Arousal is a natural part of human biology, but how does it fit into the Christian faith? The Bible addresses issues of desire, purity, and self-control in several ways. Let’s take a look at what Scripture says about managing these feelings in a godly way.
Also Read: What Does The Bible Say About Sunday
Proverbs 5:18-19
“May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth. A loving doe, a graceful deer— may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be intoxicated with her love.”
This verse speaks to the sacredness and pleasure of sexual intimacy within marriage. It emphasizes the significance of rejoicing in one’s spouse and finding satisfaction in the love and passion shared between them.
Song of Solomon 4:16
“Awake, north wind, and come, south wind! Blow on my garden, that its fragrance may spread everywhere. Let my beloved come into his garden and taste its choice fruits.”
The book of Song of Solomon is a poetic depiction of love and desire between a bride and her beloved. This verse captures the invitation and longing for intimate connection, symbolizing the desire for physical and emotional union.
1 Corinthians 7:3-4
“The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body but yields it to her husband. In the same way, the husband does not have authority over his own body but yields it to his wife.”
These verses highlight the mutual responsibility for satisfying each other’s physical needs within the context of marriage. It stresses the importance of each partner willingly offering themselves to meet the other’s desires within the boundaries of a committed relationship.
Proverbs 5:15-17
“Drink water from your own cistern, running water from your own well. Should your springs overflow in the streets, your streams of water in the public squares? Let them be yours alone, never to be shared with strangers.”
This verse presents a metaphorical warning against straying outside the boundaries of marriage. It encourages fidelity and commitment within the marital relationship, safeguarding the intimacy and sacredness of the marital bed.
Hebrews 13:4
“Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.”
This verse reinforces the sanctity and importance of marriage as a divine institution. It emphasizes the need for purity and faithfulness within the context of sexual relationships, reminding believers of the ultimate accountability before God in matters of sexual morality.
1 Corinthians 6:18-20
“Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. Do you not know that your bodies are temples 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. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”
These verses exhort believers to flee from sexual immorality and to value their bodies as temples of the Holy Spirit. It stresses the need for sexual purity and recognizing the significance of honoring God through the way we use our bodies.
Proverbs 6:25
“Do not lust in your heart after her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes.”
This verse warns against allowing lust and desire for someone other than one’s spouse to take root in the heart. It emphasizes the importance of guarding one’s thoughts and emotions, acknowledging the detrimental effects of lustful desires.
Matthew 5:28
“But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
This verse urges believers to go beyond external actions and consider the intentions of the heart. It encourages the avoidance of lustful thoughts and the recognition of the harm that can be caused by dwelling on impure desires.
Colossians 3:5
“Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.”
In this verse, believers are called to actively renounce and put to death any sinful inclinations of the flesh, including sexual immorality, impurity, and lust. It highlights the importance of living a life that is free from the bondage of ungodly desires.
1 Thessalonians 4:3-5
“It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God.”
These verses emphasize God’s desire for believers to live in holiness, avoiding sexual immorality. It encourages self-control and demonstrates that honoring God includes treating our bodies and the bodies of others with dignity and respect.
Ephesians 5:3-4
“But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.”
These verses call believers to a higher standard, urging them to maintain purity and avoid any form of sexual immorality, impurity, or indecent conversation. Instead, their words and actions should reflect gratitude and reverence.
Galatians 5:16
“So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”
This verse encourages believers to live according to the guidance and empowerment of the Holy Spirit. By doing so, they are enabled to resist and overcome the temptations of the flesh, including inappropriate sexual desires.
Job 31:1
“I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a young woman.”
Job expresses his commitment to avoid lustful thoughts by making a covenant with his own eyes. This verse highlights the importance of personal accountability and actively guarding one’s gaze to protect against impure desires.
1 Peter 2:11
“Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul.”
Believers are encouraged to abstain from sinful desires, recognizing the spiritual battle that occurs within. This verse emphasizes the need for self-discipline and vigilance to preserve one’s spiritual well-being and avoid succumbing to sexual temptation.
Proverbs 6:27-28
“Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned? Can a man walk on hot coals without his feet being scorched?”
These verses use imagery to illustrate the destructive consequences of indulging in sexual immorality. They serve as a reminder of the lasting harm that can come from engaging in forbidden desires.
Job 31:9-11
“If my heart has been enticed by a woman, or if I have lurked at my neighbor’s door, then may my wife grind another man’s grain, and may other men sleep with her. For that would have been wicked, a sin to be judged.”
Job expresses a strong commitment to faithfulness in his marriage, wishing dire consequences upon himself if he were to entertain thoughts or actions of infidelity. This verse highlights the gravity of betraying one’s marital vows.
Proverbs 5:3-4
“For the lips of the adulterous woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil; but in the end, she is bitter as gall, sharp as a double-edged sword.”
These verses caution against the enticing allure of sexual temptation, highlighting its deceptive nature. They serve as a reminder that giving in to such allurements ultimately leads to bitterness and harm.
1 Corinthians 10:13
“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”
This verse offers assurance to believers that they will not face temptations beyond their ability to resist. It reassures them of God’s faithfulness in providing a means of escape, empowering them to withstand the lure of sexual sin.
James 1:14-15
“But each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”
These verses describe the process of temptation and the progression from desire to sin. It serves as a reminder of the importance of identifying and resisting the initial desires and thoughts that can lead to sexual immorality.
Psalm 51:10
“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”
This verse expresses a plea for God’s transformative power in purifying the heart and renewing the spirit. It acknowledges the need for divine intervention in overcoming impure desires and seeking a steadfast commitment to righteousness.
Proverbs 4:23-27
“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.”
These verses emphasize the importance of guarding one’s heart and being intentional in our thoughts, speech, and actions. It directs believers to maintain focus and steadfastness in pursuing righteousness and avoiding the enticements of sexual immorality.
Proverbs 7:25-27
“Do not let your heart turn to her ways or stray into her paths. Many are the victims she has brought down; her slain are a mighty throng. Her house is a highway to the grave, leading down to the chambers of death.”
This verse serves as a cautionary warning against the consequences of succumbing to the seductive ways of sexual immorality. It underscores the devastating effects it can have on individuals and the urgency of resisting its allurements.
Matthew 5:29-30
“If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.”
These verses employ strong language to emphasize the seriousness of guarding against sexual temptation. It conveys the need for radical measures to avoid sin and prioritize one’s spiritual well-being above all else.