Written by Laura Barnes,Grace Kabaghe, Jacqueline Mphatso Kalenga, and Amess Nthala Mwamdaza
Mom: Good afternoon Cynthia.
Cynthia: Good afternoon.
M: Come sit. Let’s talk. Yesterday, we talked about our enemy that tells us lies about sex. But today we get to talk about God’s rescue plan, the Savior, and His protection! Even in the middle of the tragic story of sin entering the world and everything going wrong, God gave us a promise. Can you find it in Genesis 3:15?
C: Here it is: “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head and you will strike his heel.” It looks like it won’t end well for the snake.
M: That’s right. God told the snake “he will crush your head.” This is a promise that points to Jesus Christ who will conquer Satan and death and sin by dying on the cross and raising from the dead. What happened at the end of the chapter?
C: God made clothes for them out of animal skins.
M: This is the first time we see that the blood of an innocent animal covered the shame of their sin. Who do you know that lived a perfect innocent life and died for your sin and shame?
C: Jesus!
M: Yes. So, even in this sad story of sin and shame we see that from the beginning God wants us to know that He has a plan to cover our sin and shame by offering his son, Jesus Christ, to die in our place. You see when Jesus died on the cross he took all of our shame and sin on himself. In fact he himself was shamed. Think about the crucifixion, what are some of the ways that Jesus was shamed?
C: He was beaten, mocked, spit on. They removed all of his clothes. They nailed him to the cross.
M: Why did Jesus allow all of that?
C: To pay the punishment for our sins.
M: That’s right. So whether your sin is a sexual sin or pride or theft or lying or gossiping or cheating, Jesus took that sin on himself on the cross. We know that’s not the end of the story. What happened after Jesus’ death?
C: He rose again.
M: Yes! Jesus took our sin and shame on himself when he died on the cross, but he rose again three days later. If you confess your sin, repent, and trust that Jesus took your punishment, then you can have a new life in Christ.
C: What do you mean by a new life?
M: Cynthia, when you have a new life in Christ, you live differently than the rest of the world. In fact, God promises to give us a counselor, the Holy Spirit, who will help us obey (John 14:26). Read I Corinthians 6:18-20.
C: “Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”
M: God’s design for sex – one woman and one man within marriage- protects us from sexually transmitted infections. And if we use God’s protection, guarding our hearts and minds from lust, it helps us wait to have sex until marriage. If both you AND your husband wait, then you won’t have to worry about getting a sexually transmitted infection. So, we must be careful to guard our thoughts and our actions to keep from lusting and causing others to lust.
C: How do I do that?
M: In Psalms a young person asked the same question. Read Psalm 119:9-10.
C: “How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your Word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.”
M: God’s protection is for us to firstly know and then obey God’s Word. God teaches us about his plan for sex and marriage as shown in Genesis 2 – one man and one woman living as one in a loving relationship. He wants good things for us. There are also some practical things you can do to help stay safe.
C: What can I do?
M: The most important thing you can do is talk to me or another trusted adult. As your parents, God has given your father and I responsibility to protect you. If anyone at all tries to touch you or have sex with you, please know that it is safe to tell us. Also, you should walk in groups. Don’t allow any boys into your room. Guard your heart and mind from lust by the clothes you wear, the movies you watch, the people you spend time with, and what you look at on the internet.
C: It seems like there is so much sin in this world.
M: Ever since sin entered the world in Genesis 3, the world has been broken. But, God promises that for those that trust in Jesus for salvation we too will rise from the dead after we die. And in heaven there will be no more sin, no more shame, no more sickness, and no more sexual immorality.
C: Is there no hope on earth?
M: My dear, there is so much hope even in this sinful world when we strive to obey Christ. Through Christ we can all have a hopeful future. Tomorrow we will talk about the characteristics of a godly man – the kind of man I pray that you will marry one day.
Healthy Global Kids 