If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. 2 Cor 5:17
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Go to the source! Discover what the Bible says about …
These pages are designed to aid study or investigation for Christian discipleship through individual Bible study, Cell groups, Home groups, or meeting one to one. The questions could be used alone allowing each person to use their own Bible.
Introduction
The sexual drive is strong, and so the temptations away from purity are significant. The Bible makes it plain that sexual sin is a cut above the rest. This level of intimacy should be in the context of marriage. The actions unite a couple like emotional glue, so outside of marriage has consequences for a current relationship, or indeed any future marriage relationship.
Bible Zone
- Don’t Commit Adultery - The Bible is clear that adultery is wrong.
- Faithful in marriage - Marriage is a place of faithfulness expressed sexually.
- Looking lustfully - Lifestyle will be seen and result in glory to God.
- Love Reserved - Love should be maintained within a marriage relationship.
- Emotional & Physical Union - Intimate actions bring togather as one body.
Most of the references in the Bible concern adultery. The reason behind this is that it was largely assumed that people would be married. Here we have the 7th of the 10 commandments - Exodus 20:14
- How does Jesus describe who we are?
- What does it mean to be a light for people? - what light? what people?
- How do you need to change in order to let your light shine?
Exodus 20: 14 "You must not commit adultery.”
Marriage should be honoured through faithfulness. Hebrews 13:4
- What link is there between marriage and faithfulness?
- What link is there between purity and faithfulness?
Hebrews 13: 4 Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery.
Note: A distinction is made in the Bible between adultery and sexual immorality. The two terms are used in the same sentence as if something different on a number of occasions - this being one. Sexual immorality is not defined, but the implication is sex outside of marriage.
Jesus does not stop at the outward behaviour of adultery, but goes to the heart. God is concerned if in our thoughts we are desiring sex outside of marriage. Matthew 5:27-28
- What does it mean to look lustfully at a woman?
- How serious does Jesus consider this problem?
- Why is there such a strong link between the eye and thoughts?
- What could a woman do to ease the problem for men?
Matthew 5: 27 "You have heard the commandment that says, 'You must not commit adultery.'*28 But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.29 So if your eye—even your good eye*—causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
You may find this link helpful. Professor obvious
The proverbs 5:15-17 tells of the need to maintain purity within a marriage relationship.
- What symbolism is introduced in this passage?
- What would this private element of sex mean for today?
- Why should love be reserved for this marriage relationship?
Proverbs 5: 15 Drink water from your own well— share your love only with your wife.*
16 Why spill the water of your springs in the streets, having sex with just anyone?*
17 You should reserve it for yourselves. Never share it with strangers.
One of the consequences of the physical action is that it unites the partners. They become one person. The significance of this is that there are long term emotional consequences for those who have had such intimate relationships outside of marriage.
- What does it mean that our bodies are part of Christ?
- What does it mean to become one body through having sex?
- Why is sexual immorality considered differently from other wrong doing?
1 Corinthians 6: 15 Don'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!16 And don't you realize that if a man joins himself to a prostitute, he becomes one body with her? For the Scriptures say, "The two are united into one."*17 But the person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him.
18 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.19 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,20 for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.
PURITY IN RELATIONSHIPS
