Lesson 41 What Does the Bible Say About Sex?
[Image:] A man and a woman holding hands.
[Press play to hear the MP3 of the Lesson]
Many people feel uncomfortable talking about sex. However, when the Bible mentions sex, it does so in a frank but dignified way. What it says benefits us. That makes sense. After all, Jehovah is our Creator. So he knows what is best for us. He shows us how our actions can please him and what will help us to enjoy life forever.
1. What is Jehovah’s view of sex?
Sex is a gift from Jehovah. He wants it to be enjoyed by a man and a woman who are married to each other. This gift allows couples not only to have children but also to express their mutual love and affection in a natural and pleasurable way. That is why God’s Word states: “May you rejoice with the wife of your youth.” (Proverbs 5:18 and 19)
[Quotation] Proverbs 5:18 and 19: May your own fountain be blessed, And may you rejoice with the wife of your youth, A loving doe, a graceful mountain goat. Let her breasts satisfy you at all times. May you be captivated by her love constantly. [End Quotation]
Jehovah expects married Christians to be loyal to their mate, so they would never commit adultery. Read Hebrews 13:4.
[Read scripture] Hebrews 13:4: Let marriage be honorable among all, and let the marriage bed be without defilement, for God will judge sexually immoral people and adulterers. [End of Read scripture]
2. What is sexual immorality?
The Bible tells us that “those who are sexually immoral . . . will not inherit God’s Kingdom.” (1 Corinthians 6:9 and 10)
[Quotation] 1 Corinthians 6:9 and 10: Or do you not know that unrighteous people will not inherit God’s Kingdom? Do not be misled. Those who are sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, men who submit to homosexual acts, men who practice homosexuality, thieves, greedy people, drunkards, revilers, and extortioners will not inherit God’s Kingdom. [End Quotation]
Bible writers who wrote in Greek used the word porneiʹa to describe sexual immorality. That word includes (1) sexual relations * between people who are not married to each other, (2) homosexuality, and (3) bestiality. We please Jehovah and benefit ourselves when we “abstain from sexual immorality.” (1 Thessalonians 4:3)
[Quotation] 1 Thessalonians 4:3: For this is the will of God, that you should be holy and abstain from sexual immorality. [End Quotation]
[Footnote] * These disapproved relations include a variety of acts such as sexual intercourse, oral sex, anal sex, and fondling another person’s genitals in a sexual way. [End of footnote]
Dig Deeper
Consider how you can avoid sexual immorality and how you will benefit by staying morally clean.
3. Flee from sexual immorality
A faithful man named Joseph struggled to stay morally clean. Read Genesis 39:1 through 12, and then discuss the questions that follows:
[Read scripture] Genesis 39:1 through 12: 1 Now Joseph was taken down to Egypt, and an Egyptian named Potiphar, a court official of Pharaoh and chief of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him down there. 2 But Jehovah was with Joseph. As a result, he became successful and was put over the house of his master, the Egyptian. 3 And his master saw that Jehovah was with him and that Jehovah was making everything that he did successful. 4 Joseph kept finding favor in his eyes, and he became his personal attendant. So he appointed him over his house, and he put him in charge of all that was his. 5 From the time he appointed him over his house and in charge of all that was his, Jehovah kept blessing the house of the Egyptian because of Joseph, and Jehovah’s blessing came to be on all that he had in the house and in the field. 6 He eventually left everything that was his in Joseph’s care, and he gave no thought to anything except the food he was eating. Moreover, Joseph grew to be well-built and handsome. 7 Now after these things, the wife of his master began to cast her eyes on Joseph and say: “Lie down with me.” 8 But he refused and said to his master’s wife: “Here my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has entrusted everything he has into my care. 9 There is no one greater in this house than I am, and he has not withheld from me anything at all except you, because you are his wife. So how could I commit this great badness and actually sin against God?” 10 So day after day she spoke to Joseph, but he never consented to lie with her or to remain with her. 11 But on one of the days when he went into the house to do his work, none of the household servants were in the house. 12 Then she grabbed hold of him by his garment and said: “Lie down with me!” But he left his garment in her hand and fled outside. [End of Read scripture]
What motivated Joseph to flee? See verse 9.
Do you think that Joseph made the right decision? Why?
How can young people imitate Joseph and flee from sexual immorality today? Play the video Flee From Immorality (5:06).
[Disclaimer: The following video is created by Watchtower Bible and Tract Society; however, the audio description has been added by independent blind and sighted volunteers to assist those who are blind or have low vision]
[Click for Transcript]|[Flee from Immorality]
[A turquoise clock shows 7:30. Bread pops up from a toaster. Mom shuffles through outfits on hangers, coffee brews. Carrying her purse in a stack of papers, Mom quickly walks into the kitchen]
Jin: Mom has been working hard lately, but I wish she worked harder for Jehovah.
[Smiling, Jin holds up the daily text]
I try to help out where I can.
[Her eyes widen, and she waves her hand before hurrying towards the door. Jin holds up her cell phone and laughing she scurries back grabbing it]
Jin: Oh, by the way, I’m Jin.
[He washes dishes]
Every day starts the same.
[At a high school]
I grab a drink of water.
[At a fountain]
I say hi to Jun (he’s in my congregation)
[Gives friend high-five in stairwell]
and then
[Approaches lockers]
there’s Mee-Kyong.
[Teenage girl]
OK. Here we go. I say hello, she says something clever,
[She steps closer]
and I try to leave. So, this is different.
[She smiles and tilts her head]
She’s having trouble in math and needs my help.
[After closing his locker, he looks at her and pulls out his phone]
I don’t want to be rude, but
[She grabs his hand and firmly pulls it toward her]
if I help her with her homework, how far could the relationship develop?
[Looking solemn]
How do you say no to a girl like her?
[He looks to the right, then down as he speaks. Now, wearing a suit and tie on a sidewalk in the city his phone vibrates. Seeing a notification from Mee-Kyong, he quickly lowers the phone. Pauses in thought, then glances at the phone again. He clicks a button to add her contact then begins smiling as he scrolls through her selfies. Imagining her standing by the lockers, he approaches her. At the Kingdom Hall during a meeting, he walks the mic]
Why can’t I get her out of my head?
[After a sister comment, he receives the mic and walks towards the back of the hall when his phone vibrates. Pulling out his phone he sees three photo notifications from Mee-Kyong. After clicking to open them, his eyes widen. When he quickly paces towards the front of the hall with the mic, his uncle focuses on him. Now, at home, he greets uncle and auntie]
Things are always better when Uncle and Auntie are around.
[Mom cheerfully greets auntie]
Even Mom makes sure she’s home for “dinner and broadcast” night.
[After the broadcast, they happily converse when Jin’s phone lights up and three messages from Mee-Kyong appear on the screen. Now, cleaning the kitchen]
Uncle wants to work together in service this weekend; maybe that will help clear my head.
[Enthusiastic Jin smiles as he speaks with uncle. In the ministry, Jin and uncle walk outside and preach to a man at a bus stop. Now, waiting at a crosswalk, Jin’s phone vibrates. Pulling it out, he stares at the screen, then looks up, imagining Mee-Kyong broadly smiling at him. Quickly, he turns to uncle, speaks, then looks back toward the empty street. Uncle continues to talk and smile. Jin takes a deep breath before they both cross the street]
Jehovah must be disappointed in me.
[At a pizza parlour]
I couldn’t take it anymore. It was difficult, but I told Uncle everything.
[Uncle puts down his pizza]
I felt guilty that,
[Uncle nods]
I knew I shouldn’t, but I liked the attention.
[Smiling, uncle pulls out his tablet]
We read Genesis 39:7-12.
[Jin intently peers at the verses]
I knew the account about Potiphar’s wife, but he mentioned something I hadn’t thought of before.
[Imagines the seductive wife]
He told Potiphar’s wife: How could I commit this great badness and actually sin against God?
[Text: Genesis 39:9]
But why did Joseph have to flee?
[Joseph firmly waves his hands; no. Potiphar reaches towards him and changes into Mee-Kyong reaching for Jin’s hand]
Joseph fought her every day, but she wasn’t going to give up.
[Joseph runs away]
In her mind, it wasn’t a question of if but when.
[Uncle explains]
There came a point when he had to flee.
[Jin reaches for his phone and unfollows Mee-Kyong]
I explained why I was ending the relationship,
[Now at school]
but she would not give up.
[At the lockers, she waits for Jin. As she rants, he gets his books and calmly walks past her. Grabbing his arm, she spins him around, but he breaks free and continues to walk]
You know the last thing she said to me? That I was a coward. But she’s wrong.
[Rolls her eyes]
You’re never a coward if you run to Jehovah.
(Logo: Black capital letters JW.ORG inside a white box. Copyright 2019 Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania) [Click to close]
Jehovah wants all of us to reject immorality. Read 1 Corinthians 6:18, and then discuss the questions that follow:
[Read scripture] 1 Corinthians 6:18: Flee from sexual immorality! Every other sin that a man may commit is outside his body, but whoever practices sexual immorality is sinning against his own body. [End of Read scripture]
What situations could lead someone to commit sexual immorality?
How can you flee from immorality?
[Image:] Joseph fleeing from Potiphar’s wife. She holds Joseph’s garment in her hand.
4. You can resist temptation
What can make it difficult to resist the temptation to commit sexual immorality? Play the video Fight Temptation With Bible Reading (3:02), and then discuss the question that follows.
[Disclaimer: The following video is created by Watchtower Bible and Tract Society; however, the audio description has been added by independent blind and sighted volunteers to assist those who are blind or have low vision]
[Click for Transcript]|[Fight Temptation with Bible Reading]
[On a nightstand by a Bible, a digital clock sounds at 5:45, Jordan hits the clock and switches on a lamp. He shaves as his wife helps their young son pull a shirt over his head. Jordan gives his wife a kiss on the cheek as their son waves bye]
Son: “Bye”
[Coffee in hand, he drives. Wearing an apron, Jordan loads boxes onto a large cart. He mops in a grocery store and shelves food items. At night, he tosses cardboard boxes into a dumpster. Driving in his car, he yawns and rubs his face. He's wearing his wedding ring. Now, at a laundry mat, he unloads clothes from a dryer, shutting the dryer on a small yellow sock he walks away. While peering at a magazine, a woman approaches him holding up the sock. She chuckles as he takes it, smiling they briefly speak. Now at the grocery store, Jordan checks out customers. The same woman in another checkout line spots him. Raising her eyebrows, she excitedly waves and grins. He briefly nods at her and looks back at the groceries as he scans them. She continues to smile as she watches him. Now at the laundry mat, Jordan reads a magazine on a bench. The woman suddenly sits next to him with a big smile. She snatches the magazine, jots something, hands it back to him and walks away. Opening the magazine, he finds a small piece of paper with a phone number on it. Driving in his car]
Jordan: How did I give her the wrong idea? How did I let my guard down? If I see her again, I'll make sure she gets the right message. In the past, I would have witnessed immediately in a situation like that.
[He thanks back]
What changed?
[Remembers when he tiredly sat during family worship]
I've always been busy, but maybe I've let my busy life start to crowd out the important things. Like my Bible reading.
[In his car, he shakes his head in dismay as he ponders]
That night I did some research, and I found Ephesians chapter 5, verse 25. "Husbands, continue loving your wives, just as the Christ also loved the congregation." I needed more, though. Verse 26 stood out to me. There it says what Jesus does for the congregation, cleansing it with a bath of water by means of the word. If I'm going to stay morally and spiritually clean, I need to read God's word every day.
[At 5:30 the alarm sounds. Jordan quickly turns it off, grabbing the Bible next to the clock. At the kitchen table, he reads the Bible. In the break room, he draws on a cardboard box with a marker. Decorated boxes shown bouncing in the back seat of his car. At home, their son, dressed as Samson, pushes two towers of the boxes over and dramatically falls onto his parents, who are also dressed in Bible costumes. Later, Jordan reads the Bible storybook to his son. Now, on the couch, sitting with his arm around his wife, they both laugh and talk]
(Logo: Black capital letters JW.ORG inside a white box. Copyright 2017 Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania) [Click to close]
When the brother in the video realized that his thoughts and actions could result in his being unfaithful to his wife, what did he do?
Even faithful Christians struggle at times to keep their thoughts clean. How can you avoid dwelling on immoral things? Read Philippians 4:8, and then discuss the questions that follow:
[Read scripture] Philippians 4:8: Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are of serious concern, whatever things are righteous, whatever things are chaste, whatever things are lovable, whatever things are well-spoken-of, whatever things are virtuous, and whatever things are praiseworthy, continue considering these things. [End of Read scripture]
What kind of things should we think about?
How can reading the Bible and keeping ourselves busy in Jehovah’s service help us resist the temptation to sin?
5. Jehovah’s standards benefit us
Jehovah knows what is best for us. He tells us how to keep morally clean and the benefits of doing so. Read Proverbs 7:7 through 27 or play the video Lacking Good Sense (9:31), and then discuss the questions that follow.
[Disclaimer: The following video is created by Watchtower Bible and Tract Society; however, the audio description has been added by independent blind and sighted volunteers to assist those who are blind or have low vision]
[Click for Transcript]|[Lacking Good Sense]
[JW Broadcasting. Seth Hyatt. Helper to the Service Committee]
Seth: Well, the words of today’s text may have reminded you of the admonition at 1 Corinthians 6:18, where Paul wrote: “Flee from sexual immorality!” or perhaps the words at 2 Timothy 2:22, where he wrote to Timothy: “Flee from youthful desires.” In today’s text, a father is counselling his son and encouraging him to stay away from sexual immorality. In Proverbs chapter 7, the counsel is strengthened by means of an experience. The king describes a scene that he personally witnessed, and we read about it in Proverbs chapter 7, beginning in verse 6. So why don’t we turn there together? At Proverbs 7:6, you can imagine a father encouraging a son and he relates this experience: “From the window of my house, through my lattice, I looked down, and as I observed the naive ones [or as the footnote says, the inexperienced ones , like you, son, the inexperienced ones], I discerned among the youths a young man lacking good sense [or, in want of heart, ftn.].” Now, that’s the first strike against the young man, isn’t it? He’s young and, as a result, he’s inexperienced, the two go together. But the father proceeds to describe what he observed and the progression of events that led to a tragic outcome for the young man. So, it says in verse 8 that the young man “passed along the street near her corner.” Now, the “her” is a prostitute. What is he doing in the neighborhood? Well, we’re told that “he marched in the direction of her house.” The word “march” implies a sense of confidence, doesn’t it? Isn’t it interesting that a young person is often confident even in risky situations? Why? Because a young person lacks experience and can’t always foresee the implications of a situation or the outcome. Another factor is highlighted in verse 9: “In the twilight, in the evening, at the approach of night and darkness.” So now we have inexperience; we have a bad neighborhood; we have a young man who is confident, who evidently has no intention of committing immorality and may even feel that he’s in control of the circumstances; and its night-time. Now, I know as a young man where I grew up, everybody knew there were certain places, or parts of town, where you didn’t go after dark because it was a recipe for disaster. In verse 10, the inevitable happens. The young man is confronted by a prostitute, and rather than turning around and leaving the situation, he engages with her in conversation. And in verse 22, we read the result, the culmination, of this progression of ingredients: “Suddenly he goes after her, like a bull to the slaughter, like a fool to be punished in the stocks.” Now, what do we learn from this word “suddenly”? Well, simply this: In any situation, we can cross a line where we no longer control the circumstances; rather, the circumstances control us. And isn’t that what happened to the young man? He put himself in a situation, going down a path that eventuated, or culminated, in his committing sexual immorality. And the seriousness of the matter is highlighted in the “b” portion of verse 23, where it says: “It will cost him his life.” So, there’s a ripple effect. Certainly, his relationship with Jehovah was damaged. His relationship with his family would be affected. And there are even physical factors , illnesses that can result from sexual immorality. Now, note in verse 26, the father says: “She has caused many to fall down slain, and those she has killed are numerous.” And as our Watchtower recently made the point, thousands are disfellowshipped every year from Jehovah’s family because of sexual immorality. Now, a question that Brother Kittle addressed, is it only the inexperienced that fall victim to this sad progression? Well, let’s look at an illustration that appeared in the Watchtower article. You’ll probably remember this illustration. And here we see two married couples having supper together, a seemingly innocent situation. But what are the two folks sitting closest to the camera doing? They’re flirting, aren’t they? You see the sister twirling her hair with her finger, and the brother is saying, in essence, ‘I only have eyes for you.’ And you can see wedding rings on all four of those individuals’ hands. It’s a start down a slippery slope, isn’t it? And as portrayed in The Watchtower, this couple would later accidentally “on purpose” bump into each other in the parking lot of the Kingdom Hall after an evening meeting, engage in conversation, and that progressed to texting. Now, the good news is, as depicted in The Watchtower, these folks realized that they were headed down a dangerous path and took steps to correct it. But wouldn’t it have been better if they hadn’t gone down the road to begin with? It’s a good reminder for all of us, whatever our age or circumstance. Here at Bethel, we interact with ones of the opposite sex and many of us are married, but many are not. But as we were reminded, we want to make sure our conduct is chaste and pleasing to Jehovah. The same holds true at the Kingdom Hall and in our use of the Internet and in our choice of entertainment. We don’t want to start down a path that could take us away from Jehovah. I’ll never forget a pioneer sister who used to counsel us young people in the congregation, and we loved her. But she had an expression that she would tell us, “If you’re not going to burn down the barn, don’t strike the match.” Now, what’s the point of her statement? Why start a progression of events that we know will lead to sadness and tragedy? So, we don’t even go there. And even if we’re inexperienced, we can act wisely. What did the psalmist say? He said: ‘How can a young man keep his path clean? ‘By keeping on guard according to Jehovah’s word.’ So, Jehovah has given us everything we need to remain clean. So, talk to Jehovah about it. Be alert to identify and be determined to avoid dangerous situations, and then we don’t have to experience the sad outcome of the young man described in Proverbs chapter 7. Instead, we can succeed in fleeing from sexual immorality.
(Logo: Black capital letters JW.ORG inside a white box. Copyright 2018 Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania) [Click to close]
How did the young man walk into a tempting situation? See Proverbs 7:8 and 9.
According to Proverbs 7:23 and 26, sexual immorality can have serious consequences. If we stay morally clean, what problems can we avoid?
How can moral cleanness help us to enjoy life forever? (Proverbs 7:7 through 27)
[Quotation] Proverbs 7:7 through 27: And as I observed the naive ones, I discerned among the youths a young man lacking good sense. 8 He passed along the street near her corner, And he marched in the direction of her house 9 In the twilight, in the evening, At the approach of night and darkness. 10 Then I saw a woman meet him, Dressed like a prostitute, with a cunning heart. 11 She is loud and defiant. She never stays at home. 12 One moment she is outside, next she is in the public squares, She lurks near every corner. 13 She grabs hold of him and gives him a kiss; With a bold face, she says to him: 14 “I had to offer communion sacrifices. Today I paid my vows. 15 That is why I came out to meet you, To look for you, and I found you! 16 I have spread fine covers upon my bed, Colorful linen from Egypt. 17 I have sprinkled my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. 18 Come, let us drink our fill of love until the morning; Let us enjoy passionate love together, 19 For my husband is not at home; He has gone on a distant journey. 20 He took a bag of money with him, And he will not return until the day of the full moon.” 21 She misleads him with great persuasiveness. She seduces him with smooth speech. 22 Suddenly he goes after her, like a bull to the slaughter, Like a fool to be punished in the stocks, 23 Until an arrow pierces his liver; Like a bird rushing into a trap, he does not know that it will cost him his life. 24 And now, my sons, listen to me; Pay attention to the words I speak. 25 Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways. Do not stray onto her paths, 26 For she has caused many to fall down slain, And those she has killed are numerous. 27 Her house leads to the Grave; It goes down to the inner chambers of death. [End of Quotation]
Some people think that what the Bible says about homosexuality is unloving. But Jehovah, the God of love, wants everyone to enjoy life forever. To qualify, we must live up to his standards. Read 1 Corinthians 6:9 through 11, and then discuss the question that follows:
[Read scripture] 1 Corinthians 6:9 through 11: Or do you not know that unrighteous people will not inherit God’s Kingdom? Do not be misled. Those who are sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, men who submit to homosexual acts, men who practice homosexuality, thieves, greedy people, drunkards, revilers, and extortioners will not inherit God’s Kingdom. And yet that is what some of you were. But you have been washed clean; you have been sanctified; you have been declared righteous in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and with the spirit of our God. [End of Read scripture]
From God’s viewpoint, are homosexual desires the only improper ones?
In order to please God, all of us need to make changes. Is it worth the effort? Read Psalm 19:8 and 11, and then discuss the questions that follow:
[Read scripture] Psalm 19:8: The orders from Jehovah are righteous, causing the heart to rejoice; The commandment of Jehovah is clean, making the eyes shine. [End of Read scripture]
[Read scripture] Psalm 19:11: By them your servant has been warned; In keeping them, there is a large reward. [End of Read scripture]
Do you think that Jehovah’s moral standards are reasonable? Why, or why not?
[Image:] Collage: 1. An unhappy young woman sits close to her boyfriend. She drinks and smokes with her friends in a nightclub. 2. The same woman happily talks to sisters at a Kingdom Hall. Caption: Jehovah has helped many to conform to his moral standards. He can help you too
[Box]
Some People Say: “Sex between any two people is all right, as long as they love each other.” What would you say? [End of box]
Summary
Sex is a gift from Jehovah for a husband and his wife to enjoy.
Review
What does sexual immorality include?
What will help us to avoid sexual immorality?
How do we benefit when we follow Jehovah’s moral standards?
Goal
Memorize one or two scriptures from this lesson that will help you to resist immoral temptations. Set Other Goals
Explore
Examine why it matters to God whether couples marry or not. “What Does the Bible Say About Living Together Without Marriage?” (Web article)
[Click for article]|[Coming soon] [Click to close]
Consider why the Bible’s standard regarding homosexuality does not promote hatred. “Is Homosexuality Wrong?” (Web article)
[Click for article]|[Coming soon] [Click to close]
Learn how God’s laws regarding all sexual activity protect us. “Is Oral Sex Really Sex?” (Web article)
[Click for article]|[Coming soon] [Click to close]
In the experience “They Treated Me With Dignity,” see what motivated a homosexual to change his way of life to please God. “The Bible Changes Lives” (The Watchtower, April 1, 2011)
[Click for article]|[Coming soon] [Click to close]