Speaker: Niang Niang — Sexual Purity: Pure in a Dirty World
Remember that God loves us and wants to protect us. He wants us to have pure hearts and live in a way that honors Him.
Today, almost every teenager has access to a smartphone, and many are exposed to pornography and sexual content online. It can feel awkward to talk about these topics, but they are important because God calls parents and leaders to teach and guide young people. As Proverbs 22:6 says, “start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old, they will not turn from it.”
The good news is that no matter what mistakes we’ve made, there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ. God’s grace is bigger than our failures.
Why Is Sexual Purity Important?
God created sex as a good and beautiful gift to be enjoyed within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman. Because of that:
- God commands purity (Ephesians 5:3 NIV: but among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people).
- Sexual immorality goes against God’s design for sex (1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 NIV: It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God).
- Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, so we should honor God with them.
What Are Sexual Sins?
The Bible warns against:
- Lust – intense sexual desire or appetite; 1 John 2:16
- Pornography
- Sexual self – gratification (masturbation); 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 and Ephesians 5:5
- Fornication (sex outside of marriage)
- Idolatry (making lust or sexual pleasure more important than God)
- Adultery (including emotional affairs); Proverbs 6:32
- Homosexuality – Romans 1:18-32
Steps To Sexual Purity
-Know God’s standards for purity.
-Remember both the rewards of obedience and the risks of sin.
-Confess and repent when you fail.
-Make a plan to avoid temptation.
-Guard your eyes from inappropriate content.
-Control your thoughts and focus on what is good.
-Avoid situations that could lead you into temptation.
-Stay away from things that weaken good judgment, such as alcohol, drugs, or compromising situations.
Examples from the Bible
- When Joseph was tempted by Potiphar’s Wife, he ran away instead of giving in to temptation in Genesis 39.
- David committed adultery with Bathsheba, but he repented and sought God’s forgiveness in Psalms 51.
- In John 8, Jesus showed mercy to a woman caught in sin. He did not condemn her, but He also told her to leave her sinful life behind. Jesus offers both grace and truth.