine Grace and the Holy Spirit, you find ways,
wisdom and will to avoid, put-off, deny or flee enhancing, recharging,
encouraging, and arousing any particular sinful lust or ungodly emotion (be
it sexual, angry, resentful, vengeful, hateful, malicious, Eph 4:31; Tit 3:3) in
your heart, such evil emotions wane and ebb. This resistant reversal must
be especially fortified by putting-on or following-after pure and godly
emotions (such as faith, love, peace, compassion, kindness, humbleness of
mind, meekness, longsuffering, forbearance, forgiveness, Col 3:12-17; 2Tim
2:22) through the help of the Holy Spirit.
Gal 5:16-17
(16) This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of
the flesh.
(17) For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh:
and these are contrary the one to the other: so that you cannot do the things
that you would.

Eph 4:17-24
(17) This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you no longer walk as
other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,
(18) Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of
God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their
heart:
(19) Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto licentiousness,
to work all uncleanness with greediness.

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(20) But you have not so learned Christ;
(21) If so be that you have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the
truth is in Jesus:
(22) That you put off concerning the former way of life the old man, which
is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
(23) And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
(24) And that you put on the new man, which after God is created in
righteousness and true holiness.

Never forget that every believer in Christ has been freely given every
necessary enabling Grace and the Holy Spirit without regard to any merit,
which Grace is meant to work supernaturally in the believer (Eph 2:10; Tit
2:11-14) for victory against sin and Satan, against the flesh and the world.

Three things are needed by believers to deal with the temptation and sin of
self-defilement and sexual immorality.
Conviction is first.
Companion/Communication is second.
Concupiscence is third.
Deal with these three by divine wisdom and power, then you are free!

First: Be convinced it is never for you to indulge in.

Second: Keep away from and ward off boldly and plainly all companions
that are prone to communicate sexual indulgence. That must include IT and
social media.
Third: Reject and refuse the foolishness to nurse and cherish sexual
concupiscence in your heart. It is dangerously evil and harmful not useful
in any way, except in marriage.

Every unhealthy thought and emotion must be overthrown by a healthy

and holy thought and emotion.
When lust and concupiscence come knocking dispel and resist them
by engaging your thoughts and emotions with godly alternatives – get
engaged in prayers, study and meditation on the Word, refuse to
cherish and nurture such evil thoughts and emotions, but bind and cast
them off giving them no room in your heart,
Abhor and contend against every argument and imaginations they
suggest to your mind.

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In this way because God is on your side, you shall surely win always all
round.

The weapons of our warfare are spiritual and mighty through God to pull
down every emotional, moral, metaphysical and mental stronghold (2Cor
10:3-6). So, Be not ignorant of the devil’s devouring and destructive devices
(2Cor 2:11; 1Pet 5:8), Resist the devil till he flees (Jas 4:6-10), and Give no
room for the devil (Eph 4:26, 27).

TEN STEPS TO VICTORIOUS EMOTIONAL SANITY AND SANCTITY

From the foregoing, we could in summary itemize ten victorious steps toward
emotional sanity and sanctity as follows:
1. Understand that sinful emotions are systematically being stirred and
provoked in every way today because of rebellion and reprobation
(1Cor 15:33; Rom 1:22-26; 2Thes 2:9-12).
2. Understand that divine Grace through the Holy Spirit is freely and
sufficiently available for emotional sanctity (John 8:36; Tit 2:12).
3. Examine your faith and your ways for possible unbiblical pitfalls (2Cor
13:5).
4. Repent, refocus and resolve to fight the good fight of faith (1Tim 1:18-
19; Jas 4:6-10).
5. Be prayerful and committed to divine pleasure and purity no matter the
cost (Eph 6:18).
6. Identify specific sinful emotions being stirred and provoked (1Pet 2:11).
7. Identify the stirring means and provoking modes (Rom 13:13-14).
8. Begin to avoid and counter the undesirable emotions and their
provocations (Gal 5:1; 2Tim 2:22).
9. Begin to stir up and pursue after godly emotions (Gal 5:16).
10. Change your associations, activities and lifestyles towards
enhancing godly and temperate emotions (Pro 23:20; 1Cor 5:11).

Updated May 11, 2019

by Ven. Dr. I. U. Ibeme
Copyright © PriscAquila Publishing, Maiduguri, Nigeria.
PriscAquila Christian Resource Centre
http://priscaquila.6te.net ; http://www.scribd.com/ifeogo