Being a "one-woman" man

1 Timothy 3:2 teaches us that those who aspire to the office of overseer must be "one-woman" men.

Now, how can we remain “one-woman” men? I strongly suggest that every man read The Purity Principle by Randy Alcorn. He has proven, Bible-saturated strategies to keep yourself a one woman man. He suggests to keep yourself morally pure you must have clear goals and sound strategies, and then diligently carry them out

First, and the most basic strategy is found in 1 Corinthians 6:18 which simply says, “Flee from sexual immorality.” He who hesitates loses. He who runs lives. The premier example of this strategy is Joseph who ran from temptation. Don't try to stay and resist temptation, whether it be what you are watching, reading, or if you are in someone's presence. Flee.

Second, keep your distance. Don't ask, “How close can I get to temptation without falling for it. No, when you are running from temptation, don't turn around and ask, “Is this far enough?” Rather, say, “If God says this isn't good for me, then I will keep as far away from it as possible. “Flee youthful passions.” (2 Timothy 2:22).

Three, anticipate and prevent temptations. Make your decisions about what you will do in certain situations in moments of strength not in moments of weakness.

Four, cultivate your inner life. Now, I am not saying, “Just try harder and here is a simple formula: read your Bible and pray and the devil will stay away.” No, Bible reading and prayer aren't sufficient alone, but they are necessary. The battle for moral purity must be fought on our knees with God and in collaboration with fellow soldiers.

Five, memorize and quote Scripture.

Six, pray and don't give up! Prayer won't solve everything, but you won't solve anything without it.

In one chapter Alcorn addresses married men and women specifically He offers the following strategies to cultivate and guard marital intimacy including:

• Remembering that all unfaithfulness begins with deception and deception begins with seemingly innocent secrets like “he doesn't really need to know this”
• Watch for red flags of discontentment and a diminishing intimate relationship
• Be sensitive to your spouse's intimate needs
• Date your spouse
• When at work, surround yourself with reminders of your spouse and children
• Pray with and for one another
• Work hard to bring your spouse into your world
• Deal with resentment, boredom, and hurt quickly
• Train your eyes well to look away from stimulating images
• Treasure your spouse
• Get help if you need it
• Cultivate your love for the Lord

Love for Christ is the single greatest thing that will keep you away sin. If the most controlling feature in your life is your love for Christ, then you will have great victory over sin in your life. If you love Jesus intensely, you will tremble at the thought of disappointing Him. So, spend much time in the Gospels learning about Christ. Look for Christ wherever you read in the Word. Think about the reality of who He is, the glory and the wonder of His person, his love for you as seen most profoundly at the cross where he gave Himself for you and even chose you before the foundation of the world! Make the love of Christ the most controlling feature of your life, and all these other strategies will fall into place.