Purity and Fidelity

In the book of Proverbs, infidelity, fornication and adultery are the opposite of practical wisdom and faithfulness. Infidelity is not the path to freedom; it leads to physical, emotional, and spiritual harm to our humanity.

Scripture: Prov. 5; 1 Cor. 6:9-20

Sermon Notes:

1. In the book of Proverbs, infidelity, fornication and adultery are the opposite of practical wisdom and faithfulness.
2. Paul acknowledges that the church is filled with people who were once steeped in immorality and sin.
3. The Bible gives us the normative understanding of marriage, the family, and sexuality, rooted in God's good creation.
4. Man and woman are related in a mutual self-giving relationship.
5. All actions are to be characterized by obedience to God and not autonomy.
6. Paganism in our culture has made sexuality a consumer item.
7. In the book of Proverbs, sexuality is a gift from God to be celebrated in marriage only. Song of Solomon is actually a romantic love poem between a husband and a wife.
8. Victorian prudishness presented an anti-biblical view of God's gift of sexuality.
9. God gave the gift of sex to be enjoyed in the context of marriage, not only for procreation, but as a expression of intimacy and union.
10. Paul warns about sexual immorality in 1 Corinthians.
11. Jesus warns, “what God has joined together, let no man separate” (Matthew 19:6) and this is part of our marriage vows.
12. “I give thee my troth,” is a promise of faithfulness and devotion.
13. Marriage is often entered today with an expectation of dissolution.
14. Even the biblical provisions for divorce were for serious covenant violations, not because of boredom and “falling out of love.”
15. God is sovereign and He defines what marriage is, what law is, what truth is.
16. Solomon is just republishing God's design for marriage.
17. Infidelity is not the path to freedom; it leads to physical, emotional, and spiritual harm to our humanity.
18. Recreational sex and sexual “freedom” do not bring human fulfillment; in fact sexual discipline after God's norms is the most blessed human experience.
19. By not viewing sexuality as sacred we devalue it. Fornication is an expression of disdain for the one-flesh intention of marriage.
20. Infidelity may give pleasure for a moment, but it leads to misery.
21. The minister merely acknowledges that within marriage vows God has married a couple; the community witnesses the marriage, and the state and church recognize it.
22. We live in a fallen world of immorality and temptation; we're desensitized so that we place a low value on sexuality.
23. We must hold the consequences of infidelity and impurity before our minds as we live in a world that celebrates sexual sin.
24. What we nurture in our hearts leads to lust and sinful actions.
25. Infidelity is not only wrong, but it's folly. All forms of sexuality outside of marriage lead to physical, emotional, and spiritual consequences (e.g., unwanted pregnancy and STDs).
26. Infidelity penalizes men and women, because they're selfishly using one another apart from real intimacy and commitment.
27. Such were some of us, but we were washed, sanctified, justified.
28. God's word instructs us that we are united with Christ and bought with a price. We must, therefore, honour God with our bodies.
29. Sexual fidelity is for our blessing, for our good, for our joy.

Application Questions

1. What lessons in fidelity can be gleaned by reading a chapter of Proverbs every day?
2. What is the the real fruit of today's “free love” culture?
3. What are some of the joys experienced only in God's creation pattern of biblical marriage?
4. What are the world's lies about singleness, and what are God's standards for sexual fidelity before marriage?
5. What does the gospel through the cross offer to those who were once living in sin and immorality? See 1 Corinthians 6.
6. Explain why casual sex is an unlawful use of God's gift, and why it is a lawless abuse of other people.
7. How is a good marriage a tangible, visible, and glorious fruit of the kingdom of God?
8. How can I be more faithful to God's good intention for sexuality?