Resources by Topic: Sexual Purity

When people who are living together visit our churches or small groups or homes, it is not our first job to try to correct their behavior, but instead to demonstrate the grace and truth of Jesus Christ.

As a man, husband, and more recently a father—I have struggled and struggled with sexual temptation. At my breaking point-being “tired” of the ongoing struggle and to seek support—I submitted a prayer request at a recent church leadership retreat, asking the intercessors to pray “That I would always and forever remain faithful to my wife and, never, ever commit adultery.”

Although I do not know the specific nature of your struggle, or the circumstances that set you up for sin, I do know that fighting the battle alone is difficult and rarely leads to victory.

What is true repentance? My pastor committed immorality and says he is truly sorry. But I question if he is really repentant. 

The Bible in its entirety is clear on sexuality. Words have meaning in context. 

I wish we could talk face to face so you could hear my heart for you.

“How can anything so good be so bad?” If sex is as good as we portrayed it in the previous chapter, why is it that many sexual acts are condemned in Scripture?

We shouldn’t be ashamed to talk about what God wasn’t ashamed to create. However, God requires us to address the subject in keeping with his intentions and requirements, not the world’s.

I cannot emphasize enough the importance of drawing on the indwelling power of the risen Christ. Self-reformation is not enough. It may bring limited benefits, but it will lead to self-righteousness, not Spirit-empowerment—and nothing sets us up for moral failure like self-righteousness.

The Purity Principle includes practical guidelines to protect purity, for singles, for married couples, and for parents who wish to train their children in purity. 

Christians recommend this movie, church youth groups view it together, and many have shown it in their homes. Yet the movie contains precisely the scenes I described.

A sexual image lures my mind toward lust. The world, the flesh and the devil barrage me with messages: I will feel like a man or a woman; it will relieve my pain, disappointment, stress. I’ll be happier if I surrender.

To protect our purity we need to set mental boundaries.

Your desire to marry someone who has remained pure is a great goal. However, because we are sinful by nature, some people do have sex outside of marriage, maybe even before they became a Christian.