InstaStudy

Sexual Sins and the Call to Holiness in the New Testament

A comprehensive New Testament study of biblical holiness, the sanctity of the body as God's temple, and the power of deliverance from sexual sin through the name of Jesus and the Holy Ghost.

1. The Body as the Temple of the Holy Ghost

1.1 Glorifying God in Body and Spirit

Verses: 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 1 Corinthians 3:16-17
  • The believer's physical body is the literal dwelling place of the Holy Ghost, purchased by the blood of Jesus.
  • Defiling the physical body through sexual sin destroys the temple of God and invites divine judgment.
  • True holiness requires glorifying God in both the physical body and the spirit, which belong entirely to Him.

1.2 Fleeing Fornication and Mortifying the Flesh

Verses: 1 Corinthians 6:18; Colossians 3:5
  • Sexual sin is unique because it is a sin committed directly against one's own physical body.
  • Believers are commanded to actively flee temptation rather than trying to negotiate with or tolerate it.
  • Mortifying the deeds of the flesh is necessary to maintain a clean vessel fit for the Master's use.

2. The Call to Separation and Sanctification

2.1 Separation from Worldly Lusts

Verses: 2 Corinthians 6:17-18; 1 John 2:15-16
  • Holiness requires a distinct, visible separation from the unclean practices and fashions of the world.
  • The lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes are not of the Father but are characteristic of a fallen world.
  • God promises to receive and father those who willingly come out from among the ungodly and touch not the unclean thing.

2.2 Walking in the Spirit to Overcome the Flesh

Verses: Galatians 5:16; Galatians 5:19-21
  • Walking daily in the Spirit is the only safeguard against fulfilling the deep-seated lusts of the flesh.
  • Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, and lasciviousness are works of the flesh that bar entry into the Kingdom of God.
  • The indwelling Spirit provides the supernatural power needed to live a victorious, holy life above sin.

3. The Marriage Bed Undefiled and God's Order

3.1 The Sanctity of Marriage

Verses: Hebrews 13:4; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5
  • Marriage is honorable in all, and the marriage bed must be kept pure and undefiled by outside desires.
  • Whoremongers and adulterers will face the righteous judgment of God for violating His covenant order.
  • Every believer must learn how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honor, not in the lust of concupiscence.

3.2 Guarding the Mind and Eyes

Verses: Matthew 5:27-28; Romans 13:14
  • Jesus elevated the standard of holiness to include the thoughts, intents, and imaginations of the heart.
  • Looking upon someone to lust after them is committing adultery in the heart, requiring immediate repentance.
  • Believers must make no provision for the flesh to fulfill its lusts, guarding what they allow before their eyes.

4. Redemption, Cleansing, and the Power of the Name of Jesus

4.1 Washed, Sanctified, and Justified

Verses: 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Acts 2:38
  • Though some believers once lived in severe sexual sins, they are completely washed, sanctified, and justified.
  • Cleansing from past sins is fully accomplished in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.
  • Repentance and baptism in the name of Jesus Christ bring the remission of sins and the gift of the Holy Ghost for a new life.

4.2 Perfecting Holiness in the Fear of God

Verses: 2 Corinthians 7:1; Romans 12:1-2
  • Believers must cleanse themselves from all filthiness of both the flesh and the spirit.
  • Holiness is perfected through a continuous, reverent fear of God and a desire to please Him in all things.
  • Presenting the body as a living, holy sacrifice is the reasonable service of a mind transformed by God's Word.