The Dangers of Sexual Sin

Introduction

As we read through scripture, there are topics that don’t come up very often in scripture. However, there are other topics that over and over again, like money and sexual immorality, and we have to ask why.

The reason why these topics are all over scripture is because we struggle with them. Throughout history, humanity has struggled with wealth and possessions.

Similarly, throughout history, humanity has struggled with sexual immorality. We sometimes think that we have a monopoly on immorality, but it is seen throughout history.

We see it in Genesis 4. When God instituted marriage, he said, “man will leave his father and mother and join his wife.” But in Genesis 4, we see Lamech take two wives.

In Genesis 19, Lot offers his daughters to immoral men, and later in the chapter his daughters are immoral with him.

In Genesis 29, behold it was Leah.

In Genesis 38, Judah seeks the services of a harlot.

In Genesis 39, Joseph has to fend off an immoral woman.

In the very first book of the Bible, we see that sexual immorality is one of humanity’s big problems, and it continues through the Bible story.

Sexual immorality was a big problem in the past, and it is a big problem today. If you think about it, we are an oversexualized culture.

We define ourselves by our sexuality. (I identify as a homo/heterosexual).

There is an ease of access to sexual immorality today.

We’ll talk about this more, but sexual immorality is sometimes considered a good thing in our culture.

We are an oversexualized culture, and this is impacting everyone. So, this is what we are going to talk about in this lesson. We are going to look at three different contexts in the New Testament and discuss the dangers of sexual sin.

It Warps Our Thinking (Romans 1)

We tend to think that discipleship is all about a change of behavior, and while this is true, it’s not the whole truth. There are atheists who live moral lives, but they aren’t disciples. Romans 12:2.

Romans 12:2 CSB

2 Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

Discipleship requires a renewal of the mind.

This is what makes sexual sin so dangerous. It warps our thinking. Romans 1:18-32.

Romans 1:18–32 CSB

18 For God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth, 19 since what can be known about God is evident among them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, that is, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what he has made. As a result, people are without excuse. 21 For though they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became worthless, and their senseless hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, four-footed animals, and reptiles. 24 Therefore God delivered them over in the desires of their hearts to sexual impurity, so that their bodies were degraded among themselves. 25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served what has been created instead of the Creator, who is praised forever. Amen. 26 For this reason God delivered them over to disgraceful passions. Their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. 27 The men in the same way also left natural relations with women and were inflamed in their lust for one another. Men committed shameless acts with men and received in their own persons the appropriate penalty of their error. 28 And because they did not think it worthwhile to acknowledge God, God delivered them over to a corrupt mind so that they do what is not right. 29 They are filled with all unrighteousness, evil, greed, and wickedness. They are full of envy, murder, quarrels, deceit, and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, arrogant, proud, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 senseless, untrustworthy, unloving, and unmerciful. 32 Although they know God’s just sentence—that those who practice such things deserve to die—they not only do them, but even applaud others who practice them.

Paul begins with idolatry. Romans 1:18-23.

Romans 1:18–23 CSB

18 For God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth, 19 since what can be known about God is evident among them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, that is, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what he has made. As a result, people are without excuse. 21 For though they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became worthless, and their senseless hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, four-footed animals, and reptiles.

This is important because idolatry is the result of a warped worldview. These people have become so blind that they ignore the evidence about God and serve their own creation. They deny reality and create God’s for themselves.

Romans 1:24-25.

Romans 1:24–25 CSB

24 Therefore God delivered them over in the desires of their hearts to sexual impurity, so that their bodies were degraded among themselves. 25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served what has been created instead of the Creator, who is praised forever. Amen.

Paul moves to sexual immorality, and it’s evident that sexual immorality is the same thing as idolatry. It’s a warped worldview where we serve ourselves instead of serving God.

Romans 1:26-27.

Romans 1:26–27 CSB

26 For this reason God delivered them over to disgraceful passions. Their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. 27 The men in the same way also left natural relations with women and were inflamed in their lust for one another. Men committed shameless acts with men and received in their own persons the appropriate penalty of their error.

Here, we see a progression. They’ve moved from natural relations to unnatural ones.

Romans 1:28-32.

Romans 1:28–32 CSB

28 And because they did not think it worthwhile to acknowledge God, God delivered them over to a corrupt mind so that they do what is not right. 29 They are filled with all unrighteousness, evil, greed, and wickedness. They are full of envy, murder, quarrels, deceit, and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, arrogant, proud, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 senseless, untrustworthy, unloving, and unmerciful. 32 Although they know God’s just sentence—that those who practice such things deserve to die—they not only do them, but even applaud others who practice them.

Here, we see what their sexual immorality has led to. “God delivered them over to a corrupt mind.” Their minds are so warped that they can’t even see what’s good and right anymore.

Paul is talking about the gentile world in general, but it’s almost like he has a window into our world today.

Paul is describing a world in which people are so engulfed in immorality, that they can’t see anymore. Doesn’t this sound like our world?

Think about the extreme sexual perversion that we have in our culture today. Haven’t you ever asked, “how can they not see that this is wrong?” It’s because it warps our thinking.

We’ve come to the point where our culture calls good evil, and evil good.

The point is that sexual immorality is dangerous. It influences the mind. We see the effects of this in the world around us

Think about what this oversexualized culture does to young women. They start to think that in order to be loved and accepted they have to sexualize themselves.

Think about what this does to young men. They get involved in this and it’s so hard to pull them out, and this affects their view of woman, their view of their spouse, and their relationship with God.

2 Samuel 11:25-27.

2 Samuel 11:25–27 CSB

25 David told the messenger, “Say this to Joab: ‘Don’t let this matter upset you because the sword devours all alike. Intensify your fight against the city and demolish it.’ Encourage him.” 26 When Uriah’s wife heard that her husband, Uriah, had died, she mourned for him. 27 When the time of mourning ended, David had her brought to his house. She became his wife and bore him a son. However, the Lord considered what David had done to be evil.

It Defiles Our Bodies (1 Corinthians 6)

As we read through the New Testament, it’s clear that our bodies are important because our bodies will be raised from the dead. Hebrews 10:19-22.

Hebrews 10:19–22 CSB

19 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have boldness to enter the sanctuary through the blood of Jesus—20 he has inaugurated for us a new and living way through the curtain (that is, through his flesh)—21 and since we have a great high priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water.

In the context, the author of Hebrews looks back to the Old Testament Day of Atonement when the High Priest would have confidence in entering the Most Holy Place after purifying and preparing his body.

In the same way, we prepare for eternity when our bodies are washed in the waters of baptism. The point is our bodies are important.

Sexual immorality is so dangerous because it defiles our bodies. 1 Corinthians 6:13-15 (NIV).

1 Corinthians 6:13–15 NIV

13 You say, “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy them both.” The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never!

The Corinthians believed that their bodies were not important. That their bodies would just be destroyed through death.

Paul corrects them in saying that our bodies are important. In the same way that Jesus’ body came out of the grave, our bodies will come out of the grave as well.

So, what we do with our bodies are important.

When we look at pornography, we are defiling our bodies.

When we sexualize our bodies, we are defiling them.

When we sleep with people that we shouldn’t, we are defiling our bodies.

If we are supposed to make one another holy through our marriages, can you see how sexual before marriage starts us off on the wrong foot?

1 Corinthians 6:19-20.

1 Corinthians 6:19–20 CSB

19 Don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought at a price. So glorify God with your body.

It Grieves God’s Spirit (Ephesians 4-5)

In our Bible reading, we’ve been reminded of all the blessings that we’ve received from God in Christ.

Ephesians 1:4 – We were made holy and blameless

Ephesians 1:5 – We were adopted as sons

Ephesians 1:7 – We have redemption through the blood.

The point is that God has given us the greatest gift that can be given. We were trapped in the worst kind of slavery, slavery to sin and death, but God has freed us and made us into a new man. So, this is what Paul tells us. Ephesians 4:30.

Ephesians 4:30 CSB

30 And don’t grieve God’s Holy Spirit. You were sealed by him for the day of redemption.

Paul’s point is that we shouldn’t undo the work that God has done.

Paul is actually quoting from an Old Testament passage.

Isaiah 63:7-9.

Isaiah 63:7–9 CSB

7 I will make known the Lord’s faithful love and the Lord’s praiseworthy acts, because of all the Lord has done for us— even the many good things he has done for the house of Israel, which he did for them based on his compassion and the abundance of his faithful love. 8 He said, “They are indeed my people, children who will not be disloyal,” and he became their Savior. 9 In all their suffering, he suffered, and the angel of his presence saved them. He redeemed them because of his love and compassion; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of the past.

God has high hopes for his new people who he just saved from Egypt/slavery.

Isaiah 63:10.

Isaiah 63:10 CSB

10 But they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit. So he became their enemy and fought against them.

But they tried to undo his work and go back to Egypt/slavery.

So, Paul’s point of us is that we need to make sure that we don’t undo God’s work by breaking the unity of the spirit and trying to “go back to Egypt.”

This is another reason why sexual immorality is so dangerous. It grieves God’s spirit.

As I said earlier, God has redeemed us and made us into a new man.

When we commit sexual immorality, we are defiling our bodies and putting the old man back on. We are undoing God’s redeeming work. We are grieving God and his Spirit. It’s like we are saying that we don’t care or appreciate what God has done for us.

Think back to a time when someone you care for really hurt you. Why would we want to do that to the God who redeemed us?

Hosea 1:2.

Hosea 1:2 CSB

2 When the Lord first spoke to Hosea, he said this to him: Go and marry a woman of promiscuity, and have children of promiscuity, for the land is committing blatant acts of promiscuity by abandoning the Lord.

How much more does this apply to Christians who are entrapped by pornography?

Conclusion

We’ve come to a point in our culture where we trivialize sexual immorality. “It’s not a big deal.” “Everyone does it.”

I hope that we can all see that sexual immorality is not trivial. It has an impact on all of us, and our God.