By Sheri Liegh Adams, copyright Sheri Liegh Adams, all rights reserved
Sexual sin is something we don’t often talk about or hear about in the church today, yet it is happening all over in secret, behind closed doors and most definitely in the world in which we live. This needs to be exposed and dealt with or God will not bless His church to the fullest extent that He could and would like to. And while we are cleaning out our own closet, we need to make known to the world the sin of sexual deviance and immorality that is so rampant. Sexual sin can be considered many things as you will soon see and the Bible is clear as to what is right and what is not right. Here we will examine what the Bible calls sexual sin and how to handle it.
Sexual sin comes in many forms: Adultery, Fornication, Sodomy, Rape, Lust, Prostitution, Homosexuality, Incest.
A.Adultery - Voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and a partner other than the lawful spouse, extramarital sex that willfully and maliciously interferes with marriage relations.
Exodus 20:14 "Do not commit adultery.
Deuteronomy 5:18" `Do not commit adultery.
It is considered sin to have sex with your father’s wife, which would most likely be your mother or in some cases your step-mother. In fact, it is sin to have sex with anyone in your immediate family, or your extended family which includes aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins, brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, etc.
1 Corinthians 5:1 - [ Paul Condemns Spiritual Pride ] I can hardly believe the report about the sexual immorality going on among you, something so evil that even the pagans don't do it. I am told that you have a man in your church who is living in sin with his father's wife.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 - 9Don't you know that those who do wrong will have no share in the Kingdom of God? Don't fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, who are idol worshipers, adulterers, male prostitutes, homosexuals, 10thieves, greedy people, drunkards, abusers, and swindlers--none of these will have a share in the Kingdom of God.
Leviticus 20:10"If a man commits adultery with another man's wife, both the man and the woman must be put to death.
Deuteronomy 22:22"If a man is discovered committing adultery, both he and the other man's wife must be killed. In this way, the evil will be cleansed from Israel.
God dealt harshly with those who committed adultery. To have sex with another person’s life partner was an eyesore to God and in the Old Testament, the only way to fix the problem was to kill the two people involved in the sin. In this way, it kept the rest of the camp clear of sin.
Fortunately in the New Testament, we have a way out of our sin and into God’s life and love. Jesus paved the way by dying on the cross to forgive us of our sins if we will only ask Him to do so.
B.Fornication - Sexual intercourse between partners who are not married to each other.
Ephesians 5:3But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints;
Matthew 5:32But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except fornication causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.
C.Sodomy - Any of various forms of sexual intercourse held to be unnatural or abnormal, especially anal intercourse or bestiality, Anal copulation of one male with another, Anal or oral copulation with a member of the opposite sex, Copulation with an animal.
Leviticus 18:23
23"A man must never defile himself by having sexual intercourse with an animal, and a woman must never present herself to a male animal in order to have intercourse with it; this is a terrible perversion.
Leviticus 20:13
13"The penalty for homosexual acts is death to both parties. They have committed a detestable act and are guilty of a capital offense.
Leviticus 20:15
15"If a man has sexual intercourse with an animal, he must be put to death, and the animal must be killed.
Leviticus 20:16
16If a woman approaches a male animal to have intercourse with it, she and the animal must both be put to death. Both must die, for they are guilty of a capital offense.
Genesis 19:24
24Then the LORD rained down fire and burning sulfur from the heavens on Sodom and Gomorrah.
Genesis 19:25
25He utterly destroyed them, along with the other cities and villages of the plain, eliminating all life--people, plants, and animals alike.
D.Rape - The crime of forcing another person to submit to sex acts, especially sexual intercourse, sexual intercourse with a woman by a man without her consent and chiefly by force or deception, sexual intercourse with a person who is below the age of consent as defined by law.
2 Samuel 13:6-17 - 6So Amnon pretended to be sick. And when the king came to see him, Amnon asked him, "Please let Tamar come to take care of me and cook something for me to eat." 7So David agreed and sent Tamar to Amnon's house to prepare some food for him.
8When Tamar arrived at Amnon's house, she went to the room where he was lying down so he could watch her mix some dough. Then she baked some special bread for him. 9But when she set the serving tray before him, he refused to eat. "Everyone get out of here," Amnon told his servants. So they all left. 10Then he said to Tamar, "Now bring the food into my bedroom and feed it to me here." So Tamar took it to him. 11But as she was feeding him, he grabbed her and demanded, "Come to bed with me, my darling sister."
12"No, my brother!" she cried. "Don't be foolish! Don't do this to me! You know what a serious crime it is to do such a thing in Israel. 13Where could I go in my shame? And you would be called one of the greatest fools in Israel. Please, just speak to the king about it, and he will let you marry me."
14But Amnon wouldn't listen to her, and since he was stronger than she was, he raped her. 15Then suddenly Amnon's love turned to hate, and he hated her even more than he had loved her. "Get out of here!" he snarled at her.
16"No, no!" Tamar cried. "To reject me now is a greater wrong than what you have already done to me."
But Amnon wouldn't listen to her. 17He shouted for his servant and demanded, "Throw this woman out, and lock the door behind her!"
Lamentations 5:10-12
10Because of the famine, our skin has been blackened as though baked in an oven. 11Our enemies rape the women and young girls in Jerusalem[a] and throughout the towns of Judah. 12Our princes are being hanged by their thumbs, and the old men are treated with contempt.
Ezekiel 22:11Within your walls live men who commit adultery with their neighbors' wives, who defile their daughters-in-law or who rape their own sisters.
E.Lust - Intense or unrestrained sexual craving, a strong sexual desire, self-indulgent sexual desire (personified as one of the deadly sins), sinful longing; the inward sin which leads to the falling away from God (Rom.1:21).
Job 31:11 - 11For lust is a shameful sin, a crime that should be punished. 12It is a devastating fire that destroys to hell. It would wipe out everything I own.
Matthew 5:28But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust in his eye has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
Romans 1:27And the men, instead of having normal sexual relationships with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men and, as a result, suffered within themselves the penalty they so richly deserved.
1 Corinthians 7:9But if they can't control themselves, they should go ahead and marry. It's better to marry than to burn with lust.
F. Prostitution, Whores - The act or practice of engaging in sex acts for hire, The act or an instance of offering or devoting one's talent to an unworthy use or cause, the act or practice of engaging in sexual activity indiscriminately esp. for money; offering sexual intercourse for pay
Leviticus 19:2929"Do not defile your daughter by making her a prostitute, or the land will be filled with promiscuity and detestable wickedness.
Deuteronomy 23:17 - 17"No Israelite man or woman may ever become a temple prostitute.
Jeremiah 3:2"Look all around you. Is there anywhere in the entire land where you have not been defiled by your adulteries? You sit like a prostitute beside the road waiting for a client. You sit alone like a nomad in the desert. You have polluted the land with your prostitution and wickedness.
Ezekiel 16:25On every street corner you defiled your beauty, offering your body to every passerby in an endless stream of prostitution.
Revelation 21:18 - 8But cowards who turn away from me, and unbelievers, and the corrupt, and murderers, and the immoral, and those who practice witchcraft, and idol worshipers, and all liars--their doom is in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This is the second death."
G.Homosexuality - Sexual orientation to persons of the same sex, sexual activity with another of the same sex.
Leviticus 20:13"The penalty for homosexual acts is death to both parties. They have committed a detestable act and are guilty of a capital offense.
Judges 19:22While they were enjoying themselves, some of the wicked men in the town surrounded the house. They began beating at the door and shouting to the old man, "Bring out the man who is staying with you so we can have sex with him."
Leviticus 18:22
22"Do not practice homosexuality; it is a detestable sin.
Leviticus 20:13 - 13"The penalty for homosexual acts is death to both parties. They have committed a detestable act and are guilty of a capital offense.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 - 9Don't you know that those who do wrong will have no share in the Kingdom of God? Don't fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, who are idol worshipers, adulterers, male prostitutes, homosexuals, 10thieves, greedy people, drunkards, abusers, and swindlers--none of these will have a share in the Kingdom of God.
Romans 1:26-28 - 26God let them follow their own evil desires. Women no longer wanted to have sex in a natural way, and they did things with each other that were not natural. 27Men behaved in the same way. They stopped wanting to have sex with women and had strong desires for sex with other men. They did shameful things with each other, and what has happened to them is punishment for their foolish deeds. 28Since these people refused even to think about God, he let their useless minds rule over them. That's why they do all sorts of indecent things.
H. Incest - Sexual relations between persons who are so closely related that their marriage is illegal or forbidden by custom, The statutory crime of sexual relations with such a near relative.
Leviticus 18:6-18
6"You must never have sexual intercourse with a close relative, for I am the LORD. 7Do not violate your father by having sexual intercourse with your mother. She is your mother; you must never have intercourse with her. 8Do not have sexual intercourse with any of your father's wives, for this would violate your father.
9"Do not have sexual intercourse with your sister or half sister, whether she is your father's daughter or your mother's daughter, whether she was brought up in the same family or somewhere else.
10"Do not have sexual intercourse with your granddaughter, whether your son's daughter or your daughter's daughter; that would violate you. 11Do not have sexual intercourse with the daughter of any of your father's wives; she is your half sister. 12Do not have intercourse with your aunt, your father's sister, because she is your father's close relative. 13Do not have sexual intercourse with your aunt, your mother's sister, because she is your mother's close relative. 14And do not violate your uncle, your father's brother, by having sexual intercourse with his wife; she also is your aunt. 15Do not have sexual intercourse with your daughter-in-law; she is your son's wife. 16Do not have intercourse with your brother's wife; this would violate your brother.
17"Do not have sexual intercourse with both a woman and her daughter or marry both a woman and her granddaughter, whether her son's daughter or her daughter's daughter. They are close relatives, and to do this would be a horrible wickedness.
18"Do not marry a woman and her sister because they will be rivals. But if your wife dies, then it is all right to marry her sister.
Leviticus 20:11 - 1If a man has intercourse with his father's wife, both the man and the woman must die, for they are guilty of a capital offense.
Leviticus 20:12 - 12If a man has intercourse with his daughter-in-law, both must be put to death. They have acted contrary to nature and are guilty of a capital offense.
Leviticus 20:17 - 17"If a man has sexual intercourse with his sister, the daughter of either his father or his mother, it is a terrible disgrace. Both of them must be publicly cut off from the community. Since the man has had intercourse with his sister, he will suffer the consequences of his guilt.
Leviticus 20:19-21 - 19"If a man has sexual intercourse with his aunt, whether his mother's sister or his father's sister, he has violated a close relative. Both parties are guilty of a capital offense. 20If a man has intercourse with his uncle's wife, he has violated his uncle. Both the man and woman involved are guilty of a capital offense and will die childless. 21If a man marries his brother's wife, it is an act of impurity. He has violated his brother, and the guilty couple will remain childless.
Deuteronomy 27:20-23 - 20`Cursed is anyone who has sexual intercourse with his father's wife, for he has violated his father.' And all the people will reply, `Amen.' 21`Cursed is anyone who has sexual intercourse with an animal.' And all the people will reply, `Amen.' 22`Cursed is anyone who has sexual intercourse with his sister, whether she is the daughter of his father or his mother.' And all the people will reply, `Amen.' 23`Cursed is anyone who has sexual intercourse with his mother-in-law.' And all the people will reply, `Amen.'
1 Corinthians 5:9-11 (New Living Translation)
New Living Translation
9When I wrote to you before, I told you not to associate with people who indulge in sexual sin. 10But I wasn't talking about unbelievers who indulge in sexual sin, or who are greedy or are swindlers or idol worshipers. You would have to leave this world to avoid people like that. 11What I meant was that you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a Christian[a] yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or a drunkard, or a swindler. Don't even eat with such people.
How To Deal With Sexual Sinners
God is very clear on how to deal with those who commit sexual sins. In the Old Testament, He reigned down fire from Heaven and destroy and completely obliterated all those who lived is Sodom and Gomorrah. Their sin was so great that God completely removed them and anything to do with them, from this earth. It was an example of God’s judgment on people who commit sexual sins.
The Bible is also very clear on the penalty for other sexual sins:
· DEATH PENALTY » For adultery (Leviticus 20:10; Deuteronomy 22:24)
· DEATH PENALTY » For incest (Leviticus 20:11,12,14)
· DEATH PENALTY » For bestiality (Exodus 22:19; Leviticus 20:15,16)
· DEATH PENALTY » For sodomy (Leviticus 18:22;20:13)
· DEATH PENALTY » For sexual immorality (Deuteronomy 22:21-24)
· DEATH PENALTY » For the rape of a betrothed (engaged) virgin (Deuteronomy 22:25)
The death penalty was the only way to cleanse the sin of sexual immorality. It didn’t matter and still doesn’t matter what the sexual sin was/is, God says that it deserves death to those who participate in any of it.
The Bible is clear also about anybody who commits sexual sin (or any kind of sin for that matter, but we are focusing on sexual sin). God has many names for those who commit sin: Abominable branches (Isaiah 14:19), Ashes under the feet (Malachi 4:3) Bad fish (Matthew 13:48) Animals (Psalms 49:12; 2 Peter 2:12) Blind people (Zephaniah 1:17; Matthew 15:14) Briers add thorns (Isaiah 55:13; Ezekiel 2:6) Carcasses trodden underfoot (Isaiah 14:19) Corrupt trees (Luke 6:43) Dogs (Proverbs 26:11; Matthew 7:6; 2 Peter 2:22) Dross (Psalms 119:119; Ezekiel 22:18,19) Bad figs (Jeremiah 24:8) Fiery oven (Psalms 21:9; Hosea 7:4) Fire of thorns (Psalms 118:12) Fools building upon sand (Matthew 7:26) Goats (Matthew 25:32)
So how do we as Christians AND non-Christians deal with sexual temptation? Let’s look at what the Bible says about it.
1 Corinthians 6:18Run away from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body.
Colossians 3:5So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual sin, impurity, lust, and shameful desires. Don't be greedy for the good things of this life, for that is idolatry.
1 Thessalonians 4:3God wants you to be holy, so you should keep clear of all sexual sin.
2 Timothy 2:22Run from anything that stimulates youthful lust. Follow anything that makes you want to do right. Pursue faith and love and peace, and enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts.
1 John 2:15-17
15Stop loving this evil world and all that it offers you, for when you love the world, you show that you do not have the love of the Father in you. 16For the world offers only the lust for physical pleasure, the lust for everything we see, and pride in our possessions. These are not from the Father. They are from this evil world. 17And this world is fading away, along with everything it craves. But if you do the will of God, you will live forever.
1 John 2:16For the world offers only the lust for physical pleasure, the lust for everything we see, and pride in our possessions. These are not from the Father. They are from this evil world.
James 4:7So humble yourselves before God. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you.
1 Corinthians 10:13
13But remember that the temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can't stand up against it. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it.
Luke 17:1One day Jesus said to his disciples, "There will always be temptations to sin, but how terrible it will be for the person who does the tempting.
Hebrews 4:15This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same temptations we do, yet he did not sin.
Matthew 4:1Then Jesus was led out into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit to be tempted there by the Devil.
Hebrews 2:18Since he himself has gone through suffering and temptation, he is able to help us when we are being tempted.
James 1:13And remember, no one who wants to do wrong should ever say, "God is tempting me." God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else either.
We as humans are not the only ones who face temptations. Jesus, when He was alive upon this Earth, faced 40 - count them FOURTY DAYS OF TEMPTING BY THE DEVIL, yet He did not sin. He looked to His Father and the Holy Spirit for strength to stand against the enemy.
Another thing we MUST remember is that GOD NEVER TEMPTS US. God is not a mean God. Our faith will be tested, yes, but God is not in the business of tempting us. There is only one who tempts, and that is the devil.
(Matthew 4:3 - Then the Devil [ Greek the tempter.] came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, change these stones into loaves of bread.")
And if we are tempted or feel we are being tempted, there is one way out, and only one way. Speak to the Father and ask Him to provide you with a way out. He will not let you fall into temptations that are beyond your capabilities. When you are tempted, and you WILL be tempted by the devil, rebuke him in the name of Jesus, for at the name of Jesus, Satan must flee. In fact, Satan trembles at the name of Jesus. So when you are feeling tempted to do something you KNOW is wrong, speak the name of Jesus out loud. Say it once or as many times as it takes for the Tempter to go away. Eventually he will get tired of the strength God has given you and go somewhere else.
We are bound to face temptation in our lives. Just watch the TV. Even commercials are filled with sexual impurities. The movies reek of sexual immorality, violence, coarse language and so on. It is at those times when we decide what stand we will make. Will we just look the other way and say, “oh well, it’s just a movie,” or will we take a stand and turn the channel or even turn off the TV? That is when our faith is tested. God will test our faith, but He will never tempt us.
What is your sexual lifestyle saying about you to God? To you? To others? It is time for Christians to take a stand against the sexual immorality of this world. The streets are littered with prostitutes selling their bodies for money. Homes are filled with incest and child abuse. Watch any of the current talk shows and you will find out just how much sexual impurity there is out there. Sexual assault is on the rise, currently standing with 1 out of every 2 women being sexually assaulted at some point in their lifetime. And lust…how many times have you been whistled at, looked up and down or flirted with beyond what is safe? Homosexuality is rampant on our streets. Gay and lesbian marriages are now being recognized in many parts of the world, including, I’m sad to say, Canada where I live.
I am surprised that God doesn’t rain down fire from Heaven on all these things. But on the other hand, I know it has to take place before the return of the Lord. It is going to get much worse before it gets any better. God has far more patience than I do and He also knows the final ending to it all whereas I can only see what is happening right now.
Now, despite the sin of sexual immorality, God does love the sinner. He hates the SIN, but loves the SINNER. And He calls out to them every day to change their ways and come clean. If they continue to shun His callings, they will find their eternal home in the flames and sulfur of Hades.
Sexual sin is an abomination in the sight of God. If we continue to live the way we are, God will just give up on us and let us go our depraved ways and give us over to our lustful desires, regardless of what they may be.
There are many forms of sexual sin. In some cases, other people get hurt in the process of gratifying their worldly desires like in incest, rape, sodomy and so on. In those cases, God’s anger is fired at the person doing the harm. God says they face a fierce and severe judgment when the time comes for their judgment.
It is like living in the lands we live in. Everywhere you go there are laws to abide by. They are not there to make life a hassle or to make life difficult. The laws are set in place to protect us from either ourselves or from others. If we break the law, we face the punishment set aside for that crime. Sometimes it is jail time, sometimes it is community work and sometimes it is the death penalty. In any case, the Bible is the same way. God has guidelines set out for us and if we disobey those guidelines, we will suffer the consequences of our actions.
God loves us and wants to see us doing well in all areas of our lives. Turn to Him now and ask Him to show you any sexual sin in your life. If you have some, repent and turn away from it forever. Repentance without change is nothing at all. Repentance takes action for it to be real. If you have been the victim of someone else’s hands, pray for that person, forgive them and let God deal with them. His vengeance is going to be far greater than anything we could imagine or conjure up.
Sexual sin; just because it is out there doesn’t mean you have to participate in it. Take a stand today and make a vow to remain pure, regardless of your marital status. Take a stand before your friends and don’t laugh at sexual jokes. Take a stand for Jesus and let Him know He is worth living a pure and holy life for. He will bless you and honour your efforts. Remember, Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God (The Beatitudes). Where are you going to stand? God is waiting for your answer, right now. He is asking, “what’s your decision?” What will your answer be to the God who loves you and can cleanse you from all sin and impurities. He’s waiting this very moment for your reply.
©2005 by Sheri Leigh Adams - All Rights Reserved
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