Purity

purity - Sexual purity seems old-fashioned. Is purity really so important to God?

Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Run 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.

1 Corinthians 6:18

Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. . . . Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 5:3, 18

IN A DRAMATIC CONTRAST to culture, Jesus calls his people to a standard of sexual purity that is very different from the world’s. He calls us to purity in thought as well as in action. This means not only keeping all sexual acts within marriage but also refraining from impure thoughts. These specific boundaries for sex are not meant to frustrate us but rather to protect us. Since our bodies and hearts are connected, when we think impurely or engage in sexual activity outside of marriage, we are also causing damage to our hearts. God knows how good sexuality is when kept within the boundaries he created for us. Sex outside these boundaries often results in regret, shame, heartbreak, and damaged intimacy. To walk in freedom with a free conscience, ask God to help you live a pure life and be an example to a culture that holds a distorted view of sexuality.

Prayer Prompts

Lord, sometimes culture tempts me to believe that . . .

Your Word tells me that purity is important because . . .