Sexual Sins
Sexual Sins
Paul K. Williams
Indianapolis, IN
"Flee fornication," warned Paul (1 Cor. 6:18). And
"flee" is what we must do if we are to succeed in keeping ourselves
pure from sexual sins. The Old and New Testaments are full of admonitions concerning sexual sins.
These warnings are especially necessary, for the emotions involved are so
strong that some of the mightiest of God's people have fallen victim to them.
King David, whom God described as "a man after my own heart," fell
victim to passion when he saw a beautiful nude woman. The adultery committed
by the pair then led to a chain of sins, culminating in the murder of her
husband and resulting in the death of the infant boy as punishment. The New
Testament describes false teachers who used lasciviousness to entice newborn
Christians (2 Peter 2:18), and some who taught their followers to commit
fornication (Rev. 2:14-15, 20-23). A number of sexual sins are enumerated in the New Testament, and it is
noteworthy that all forms of immoral conduct are condemned, from the actual
acts of illicit intercourse down to evil imaginations and "eyes full of
adultery." A look at the terms used will help us to understand what
Christians are to avoid. Fornication and adultery are the two most often mentioned sexual sins.
Adultery is used in its modern sense of sexual intercourse with the spouse of
another. But fornication is used differently from its modern meaning. Vine
defines it simply as "illicit sexual intercourse." Thus fornication
is the more comprehensive of the two terms. I Cor. 6:12-20 deals in detail
with this sin. In Romans 1:26-27 and I Cor. 6:9, homosexual practices are condemned.
("Effeminate" is explained as "effeminate by perversion"
in the margin of the New American Standard Bible.) These practices, which
were so common among the Gentiles of Paul's day, are besetting sins of many
in the United States. Among the works of the flesh listed in Galatians 5:19-21 are three sexual
sins: fornication, uncleanness, and lasciviousness. "Uncleanness"
is a general term that includes all moral uncleanness. "Lasciviousness"
is a word that is worthy of space in this article. Vine defines it as
"unbridled lust, excess, licentiousness, lasciviousness, wantonness,
shamelessness, insolence." In the plural he defines it as "wanton
acts or manners, as filthy words, indecent bodily movements, unchaste
handling of males and females, etc." Thus, in this word are condemned
many things common to our culture: modern dancing with its "indecent
bodily movements" and "unchaste handling of males and
females," petting, dirty jokes, scanty clothing such as shorts and
bathing suits, pin-ups of nude or mostly nude women, and all the many other
things which are calculated to arouse evil desires. In this category, also,
is the enjoyment of lascivious things, the dwelling on them in the mind. "Standing
on the corner, watching all the girls go bye is a form of lasciviousness. Colossians 3:5 mentions passion and evil desire. "Passion" is
defined as emotion rather than an act, an ungovernable desire in an evil
sense. "Evil desire" is similar, being the active side of passion,
a desire for what is forbidden, lust. Passion and evil desire are the results
of indulging in lasciviousness. 2 Pet. 2:10 refers to the "lust of defilement," evidently
unclean intercourse. And 2 Peter 2:14 talks about those with "eyes full
of adultery." As with all our God-given emotions, our sexual desires have both lawful
and sinful uses. The lawful gratification of these desires in marriage is
commended in the New Testament (1 Cor. 7:2-5; Heb. 13:4). But the Christian
must shun the unlawful sexual practices. Since the American culture is so sex-oriented and so filled with sex
stimuli, the Christian must be vigilantly on guard against sexual sins at all
times. Parents have an especially challenging job to guard and train their children
that they may grow up free from the licentiousness so common in high school
and college age young people. We must set examples of modest dress and
conduct, and teach them to respect God's word. It is apparent, too, that God does not approve the conduct of the majority
of people. Dancing, mixed swimming, the wearing of too little clothing or
clothing which is too tight, lascivious movies, books and magazines, and
promiscuous petting are common. But the Christian must avoid them all. His
standards must not come from the world, but from God. May God help us to "be not fashioned according to this world: but be
. . . transformed by the renewing of (our) mind." (Romans 12:2) Truth Magazine IX: 1, pp. 4-5 |
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