Sexual Sin

 

“The body is not meant for sexual immorality,

but for the Lord and the Lord for the body.”

(1 Corinthians 6:13)

 

 

Sex: anything pertaining to sexual gratification or reproduction

 

 

God’s design is for sexual intercourse to occur exclusively between one man and one woman within the context of marriage .  Sexual activity outside of marriage  is considered sinful and condemned by God.

Synopsis

 

God’s Plan for Sexuality:

 

After God created man and woman, He blessed them and told them to be fruitful  and multiply and fill the earth.¹ It is God’s plan that men and women marry, be united together sexually and be­come one flesh,² so that they are no longer two, but one.³ 

 

 

God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful  and increase

in number; fill the earth and subdue it.”

(Genesis 1:28)¹

 

For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be

united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.

(Genesis 2:24)²

 

So they are no longer two, but one.

(Mark 10:8)³

 

The wife’s body does not belong to her alone but also to

her husband. In the same way, the husband’s body does

not belong to him alone but also to his wife.

(1 Corinthians 7:4)⁴

 

As a result of the marital union, the husband’s body is no longer his alone (but also the wife’s), and the wife’s body is no longer hers alone (but also her husband’s).⁴

Each spouse is instructed to fulfill the other’s sexual needs, and not deprive one other—so that neither husband nor wife will fall into sexual temptation.⁵ The marriage  bed is intended to be kept pure: sexual activity outside of marriage  is strictly prohibited.⁶

Scriptures on Sexual Sin :

Adultery:  Although it is God’s desire that sex  occur exclusively within marriage , human beings have difficulty adhering to this standard.  Perhaps the most prominent sexual sin  mentioned  in the Bible is that of adultery .⁶  In the Seventh Commandment, God proclaims:  “You shall not commit adultery .”⁷  If any one does so, his/her act will not go unpunished by God.⁸

In addition to adultery , the Scriptures  specifically condemn having sex  with prostitutes .⁹  Prostitutes can be seductive and lure people space

Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent

and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. 

Then come together again so that Satan  will not tempt you

because of your lack of self-control.

(1 Corinthians 7:5)⁵

A man who commits adultery  lacks judgment;

whoever does so destroys himself.

(Proverbs 6:32)⁶

"You shall not commit adultery .”

(Exodus 20:14)⁷

Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned?  Can a man walk on hot coals without his feet

being scorched?  So is he who sleeps with another man’s wife;

no one who touches her will go unpunished.

(Proverbs 6:27-29)⁸

Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ

himself?  Shall I then take the members of Christ

and unite them with a prostitute?  Never!

(1 Corinthians 6:15)⁹

into temptation and sin.¹⁰  If you have sex  with a prostitute, you become “one flesh” with the prostitute, just as husband and wife become one flesh through the act of sexual union.¹¹

Homosexuality :  Homosexuality (whether male¹² or female¹³) is also condemned by God.  Such actions are referred to as “detesta­ble”¹⁴ and the people who engage in them as “wicked.”¹⁵  The apostle Paul states that men who commit such indecent acts “re­ceived in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.”¹⁶  Most importantly, homosexual behavior, if willful and unrepentant, may seriously call into question one’s eternal salvation.”¹⁵

Other Perversions:  In addition to homosexuality, other forms of sexual perversion¹⁶ and sexual sin  are also condemned in the Bible,

Do not let your heart turn to her ways or stray into her paths. 

Many are the victims she has brought down; her slain

are a mighty throng.

(Proverbs 7:25-26)¹⁰

Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute

is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become

one flesh.”  But he who unites himself with the Lord

is one with him in spirit.

(1 Corinthians 6:16-17)¹¹

In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and

were inflamed with lust  for one another.

(Romans 1:27)¹²

Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts.  Even

their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones.

(Romans 1:26)¹³

Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable.

(Leviticus 18:22)¹⁴

Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom

of God?  Do not be deceived:  Neither the sexually immoral

nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes  nor homo-

sexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy  nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

(1 Corinthians 6:9-10)¹⁵

Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.

(Romans 1:27)¹⁶

including:  cross-dressing¹⁷ (a man wearing women’s clothing, or a woman wearing men’s clothing); beastiality ^18,19 (having sexual relations with an animal); and sex  with close relatives (in­cest).²⁰ 

Pornography:  Although the term “pornography ” is not mentioned in Scriptures , the Bible clearly indicates that we are to control our eyes,²¹ and not look lustfully upon others.^22,23 Jesus commented that if you look lustfully upon a woman, you have already committed adultery  with her.²⁴

Pedophilia:  Finally, although the sexual disorder called “pedo­phili a” (having sex  with young children) is not specifically men­tioned in the Bible, Jesus Christ spoke indirectly to this topic.  Jesus loved young children, and was especially protective of them. 

A woman must not wear men’s clothing, nor a man wear women’s clothing, for the Lord your God detests anyone who does this.

(Deuteronomy 22:5)¹⁷

“Cursed is the man who has sexual relations with any animal.”

(Deuteronomy 27:21)¹⁸

A woman must not present herself to an animal to have sexual

relations with it; that is a perversion.

(Leviticus 18:23)¹⁹

“No one is to approach any close relative to have sexual relations. 

I am the Lord.”

(Leviticus 18:6)²⁰

I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl.

(Job 31:1)²¹

Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust , evil  desires and greed,

which is idolatry.

(Colossians 3:5)²²

Do not lust  in your heart after her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes, for the prostitute reduces you to a loaf of bread,

and the adulteress preys upon your very life.

(Proverbs 6:25-26)²³

But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery  with her in his heart.

(Matthew 5:28)²⁴

Jesus proclaimed:

“But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.”²⁵

God’s Guidance

The Bible tells us that the body was not meant for sexual immo­rality, but for the Lord.²⁶  Our bodies were bought for a price,²⁷ and that price was the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ, who died for our salvation.   Our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit , and we are to honor God with our bodies²⁷ and live holy lives.²⁸

We are to learn to control our lusts and sexual desires.²⁹  We are to flee from all sexual immorality³⁰ and put to death that which belongs

But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung

around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.

(Matthew 18:6)²⁵

The body is not meant for sexual immorality,

but for the Lord and the Lord for the body.

(1 Corinthians 6:13)²⁶

Do you not know that your body is a temple 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 body.

(1 Corinthians 6:19-20)²⁷

For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.

(1 Thessalonians 4:7)²⁸

It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should

avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to

control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable,

not in passionate lust  like the heathen.

(1 Thessalonians 4:3-5)²⁹

Flee from sexual immorality.  All other sins a man commits

are outside his body, but he who sins sexually

sins against his own body.

(1 Corinthians 6:18)³⁰

longs to our sinful nature .³¹ We are to learn to control our bod­ies in a way that is holy and honorable.²⁹  We are to be self-controlled and live such pure lives that there is not even a hint of sexual immorality or impurity.³²  Those who belong to Jesus Christ have crucified the sinful nature  with its passions and desires.³³

We are to teach young people to be self-controlled,³⁴ and we our­selves are to flee the evil  desires of our youth.³⁵  As we mature in Christ, we are to pursue righteousness.³⁵  The Bible reminds us that we cannot hide our sexual sin  from God; a man’s ways are in full view of the Lord.³⁶  Even our sinful thoughts are known to God.³⁷ 

For if you live according to the sinful nature ,

you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death
the misdeeds of the body, you will live.

(Romans 8:13)³¹

But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual

immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed,

because these are improper for God’s holy people.

(Ephesians 5:3)³²

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified

the sinful nature  with its passions and desires.

(Galatians 5:24)³³

Encourage the young men to be self-controlled.

(Titus 2:6)³⁴

Flee the evil  desires of youth, and pursue righteousness,

faith , love and peace, along with those who

call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

(2 Timothy 2:22)³⁵

For a man’s ways are in full view of the Lord,

and he examines all his paths.

(Proverbs 5:21)³⁶

The Lord detests the thoughts of the wicked,

but those of the pure are pleasing to him.

(Proverbs 15:26)³⁷

If you are caught in sexual sin , you are to repent  and turn back to the Lord.³⁸ You are to come to your senses, and stop sinning.³⁹  If you sincerely repent , and ask for forgiveness , God will forgive your sins and cleanse you from all iniquity.⁴⁰ However, if you deliberately and willfully keep on sinning, after you have received knowledge of the truth , Christ’s sacrifice for your sins no longer applies, and you are in danger of God’s judgment and eternity in hell .⁴¹ 

Repent, then, and turn to God,

so that your sins may be wiped out.

(Acts 3:19-20)³⁸

Come back to your senses as you ought,

and stop sinning.

(1 Corinthians 15:34)³⁹

Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

(Psalm 51:2)⁴⁰

If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received

the knowledge of the truth , no sacrifice for sins is left,

but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire

that will consume the enemies of God.

(Hebrews 10:26-27)⁴¹