The Biblical Foundation of Sexual Purity

Sex was God’s idea. He made us male and female. Sex is pure and honorable, but God designed it for the marriage covenant only, as it is written in Hebrews 13:4: Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge.

The Rise of Sexual Lawlessness in Modern Society

We are in a day of sexual lawlessness. The U.S. Census Bureau reports that there are over four million couples living together unmarried—over eight times what we had thirty years ago. Almost one out of ten couples are living in fornication. And in just a decade or two, homosexuality has generally lost its shame and is now accepted, protected, and gloried in. We are deep in depravity, from the White House to the schoolhouse. It is unimaginable that condoms are distributed in schools—only moral fools cannot see why that is wrong. Maybe sexual lawlessness is a sign of the times, for the Bible says the second coming of Christ will happen at a time like it was in the days of Noah and also of Lot (who lived in Sodom)—extreme wickedness.

The Destructive Power of Sexual Immorality

Sex is an incredibly powerful force. Immorality weakened the strongest man, Samson. It stained the most godly man, David. It confounded the wisest man, Solomon. The harlot has cast down many, as it is written, Proverbs 7:26: Many are the victims she has cast down, and numerous are all her slain. Who can control this powerful drive? How many of the world’s renowned are filthy—Picasso, Martin Luther King, John Kennedy, Adolf Hitler, Douglas MacArthur, Rock Hudson, Marilyn Monroe, Prince Charles, various popes—Sergius III, John XII, Alexander VI, etc., Wilt Chamberlain, and Mike Tyson. Reggie White of the Packers reports that after the game, the harlots are waiting for them. Like beasts to the slaughter, the men fall, as it is written, Proverbs 7:22: Suddenly he follows her, as an ox goes to the slaughter.

Achieving Sexual Purity Through God’s Power

Who can control this sex drive? The fear of disease is a small deterrent to immorality. There is only one force that can truly control lust—the power of God in the heart, a foundational element of what it means to become a Christian. That is, when Jesus enters the heart, the power and tyranny of sin is broken. True, godly men like David fell into sin, but the distinction is this—they did not live in it. Their lives were characterized by purity and victory before and after. You see a lustful man or woman? Do not be deceived. He is not a true Christian; he will not go to heaven (See 1 Corinthians 6:9, 10). The woman chaser will be cast into hell by God Himself.

The True Meaning of Adultery and Purity

Oh, yes, many could testify that they never committed adultery. That’s good, but not good enough. Jesus said that even the lustful thought is tantamount to the act, as it is written, Matthew 5:28: But I say to you, that everyone who looks on a woman to lust for her has committed adultery with her already in his heart. The gospel, where its work is real, cleans the inside of the cup as well as the outside. It takes the pornography out of the hand and out of the mind as well.

Biblical Call to Flee from Lust

The Bible calls young folks and all to flee from lust and replace it with another drive, as it is written, 2 Timothy 2:22: Now flee from youthful lusts, and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. Joseph fled, as it is written, [Genesis 39:12]: And she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me!” And he left his garment in her hand and fled, and went outside.

Embracing Sexual Purity Through Faith

On the positive side, bring your load of guilt to Jesus; He died to pay that sin-debt and make your conscience whiter than snow. Make the Lord Jesus Christ your Lord and love. Do all for the eye of the Lord, and you won’t be caught by the eye of the foolish woman. Simply trust the living God to give you a pure mate in the fullness of time, and that’s where you will find satisfaction. The worldling ‘can’t get no satisfaction’ doing it his way. God wrote the operator’s manual; He wired the house, and it all works best His way.