Guarding Sexual Purity

Today’s culture is obsessed with sex more than ever. It wasn’t long ago that the sexualizing of society manifested itself largely through imagery and innuendo. But today you’d be hard pressed to find an aspect of public life that isn’t overrun by sexual talk and topics. There’s no discretion any more when it comes to sex—every new perversion and deviance has to be publicly celebrated, promoted and explored.

Consequence of Sexual Perversion

The obvious, disheartening results of that trend are alarming rates of illegitimate pregnancies and births (and as a result the steady reliance on abortion to eliminate these “problems”), rapes and child molestation, and pervasive sexually transmitted diseases.

I believe God’s judgment is already on our society because of such wicked attitudes and practices. Consider the number of divorces, cases of domestic violence, dysfunctional families, and murders and other violent crimes when sensual urges go uncontrolled. People cannot continue to violate God’s standards of morality and integrity without eventually suffering terrible consequences.

When believers—or even professing believers—are immoral, the immediate consequences are especially bad because of the reproach it brings on Christ, His gospel and His people. It is impossible for anyone to remain oblivious to the relentless media exposure of evangelical scandals and Roman Catholic pedophiles.

Condemnation of Sexual Perversion

Men and women engage in all sorts of illicit sex and perverse behavior before an affirming world. But the standard of God’s Word is clear: Sexual impurity is always a sin and will always be judged. The apostle Paul warned the Ephesian Christians:

Do not let immorality or any impurity or greed even be named among you, as is proper among saints. … For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. (Ephesians 5:3, Ephesians 5.5–6″>5–6)