Innocence Regained

Is sexual purity a lost cause? A hopelessly old-fashioned idea? The Bible clearly spells out the boundaries. Don't commit adultery. Keep the marriage bed pure. Don't get involved in homosexual behavior. If you're single, abstain from sexual relations and focus on joyful, undistracted service to Christ. If you're married, enjoy your partner, be captivated by your spouse's love, and be faithful until you are parted by death.

Nowadays, ideas like these sound markably countercultural. Some would call them narrow-minded and puritanical. others admire such standards but consider them as unrealistic ideals. The fact is, God gave us boundaries not to frustrate us, but to benefit and bless us.

Why encourage sexual purity? 1 Thessalonians 4 offers several reasons.

For the Lord's sake. "It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality" (v. 3). A Christian needs no other reason to abstain from sin than the Savior's authority. Jesus is Lord of all.

For our own sake. "Each of you should learn to control his body in a way that is holy and honorable" (v. 4). It's self-destructive to exchange the long-term benefits of self-control (a clear conscience, a healthy body, and healthy relationships) for the temporary pleasures of sexual sin. "A man who commits adultery lacks judgment; whoever does so destroys himself" (Proverbs 6:32).

For our spouse's sake. A possible translation of 1 Thessalonians 4:4 reads, "Each of you should learn to live with his own wife in a way that is holy and honorable." Sexual intimacy expresses and strengthens three key ingredients of a healthy marriage: love, respect, and trust. But outside of marriage, sexual intimacy undermines each of these ingredients.

For non-Christians' sake. We are not to live "in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God" (v. 5). What does it say to a watching world when Christians engage in immorality?

For love's sake. "In this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him" (v. 6). When God's guidelines for sexual behavior are violated, people get hurt. Real love means seeking in the best interests of others, not taking advantage of their bodies or their emotions.

For our future's sake. Do we want our children and grandchildren to follow our example? Do we want them to grow up amid declining standards of decency? Do we remember that we're accountable to God for our actions? "The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you" (v. 6).

For the church's sake. "God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life" (v. 7). Do our lives reflect our calling as a holy people who belong to God?

The apostle Paul concludes, "He who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives to you his Holy Spirit" (v. 8). These are strong words, but Scripture is no less serious deeply tied to our identity as people designed male and female by the hand of God.

We live in a day of many losses: lost innocence, lost virginity, lost trust, lost families, lost hope. But God can help us find our way—and ironically, it's when we "lose our lives" for Jesus' sake that we find life again (Mark 8:35). Through Christ, God offers forgiveness to those who have sinned sexually (see 1 Corinthians 6:9-11). Through Christ, we can find security, self-respect, and a clear conscience. And best of all, we can stand before God's throne clean and innocent again.