Question 1

Why should I abstain?

Accepted Answer

Romans 6:12-13Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.2 Timothy 2:4Soldiers don’t get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them.Abstinence can be a way to strengthen our thankfulness, devotion, and obedience to God.Esther 4:15-16Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: “Go and gather together all the Jews of Susa and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will do the same. And then, though it is against the law, I will go in to see the king.”Joel 1:14Announce a time of fasting; call the people together for a solemn meeting. Bring the leaders and all the people of the land into the Temple of the Lord your God, and cry out to him there.Abstaining from food and drink in the form of a fast can help us focus more intentionally on God and help us more clearly discern what he wants to tell us.Romans 14:6Those who worship the Lord on a special day do it to honor him. Those who eat any kind of food do so to honor the Lord, since they give thanks to God before eating. And those who refuse to eat certain foods also want to please the Lord and give thanks to God.1 Corinthians 7:5Do not deprive each other of sexual relations, unless you both agree to refrain from sexual intimacy for a limited time so you can give yourselves more completely to prayer. Afterward, you should come together again so that Satan won’t be able to tempt you because of your lack of self-control.Abstinence can be pleasing to God as a way to show our thankfulness and devotion to him, as well as our obedience.Proverbs 4:23Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.Proverbs 28:7Young people who obey the law are wise; those with wild friends bring shame to their parents.Romans 12:2Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.1 Corinthians 6:15, 19Don’t you realize that your bodies are actually parts of Christ? Should a man take his body, which is part of Christ, and join it to a prostitute? Never! . . . 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.Ephesians 5:18Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit,Since our bodies are temples of the Spirit of God, we must be careful what we allow to enter. We don’t want to profane God’s temple with the misuse of food, alcohol, sex, drugs, or even our thoughts. Eating is an enjoyable daily experience God has given us; yet overindulging can become an unhealthy addiction. Jesus himself created wine for a wedding celebration, but drinking in excess weakens our self-control and harms our health. Sex within marriage is good and healthy for that relationship, but lust seeks selfish pleasure and leaves wrecked and hollow relationships in its wake. Whether we abstain to grow our self-control, to avoid a common temptation, or to wait for when the time is right, our abstinence shows respect to the “temple” in our care.Romans 14:21It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything else if it might cause another believer to stumble.1 Corinthians 8:13So if what I eat causes another believer to sin, I will never eat meat again as long as I live—for I don’t want to cause another believer to stumble.Abstinence may be necessary to keep someone else from stumbling in their relationship with God. At times, we may need to stay away from activities that might cause someone who looks to us for guidance to go against their conscience. For instance, if a friend is a recovering alcoholic who abstains from alcohol, choosing not to drink alcoholic beverages in his presence could show respect for his conscience.Matthew 7:11“So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.”Romans 12:1-2So, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.James 1:17Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.When we allow our thoughts and lives to be directed by God’s will, rather than the world’s ways, we will grow to realize how good, pleasing, and perfect God’s desires are. Yes, he wants us to abstain from some enticing sins, but only so he can give us much better pleasures in return. God is the source of all good gifts.

Question 2

From what should I abstain?

Accepted Answer

1 John 5:21Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts.We are called to abstain from anyone, or anything, that replaces God as the first priority in our lives. God desires a heart totally devoted to him.Psalm 101:4I will reject perverse ideas and stay away from every evil.Psalm 119:101I have refused to walk on any evil path, so that I may remain obedient to your word.1 Thessalonians 5:22Stay away from every kind of evil.Colossians 3:5, 8So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world . . . But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language.1 Peter 2:11Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls.We should abstain from sin as much as humanly possible—from both sinful thoughts and actions. A heart that allows thoughts of evil, lust, anger, rage, or impurity to linger is a heart that will draw us into greater sin.1 Thessalonians 4:3God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin.We should abstain from sexual sin, both before marriage and after. This is essential in a marriage relationship where faithfulness and trust are critical to the bond of unity God intended between a husband and wife.Psalm 26:4-5I do not spend time with liars or go along with hypocrites. I hate the gatherings of those who do evil, and I refuse to join in with the wicked.Proverbs 14:7Stay away from fools, for you won’t find knowledge on their lips.Proverbs 22:24-25Don’t befriend angry people or associate with hot-tempered people, or you will learn to be like them and endanger your soul.1 Corinthians 5:11I meant that you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or is a drunkard, or cheats people. Don’t even eat with such people.1 Timothy 5:22Do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.2 Timothy 3:5They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!We should abstain from keeping “bad company” for our own souls’ protection. Bad company often leads to bad conduct. Though sharing our faith requires interacting with neighbors who may not live by God’s standards, we must be careful to ask ourselves, “Are they becoming more like me, or am I becoming more like them?”

Question 3

How do I practice abstinence? What happens when I don’t?

Accepted Answer

Romans 13:14Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires.Colossians 3:7, 9, 11You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world . . . you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds . . . In this new life . . . Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.1 John 3:9Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God.Abstinence is possible through the power of the Holy Spirit, God’s gift to every Christian. The more we make a place for the Holy Spirit, the less space we have for sinful, harmful influences.Proverbs 25:28A person without self-control is like a city with broken-down walls.1 Peter 1:13So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world.2 Peter 1:6Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.Self-control is a key to abstinence, and it is a result of getting to know God. Devotion to God enables us to think more clearly with an eternal perspective, make better choices, and therefore have greater control over our actions.Psalm 36:1Sin whispers to the wicked, deep within their hearts. They have no fear of God at all.Proverbs 16:6Unfailing love and faithfulness make atonement for sin. By fearing the Lord, people avoid evil.Mark 12:30“‘And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’”John 4:15“Please, sir,” the woman said, “give me this water! Then I’ll never be thirsty again, and I won’t have to come here to get water.”1 Timothy 6:11You, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.Titus 2:12We are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God.Developing our love and respect for God helps us abstain from wrong. Godliness is not just staying away from evil; it is staying close to God. As we grow in our hunger for God, the allure of sin will grow pale in comparison, and we will find joy in imitating God’s goodness in our daily lives.Proverbs 4:15Don’t even think about it; don’t go that way. Turn away and keep moving.Proverbs 4:24Avoid all perverse talk; stay away from corrupt speech.At times, the best way to practice abstinence is to physically remove ourselves from a tempting situation.1 Corinthians 6:9-11Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.Romans 6:6We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin.Romans 8:29We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.Philippians 1:6I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.Colossians 3:1Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand.1 Thessalonians 4:3God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin.1 John 2:6Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.A lifestyle of indulging in sin has eternal consequences. When we make a practice of sin—when we consistently and willfully disobey God’s Word—we are rebelling against God. When we try to abstain from sin, we demonstrate our desire to please God by showing our respect for his Word and his ways. God and sin cannot live side by side in the inner places of our hearts. Christ died on the cross not only to save us from the punishment for our sins but also from our enslavement to sin. He died so we could be free to follow him and become all we were made to be—righteous, sanctified children of God. Abstaining from sin is a part of the sanctification process, a strengthening of our spiritual muscles that helps us grow more like Christ.

Question 4

What are the dangers of not abstaining?

Accepted Answer

Proverbs 5:23He will die for lack of self-control; he will be lost because of his great foolishness.Proverbs 25:28A person without self-control is like a city with broken-down walls.We become vulnerable when we act without self-control. We control our bodies best when we control our minds and hearts.

Question 5

What are the benefits of abstinence?

Accepted Answer

James 1:12God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.James 1:25If you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.Abstaining from sin brings God’s blessings.Romans 6:1-2, 13Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.Abstaining from sin is a way to develop and show our devotion to God. To cling to a sinful lifestyle and please a holy God at the same time is impossible.Hebrews 13:4Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery.Abstaining from sexual activity before marriage provides great blessings of trust and intimacy to the husband and wife after marriage. After a person is married, the self-control built during pre-marital abstinence also serves well as a guard against adultery.Matthew 6:24“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.”Hebrews 13:5Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”Greed offers false promises of fulfillment and security. Abstaining from this temptation opens our hearts to experiencing the never-ending satisfaction of being close to God.