Keeping Marriage Sexually Pure
Copyright © 2007 Heaven Ministries

Sexual temptations abound all over the place. Sexual suggestion is splattered endlessly in print, radio, television and music. I believe what we allow into our heart and mind comes out in our actions. And that is why we have to do something about it. 

We can choose to follow the standards of society and get ourselves entangled within its lustful traps. Or we can choose to follow Jesus and become entangled within its powerful truths. Staying in the middle with one leg hanging over the fence is not good enough with God. No. He wants us hot for Him. We become hot for Him by studying His word and doing what it says. 

Firstly, is your marriage based upon the foundations of God’s word? The bible explicitly explains to us how a man is to love his wife and how a woman is to love her husband. (Ephesians 5:25-30 NIV) But we all know what the scriptures say, don’t we. The hard part is putting them into action. Married couples are to serve one another in Christ. What does that mean? It means that we are not to go after our own selfish desires. It means to put the person we married first in our life. It means coming together on issues and circumstances, always considering one another’s needs. 

The next step is to become faithful in the Lord by realizing what it is that negatively influences you from the world. Try and not focus your energies on worldly things, but keep your heart and mind on Christ, Jesus. You can do this if you sincerely ask for His guidance in your life. Don’t have anything to do with those things that are tempting. Trust in God for your happiness instead of what the world has to offer. Be happy in love not in lust. 

Some people tend to believe lies that reinforce their own selfish desires. This is what lust of the flesh is. Sex outside of marriage is a lustful and selfish desire. We need to be very careful about what values and morals we are allowing to influence our beliefs. Today, more than ever we need to instill God’s standards of living in our homes and workplace as much as possible. 

When married couples, or even single people for that matter, say that any sex act is acceptable as long as nobody gets hurt, they are fooling themselves. Remember, society does NOT set the standards for God’s principles. And society does not set the standards for God's people either. 

Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator…(Romans 1:24,25 NIV)

God is highly opposed to the values of society; this is why we need to strive to grow spiritually with God by studying His word and having a personal relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ. As God’s children we are not on this earth to please people’s lifestyles but to do the will of God. 

As surely as I live, says the Lord. Every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God. So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God. (Romans 14:11,12 NIV)

Lastly, continue to live by God’s standards for your marriage. Focus your energies on getting to know God and what His will is for your life. Be the person that God wants you to be. Sexual immorality will always be a temptation in life. God does not forbid sexual sin to be difficult. He knows its power to destroy people not only physically but also spiritually. God created sex to be a beautiful and essential ingredient of marriage, but sex outside the marriage relationship always hurts someone. 

Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price, (Jesus’ death was the price) therefore honor God with your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19, 20 NIV)

We all know what the scriptures say, and the most important thing you can do for your marriage is to be convicted in your heart and mind on doing the will of God for your marriage. We can’t merely read God’s word; we must become God’s word by how we live our life.

Married couples have a great responsibility, and that is to care for each other; therefore, husbands and wives should not withhold themselves mentally or sexually from each other, but should fulfill each other’s needs and desires. 

The wife’s body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband’s body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife. Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent, and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. (1 Corinthians 7:4-6 NIV)