1 Corinthians 6:15-20-Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not! 16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For “the two,” He says, “shall become one flesh.” 17 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him. 18 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s. (NIV)
INTRODUCTION: Today we’re going to talk about sex. Now that I have your attention. . .God does not have a Commandment about worshipping Him in a temple or sanctuary. He planned to live in the body of His people. He wants to be glorified in your body and carry out His ministry through you.
You invite Christ in your life at salvation. Your body becomes His sanctuary. We must keep this temple pure and undefiled.
1 Corinthians 3:16-17- Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
Paul makes it very clear, “…and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (I Corinthians 6:19-20).
So, you must keep your body from sexual immorality. “Do you not know that your bodies are the members of Christ? Shall I take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not! . . . Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is without the body; but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his body” (I Corinthians 6:15-18).
I. GOD CREATED AND DESIGNED SEX
Hebrews 13:4-Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. (KJV)
Hebrews 13:4-Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. (NIV)
1 Corinthians 7:3-5-Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband. 4 The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise, the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. 5 Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control
Proverbs 5:15-19-Drink water from your own cistern, running water from your own well. 16 Should your springs overflow in the streets, your streams of water in the public squares? 17 Let them be yours alone, never to be shared with strangers. 18 May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth. 19 A loving doe, a graceful deer— may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be intoxicated with her love. (NIV)
II. THE PERVERSION OF SEX IN OUR CURRENT CULTURE
1 Thessalonians 4:3-5-It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, 5 not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God;
(Transgenderism)
ISAIAH 5:20 (KJV) -Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
MARK 9:42 (KJV) -And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.
Statistical Data: More than 6,000 Catholic clergy members have been credibly accused of sexual abuse in the United States. Many of these accusations of abuse date back decades. Many of these clergy members are now deceased. The 2021 USCCB report identified 2,458 priests involved in allegations of child sexual abuse.
(God’s Word Regarding Homosexuality)
Leviticus 18:22 - You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.
Leviticus 20:13 - If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination;
ROMANS 1:26-27 (NLT) -That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. 27 And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved.
1 CORINTHIANS 6:9-11 (NIV)-Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
(God’s Word Regarding Pornography/Fornication)
1 Corinthians 6:18-20- Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.
Statistical Data:
10% of U.S. adults admit to having an addiction to internet pornography. 17% of all women struggle with porn addiction. 20% of men and 13% of women admit to accessing porn while at work. 70% of women admit to keeping their cyber activities secret. 1 in 5 mobile searches are for pornography.
But what about Christians?
According to Barna Research:
68% of church-going men and more than 50% of pastors regularly view porn.
Over 40 million Americans are regular visitors to porn sites. The average visit lasts 6 minutes and 29 seconds.
There are around 42 million porn websites, which totals around 370 million pages of porn.
47% of families in the United States reported that pornography is a problem in their home.
Pornography use increases the marital infidelity rate by more than 300%.
11 is the average age that a child is first exposed to porn, and 94% of children will see porn by the age of 14.
56% of American divorces involve one party having an “obsessive interest” in pornographic websites.
70% of Christian youth pastors report that they have had at least one teen come to them for help in dealing with pornography in the past 12 months.
68% of church-going men and over 50% of pastors view porn on a regular basis.
Of young Christian adults 18-24 years old, 76% actively search for porn.
59% of pastors said that married men seek their help for porn use.
33% of women aged 25 and under search for porn at least once per month.
Only 13% of self-identified Christian women say they never watch porn—87% of Christian women have watched porn.
55% of married men and 25% of married women say they watch porn at least once a month.
57% of pastors say porn addiction is the most damaging issue in their congregation. 69% say porn has adversely impacted the church.
III. DO NOT GIVE PLACE TO THE DEVIL
Ephesians 4:27- neither give place to the devil.
Ephesians 5:11-And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
One of the outstanding trademarks of every form of false religion, cults, occult and secret societies, or satanic group is sexual perversion. Sexual perversion is one of Satan`s major access point and weapon of mass destruction. Satan used it to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah and he is using it today and wreaking havoc in families, societies, and nations.
Sexual intercourse is a wonderful gift created by God for procreation and pleasure within the perimeter of marital covenant between one man and one woman! Sexual pleasure was never created by Satan, but he has hijacked and perverted it to advance his diabolical agendas of destroying mankind.
IV. LIVING A LIFE OF SEXUAL PURITY
Colossians 3:5-"Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry."
Romans 12:1-2- I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
1 Thessalonians 4:3- For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality;
Most college-aged students in America, when surveyed, have averaged ten sexual partners before marriage. In other words, having pre-marital sex has become so common that students 18-21 now see it as a normal part of dating relationships.
Many people ask the question, "How can I maintain sexual purity in an age when impurity, immoraltiy, and sexual images are everywhere in the media, on the internet and in our society in general. Some will even go farther and inquire about how far a Christian couple can go without giving into their Christian integrity and personal holiness?
First, we have to remember that whom the Lord loves, He disciplines. If we do not have a healthy fear of God we will think we can get away with anything.
Let us remember that if we do not heed God’s discipline on one level, He is willing and able to discipline much more severely in order to bring about chastening that will create a greater degree of holiness, separation and disdain for the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life. (I John 2:15,16)
God is serious about sexual purity even though our society may make light of it.
Let us be honest. Discipline is necessary but it is not enough. When a person is single they will struggle with sexual purity because Paul writes, "The flesh sets itself against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh for these are in opposition to one another so that you cannot do the things that you please.
But I say, walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh." (Galatians 5:16,17)
Therefore, unless one is controlled, in fellowship and worshipping the Spirit of God we cannot overcome the lusts of the flesh in our own power, will or mind’s emotions.
CONCLUSION: God has designed sexual intercourse and sexual intimacy to be shared and enjoyed within the boundaries and confines of marriage between a man and woman. Satan has polluted and cheapened the act of marriage (sex) to just a simple and consensual act between adults. Sexual sin and the perversion of our culture is destroying families and affecting the body of Christ. We are spiritually in danger of being overtaken by sexual sin and fornication. We need to rediscover the beauty and wonder of marital intimacy and sexual pleasure as God designed it to be, and not what culture dictates that it is.
