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