Leviticus 20:10-16 (ESV)
Punishments for Sexual Immorality
“If a man commits adultery with the wife of his neighbor, both the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death. If a man lies with his father’s wife, he has uncovered his father’s nakedness; both of them shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them. If a man lies with his daughter-in-law, both of them shall surely be put to death; they have committed perversion; their blood is upon them. If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them. If a man takes a woman and her mother also, it is depravity; he and they shall be burned with fire, that there may be no depravity among you. If a man lies with an animal, he shall surely be put to death, and you shall kill the animal. If a woman approaches any animal and lies with it, you shall kill the woman and the animal; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them.
God is concerned about our sexuality. But, perhaps, not for the reason(s) you may think. The context of the above paragraph is that of God wanting the nation of Israel to be holy as He is holy. He constantly, throughout these chapters, gives the reason for all of the commands in these chapters as simply: I am the LORD your God. That is enough reason for God to demand certain conduct from us and for us. The argument that this is all simply the Old Testament is often heard to justify the evolution and revolution of sexual preferences and promiscuity. However, note what Paul states in these two passages as he writes to the Church age:
Ephesians 5:1-3 (ESV)
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints.
Galatians 5:18-21 (ESV)
But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
In the Ephesians passage we read the reason for sexual purity is to be imitators of God and to walk like Christ. In the Galatians passage the reason for walking in purity is to be led by the Spirit. In all these cases (Old and New) sexual purity is demanded and is based upon the holiness of the Godhead. Our decisions about sexual activity is not a simple preference for how we like sex. It is guided and directed by the holiness of God and His design for sexual preferences. It is based upon God’s holiness.
1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 (ESV)
A Life Pleasing to God
Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more. For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.
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