Biblical Principles for Sexual Conduct • ~10 min read
Welcome, dear friends, to another vital study in God's Word. As we continue to explore God's beautiful design for sexuality, today we turn our attention to the New Testament. Just as in the Old Testament, God's standards for purity and holiness remain consistent. The New Testament writers, inspired by the Holy Spirit, reaffirmed these divine principles, shining a clear light on what pleases God and what is contrary to His perfect will. Understanding these teachings is crucial for every believer seeking to live a life fully devoted to Christ.
The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Romans, powerfully describes the consequences when humanity rejects the Creator and His clear design. He explains how a turning away from God leads to a distortion of natural order, including in the realm of sexuality.
For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:
Romans 1:26
And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.
Romans 1:27
Here, Paul details how, as people turned away from God, they were "given up" to their own distorted desires. He specifically points to both women and men engaging in sexual acts "against nature" and "unseemly." The phrase "natural use" refers to the created order of sexuality, established by God in the beginning when He created them male and female and ordained marriage between a man and a woman (Genesis 1:27; Genesis 2:24). When humanity departs from acknowledging and honoring God, the Bible teaches that this leads to a departure from His created order in many aspects of life, including sexual expression. These verses highlight that homosexual practices are identified as a deviation from God's original, natural design for human sexuality.
In his letter to the Corinthian church, Paul addresses a community struggling with various moral issues, including sexual immorality. He provides a clear list of behaviors that are incompatible with inheriting God's kingdom, emphasizing the call to holiness for believers.
Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
1 Corinthians 6:9
Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
1 Corinthians 6:10
This passage is a strong warning that certain persistent, unrepentant behaviors will prevent individuals from inheriting the kingdom of God. Among the various sins listed, Paul specifically includes several related to sexual conduct: "fornicators" (those engaged in illicit sexual activity outside of marriage), "adulterers" (those unfaithful in marriage), "effeminate" (referring to men who take the passive role in homosexual acts), and "abusers of themselves with mankind" (referring to men who take the active role in homosexual acts). It's important to note that this list includes many other sins, demonstrating that God's standard of righteousness is comprehensive. The good news, however, is found in the very next verse:
And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
1 Corinthians 6:11
This verse offers tremendous hope, reminding us that while sin has consequences, God's grace through Christ offers forgiveness, transformation, and a new life. Those who turn from these practices and embrace Christ's cleansing power can be washed, sanctified, and justified. The call is to leave behind the former way of life and walk in newness with Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Paul further emphasizes God's moral law and its purpose in his letter to Timothy. He explains that the law is not for the righteous, but for those who live contrary to God's will, identifying specific sins that stand in opposition to sound doctrine.
Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,
1 Timothy 1:9
For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;
1 Timothy 1:10
In this passage, Paul clarifies that God's law serves to reveal sin and to guide humanity towards righteousness. Among the various categories of "lawless and disobedient" individuals, he again includes those engaged in sexual sin: "whoremongers" (those who engage in various forms of sexual promiscuity) and "them that defile themselves with mankind" (another clear reference to homosexual practices). These are identified as behaviors "contrary to sound doctrine" and God's moral standard. This consistency across Paul's writings underscores the unchanging nature of God's principles regarding sexual purity and holiness for all believers (Galatians 5:19-21; Ephesians 5:3-5).
The New Testament unequivocally upholds God's original design for sexuality as revealed in creation and reaffirmed throughout Scripture. It identifies homosexual practices as contrary to God's natural order and includes them among other serious sins that, if unrepented of, exclude individuals from inheriting the kingdom of God. However, the New Testament also offers a profound message of hope and transformation. Through Christ, forgiveness is available for all who genuinely repent and turn from their sinful ways. God's grace empowers us to live lives of purity and holiness, aligning our choices with His perfect will and embracing His design for wholeness in every aspect of our being.