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How to Cleanse Yourself from Sexual Sin

You may have failed in this area and hurt God, yourself and only God knows how many other people. But Jesus can do what nobody else can do. He can heal you in levels nobody else can see or understand. He can make a girl who has given away her sexual purity clean again, inside and out. He can give a guy back his manhood and dignity, and give him power to be a promise-keeper. He can restore what is eaten away and give you courage to face the world with a new set of eyes. But you must do things His way now and not turn back to what hurt you before.

The steps you take back to being clean in Jesus' sight are the same basic steps you take to become a real child of God. Confession. Repentance. Forgiveness. Trust. Cleansing. See the appendix "How To Become God's Child" for these steps.


Three extra things will help when you are being healed by Jesus from sexual sin.

(1) Expect miracles not magic.

God's forgiveness is real and immediate; true healing may take time. You can be cured at once; recovery from the damage may take time. Don't be discouraged if it does. You may have many battles, but with Him you will win the war. Trust Him. Rest in the real and ongoing grace of Christ. When David sinned sexually in Scripture he hurt more than himself. The things he did had consequences, and forgiveness does not always stop consequences. (2 Sam. 12:9- 14)

Sin hurts. Do wrong and you almost always affect others (even unborn generations) even though you stop it and even after you repent and get right. Live with it. Expect God to show you what you need to be fully free, no matter what it takes. The big miracle is always this: God loves and really forgives. Jesus died, stripped bare and humiliated, and cut off from friendships and family for our sake. When He rose from the dead, He rose clothed forever with light and power and majesty to make us friends with God and put us in His own forever family. You are made fully whole. You become not just a forgiven sinner, but a new creation in Christ. (2 Cor. 5:17) "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness." ( I John 1:9)

(2) God is faithful.

Your cleansing is not by your own devotion or your own determination. Power over sin comes from a fresh revelation of Christ at your own point of humble (even desperate) need. Victory over sin never comes by self-effort or self-discipline. You commit your life to Jesus; He commits His life to you. He can keep you for the long haul. Hang your life and your love on His mercy. And remember: You may have times of struggles, doubts and tears, but Jesus never changes. His love and commitment to you is not based on your final faithfulness to Him, but on His own unchanging character. God references all His actions to His own lovely value. When you finally hit bottom, Jesus is already there. "If we believe not, yet He is faithful; He cannot deny Himself. (2 Tim. 2:13)

(3) Enlist a friend.

In the time of His greatest test and temptation, Jesus asked His closest disciples to be with Him in the garden to pray. He Himself was God. His Father was God. He had God the Holy Spirits' power without measure in His life as a man. What did He need friends for? Learn the lesson: even Jesus was not ashamed to ask for friends to be near when He most needed to be strong. If you have a close friend who knows you well enough to pray for you when you face a big battle, he is a friend indeed. (Ecc. 4:9-10)