Sexual Purity: Why It Matters
For 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; that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things… Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you. 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8 (ESV).
Tragically, sex outside of marriage has become the norm in our culture. And it’s not only “lost people”. Many who profess faith in Jesus engage in premarital sex with little or no sense of shame. How dangerous! How foolish! God condemns all sexual activity outside of a covenant, life-long marriage between one man and one woman. In 1 Corinthians 6:9, Paul declares that “neither the sexually immoral…nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality…will inherit the kingdom of God.”
There is no “wiggle room” here. As followers of Jesus, moral purity is not optional for us. Rather, the pursuit of sexual purity is an expression of our love for God and of our recognition that sanctification (growing in Christlikeness) is the goal of our redemption (see Titus 2:14). It’s no wonder God commands us to “abstain from sexual immorality” in our pursuit of holiness! It’s no wonder God calls us to “know how to control our own bodies in holiness and honor!” Consider the consequences of sexual sin:
First, when we sin sexually, we sin against ourselves. In 1 Corinthians 6:13-18 Paul writes, “The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. …Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? …Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.”
With these words Paul reminds us that sex is never a frivolous or meaningless act. In a way we can’t fully understand, intercourse involves more than two bodies. It involves two souls. This holds true even in a physical relationship as cold and impersonal as a visit to a prostitute. Think about what this means. In Christ, you are spiritually bound to Jesus. You are indwelt by God’s Spirit. Whenever you engage in sinful sex, you damage yourself by defiling the spiritual bond you have with Christ. In the same way—because every sexual relationship is a “one-flesh” relationship—every act of immorality defiles your relationship with your present, or if unmarried, future spouse. In other words, every sexual encounter you experience outside of marriage pollutes the relationship God wants you to enjoy exclusively with your spouse in marriage. That’s why, when we sin sexually, we sin against ourselves.
But that’s not all. When we sin sexually, we sin against others. Here in 1 Thessalonians 4:6 Paul calls us to “abstain from sexual immorality…that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter…”
Very often, sex outside of marriage involves little more than using another person’s body to selfishly satisfy one’s own physical desire. Using another person—a person created in God’s image—as an instrument to satisfy lust is to dishonor and sin against them. Likewise, to engage in sex outside of marriage is to take what isn’t yours. In God’s economy, the sexual intimacy you share with another outside of marriage rightly belongs only to their present or future spouse. God takes such theft seriously.
Finally—and most sobering—when we sin sexually, we sin against God. Regarding the consequences of sexual sin (unrepented of) Paul writes, “…the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. For God has not called us for impurity but in holiness. Therefore, whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God who gives his Holy Spirit to you” (1 Thessalonians 4:6-8).
Here we find both a warning and a promise. First the warning: In spite of its prevalence in our culture, God takes sexual sin seriously. So must we! Those who sin—in this case sexually—and refuse to repent will be forever condemned (1 Corinthians 6:9). At the same time, it’s essential to understand that sexual sin is not the unpardonable sin. All who repent and entrust themselves to Christ as Lord and Savior will find forgiveness and new life in Christ!
Now the promise: The same God who condemns sexual immorality gives us his Holy Spirit (verse 8). In Christ we find all the grace and strength we need to express our sexuality in ways that honor Him as our Savior and our Lord. In Christ we have been washed, sanctified, and justified in his name (see 1 Corinthians 6:11)! May we honor Him in all our thoughts, attitudes, and actions.