1 Corinthians 6:18-20, Matthew 5:28, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11
Why Sexual Sin Is Treated Seriously
Paul's instruction in 1 Corinthians 6:18 is unusual: "Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body."
The instruction to flee — not resist, not negotiate with, not manage — signals something about the nature of sexual temptation: it is to be run from, not engaged in close combat. And the explanation — that sexual sin involves a unique self-harm — points to the seriousness with which Paul treats it.
The Biblical Vision of Sexuality
The Bible's serious treatment of sexual sin is not the result of a negative view of sexuality. It is the opposite. Because sexuality is such a precious, powerful, and God-designed gift — created for the covenant of marriage as a sign of the exclusive, self-giving love between Christ and His church (Ephesians 5:31-32) — its misuse is correspondingly serious.
The standard the New Testament sets is demanding: sexual intimacy belongs within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman. Fornication (sex outside marriage), adultery, pornography (lust in the heart — Matthew 5:28), and same-sex sexual activity are all addressed as departures from God's design.
The Prevalence of the Struggle
Sexual temptation is one of the most common and most intense struggles faced by Christians — particularly in an age of ubiquitous pornography and cultural pressure toward sexual permissiveness. Many Christians carry the weight of sexual sin — past or present — in shame and silence.
The church that cannot speak honestly about this struggle has failed its members.
The Gospel's Answer
The gospel speaks directly into sexual sin — past and present:
Forgiveness. "Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters... But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). The list of the sexually immoral stands there — and then "but you were washed." The past tense is significant. This is what some of you were; this is not what you are in Christ.
Power for change. The Holy Spirit, living in the believer, provides both the desire and the power to pursue sexual holiness (Galatians 5:16). Transformation is possible — slow, sometimes painful, requiring accountability and community, but real.
The body as temple. The motivation for sexual purity is not law but gospel: "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body." (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).