30 Bible Verses about Sexual Immorality
Sexual immorality is a serious topic addressed throughout the Bible, highlighting God’s standards for purity, morality, and relationships. Here are 30 Bible verses that shed light on sexual immorality, offering wisdom, guidance, and reassurance in our journey toward holiness.
1. 1 Corinthians 6:18
“Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.”
A clear command to actively avoid sexual sin.
2. Hebrews 13:4
“Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.”
Emphasizes the sanctity of marriage and God's judgment on immorality.
3. 1 Thessalonians 4:3
“For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality.”
God's desire for us is to be set apart and to avoid sexual sin.
4. Galatians 5:19-21
“Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality... I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
Sexual immorality is listed among the serious sins that can separate us from God.
5. Ephesians 5:3
“But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints.”
A call for purity and holiness within the community of believers.
6. 1 Corinthians 10:8
“We must not indulge in sexual immorality, as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day.”
A warning from Israel’s history about the consequences of sexual sin.
7. Proverbs 6:32-33
“He who commits adultery lacks sense; he who does it destroys himself. He will get wounds and dishonor, and his disgrace will not be wiped away.”
The serious consequences of adultery are highlighted here.
8. Matthew 5:28
“But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
Jesus teaches that lustful thoughts are akin to the act of adultery.
9. Colossians 3:5
“Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”
Encourages believers to actively remove sinful desires from their lives.
10. 1 Peter 2:11
“Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.”
A reminder of our identity in Christ and the need to resist sinful urges.
11. 2 Peter 2:14
“They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children!”
Warnings against those who lead others into sexual immorality.
12. Romans 1:24-25
“Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie.”
A sobering reminder of God’s judgment on those who reject His truth.
13. 1 Timothy 6:11
“But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.”
Commanding individuals to flee immorality and pursue godly virtues.
14. Exodus 20:14
“You shall not commit adultery.”
This fundamental commandment clearly highlights God's standard for marital fidelity.
15. James 1:14-15
“But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.”
A reminder of the progression of sin and its ultimate consequences.
16. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10
“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality...”
A clear warning about who will not inherit the kingdom.
17. Leviticus 18:22
“You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.”
This verse addresses homosexual acts, establishing a standard of morality.
18. Proverbs 7:25-27
“Let not your heart turn aside to her ways; do not stray into her paths, for many a victim has she laid low, and all her slain are a mighty throng. Her house is the way to Sheol, going down to the chambers of death.”
A vivid warning against the temptations of sexual immorality.
19. 1 John 2:15-16
“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.”
A call to prioritize our relationship with God over worldly temptations.
20. Matthew 19:9
“And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.”
Jesus expresses the seriousness of marital fidelity even in the context of divorce.
21. Revelation 21:8
“But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
A stark reminder of the eternal consequences of unrepentant sin.
22. 1 Corinthians 5:1
“It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans...”
Paul emphasizes the seriousness of immorality within the church.
23. 1 Timothy 1:9-10
“Understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral...”
The law serves to expose and address sin.
24. Proverbs 5:3-5
“For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil, but in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword.”
A warning against the allure of sexual immorality.
25. 1 Thessalonians 5:22
“Abstain from every form of evil.”
A concise call to avoid everything that can lead us into sin.
26. Proverbs 22:14
“The mouth of forbidden women is a deep pit; he who is cursed by the Lord falls into it.”
A caution against the temptations posed by immoral relationships.
27. Ephesians 5:5
“For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.”
Reiterating the seriousness of immorality in relation to salvation.
28. Matthew 5:32
“But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”
Jesus reaffirms the sanctity of marriage and the seriousness of divorce.
29. 2 Timothy 2:22
“So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.”
Encouraging young believers to actively seek righteousness over immorality.
30. Isaiah 5:20
“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!”
A warning against the moral confusion characterizing society’s views on sexuality.
These verses emphasize the importance of maintaining purity and integrity in our sexual lives, guiding us to align our values with God's standards. They serve as reminders of the consequences of sexual immorality and encourage us to seek a life that honors God and reflects His intentions for relationships.