Every day, we make choices that shape our lives. The Bible offers guidance on making decisions that honor God. Today, we’ll explore how Scripture helps us choose wisely in life.
Also Read: What Does The Bible Say About Euphemisms
What Does The Bible Say About Choices We Make
Exodus 20:14
“You shall not commit adultery.”
This verse directly addresses the seriousness of engaging in sexual relations outside the covenant of marriage. It serves as a powerful reminder to remain faithful and loyal to one’s spouse and to honor the sanctity of the marriage relationship.
Proverbs 6:32
“But a man who commits adultery has no sense; whoever does so destroys himself.”
This verse emphasizes the destructive consequences of adultery. It highlights the lack of wisdom and understanding in engaging in such behavior, illustrating how it can ultimately lead to ruin and self-destruction.
Matthew 5:28
“But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
Jesus teaches that adultery is not only an action but also a matter of the heart. This verse emphasizes the importance of guarding our thoughts and desires, acknowledging that lustful thoughts are just as sinful as physical acts of adultery.
1 Corinthians 6:18
“Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body.”
This verse urges believers to actively avoid and flee from sexual immorality. It emphasizes the unique nature of sexual sins, pointing out that they directly impact our own bodies. It highlights the need for purity and self-control in all areas of our lives.
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 emphasizes the sanctity of marriage and the importance of keeping the marriage bed pure. It highlights God’s judgment upon those who partake in adultery and sexual immorality, reinforcing the gravity of these sins.
Proverbs 5:15-18
“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. May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.”
This passage uses imagery to convey the importance of faithfulness in marriage. It encourages husbands and wives to find fulfillment in each other and avoid seeking outside sources of satisfaction, highlighting the blessings that come from cherishing the spouse of one’s youth.
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.”
This passage instructs believers to strive for holiness and to refrain from sexual immorality. It challenges us to exercise self-control and reject the lustful desires that characterize those who do not know God, emphasizing the importance of aligning our actions with God’s will.
Galatians 5:19-21
“The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
This passage lists various sinful behaviors, including sexual immorality, as manifestations of a life lived according to the flesh. It emphasizes that those who persist in such sinful conduct will not inherit the kingdom of God, underscoring the need to turn away from these behaviors and live in accordance with the Spirit.
Matthew 15:19-20
“For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.”
Jesus explains that defilement comes from the evil that originates in the heart. He includes sexual immorality among the sins that defile a person, highlighting the significance of addressing the inner condition of our hearts and pursuing purity in our thoughts and actions.
Colossians 3:5
“Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.”
This verse instructs believers to put to death the sinful behaviors associated with our earthly nature, including sexual immorality. It calls for a complete abandonment of these actions, highlighting the need to cultivate a heart that is focused on pleasing and honoring God.
1 Corinthians 7:2
“But since sexual immorality is occurring, each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband.”
This verse offers guidance regarding sexual relations within the boundaries of marriage. It emphasizes the exclusivity of the marital relationship, encouraging husbands and wives to find fulfillment and satisfaction within the covenant of their own union.
Ephesians 5:3
“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.”
This verse calls believers to maintain a high standard of purity. It urges us to abstain from any form of sexual immorality, impurity, or greed, highlighting the incongruity of such behaviors with our identity as God’s holy people.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10
“Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”
This passage serves as a warning against persistent engagement in sexual immorality. It underscores the gravity of such behavior, reminding us that those who continue in unrepentant sexual sin risk their inheritance of the kingdom of God.
Proverbs 7:6-27
“At the window of my house I looked down through the lattice. I saw among the simple, I noticed among the young men, a youth who had no sense. He was going down the street near her corner, walking along in the direction of her house at twilight, as the day was fading, as the dark of night set in. Then out came a woman to meet him, dressed like a prostitute and with crafty intent. She is unruly and defiant, her feet never stay at home; now in the street, now in the squares, at every corner she lurks. She took hold of him and kissed him, and with a brazen face she said: ‘Today I fulfilled my vows, and I have food from my fellowship offering at home. So I came out to meet you; I looked for you and have found you! I have covered my bed with colored linens from Egypt. I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes and cinnamon. Come, let’s drink deeply of love till morning; let’s enjoy ourselves with love! My husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey. He took his purse filled with money and will not be home till full moon.’ With persuasive words she led him astray; she seduced him with her smooth talk. All at once he followed her like an ox going to the slaughter, like a deer stepping into a noose till an arrow pierces his liver, like a bird darting into a snare, little knowing it will cost him his life. Now then, my sons, listen to me; pay attention to what I say. 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 passage presents a cautionary tale about the dangers of falling into the trap of sexual immorality. It vividly describes the seductive tactics used by a promiscuous woman, warning us of the severe consequences that can result from succumbing to her allurements. It serves as a reminder to exercise wisdom, discernment, and self-control in the face of temptation.
1 Corinthians 10:8
“We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died.”
This verse references the incident involving the Israelites in the wilderness, highlighting the devastating consequences of sexual immorality. It serves as a sobering reminder of the destructive power of such sins and the need to flee from them.
Genesis 39:7-12
“And after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, ‘Come to bed with me!’ But he refused. ‘With me in charge,’ he told her, ‘my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?’ And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her.”
This passage recounts the remarkable story of Joseph’s resistance against sexual immorality. It demonstrates his unwavering commitment to honor God above all else and serves as an inspiring example of integrity and righteousness in the face of intense temptation.
1 Thessalonians 4:4-5
“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 call for believers to exercise self-control over their bodies and desires. They contrast the passionate lust of those who do not know God with the call to live in a manner that is holy and honorable, further emphasizing the importance of living in accordance with God’s commands.
Romans 13:13-14
“Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.”
These verses exhort believers to live in a manner that is honorable and upright. They discourage engagement in sinful behaviors such as sexual immorality, urging us instead to clothe ourselves with the character of Christ and to resist the desires of the flesh.
Romans 12:2
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
This verse encourages believers to resist the influence of worldly patterns and norms. It emphasizes the need for a transformed mind that aligns with God’s will, enabling us to discern and pursue what is good, pleasing, and perfect in His sight.
Proverbs 2:16-19
“Wisdom will save you also from the adulterous woman, from the wayward woman with her seductive words, who has left the partner of her youth and ignored the covenant she made before God. Surely her house leads down to death and her paths to the spirits of the dead.”
This passage highlights the protective power of wisdom in guarding against sexual immorality. It warns of the enticing words and paths of the adulterous woman, emphasizing the destructive consequences that accompany straying from the covenant of marriage.
Proverbs 22:14
“The mouth of an adulterous woman is a deep pit; a man who is under the Lord’s wrath falls into it.”
This verse depicts the deceptive nature of an adulterous woman’s words and actions. It serves as a cautionary reminder of the peril that awaits those who succumb to the temptations of sexual immorality, warning of the consequences that come from falling into the Lord’s wrath.