By bro Lee Tian Seng
We should keep sexual intimacy within the confines of marriage because God has commanded it to be so.
Hebrews 13:4 - Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.
There are good reasons for practising sexual purity.
The fifth chapter in the book of Proverbs warns us of the perils of sexual acts outside of marriage. The consequences of sexual acts with an immoral woman are:
a. Bitterness
Proverbs 5:3-4 - For the lips of an immoral woman drip honey, and her mouth is smoother than oil; but in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword.
The relationship starts as sweet as honey but the end of it is great bitterness and anger, because you hate what you have done and the woman who caused you to sin.
b. Dishonour
Proverbs 5:8-9 - Remove your way far from her, and do not go near the door of her house, Lest you give your honor to others, and your years to the cruel one;
The immoral act causes others to doubt your character and disrespect you. They begin to think how they were deceived by your appearance of righteousness when they find out about your sin. Your spouse and children will not respect you, but will feel ashamed of you.
c. Poverty
10 - Lest aliens be filled with your wealth, and your labors go to the house of a foreigner;
The immoral woman could ask you to support her financially or demand a compensation for letting you leave her. All your money will go towards supporting the woman whom you had illicit relationship with.
d. Sickness and grief
Proverbs 5:11 - And you mourn at last, when your flesh and your body are consumed,
The seeking of pleasure in having sex with an immoral woman leads to grief when the sinner is inflicted with sexual transmitted diseases.
e. Death
Proverbs 5:5 - Her feet go down to death, her steps lay hold of hell.
The sickness ends with physical infirmity and even death. The end of it is eternal judgment and death if the sinner does not repent and ask God for forgiveness.
What can a person do to avoid immoral sexual acts? The Scripture teaches us that:
a. We should stay far away from those who are sexually promiscuous, just as Joseph fled from his master’s wife when she tried to seduce him (Genesis 39:7-12).
Proverbs 5:8 - Remove your way far from her, and do not go near the door of her house.
b. We should only have sexual intimacy with our spouse, and not with anyone else.
Proverbs 5:15-18 - Drink water from your own cistern, and running water from your own well. Should your fountains be dispersed abroad, streams of water in the streets? Let them be only your own, and not for strangers with you. Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice with the wife of your youth.
Proverbs 5:20 - For why should you, my son, be enraptured by an immoral woman, and be embraced in the arms of a seductress?
The Book of Proverbs also teaches that married people should not have sexual intimacy with others outside of marriage, thereby committing adultery.
Proverbs 6:32-35 - Whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding; he who does so destroys his own soul. Wounds and dishonor he will get, and his reproach will not be wiped away. For jealousy is a husband’s fury; therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance. He will accept no recompense, nor will he be appeased though you give many gifts.
Sexual sins and adultery destroy marriages. Your spouse will not trust you and your children will not respect you. When reconciliation is not achieved through mediation, it causes separation and divorce. When this happens, the children are left with only one parent to care for them and will be affected emotionally by the trauma of separation, as well as psychologically in having difficulties in forming trusting relationships with others.
Therefore, we should be careful and flee from any situation or person that might cause us to commit sexual sins.
1 Corinthians 6:18 - Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.
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