Purity

What is God's Will?For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality. -1 Thessalonians 4:3

Why is that God's Will?Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. -1 Corinthians 6:18-20

What else does the Bible say? What is sexual immorality?The Bible clearly states in the 10 Commandments that we are not to commit adultery (Exodus 20:14 and Deuteronomy 5:18). The New Testament is also full of warning against sexual immorality, including adultery and fornication. Sexual intercourse outside of marriage is forbidden by scripture and must be condemned by the church (Acts 15:19-29, Romans 13:13, 1 Corinthians 5:9-13; 6:12-20, 2 Corinthians 2:21, Galatians 5:19, Ephesians 5:3, Colossians 3:5, 1 Thessalonians 4:2-5, Jude 1:7, Revelation 2:14-21).

What is Fornication?The word "pornea" is normally translated in the King James Version of the Bible as "fornication."  The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition defines "fornication" simply as: "Sexual intercourse between partners who are not married to each other." Adultery is one type of fornication. In Biblical usage; 'fornication' can mean any sexual congress outside monogamous marriage. It thus includes not only premarital sex, but also adultery, homosexual acts, incest, remarriage after un-Biblical divorce, and sexual acts with animals, all of which are explicitly forbidden in the law as given through Moses (Leviticus 20:10-21). Christ expanded the prohibition against adultery to include even sexual lusting (Matthew 5:28).

Who are we to judge?” What judgement outcome is there?I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people - not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.” -1 Corinthians 5:9-13

Sex and Marriage

Definition

• “Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.”  –Hebrews 13:4
• Honor: Hold in highest regard.
• Pure: Free from any foreign element.
• Sexually Immoral: Fornication falls under definition in Greek

Four main excuses Christians have for sex outside of marriage

• It’s Natural
• It is actually natural for you to want your spouse to wait. What about the Golden rule?
• If sex is just a physical activity for recreation or reproduction then we are no different then the animals.  Is that all there is to it?
• For Practice
• If you want it to be good for your spouse then it would be best if you had nothing to compare it too.
• Secular study shows that marriages last longer when first time for both.
• Compatibility Test
• Other ways to see if you are compatible
• Spend a lot of time together.
• Spend time with each other’s families.
• Ask God (ie. Pray).
• Get Closer/More Intimate
• Sex outside marriage does not bring intimacy.  It lessens it.
• Intimacy is feeling close, but has to do with trust, understanding, communication, knowledge. Trust is lost if the relationship does not work out
• If it becomes focus of relationship, then you could lose real intimacy.
• There are two types of limits:
• Goal not to have intercourse.
• Or to be pure in the sight of God.
• Two ways to do this.
• Date someone with the same goals.
• Set boundaries that are consistent.
• Virginity is purity and innocence, not just physical
• Words to the Wise
• One must think, what do I want to tell my wife?
• Defend not just ourselves and our honor, but hers too.
• Earn faith and trust before marriage – Don’t cheat!
• Give whole self as gift in marriage, even sexuality.
• Don’t get to choose the gift we get, but we do get to choose the gift we give.
• You can’t become a virgin again – Can’t choose to undo past actions.
• What is important at this point is the future relationship.