God Will Bring Judgment On Those Who Are Sexually Impure
Paul adds , because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you. Then in verse 8, he adds the warning, So, he who rejects this is not rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you. This reminds me of the severe warning in Hebrews 10:26-31:
For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and the fury of a fire which will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, Vengeance is Mine, I will repay. And again, The Lord will judge His people. It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Hebrews 13:4 also warns, Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled for fornicators and adulterers God will judge. Perhaps youre wondering, I thought that Christians were totally forgiven. I thought that we were under grace. But that doesnt sound very gracious!
Bible Verses About Purity
While prime time American television promotes fornication, idolatry, adultery, same sex relationships and gay marriage as the norm, the Bible calls followers of Christ to live different from the world. As Christians we are called to live lives that are holy. We are to set aside the evil ways of the world and honor Christ by living in faithful obedience to His commandments.
Gods Word tells us, As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do for it is written: Be holy, because I am holy’ .
Purity Is About Jesus Christ
But thanks be to God, he did not leave us on our own with this great challenge. In fact, we see a great paradox of purity presented to us in 1 John 3:2-3:
Beloved, we are Gods children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.
Here, Jesus is both our example and reason for purity right now. As we behold and hope in what we will one day be in Christcompletely pure, following God whole-heartedlywe purify ourselves in the moment. In light of the fact that Christ has already accomplished on the cross all that is needed to make us pure, we can work out our purity here and now . The war for your purity is won, so we can fight our daily battles with renewed vigor.
We should take Davids charge to Solomon in 1 Chronicles 28:9 as a charge to us: And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve him with a whole heart and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought.
Dillon Mack
Dillon serves as the Pastor of Worship and Families at The Orchard – Marengo. He enjoys reading, writing, and expounding God’s Word. You can find he and his wife Kamren diving into a true crime documentary or playing board games together in their free time. Follow him on Facebook to stay up to date on his writing.
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C Sexual Sin Hurts Many Others
This is probably what Paul means when he says , and that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter. To have sexual relations with another mans wife or another womans husband is to transgress against the innocent spouse and defraud him or her. To violate an unmarried woman is to hurt her and to defraud her future husband of her virginity. Implicit in the word defraud is that sexual sin is inherently selfish. Youre taking advantage of the other person for your own pleasure or benefit. You may rationalize it by saying that it was by mutual agreement and for mutual pleasure. But youre deceiving yourself. If you have children or grandchildren, your sexual sin hurts them by robbing them of your godly example. It hurts other church members by damaging the reputation of Christians in the community. As Davids sin with Bathsheba shows, he paid an awful price with his family and with his kingdom for a night of sinful pleasure. But Paul ups the ante:
Lesson 1: Sexual Purity
Most of us have had trouble at times discerning the will of God. At those times, weve wished that God would just speak audibly, My will is that you take the job that youve been offered. Or, My will is that you marry Suzy. Okay, God, Ive got it!
In our text, God plainly states His will for each of us in one important matter : For this is the will of God, your sanctification that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality. There is no ambiguity in that: God wants you to be morally pure. He doesnt command moral purity to deprive you of fun, but rather to increase your ultimate pleasure in Him. At His right hand are pleasures forever . He designed the sexual relationship in marriage for our pleasure in Him. So, any violation of moral purity goes against Gods good and perfect will for your life. Any form of sexual immorality will hurt Gods name, hurt you, and hurt others. As the one who created sex, God tells us in His word both how sex can bless us and how it can harm us. His clearly stated will is that we abstain from sexual immorality.
In 1988, before the internet or smartphones existed, Leadership journal did a survey on sex and the American clergy. Of the pastors responding to the survey, 20 percent said that they looked at sexually oriented print, video, or movies at least once a month! And 38 percent of these pastors said they find themselves fantasizing about sex with someone other than their spouse at least once a month.
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Toxic Purity Culture: Where Do We Go From Here
Purity is a hard conversation. For many years Christians have screamed “Purity” but many have strayed away from actually talking about it. Why is purity such a hard topic? For one, sex is a remarkably intimate and complicated subject. It is the intimate interaction that if mishandled, is a “sin against the whole body” . There is a lot to say about sex, sexuality, purity, relationship, and all the deviations and complications that our sin brings into it.
I believe that sexual purity is living rightly in heart, mind, and body to God’s ordinances for sex and sexuality . Sex and Sexuality as God intended is between one man and one woman within the covenant of marriage . There are many passages on fleeing from sexual immorality Sex before marriage, same-sex intercourse, sex with someone other than your spouse, and so on. When Christians seek out purity we should do so not in moralism or asceticism but rather as an act of obedience and worship to Christ.
Summarized, Biblical Sexual Purity is living a life of righteousness and obedience to Gods word in heart, mind, and body in relation to sex and our sexuality. Unfortunately, like all aspects of life, humanity has not lived this out well, nor has the Church always taught this message holistically. Misunderstood or mishandled purity culture has confused many as they chase after the cross. In some cases, it has even become the stumbling block that they have let come between them and Jesus completely.
Eight Lessons About Purity
Sex is not a right, nor did God design it to define our identity. Our identity is in being children of God. It is not meant to be a way to gain power or acceptance. Men and women of God do not use sex as a means of gratifying selfish desires, but instead, lovingly as a means of serving one another in genuine intimacy and love in marriage. Valuing and pursuing purity will honor God and heighten the joy we experience in this wonderful gift.
Over the years, God has been so gracious to teach me about his design and purposes for sexual intimacy. This gift is packed with profound wonder and grace and truth. For any woman secretly wanting to test the waters like I did, here are eight beautiful truths I wish I had known sooner.
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Your Actions Affirm What Is Good
Your decisions agree with what you know is appropriate and excellent. You value beauty and modesty in style and appearance. You honor your body and the Lord who redeemed it, demonstrating uprightness and self-control in your conduct.
Fighting for purity helps you strive for a blameless reputation before God and others, as displayed in your words and actions. You have a sincere singleness of mind as you honor what is sacred to God and decent in the sight of others.
Sexual Purity Honors God
Throughout the Bible, we are encouraged to be holy as God is holy . We honor God by seeking holiness and purity in our lives. Paul writes in Romans 12:12,
I appeal to you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
He writes again in 1 Corinthians 6:13, The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. Verse 15 adds that our bodies are members of Christ. Would we ever want to defile the body of Christ for a few minutes of illicit sexual pleasure?
Colossians 3:5 exhorts us to put to death what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Submitting to sexual temptation is telling God that our passion for sex is more important than our passion to serve and honor him. May it never be so. You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body .
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Sexual Purity Upholds Human Dignity
Succumbing to sexual temptation tears at the fabric of human dignity. Pleasure may last for a moment, but shame and humility follow in those whose hearts, minds, and consciences have not been seared by repeated sin and hardened to its evil.
Shame and humiliation never follow a choice for sexual purity. Human dignity is always strengthened by holiness. First Thessalonians 4:35 says, This is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God.
One of the reasons the Proverbs 31 woman is such a fine example is that she is clothed in strength and dignity . This is a woman every man would be delighted to have for a wife, and make no mistake: she would not waste one moment wondering how she could stir desire in another man.
C Holiness In The Sexual Realm Requires Self
In verses 4 & 5, Paul explains what he means by abstaining from sexual immorality: that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God. The problem is, Pauls explanation is not exactly clear! There are two main views:
Some argue that possess his own vessel should be translated, acquire his own vessel, where vessel refers to a wife. Many godly Bible scholars hold to this view. The Greek verb as used elsewhere in the New Testament means to acquire, not to possess or control. This would line up with 1 Corinthians 7:9, where Paul teaches that if you lack self-control, you should marry rather than burn with lust. When Paul says that a Christian should possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in lustful passion, he means that rather than basing marriage primarily on sexual attraction, as we often see in the Hollywood crowd, there should be a sanctity about the married relationship. It portrays the exclusive love that exists between Christ and His church . Thus marriage should be held in honor and the marriage bed should be undefiled .
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What Does Bible Say About Purity
Purity is often thought of as a state of being clean or free from impurities. In the Bible, purity has a deeper meaning. It is not just about being physically clean, but also about being morally and spiritually pure.
The idea of purity is closely related to holiness. To be holy means to be set apart from the world and dedicated to God. Purity is one way of living out our holiness. It is a choice to avoid anything that would pollute our minds and bodies or damage our relationship with God.
Purity is important because it is a reflection of our relationship with God. When we are pure, we are closer to Him and His holiness. Purity is also an expression of our love for God. It shows that we are willing to obey His commands and follow His ways
Purity is not just about avoiding bad things it is also about pursuing good things. The Bible calls us to pursue righteousness, truth, and love . When we do these things, we are living in a way that is pleasing to God and helpful to others.
Purity is not easy, but it is worth it. When we are pure, we are living in a way that honors God and brings blessing to our lives.
The best way to achieve purity is through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. He died on the cross for our sins and offers us forgiveness and new life. When we receive Him into our hearts, He cleanses us from all unrighteousness. As we grow in our faith, we become more like Him and our desire for purity increases.
Sexual Purity Protects The Body Mind And Spirit
Living in an age of sexual freedom, we need to guard against believing the lie that pain and suffering come only to those who have been violated by forcible sex against their will. The pain and suffering after sexual assault and rape can be as traumatic as the acts are evil, but God tells us that even casual, consensual sex will bring judgment and personal injury to oneself, not real relationship, satisfaction, or joy. The apostle Paul speaks of profound self-harm when he writes, Flee from sexual immorality. . . . The sexually immoral person sins against his own body .
Our body, mind, and spirit are damaged, even desecrated by sexual immorality. I am a living witness that sins against our own body are real and leave lasting scars. Praise God for life in Christ that brings healing and new hope.
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A To Be Sexually Pure You Must Know God
Paul contrasts Christian sexual purity with the Gentiles who do not know God . To be a true Christian means that you have come to know God through Jesus Christ . In 2 Thessalonians 1:8, Paul says that when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven, He will deal out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. In Romans 1, those whom God gives over to suffer the consequences of their sin knew about God, since His attributes are evident through creation, but they suppress the truth in unrighteousness and do not honor God as God or give thanks. He goes on to add , There is no fear of God before their eyes. If we truly know God, we fear Him, hate evil, and turn away from sin .
Physical Relationship Before Marriage
God gave you a beautiful and sacred gift of sexual intimacy, and it will bring you great pleasure and unity within the context of a loving marriage. Anything else is just a cheap substitute. God wants nothing but the best for you. Staying pure for God is becoming increasingly difficult in this day and age but my hope is that you walk away with new insights on what does the Bible say about sexual purity.
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What Does The Bible Say About Purity
Image by Bonita Suraputra on Flickr
In light of my previous post on Purity Culture, I want to delve a bit deeper into the subject and explore what the Bible really has to say about purity. Because it does have something to say, and what it says may surprise you.
The first surprising thing is how seldom the word purity appears in scripture. My Strongs Concordance lists it as appearing only twice in the New Testament. Other scriptures instead speak of pureness, being purified, or purification. Notice that some of these words speak of purity as a process. It is not an initial state but, rather, a completed state.
Purity Culture, of course, promotes purity as an initial state. It also focuses solely on purity as chastity, or abstinence from sex outside of marriage. But that is only one meaning of the word purity in scripture. It more commonly refers to:
In fact, the two New Testament scriptures that mention purity are virtually the only ones in the Bible that use purity to mean chastity. And those verses are 1 Timothy 4:12 and 1 Timothy 5:2:
Dont let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. ~ 4:12
In this case, purity is not what a person is, but how a person treats others.
Would it change us? I think so.
I think its time for a new Purity Culture.