Prejudice/ What The Bible Says About Despising People, Judging By Appearances/ God's Mercy?

غلبه بر پیش‏داوری و اینکه کتاب مقدس در مورد حقیر شماردن مردم، قضاوت ظاهری و رحمت خدا چه میگوید؟

کتاب مقدس در مورد مَستی چه میگوید و چرا غلط است؟

What The Bible Says About Honesty And The Love Of Money

Near the beginning of the Gospels, the Bible says:

Luke chapter 3 (TEV)

2 The word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert. 3 So John went throughout the whole territory of the Jordan River, preaching, "Turn away from your sins and be baptized, and God will forgive your sins."
8 Do those things that will show that you have turned from your sins.

10 The people asked him, "What are we to do, then?"

11 He answered, "Whoever has two shirts must give one to the man who has none, and whoever has food must share it."

12 Some tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, "Teacher, what are we to do?"

13 "Don't collect more than is legal," he told them.

14 Some soldiers also asked him, "What about us? What are we to do?"

He said to them, "Don't take money from anyone by force or accuse anyone falsely. Be content with your pay."

---

15 People's hopes began to rise, and they began to wonder whether John perhaps might be the Messiah. 16 So John said to all of them, "I baptize you with water, but someone is coming who is much greater than I am. I am not good enough even to untie his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 He has his winnowing shovel with him, to thresh out all the grain and gather the wheat into his barn; but he will burn the chaff in a fire that never goes out."

John chapter 1 (NLT)

29 John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look! There is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

Luke chapter 3 (NLT)

23 Jesus was about thirty years old when he began his public ministry.

Matthew chapter 4 (TEV)

13 He ... went to live in Capernaum, a town by Lake Galilee, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali.

Matthew chapter 4 (NLT)

14 This fulfilled Isaiah's prophecy: 15 "In the land of Zebulun and of Naphtali, beside the sea, beyond the Jordan River - in Galilee where so many Gentiles live - 16 the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light. And for those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow, a light has shined."

17 From then on, Jesus began to preach, "Turn from your sins and turn to God, because the Kingdom of Heaven is near.

Later in the gospels, the Bible says:

Matthew chapter 9 (NLT)

35 Jesus traveled through all the cities and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And wherever he went, he healed people of every sort of disease and illness. 36 He felt great pity for the crowds that came, because their problems were so great and they didn't know where to go for help. They were like sheep without a shepherd.

Luke chapter 18 (TEV)

18 A Jewish leader asked Jesus, "Good Teacher, what must I do to receive eternal life?"

19 "Why do you call me good?" Jesus asked him. "No one is good except God alone. 20 You know the commandments:

• do not commit adultery;
• do not commit murder;
• do not steal;
• do not accuse anyone falsely;
• respect your father and your mother.' "

21 The man replied, "Ever since I was young, I have obeyed all these commandments."

22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "There is still one more thing you need to do. Sell all you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have riches in heaven; then come and follow me."

23 But when the man heard this, he became very sad, because he was very rich. 24 Jesus saw that he was sad and said, "How hard it is for rich people to enter the Kingdom of God! 25 It is much harder for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle."

26 The people who heard him asked, "Who, then, can be saved?"

27 Jesus answered, "What is humanly impossible is possible for God."

Luke chapter 12 (CEV)

22 Jesus said to his disciples: I tell you not to worry about your life! Don't worry about having something to eat or wear. 23 Life is more than food or clothing. 24 Look at the crows! They don't plant or harvest, and they don't have storehouses or barns. But God takes care of them. You are much more important than any birds.
25 Can worry make you live longer? 26 If you don't have power over small things, why worry about everything else?
27 Look how the wild flowers grow! They don't work hard to make their clothes. But I tell you that Solomon with all his wealth wasn't as well clothed as one of these flowers. 28 God gives such beauty to everything that grows in the fields, even though it is here today and thrown into a fire tomorrow. Won't he do even more for you? You have such little faith!
29 Don't keep worrying about having something to eat or drink. 30 Only people who don't know God are always worrying about such things. Your Father knows what you need.
31 But put God's work first, and these things will be yours as well.

Luke chapter 12 (NLT)

32 "So don't be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.

33 "Sell what you have and give to those in need. This will store up treasure for you in heaven! And the purses of heaven have no holes in them. Your treasure will be safe - no thief can steal it and no moth can destroy it. 34 Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will also be.

Matthew chapter 19 (NLT)

27 Then Peter said to him, "We've given up everything to follow you. What will we get out of it?" 28 And Jesus replied, "I assure you that when I, the Son of Man, sit upon my glorious throne in the Kingdom, you who have been my followers will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will have eternal life. 30 But many who seem to be important now will be the least important then, and those who are considered least here will be the greatest then.

Later in the New Testament, the Bible instructs Christians:

1 John chapter 2 (TEV)

15 Do not love the world or anything that belongs to the world. If you love the world, you do not love the Father. 16 Everything that belongs to the world-what the sinful self desires, what people see and want, and everything in this world that people are so proud of-none of this comes from the Father; it all comes from the world. 17 The world and everything in it that people desire is passing away; but those who do the will of God live forever.

1 Timothy chapter 6 (NLT)

7 After all, we didn't bring anything with us when we came into the world, and we certainly cannot carry anything with us when we die. 8 So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content. 9 But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. 10 For the love of money is at the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.

In the Book of Proverbs, the Bible says:

Proverbs chapter 12 (TEV)

9 It is better to be an ordinary person working for a living than to play the part of someone great but go hungry.

Proverbs chapter 28 (NLT)

22 A greedy person tries to get rich quick, but it only leads to poverty.

Proverbs chapter 15 (TEV)

27 Try to make a profit dishonestly, and you get your family in trouble. Don't take bribes and you will live longer.

Proverbs chapter 16 (NLT)

11 The LORD demands fairness in every business deal; he sets the standard.

In Paul's letter to the Colossian Christians in the New Testament, the Bible says:

Colossians chapter 3 (NLT)

5 Don't be greedy for the good things of this life, for that is idolatry. 9 Don't lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old evil nature and all its wicked deeds. 10 In its place you have clothed yourselves with a brand-new nature that is continually being renewed as you learn more and more about Christ, who created this new nature within you.

In the Book of Proverbs, the Bible says:

Proverbs chapter 28 (TEV)

6 Better to be poor and honest than rich and dishonest.

Proverbs chapter 11 (TEV)

5 Honesty makes a good person's life easier, but the wicked will cause their own downfall. 6 Righteousness rescues those who are honest, but those who can't be trusted are trapped by their own greed.

Proverbs chapter 28 (TEV)

11 Rich people always think they are wise, but a poor person who has insight into character knows better.

In the New Testament, in the book of the Acts of the Apostles, which is about the activities of the very first Christians, the Bible says:

Acts chapter 4 (TEV)

32 The group of believers was one in mind and heart. None of them said that any of their belongings were their own, but they all shared with one another everything they had. 33 With great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God poured rich blessings on them all. 34 There was no one in the group who was in need. Those who owned fields or houses would sell them, bring the money received from the sale, 35 and turn it over to the apostles; and the money was distributed according to the needs of the people. 36 And so it was that Joseph, a Levite born in Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means "One who Encourages"), 37 sold a field he owned, brought the money, and turned it over to the apostles.

Acts chapter 5 (TEV)

1 But there was a man named Ananias, who with his wife Sapphira sold some property that belonged to them. 2 But with his wife's agreement he kept part of the money for himself and turned the rest over to the apostles. 3 Peter said to him, "Ananias, why did you let Satan take control of you and make you lie to the Holy Spirit by keeping part of the money you received for the property? 4 Before you sold the property, it belonged to you; and after you sold it, the money was yours. Why, then, did you decide to do such a thing? You have not lied to people-you have lied to God!"

5 As soon as Ananias heard this, he fell down dead; and all who heard about it were terrified. 6 The young men came in, wrapped up his body, carried him out, and buried him.

7 About three hours later his wife, not knowing what had happened, came in. 8 Peter asked her, "Tell me, was this the full amount you and your husband received for your property?"

"Yes," she answered, "the full amount."

9 So Peter said to her, "Why did you and your husband decide to put the Lord's Spirit to the test? The men who buried your husband are at the door right now, and they will carry you out too!"

10 At once she fell down at his feet and died. The young men came in and saw that she was dead, so they carried her out and buried her beside her husband.

11 The whole church and all the others who heard of this were terrified.

Note: Some people see that Bible passage as barbaric. However, viewed from a collectivist perspective, the sense of it can be seen. It was important that the new Christian Church had credibility and was respected in the community, in order that it could both keep out of as much trouble as possible from people who would wish to destroy its reputation, and that Christianity would be seen as an inspirational force for good and gain converts. If believers didn't take their faith seriously, but saw Christianity more as something they could play with, like a novelty item, or profess just when it suited them while behaving as they pleased the rest of the time, it would not be taken seriously by the people who professed to follow it or those outside. Corruption in its ranks would be harder to deal with the bigger a problem it was. Thus, a sobering lesson like the fate of Ananias would compel people to take their faith more seriously and thus be more obedient to it, thus increasing the well-being of those around them, and the appeal of Christianity to outsiders, who would be more likely to see it as having real power to change people's lives.

In the Book of Proverbs, the Bible says:

Proverbs chapter 11 (TEV)

4 Riches will do you no good on the day you face death, but honesty can save your life.

Proverbs chapter 19 (TEV)

22 It is a disgrace to be greedy; poor people are better off than liars.

In Luke's Gospel, the Bible says that Jesus said:

Luke chapter 16 (NLT)

9 I tell you, use your worldly resources to benefit others and make friends. In this way, your generosity stores up a reward for you in heaven.

10 "Unless you are faithful in small matters, you won't be faithful in large ones.
If you cheat even a little, you won't be honest with greater responsibilities.
11 And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven?
12 And if you are not faithful with other people's money, why should you be trusted with money of your own?

13 "No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money."

Luke chapter 16 (TEV)

14 When the Pharisees heard all this, they made fun of Jesus, because they loved money.

15 Jesus said to them, "You are the ones who make yourselves look right in other people's sight, but God knows your hearts. For the things that are considered of great value by people are worth nothing in God's sight.

The Old Testament prophet Isaiah said:

Isaiah chapter 40 (NLT)

6 A voice said, "Shout!"

I asked, "What should I shout?"

"Shout that people are like the grass that dies away. Their beauty fades as quickly as the beauty of flowers in a field. 7 The grass withers, and the flowers fade beneath the breath of the LORD. And so it is with people. 8 The grass withers, and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever."

In the Book of Proverbs, the Bible says:

Proverbs chapter 18 (TEV)

10 The Lord is like a strong tower, where the righteous can go and be safe.

11 Rich people, however, imagine that their wealth protects them like high, strong walls around a city.

12 No one is respected unless he is humble; arrogant people are on the way to ruin.

In the Letter of James in the New Testament, the Bible says:

James chapter 1 (TEV)

9 Those Christians who are poor must be glad when God lifts them up, 10 and the rich Christians must be glad when God brings them down. For the rich will pass away like the flower of a wild plant. 11 The sun rises with its blazing heat and burns the plant; its flower falls off, and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way the rich will be destroyed while they go about their business.

James Chapter 4 (TEV)

13 Now listen to me, you that say, "Today or tomorrow we will travel to a certain city, where we will stay a year and go into business and make a lot of money." 14 You don't even know what your life tomorrow will be! You are like a puff of smoke, which appears for a moment and then disappears. 15 What you should say is this: "If the Lord is willing, we will live and do this or that." 16 But now you are proud, and you boast; all such boasting is wrong.

17 So then, if we do not do the good we know we should do, we are guilty of sin.

In one of his letters which is in the New Testament, the apostle Paul wrote:

Galatians chapter 6 (NLT)

14 As for me, God forbid that I should boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world died long ago, and the world's interest in me is also long dead. 15 What counts is whether we really have been changed into new and different people.

In the First Letter of John in the New Testament, the Bible says:

1 John chapter 5 (NLT)

21 Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God's place in your hearts.

In Matthew's Gospel, the Bible says:

Matthew chapter 13 (NIV)

1 Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying:

"A farmer went out to sow his seed.
4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.
5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.
7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants.
8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop--a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.
9 He who has ears, let him hear."

10 The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?"

11 He replied, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.

Matthew chapter 13 (NLT)

18 "Now here is the explanation of the story I told about the farmer sowing grain:
19 The seed that fell on the hard path represents those who hear the Good News about the Kingdom and don't understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches the seed away from their hearts.
20 The rocky soil represents those who hear the message and receive it with joy. 21 But like young plants in such soil, their roots don't go very deep. At first they get along fine, but they wilt as soon as they have problems or are persecuted because they believe the word.
22 The thorny ground represents those who hear and accept the Good News, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares of this life and the lure of wealth, so no crop is produced.
23 The good soil represents the hearts of those who truly accept God's message and produce a huge harvest - thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted."

In the Book of Deuteronomy in the Old Testament, the Bible says that Moses said to the people of Israel, before they actually entered the land now known as Israel:

Deuteronomy chapter 8 (NIV)

1 Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land that the LORD promised on oath to your forefathers. 2 Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands.

6 Observe the commands of the LORD your God, walking in his ways and revering him. 7 For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land-a land with streams and pools of water, with springs flowing in the valleys and hills; 8 a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey; 9 a land where bread will not be scarce and you will lack nothing; a land where the rocks are iron and you can dig copper out of the hills.

10 When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you.
11 Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. 12 Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, 13 and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, 14 then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 17 You may say to yourself, "My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me." 18 But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today.

In the New Testament, the Bible says to Christians:

1 Peter chapter 5 (NLT)

5 All of you, serve each other in humility, for "God sets himself against the proud, but he shows favor to the humble." 6 So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and in his good time he will honor you. 7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about what happens to you.

In Luke's Gospel, the Bible says:

Luke chapter 19 (TEV)

1 Jesus went on into Jericho and was passing through. 2 There was a chief tax collector there named Zacchaeus, who was rich. 3 He was trying to see who Jesus was, but he was a little man and could not see Jesus because of the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead of the crowd and climbed a sycamore tree to see Jesus, who was going to pass that way.

5 When Jesus came to that place, he looked up and said to Zacchaeus, "Hurry down, Zacchaeus, because I must stay in your house today." 6 Zacchaeus hurried down and welcomed him with great joy.

7 All the people who saw it started grumbling, "This man has gone as a guest to the home of a sinner!"

8 Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Listen, sir! I will give half my belongings to the poor, and if I have cheated anyone, I will pay back four times as much."

9 Jesus said to him, "Salvation has come to this house today, for this man, also, is a descendant of Abraham. 10 The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost."

Luke chapter 7 (TEV)

29 ... the people ... and especially the tax collectors were the ones who had obeyed God's righteous demands and had been baptized by John. 30 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law rejected God's purpose for themselves and refused to be baptized by John.

Luke chapter 5 (TEV)

27 Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting in his office. Jesus said to him, "Follow me." 28 Levi got up, left everything, and followed him. 29 Then Levi had a big feast in his house for Jesus, and among the guests was a large number of tax collectors and other people. 30 Some Pharisees and some teachers of the Law who belonged to their group complained to Jesus' disciples. "Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and other outcasts?" they asked. 31 Jesus answered them, "People who are well do not need a doctor, but only those who are sick. 32 I have not come to call respectable people to repent, but outcasts."

Luke chapter 18 (TEV)

9 Jesus ... told this parable to people who were sure of their own goodness and despised everybody else.

10 "Once there were two men who went up to the Temple to pray: one was a Pharisee, the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood apart by himself and prayed, "I thank you, God, that I am not greedy, dishonest, or an adulterer, like everybody else. I thank you that I am not like that tax collector over there. 12 I fast two days a week, and I give you one tenth of all my income.'

13 But the tax collector stood at a distance and would not even raise his face to heaven, but beat on his breast and said, "God, have pity on me, a sinner!'

14 I tell you," said Jesus, "the tax collector, and not the Pharisee, was in the right with God when he went home. For those who make themselves great will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be made great."

Later in the New Testament, the Bible says:

Philippians chapter 2 (TEV)

3 Don't do anything from selfish ambition or from a cheap desire to boast, but be humble toward one another, always considering others better than yourselves. 4 And look out for one another's interests, not just for your own. 5 The attitude you should have is the one that Christ Jesus had: 6 He always had the nature of God, but he did not think that .. he should try to remain equal with God. 7 Instead of this, of his own free will he gave up all he had, and took the nature of a servant. He became like a human being and appeared in human likeness. 8 He was humble and walked the path of obedience all the way to death- his death on the cross. 9 For this reason God raised him to the highest place above and gave him the name that is greater than any other name. 10 And so, in honor of the name of Jesus all beings in heaven, on earth, and in the world below will fall on their knees, 11 and all will openly proclaim that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

In the Letter to the Hebrews in the New Testament, the Bible says:

Hebrews chapter 13 (TEV)

5 Stay away from the love of money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, "I will never fail you. I will never forsake you."

A Short Story About Tackling Prejudice, And What The Bible Says About Despising People, Judging By Appearances, And God's Mercy

In the book "Social Psychology" by S. S. Brehm and S. M.Kassin (1993 ed) in a chapter entitled "Prejudice", it says:

"Although some people are generally more prejudiced than others, the problem is so pervasive and so widespread that it seems nobody is immune. ...

The Robbers Cave Experiment

In the Summer of 1954 a small group of eleven-year-old boys, all white, healthy, middle-class youngsters, all strangers to one another, arrived at a 200-acre camp. The boys spent the first week or so hiking, swimming, boating and camping out. After a while they gave themselves a group name and printed it on their caps and t-shirts. At first the boys thought they were the only ones at the camp. Soon, however, they discovered that there was a second group, and that tournaments had been arranged between the two groups. What these boys didn't know was that they were subjects in an elaborate study conducted by Nuzafer Sherif and his colleagues. Parents had given permission for their sons to take part in an experiment for a study of competitiveness and co-operation. The two groups were brought in separately and only after each had formed its own culture was the other's presence revealed. The Rattlers and the Eagles were ready to meet!

They did so under tense circumstances, competing against each other in football, a treasure hunt, a tug of war, and other events. The winning team of each event was awarded points. The tournament winner was promised a trophy, medals and other prizes. Almost overnight the groups turned into hostile antagonists and their rivalry escalated into a full-scale war. Group flags were burned, cabins were ransacked, and a food fight that resembled a riot exploded in the mess hall. Keep in mind that the subjects in this study were well-adjusted boys, not street gang members. Yet as Sherif (1966) noted, a naive observer would have thought the boys were "wicked, disturbed and vicious".

"Creating a monster through competition was easy. Restoring the peace, however, was not. First the experimenters tried saying nice things to the Rattlers about the Eagles and vice versa; but the propaganda campaign did not work. Then the two groups were brought together under non-competitive and relaxed circumstances; but that didn't help either.

---

"What did eventually work was the introduction of ... mutual goals that could be achieved only by co-operation between groups. For example, the experimenters arranged for the camp truck to break down and both groups were needed to pull it up a steep hill. These activities worked like a charm! By the end of camp the two groups were so friendly that they insisted on travelling home on the same bus."

In the New Testament, the Bible says to Christians:

Colossians chapter 3 (CEV)

11 It doesn't matter if you are a Greek or a Jew, or if you are circumcised or not. You may even be a barbarian or [uncivilized), and you may be a slave or a free person. Yet Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.

12 God loves you and has chosen you as his own special people. So be gentle, kind, humble, meek, and patient. 13 Put up with each other, and forgive anyone who does you wrong, just as Christ has forgiven you. 14 Love is more important than anything else. It is what ties everything completely together. 15 Each one of you is part of the body of Christ, and you were chosen to live together in peace. So let the peace that comes from Christ control your thoughts. And be grateful. 16 Let the message about Christ completely fill your lives, while you use all your wisdom to teach and instruct each other.

In the Old Testament, the Bible says:

Leviticus chapter 19 (NLT)

1 The LORD ... said to Moses, 2 "Say this to the entire community of Israel: You must be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy. 33 "Do not exploit the foreigners who live in your land. 34 They should be treated like everyone else, and you must love them as you love yourself."

The apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in Corinth in his first letter to them in the New Testament:

1 Corinthians chapter 1 (TEV)

26 Now remember what you were, my friends, when God called you. From the human point of view few of you were wise or powerful or of high social standing. 27 God purposely chose what the world considers nonsense in order to shame the wise, and he chose what the world considers weak in order to shame the powerful. 28 He chose what the world looks down on and despises and thinks is nothing, in order to destroy what the world thinks is important. 29 This means that no one can boast in God's presence. 30 But God has brought you into union with Christ Jesus, and God has made Christ to be our wisdom. By him we are put right with God; we become God's holy people and are set free.

31 So then, as the scripture says, "Whoever wants to boast must boast of what the Lord has done."

In the Gospel of Luke in the New Testament, the Bible says:

Luke chapter 21 (TEV)

1 Jesus looked around and saw rich people dropping their gifts in the Temple treasury, 2 and he also saw a very poor widow dropping in two little copper coins. 3 He said, "I tell you that this poor widow put in more than all the others. 4 For the others offered their gifts from what they had to spare of their riches; but she, poor as she is, gave all she had to live on."

In the Book of Proverbs, the Bible says:

Proverbs chapter 14 (TEV)

21 If you want to be happy, be kind to the poor; it is a sin to despise anyone.

In the New Testament, the Bible says:

James chapter 2 (TEV)

1 My friends, as believers in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, you must never treat people in different ways according to their outward appearance. 2 Suppose a rich man wearing a gold ring and fine clothes comes to your meeting, and a poor man in ragged clothes also comes. 3 If you show more respect to the well-dressed man and say to him, "Have this best seat here," but say to the poor man, "Stand over there, or sit here on the floor by my feet," 4 then you are guilty of creating distinctions among yourselves and of making judgments based on evil motives.

5 Listen, my dear friends! God chose the poor people of this world to be rich in faith and to possess the kingdom which he promised to those who love him. 6 But you dishonor the poor!

8 You will be doing the right thing if you obey the law of the Kingdom, which is found in the scripture, "Love your neighbor as you love yourself." 9 But if you treat people according to their outward appearance, you are guilty of sin, and the Law condemns you as a lawbreaker.

The apostle Paul wrote to the Christians at Corinth:

1 Corinthians chapter 4 (TEV)

6 None of you should be proud of one person and despise another. 7 Who made you superior to others? Didn't God give you everything you have? Well, then, how can you boast, as if what you have were not a gift?

11 To this very moment we go hungry and thirsty; we are clothed in rags; we are beaten; we wander from place to place; 13 We are no more than this world's garbage; we are the scum of the earth to this very moment!

Later in the same letter to the Christians in Corinth, Paul wrote:

1 Corinthians chapter 15 (TEV)

1 And now I want to remind you, my friends, of the Good News which I preached to you, which you received, and on which your faith stands firm. 2 That is the gospel, the message that I preached to you. You are saved by the gospel if you hold firmly to it-unless it was for nothing that you believed. 3 I passed on to you what I received, which is of the greatest importance: that Christ died for our sins, as written in the Scriptures; 4 that he was buried and that he was raised to life three days later, as written in the Scriptures; 5 that he appeared to Peter and then to all twelve apostles. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred of his followers at once, most of whom are still alive, although some have died. 7 Then he appeared to James, and afterward to all the apostles. 8 Last of all he appeared also to me-even though I am like someone whose birth was abnormal.

9 For I am the least of all the apostles-I do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted God's church. 10 But by God's grace I am what I am, and the grace that he gave me was not without effect.

Paul wrote to his fellow Christian worker Timothy:

1 Timothy chapter 1 (TEV)

12 I give thanks to Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength for my work. I thank him for considering me worthy and appointing me to serve him, 13 even though in the past I spoke evil of him and persecuted and insulted him. But God was merciful to me because I did not yet have faith and so did not know what I was doing. 14 And our Lord poured out his abundant grace on me and gave me the faith and love which are ours in union with Christ Jesus. 15 This is a true saying, to be completely accepted and believed: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. I am the worst of them, 16 but God was merciful to me in order that Christ Jesus might show his full patience in dealing with me, the worst of sinners, as an example for all those who would later believe in him and receive eternal life.

17 To the eternal King, immortal and invisible, the only God-to him be honor and glory forever and ever! Amen.

In the Gospels, the Bible says:

Matthew chapter 9 (NLT)

9 As Jesus was going down the road, he saw Matthew sitting at his tax-collection booth. "Come, be my disciple," Jesus said to him. So Matthew got up and followed him.

10 That night Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to be his dinner guests, along with his fellow tax collectors and many other notorious sinners. 11 The Pharisees were indignant. "Why does your teacher eat with such scum?" they asked his disciples.

Luke chapter 5 (NLT)

31 Jesus answered them, "Healthy people don't need a doctor - sick people do. 32 I have come to call sinners to turn from their sins, not to spend my time with those who think they are already good enough."

Matthew chapter 21 (NLT)

28 "But what do you think about this? A man with two sons told the older boy, 'Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.' 29 The son answered, 'No, I won't go,' but later he changed his mind and went anyway.
30 Then the father told the other son, 'You go,' and he said, 'Yes, sir, I will.' But he didn't go. 31 Which of the two was obeying his father?"

They replied, "The first, of course."

Then Jesus explained his meaning: "I assure you, [that formerly] corrupt tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the Kingdom of God before you do. 32 For John the Baptist came and showed you the way to life, and you didn't believe him, while tax collectors and prostitutes did. And even when you saw this happening, you refused to turn from your sins and believe him."

Later in the New Testament, the Bible says:

Romans chapter 3 (NLT)

22 We are made right in God's sight when we trust in Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And we all can be saved in this same way, no matter who we are or what we have done. 23 For all have sinned; all fall short of God's glorious standard. 24 Yet now God in his gracious kindness declares us not guilty. He has done this through Christ Jesus, who has freed us by taking away our sins. 25 For God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to satisfy God's anger against us. We are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed his blood, sacrificing his life for us. he declares sinners to be right in his sight because they believe in Jesus. 27 Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on our good deeds. It is based on our faith. 28 So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.

Paul wrote to his fellow Christian worker Titus:

Titus chapter 2 (NLT)

11 For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. 12 And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with self-control, right conduct, and devotion to God, 13 while we look forward to that wonderful event when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. 14 He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing what is right.

In the Old Testament, the Bible says:

1 Samuel chapter 16 (NLT)

7 The LORD said ... "The LORD doesn't make decisions the way you do! People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at a person's thoughts and intentions."

In Luke's Gospel, the Bible says:

Luke chapter 7 (TEV)

36 A Pharisee invited Jesus to have dinner with him, and Jesus went to his house and sat down to eat. 37 In that town was a woman who lived a sinful life. She heard that Jesus was eating in the Pharisee's house, so she brought an alabaster jar full of perfume 38 and stood behind Jesus, by his feet, crying and wetting his feet with her tears. Then she dried his feet with her hair, kissed them, and poured the perfume on them. 39 When the Pharisee saw this, he said to himself, "If this man really were a prophet, he would know who this woman is who is touching him; he would know what kind of sinful life she lives!"

40 Jesus spoke up and said to him, "Simon, I have something to tell you."

"Yes, Teacher," he said, "tell me."

41 "There were two men who owed money to a moneylender," Jesus began. "One owed him five hundred silver coins, and the other owed him fifty. 42 Neither of them could pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Which one, then, will love him more?"

43 "I suppose," answered Simon, "that it would be the one who was forgiven more."

"You are right," said Jesus. 44 Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your home, and you gave me no water for my feet, but she has washed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. 45 You did not welcome me with a kiss, but she has not stopped kissing my feet since I came. 46 You provided no olive oil for my head, but she has covered my feet with perfume. 47 I tell you, then, the great love she has shown proves that her many sins have been forgiven. But whoever has been forgiven little shows only a little love."

48 Then Jesus said to the woman, "Your sins are forgiven."

49 The others sitting at the table began to say to themselves, "Who is this, who even forgives sins?" 50 But Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."

In the First Letter of John in the New Testament, the Bible says:

1 John chapter 1 (NLT)

8 If we say we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and refusing to accept the truth. 9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.

In the Book of Proverbs, the Bible says:

Proverbs chapter 21 (TEV)

2 You may think that everything you do is right, but remember that the Lord judges your motives.

Proverbs chapter 17 (TEV)

3 Gold and silver are tested by fire, and a person's heart is tested by the Lord.

In Matthew's Gospel, the Bible says that Jesus said:

Matthew chapter 7 (NLT)

2 Whatever measure you use in judging others, it will be used to measure how you are judged. 3 And why worry about a speck in your friend's eye when you have a log in your own? 4 How can you think of saying, 'Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,' when you can't see past the log in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First get rid of the log from your own eye; then perhaps you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend's eye.

Later in the New Testament, the Bible says:

James chapter 2 (NLT)

12 So whenever you speak, or whatever you do, remember that you will be judged by the law of love, the law that set you free. 13 For there will be no mercy for you if you have not been merciful to others. But if you have been merciful, then God's mercy toward you will win out over his judgment against you.

1 Corinthians chapter 4 (TEV)

5 So you should not pass judgment on anyone before the right time comes. Final judgment must wait until the Lord comes; he will bring to light the dark secrets and expose the hidden purposes of people's minds.

In the Gospel of Luke in the New Testament, the Bible says:

Luke chapter 20 (NLT)

1 ... Jesus was teaching and preaching the Good News in the Temple,

45 Then, with the crowds listening, he turned to his disciples and said, 46 "Beware of these teachers of religious law! For they love to parade in flowing robes and to have everyone bow to them as they walk in the marketplaces. And how they love the seats of honor in the synagogues and at banquets. 47 But they shamelessly cheat widows out of their property, and then, to cover up the kind of people they really are, they make long prayers in public. Because of this, their punishment will be the greater."

In Matthew's Gospel, the Bible says:

Matthew chapter 23 (CEV)

1 Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples:
2 The Pharisees and the teachers of the Law are experts in the Law of Moses. 3 So obey everything they teach you, but don't do as they do. After all, they say one thing and do something else. 4 They pile heavy burdens on people's shoulders and won't lift a finger to help.

5 Everything they do is just to show off in front of others. They even make a big show of wearing Scripture verses on their foreheads and arms, and they wear big tassels for everyone to see. [The Law of Moses commanded people to put tassels on their clothes as memory aids to obey Bible commands.] 6 They love the best seats at banquets and the front seats in the meeting places. 7 And when they are in the market, they like to have people greet them as their teachers. 8 But none of you should be called a teacher. You have only one teacher, and all of you are like brothers and sisters. 9 Don't call anyone on earth your father. All of you have the same Father in heaven. 10 None of you should be called the leader. The Messiah is your only leader. 11 Whoever is the greatest should be the servant of the others. 12 If you put yourself above others, you will be put down. But if you humble yourself, you will be honored.

23 You Pharisees and teachers are show-offs, and you're in for trouble! You give God a tenth of the spices from your garden, such as mint, dill, and cumin. Yet you neglect the more important matters of the Law, such as justice, mercy, and faithfulness. These are the important things you should have done, though you should not have left the others undone either. 24 You blind leaders! You strain out a small fly but swallow a camel.

25 You Pharisees and teachers are show-offs, and you're in for trouble! You wash the outside of your cups and dishes, while inside there is nothing but greed and selfishness. 26 You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of a cup, and then the outside will also be clean.

27 You Pharisees and teachers are in for trouble! You're nothing but show-offs. You're like tombs that have been whitewashed. On the outside they are beautiful, but inside they are full of bones and filth. 28 That's what you are like. Outside you look good, but inside you are evil and only pretend to be good.

33 You are nothing but snakes and the children of snakes! How can you escape going to hell?

Matthew chapter 5 (NLT)

1 One day as the crowds were gathering, Jesus went up the mountainside with his disciples and sat down to teach them. 2 This is what he taught them:

Matthew chapter 6 (TEV)

1 "Make certain you do not perform your religious duties in public so that people will see what you do. If you do these things publicly, you will not have any reward from your Father in heaven.

2 "So when you give something to a needy person, do not make a big show of it, as the hypocrites do in the houses of worship and on the streets. They do it so that people will praise them. I assure you, they have already been paid in full. 3 But when you help a needy person, do it in such a way that even your closest friend will not know about it. 4 Then it will be a private matter. And your Father, who sees what you do in private, will reward you.

5 "When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites! They love to stand up and pray in the houses of worship and on the street corners, so that everyone will see them. I assure you, they have already been paid in full. 6 But when you pray, go to your room, close the door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what you do in private, will reward you.

7 "When you pray, do not use a lot of meaningless words, as the pagans do, who think that their gods will hear them because their prayers are long. 8 Do not be like them. Your Father already knows what you need before you ask him."

The Bible says to women in the First Letter of Peter in the New Testament, regarding doing things for show and where priorities should lie:

1 Peter chapter 3 (TEV)

3 You should not use outward aids to make yourselves beautiful, such as the way you fix your hair, or the jewelry you put on, or the dresses you wear. 4 Instead, your beauty should consist of your true inner self, the ageless beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of the greatest value in God's sight.

What The Bible Says About Drunkenness and Why It's Wrong

The Bible contains a few short passages about getting drunk.

It doesn't say that people shouldn't drink; it only says that people shouldn't get drunk.

For anyone who needs help overcoming a problem with addiction to alcohol, or any other kind of addiction, visit the self-help article on this website: Conquering Any Kind of Addiction or Craving.

Or for anyone trying to cope with an alcoholic spouse, have a look at another one: Helping an Alcoholic Husband Want to Get Sober.

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In the Old Testament, the Bible says:

Proverbs chapter 20 (CEV)

1It isn't smart to get drunk!
Drinking makes a fool of you
and leads to fights.

Hosea chapter 4 (TEV)

11 The Lord says, "Wine, both old and new, is robbing my people of their senses!"

Proverbs chapter 23 (TEV)

19 Listen, my child, be wise and give serious thought to the way you live. 20 Don't associate with people who drink too much wine or stuff themselves with food. 21 Drunkards and gluttons will be reduced to poverty. If all you do is eat and sleep, you will soon be wearing rags.

29 Show me people who drink too much, who have to try out fancy drinks, and I will show you people who are miserable and sorry for themselves, always causing trouble and always complaining. Their eyes are bloodshot, and they have bruises that could have been avoided.
31 Don't let wine tempt you, even though it is rich red, and it sparkles in the cup, and it goes down smoothly. 32 The next morning you will feel as if you had been bitten by a poisonous snake. 33 Weird sights will appear before your eyes, and you will not be able to think or speak clearly. 34 You will feel as if you were out on the ocean, seasick, swinging high up in the rigging of a tossing ship. 35 "I must have been hit," you will say; "I must have been beaten up, but I don't remember it. Why can't I wake up? I need another drink."

(The passages from the Book of Proverbs are, as the title of the book indicates, proverbial, and thus are meant as wise sayings, sometimes generalisations perhaps, but not meant to be taken as absolute truth.)

A prophet of ancient Israel said:

Isaiah chapter 28 (NLT)

1 Destruction is certain for the city of Samaria - the pride and joy of the drunkards of Israel! 7 Israel is being led by drunks! The priests and prophets reel and stagger from beer and wine. They make stupid mistakes as they carry out their responsibilities.

In the Book of Proverbs, the Bible says:

Proverbs chapter 31 (TEV)

1 These are the solemn words which King Lemuel's mother said to him:
2 "You are my own dear son, the answer to my prayers. What shall I tell you?
4 Listen, Lemuel. Kings should not drink wine or have a craving for alcohol. 5 When they drink, they forget the laws and ignore the rights of people in need.
6 Alcohol is for people who are dying, for those who are in misery. 7 Let them drink and forget their poverty and unhappiness."

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There are also Bible quotations in the New Testament warning Christians not to get drunk. The whole frame of mind of a Christian should be one in which we don't want to be controlled by some substance that might make us do unchristian things.

The Bible advises Christians:

Ephesians chapter 5 (NLT)

18 Don't be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life.
Instead, let the Holy Spirit fill and control you.

The Bible says that the Holy Spirit is a part of God who will be given to true Christians and will live in them to make them better people.

One of the writers of the letters that were put in the Bible, Paul, instructed and warned groups of Christians:

Galatians chapter 5 (NLT)

16 I advise you to live according to your new life in the Holy Spirit. Then you won't be doing what your sinful nature craves. 17 The old sinful nature loves to do evil, which is just opposite from what the Holy Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are opposite from what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, and your choices are never free from this conflict. ....

19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, your lives will produce these evil results: sexual immorality, impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, 20 idolatry, participation in demonic activities, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, divisions, the feeling that everyone is wrong except those in your own little group, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other kinds of sin.

Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

22 But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us:

• love,
• joy,
• peace,
• patience,
• kindness,
• goodness,
• faithfulness,
• 23 gentleness,
• and self-control....

1 Thessalonians chapter 5 (NLT)

6 ... Stay alert and be sober. 7 Night is the time for sleep and the time when people get drunk. 8 But let us ... think clearly, protected by the body armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation. 9 For God decided to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us. 10 He died for us so that we can live with him forever, whether we are dead or alive at the time of his return.

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Some people justify drinking by saying that Jesus turned water into wine so it must be allright. But some understanding of the cultural background/customs of the time and in the area where the miracle happened shows that this was not just a simple case of Jesus encouraging people to enjoy boozing.

From a sermon given at Durham Cathedral:

To run out of wine at a wedding was not a matter of life and death, but it was a major social faux-pas and would subject the family to social disgrace that would long be remembered. Apparently it might even be cause for a lawsuit by a disgruntled guest if he didn't get hospitality appropriate to the value of his wedding gift.

And from The New Testament Commentary: Vol. III--John (1886) by B. W. Johnson:

From some cause, perhaps from a larger number of guests than was expected, the wine gave out.
"None but those who know how sacred in the East is the duty of lavish hospitality, and how passionately the obligation to exercise to the utmost it is felt, can realize the gloom which this incident would have thrown over the occasion, or the misery and mortification it would have caused to the wedded pair. They would have felt it to be, as in the East it is still felt to be, an indelible disgrace."--Farrar.

The Bible commentary also discusses the strength of the alcohol content of the wine in Jesus' day:

It must be borne in mind that among the Greeks and Romans and in Palestine there were three kinds of wine: 1. Fermented wines, which, however, were very unlike our fiery liquors, and contained only a small per cent of alcohol. These were mixed with two or three parts of water. The laws of Zaleucus, the Locrian, put to death anyone who drank unmixed wine, except as medicine. The fermented wine, at first mild, and then diluted with water, was [46] a drink as used, that had no intoxicating power unless used in enormous quantities. 2. New wine, the fresh juice of the grape, like our new cider, not intoxicating. 3. Wines in which, by boiling the unfermented juice of the grape, or by the addition of certain drugs, the process of fermentation was stopped, and which had no intoxicating properties. We cannot surely determine which kind the Savior made here, but we agree with Whedon, who says: "We see no reason for supposing that the wine of the present occasion was that upon which Scripture places its strongest interdict, (Proverbs 20:1; 23:31; Isaiah 22:13,) rather than that eulogized as a blessing (Psalms 104:15; Isaiah 55:1)." Even adopting the view that it was fermented wine, it was totally unlike the fiery and undiluted drinks sold as wines in saloons, used in many families, offered at hotels and wine parties, and even poured out at communion tables.

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Articles on Other Websites About the Harmful Effects of Alcohol:

• Alcohol, Violence, and the Law.
• Fetal Alcohol Information.
• Sex Under the Influence.
• The Relationship Between Alcohol and Sexual Assault.
• Drunken Driver Leaves Wake of Sorrow and Debt (Great Falls Tribune, July 1999).

What The Bible Says About Sex And Marriage

This page contains Bible passages about sex and marriage, an extract from a psychology book about improving marriage, and links to articles about problems caused by having sex outside of a committed long-term relationship, improving marriage and preventing divorce, problems caused by pornography use, and other things.

These include links to articles on this website, part of the Self-help series on this website that features articles on depression, anxiety problems and other things as well as relationship difficulties.

In the Letter to the Hebrews in the New Testament, the Bible says:

Hebrews chapter 13 (NLT)

4 Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery.

In the Book of Proverbs, the author wrote:

Proverbs chapter 6 (NRSV)

20 My child, keep your father's commandment, and do not forsake your mother's teaching. 23 For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life, 24 to preserve you from the wife of another, from the smooth tongue of the adulteress. 25 Do not desire her beauty in your heart, and do not let her capture you with her eyelashes; 26 for a prostitute's fee is only a loaf of bread, but the wife of another stalks a man's very life. 27 Can fire be carried in the bosom without burning one's clothes? 28 Or can one walk on hot coals without scorching the feet? 29 So is he who sleeps with his neighbor's wife; no one who touches her will go unpunished. 30 Thieves are not despised who steal only to satisfy their appetite when they are hungry. 31 Yet if they are caught, they will pay sevenfold; they will forfeit all the goods of their house. 32 But he who commits adultery has no sense; he who does it destroys himself. 33 He will get wounds and dishonor, and his disgrace will not be wiped away. 34 For jealousy arouses a husband's fury, and he shows no restraint when he takes revenge. 35 He will accept no compensation, and refuses a bribe no matter how great.

Proverbs chapter 22 (TEV)

14 Adultery is a trap-it catches those with whom the Lord is angry.

Proverbs chapter 25 (TEV)

26 A good person who gives in to someone who is evil reminds you of a polluted spring or a poisoned well.

In the New Testament, the Bible says to Christians:

2 Timothy chapter 2 (NLT)

22 Run from anything that stimulates youthful lust. Follow anything that makes you want to do right. Pursue faith and love and peace, and enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts.

The Bible says that Jesus Christ said:

Matthew chapter 5 (NLT)

27 "You have heard that the law of Moses says, 'Do not commit adultery.' 28 But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust in his eye has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 So if your eye - even if it is your good eye - causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your hand - even if it is your stronger hand - causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.

31 "You have heard that the law of Moses says, 'A man can divorce his wife by merely giving her a letter of divorce.' 32 But I say that a man who divorces his wife, unless she has been unfaithful, causes her to commit adultery. And anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery."

Elsewhere in the New Testament, in the apostle Paul's first letter to the Thessalonian Christians, the Bible says:

1 Thessalonians chapter 4 (TEV)

2 You know the instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. 3 God wants you to be holy and completely free from sexual immorality.

1 Thessalonians chapter 4 (NLT)

4 Then each of you will control your body and live in holiness and honor - 5 not in lustful passion as the pagans do, in their ignorance of God and his ways. 6 Never cheat a Christian brother in this matter by taking his wife, for the Lord avenges all such sins, as we have solemnly warned you before. 7 God has called us to be holy, not to live impure lives. 8 Anyone who refuses to live by these rules is not disobeying human rules but is rejecting God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

In chapter 3 of his book "Sanctity Of Life", Charles Swindoll, referring to those instructions to the Thessalonians, writes:

... "Apekomai is the word translated 'abstain.'" {or in the translation used here, "be ... completely free from"} "It means 'to go away from, to depart, to be distant, to keep hands off!' ... The word 'abstain' is rarely used in scripture, but when it is, it means just that. ...

... "How broad is this word for sexual immorality? It is the Greek term Porneia (pornography) which includes ... incestuous relationships, unnatural acts with beasts and animals, premarital sexual relationships and extramarital sex."

In the Old Testament, the Bible says:

Leviticus chapter 18 (GWT)

1 The LORD spoke to Moses, 2 "Tell the Israelites: I am the LORD your God. 4 Follow my rules, and live by my standards. I am the LORD your God. 5 Live by my standards, and obey my rules. You will have life through them. I am the LORD.

6 "never have sexual intercourse with anyone related to you by blood. I am the LORD.
7 "Never have sexual intercourse with your mother. She is your own mother. Never have sexual intercourse with her.
8 "Never have sexual intercourse with your stepmother. She is related to you through your father.
9 "Never have sexual intercourse with your stepsister, whether she is your father's daughter or your mother's daughter. It makes no difference whether or not she was born in your house.
10 "Never have sexual intercourse with your granddaughter, whether she is your son's daughter or your daughter's daughter, because she is related to you.
11 "Never have sexual intercourse with a daughter of your father and his wife. She is your own sister.
12 "Never have sexual intercourse with your father's sister. She is your paternal aunt.
13 "Never have sexual intercourse with your mother's sister. She is your maternal aunt.
14 "Never have sexual intercourse with the wife of your father's brother. She, too, is your aunt.
15 "Never have sexual intercourse with your daughter-in-law. She is your son's wife. Never have sexual intercourse with her.
16 "Never have sexual intercourse with your sister-in-law. She is your brother's wife.
17 "Never have sexual intercourse with a woman and her daughter or a woman and her granddaughter. They are related. Doing this is perverted.
18 "While your wife is living, never marry her sister as a rival wife and have sexual intercourse with her.
20 "Never have sexual intercourse with your neighbor's wife and become unclean with her.
22 "Never have sexual intercourse with a man as with a woman. It is disgusting.
23 "Never have sexual intercourse with any animal and become unclean with it. A woman must never offer herself to an animal for sexual intercourse. It is unnatural. "

In the Book of Proverbs in the Old Testament, the Bible says:

Proverbs chapter 7 (TEV)

1 My child, remember what I say and never forget what I tell you to do. 2 Do what I say, and you will live. Be as careful to follow my teaching as you are to protect your eyes. 3 Keep my teaching with you all the time; write it on your heart. 4 Treat wisdom as your sister, and insight as your closest friend. 5 They will keep you away from other men's wives, from women with seductive words.

6 Once I was looking out the window of my house, 7 and I saw many inexperienced young men, but noticed one foolish fellow in particular. 8 He was walking along the street near the corner where a certain woman lived. He was passing near her house 9 in the evening after it was dark. 10 And then she met him; she was dressed like a prostitute and was making plans. 11 She was a bold and shameless woman who always walked the streets 12 or stood waiting at a corner, sometimes in the streets, sometimes in the marketplace. 13 She threw her arms around the young man, kissed him, looked him straight in the eye, and said,

"15 I came out looking for you. I wanted to find you, and here you are! 16 I've covered my bed with sheets of colored linen from Egypt. 17 I've perfumed it with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. 18 Come on! Let's make love all night long. We'll be happy in each other's arms. 19 My husband isn't at home. He's on a long trip. 20 He took plenty of money with him and won't be back for two weeks."

21 So she tempted him with her charms, and he gave in to her smooth talk. 22 Suddenly he was going with her like an ox on the way to be slaughtered, like a deer prancing into a trap 23 where an arrow would pierce its heart. He was like a bird going into a net—he did not know that his life was in danger.

Proverbs chapter 23 (TEV)

27 Prostitutes and immoral women are a deadly trap. 28 They wait for you like robbers and cause many men to be unfaithful.

Proverbs chapter 9 (TEV)

10 To be wise you must first have reverence for the Lord. If you know the Holy One, you have understanding. 11 Wisdom will add years to your life. 12 You are the one who will profit if you have wisdom, and if you reject it, you are the one who will suffer.

Proverbs chapter 29 (TEV)

3 It is a foolish waste to spend money on prostitutes.

The apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in Corinth:

1 Corinthians chapter 6 (TEV)

12 Someone will say, "I am allowed to do anything."

Yes; but not everything is good for you.

I could say that I am allowed to do anything, but I am not going to let anything make me its slave. 13 Someone else will say, "Food is for the stomach, and the stomach is for food."

Yes; but God will put an end to both. The body is not to be used for sexual immorality, but to serve the Lord; and the Lord provides for the body. 14 God raised the Lord from death, and he will also raise us by his power.

15 You know that your bodies are parts of the body of Christ. Shall I take a part of Christ's body and make it part of the body of a prostitute? Impossible! 16 Or perhaps you don't know that the man who joins his body to a prostitute becomes physically one with her?

The scripture says quite plainly, "The two will become one body." 17 But he who joins himself to the Lord becomes spiritually one with him. 18 Avoid immorality. Any other sin a man commits does not affect his body; but the man who is guilty of sexual immorality sins against his own body. 19 Don't you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and who was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourselves but to God; 20 he bought you for a price. So use your bodies for God's glory.

1 Corinthians chapter 5 (GWT)

9 In my letter to you I told you not to associate with people who continue to commit sexual sins. 10 I didn't tell you that you could not have any contact with unbelievers who commit sexual sins, are greedy, are dishonest, or worship false gods. If that were the case, you would have to leave this world. 11 Now, what I meant was that you should not associate with people who call themselves brothers or sisters in the Christian faith but live in sexual sin, are greedy, worship false gods, use abusive language, get drunk, or are dishonest. Don't eat with such people. 12 After all, do I have any business judging those who are outside [the Christian faith]? Isn't it your business to judge those who are inside? 13 God will judge those who are outside. Remove that wicked man from among you.

1 Corinthians chapter 7 (NLT)

1 Now about the questions you asked in your letter.

Yes, it is good to live a celibate life. 2 But because there is so much sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband. 3 The husband should not deprive his wife of sexual intimacy, which is her right as a married woman, nor should the wife deprive her husband. 4 The wife gives authority over her body to her husband, and the husband also gives authority over his body to his wife. 5 So do not deprive each other of sexual relations.

The only exception to this rule would be the agreement of both husband and wife to refrain from sexual intimacy for a limited time, so they can give themselves more completely to prayer. Afterward they should come together again so that Satan won't be able to tempt them because of their lack of self-control. 6 This is only my suggestion. It's not meant to be an absolute rule. 7 I wish everyone could get along without marrying, just as I do. But we are not all the same. God gives some the gift of marriage, and to others he gives the gift of singleness.

8 Now I say to those who aren't married and to widows - it's better to stay unmarried, just as I am. 9 But if they can't control themselves, they should go ahead and marry. It's better to marry than to burn with lust.

10 Now, for those who are married I have a command that comes not from me, but from the Lord. A wife must not leave her husband. 11 But if she does leave him, let her remain single or else go back to him. And the husband must not leave his wife.

12 Now, I will speak to the rest of you, though I do not have a direct command from the Lord. If a Christian man has a wife who is an unbeliever and she is willing to continue living with him, he must not leave her. 13 And if a Christian woman has a husband who is an unbeliever, and he is willing to continue living with her, she must not leave him. 14 For the Christian wife brings holiness to her marriage, and the Christian husband brings holiness to his marriage. Otherwise, your children would not have a godly influence, but now they are set apart for him. 15 (But if the husband or wife who isn't a Christian insists on leaving, let them go. In such cases the Christian husband or wife is not required to stay with them, for God wants his children to live in peace.) 16 You wives must remember that your husbands might be converted because of you. And you husbands must remember that your wives might be converted because of you.

25 Now, about the young ... who are not yet married. I do not have a command from the Lord for them. But the Lord in his kindness has given me wisdom that can be trusted, and I will share it with you. 26 I think it is best to remain just as you are. 27 If you have a wife, do not end the marriage. If you do not have a wife, do not get married. 28 But if you do get married, it is not a sin. And if a young woman gets married, it is not a sin.

However, I am trying to spare you the extra problems that come with marriage. 32 In everything you do, I want you to be free from the concerns of this life. An unmarried man can spend his time doing the Lord's work and thinking how to please him. 33 But a married man can't do that so well. He has to think about his earthly responsibilities and how to please his wife. 34 His interests are divided. In the same way, a woman who is no longer married or has never been married can be more devoted to the Lord in body and in spirit, while the married woman must be concerned about her earthly responsibilities and how to please her husband. 35 I am saying this for your benefit, not to place restrictions on you. I want you to do whatever will help you serve the Lord best, with as few distractions as possible.

36 But if a man thinks he ought to marry his fiance because he has trouble controlling his passions and time is passing, it is all right; it is not a sin. Let them marry. 37 But if he has decided firmly not to marry and there is no urgency and he can control his passion, he does well not to marry. 38 So the person who marries does well, and the person who doesn't marry does even better.

39 A wife is married to her husband as long as he lives. If her husband dies, she is free to marry whomever she wishes, but this must be a marriage acceptable to the Lord. 40 But in my opinion it will be better for her if she doesn't marry again, and I think I am giving you counsel from God's Spirit when I say this.

In chapter 7 of her book "Psychology For Social Workers And Counsellors", Carole Sutton writes, referring to marriage problems:

"It can be very supportive if the counsellor can, after due discussion, arrive with those who seek his help at a shared understanding of ways in which each partner wants the other to behave differently. It is then possible to set very simple, short-term goals. Such goals should not be over-inclusive, as in "I want him to be a better lover" or "she must be a better mother to the kids", but should be broken down into small, attainable objectives which, because the situation has been openly discussed and the difficulties experienced by each partner have been accepted by the counsellor, now seem within the grasp and hopefully the commitment of the people concerned. It is not that the larger goals are not to be sought in the long run, but that they should be reached in small, agreed stages with the support of everyone concerned.

"Thus in the case of the wife who wanted her husband to be a better lover, it might be possible to clarify first of all exactly what the wife meant by this; in one case this proved to mean not that she wanted him to be more skilful sexually, but that she wanted him to be more demonstrative and more affectionate.

"Once this semantic difficulty had been sorted out, it was a relatively simple matter to help this couple see that the husband had come from an undemonstrative family where overt indications of affection were discouraged, but that he himself actually felt deep affection for his wife, though he could not express it openly. Once his wife was reassured of this, things became easier, and then it became possible, with encouragement from the counsellor ... for the husband to do regular small things which delighted his wife: to bring her a cup of tea in bed now and again, to have flowers delivered on her birthday, to arrange an outing on their anniversary and so on. The counsellor taught the husband to behave more appropriately to his wife not because such things are "right", but because these partners came from backgrounds whose social customs jarred upon each other.

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... "Attempting to implement a plan in order to reach simple objectives will not succeed unless both parties obtain enough reward from the efforts of the other, and from the counsellor, to keep them engaged in the exercise. This is why it is very important to set simple goals initially, so as to be sure that they can be achieved, and why many counsellors now ask partners to make some commitment to the effort they are all undertaking, and even to enter into some understanding or "contract" to keep trying for so many weeks.

... Thus in the case of the husband who complained that the wife should "be a better mother to the kids" it was possible first to drain off a great deal of the bottled-up resentment of both partners in separate interviews, and then to explore gently with the couple how the husband expected his wife to be at home most of the day, just as his mother had always prided herself on doing, while the wife felt she should fulfil her family's insistence that women should make the most of every opportunity to develop and educate themselves.

Both partners had a deep sense of knowing "what was right" based on the attitudes of their families as they grew up; both considered the other contravened "what was right" and so felt morally indignant. When this impasse was looked at in the light of what each partner in the marriage had actually learned in his or her youth, rather than in the light of the rightness or wrongness of the actual principle, it was possible to gain something of a sense of perspective on the problem, and indeed to reflect on other implicit assumptions which each was making because of how they had been socialized.

---

"This understanding, however, was not of itself enough; although the couple conceded that each member had learned his or her attitude, this did not prevent each from still feeling "more in the right" than the other; it was therefore necessary to use the flexibility given by this new understanding to devise a scheme of planned behaviour change which carried inherent rewards for both parties. Thus, rather than the husband's insisting that his wife give up her job in order to be at home after school and in the holidays, as he had previously demanded, he agreed that if his worry about the children's being on their own at four o'clock could be allayed by his wife's going part-time in school hours, he would try to adjust his work programme to spend more time at home in the holidays. This his wife gladly agreed to, for she had thought she would be persuaded by the counsellor to give up her job completely, and was quite satisfied with the "reward" of part-time working.

"Starting from this base, the counsellor helped this couple see the necessity for each partner to recognize the concession that the other had made and to behave appreciatively as a response. He helped them negotiate an arrangement in which by setting and working towards small goals, e.g. that the wife should have the husband's family to stay twice a year in return for the husband's looking after the children for a week while she went to a Summer school, a considerably greater degree of flexibility and adjustment to each other came into the marriage.

In all this, however, it was essential for the counsellor to act very supportively to this couple, working with them on the details of their "contract", offering encouragement ... to them, as a couple, when things went well, and commiserating with them, without allocating blame, when they went badly. In this way the couple moved towards offering each other a much higher level of reward than formerly, increasing the benefits of staying together and making a divorce a much more "costly" affair."

---

In Matthew's Gospel in the New Testament, the Bible says:

Matthew chapter 19 (TEV)

1 ... Jesus ... went to the territory of Judea on the other side of the Jordan River. 2 Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.

3 Some Pharisees came to him and tried to trap him by asking, "Does our Law allow a man to divorce his wife for whatever reason he wishes?"

4 Jesus answered, "Haven't you read the scripture that says that in the beginning the Creator made people male and female? 5 And God said, "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and unite with his wife, and the two will become one.' 6 So they are no longer two, but one. No human being must separate, then, what God has joined together."

7 The Pharisees asked him, "Why, then, did Moses give the law for a man to hand his wife a divorce notice and send her away?" 8 Jesus answered, "Moses gave you permission to divorce your wives because you are so hard to teach. But it was not like that at the time of creation. 9 I tell you, then, that any man who divorces his wife for any cause other than her unfaithfulness, commits adultery if he marries some other woman."

The Old Testament prophet Malachi prophesied:

Malachi chapter 2 (NLT)

16 "I hate divorce!" says the LORD, the God of Israel. "It is as cruel as putting on a victim's bloodstained coat," says the LORD Almighty. "So guard yourself; always remain loyal to your wife."

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Links To Resources With Advice For People With Marriage Problems, and Information on the Effects of Divorce:

• Advice for People Who Want to Prevent a Divorce.
• The Case for Marriage Preparation.
  (This is good information from a Mormon site; the advice is helpful; but linking to it doesn't mean this site endorses Mormonism.)
• Tips for Talking - Marriage Communication.
• Marriage Advice on Communication, Conflict Resolution and More.
• How Divorce Affects Children.
• The Effects of Parental Divorce on Adult Children's Romantic Relationships.
• Relate - Coping with Affairs.
• Surviving An Affair.
• Infidelity: The Lessons Children Learn.

Links to Self-Help Articles on This Website About Improving Marriage and Preventing Divorce:

• Wanting More Sex in Marriage:
  Instalment One: Why Sex with Your Husband or Wife is Important for the Marriage, Some Causes of Low Sexual Desire, and Things That Can Boost Sexual Desire.
  Instalment Two: Things a Person Who Wants More Sex Can Do to Entice Their Husband or Wife to Want More, and Talking About Sex.
• Healing a Marriage After an Affair.
• Helping a Husband or Wife Over Depression.
• Improving a Marriage Instead of Getting a Divorce.
• Saving a Marriage When a Loved One Wants Divorce.
• Helping an Alcoholic Husband Want to Get Sober.

Links to Articles With Advice on Relationships and Distinguishing Real Love From Lust or Infatuation:

• The Seven Habits of Highly Defective Dating.
• How do I know if I am really in love?
• Real Love or Infatuation?
• Separating Love From Lust.
• I’m in Love! (at least I think so)
• Practice Makes Problems - Living together first may weaken a marriage.

Links To Articles About Problems Caused By Sex Before Marriage, Viewing Pornography And Sex Crime, And Help For People With Sex And Pregnancy-Related Problems:

• Neglected Heart: The Emotional Dangers of Premature Sexual Involvement.
• Failure Rates of Contraceptives.
• Sexually Transmitted Diseases.
• Adolescents—At Risk for Sexually Transmitted Infections.
• Fetal Psychology.
• Crisis Pregnancy Alternatives to Abortion.
• Students talk about their Reasons for saving sex for marriage and how far it's OK to go sexually in dating.
• How to Start Over If You’ve Lost Your Virginity.
• Pure Intimacy: A resource for Those Struggling with Online Pornography and Affairs.
• Personal Stories from those affected by sexual sin.
• Men and Porn.
• The Immoral "Christian"
• Survive: - For survivors of sexual assault
  Including helpful information as well as an email service for people in crisis.

Links To Stories From People Who Regret Having Had An Abortion:

• Testimonies.
• Post Abortion: Regrets of Women Who Had an Abortion.
• Overcoming the Scars of Abortion - Cristy's Story.
• My Body - My Choice.

What The Bible Says About Avoiding Sin And Loving One Another, God's Mercy, And The Return Of Jesus Christ

In Psalm 101 in the Old Testament, the Bible says:

Psalm 101 (NLT)

1 A psalm of David.

I will sing of your love and justice.
I will praise you, LORD, with songs.
2 I will be careful to live a blameless life - when will you come to my aid?
I will lead a life of integrity in my own home.
3 I will refuse to look at anything vile and vulgar.
I hate all crooked dealings; I will have nothing to do with them.
4 I will reject perverse ideas and stay away from every evil.

Psalm 101 (TEV)

5 I will get rid of anyone who whispers evil things about someone else;
I will not tolerate anyone who is proud and arrogant.
6 I will approve of those who are faithful to God and will let them live in my palace.
Those who are completely honest will be allowed to serve me.
7 No liar will live in my palace; no hypocrite will remain in my presence.
8 Day after day I will destroy the wicked in our land;
I will expel all who are evil from the city of the Lord.

In the New Testament, the Bible says to Christians:

1 Peter chapter 2 (TEV)

11 I appeal to you, my friends, as strangers and refugees in this world! Do not give in to bodily passions, which are always at war against the soul. 12 Your conduct among the heathen should be so good that when they accuse you of being evildoers, they will have to recognize your good deeds and so praise God on the Day of his coming. 15 For God wants you to silence the ignorant talk of foolish people by the good things you do. 17 Respect everyone, love other believers, honor God, and respect the Emperor.

1 Corinthians chapter 6 (NIV)

9Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders 10nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

1 Corinthians chapter 6 (TEV)

11 Some of you were like that. But you have been purified from sin; you have been dedicated to God; you have been put right with God by the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

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There is some controversy over exactly what it was about homosexuality the Bible condemns in the few verses that mention it, and whether when Paul condemned homosexual practices, he was actually referring to particular things going on in the cultures of the people he was writing to. It has been argued that the Bible doesn't condemn homosexual practice in general, but the same-sex prostitution that was apparently part of idol worship in many ancient Pagan cultures, and the sexual initiation of boys by men, which was also apparently well-known in certain cultures.

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In Luke's Gospel, the Bible says:

Luke chapter 15 (GWT)

1 All the tax collectors and sinners came to listen to Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the scribes complained, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them." 3 Jesus spoke to them using this illustration:
4 "Suppose a man has 100 sheep and loses one of them. Doesn't he leave the 99 sheep grazing in the pasture and look for the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 When he finds it, he's happy. He puts that sheep on his shoulders and 6 goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says to them, 'Let's celebrate! I've found my lost sheep!' 7 I can guarantee that there will be more happiness in heaven over one person who turns to God and changes the way he thinks and acts than over 99 people who already have turned to God and have his approval."

8 "Suppose a woman has ten coins and loses one. Doesn't she light a lamp, sweep the house, and look for the coin carefully until she finds it? 9 When she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, 'Let's celebrate! I've found the coin that I lost.' 10 So I can guarantee that God's angels are happy about one person who turns to God and changes the way he thinks and acts."

Luke chapter 15 (TEV)

11 Jesus went on to say, "There was once a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to him, "Father, give me my share of the property now.' So the man divided his property between his two sons. 13 After a few days the younger son sold his part of the property and left home with the money. He went to a country far away, where he wasted his money in reckless living. 14 He spent everything he had. Then a severe famine spread over that country, and he was left without a thing. 15 So he went to work for one of the citizens of that country, who sent him out to his farm to take care of the pigs. 16 He wished he could fill himself with the bean pods the pigs ate, but no one gave him anything to eat. 17 At last he came to his senses and said, "All my father's hired workers have more than they can eat, and here I am about to starve! 18 I will get up and go to my father and say, "Father, I have sinned against God and against you. 19 I am no longer fit to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired workers." ' 20 So he got up and started back to his father.

"He was still a long way from home when his father saw him; his heart was filled with pity, and he ran, threw his arms around his son, and kissed him. 21 "Father,' the son said, "I have sinned against God and against you. I am no longer fit to be called your son.' 22 But the father called to his servants. "Hurry!' he said. "Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and shoes on his feet. 23 Then go and get the prize calf and kill it, and let us celebrate with a feast! 24 For this son of mine was dead, but now he is alive; he was lost, but now he has been found.' And so the feasting began."

In John's Gospel, the Bible says that Jesus said:

John chapter 3 (TEV)

16 For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life.

The apostle Paul wrote to his fellow Christian worker Timothy:

2 Timothy chapter 1 (NLT)

9 It is God who saved us and chose us to live a holy life. He did this not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan long before the world began - to show his love and kindness to us through Christ Jesus. 10 And now he has made all of this plain to us by the coming of Christ Jesus, our Savior, who broke the power of death and showed us the way to everlasting life through the Good News.

In John's Gospel, the Bible says:

John chapter 8 (NLT)

31 Jesus said to the people who believed in him, "You are truly my disciples if you keep obeying my teachings.

In the First Letter of John in the New Testament, the Bible says:

1 John chapter 1 (NLT)

5 This is the message he has given us to announce to you: God is light and there is no darkness in him at all. 6 So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness. We are not living in the truth. 7 But if we are living in the light of God's presence, just as Christ is, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from every sin.

8 If we say we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and refusing to accept the truth. 9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.

1 John chapter 2 (NIV)

1 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense--Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also forthe sins of the whole world. 3 We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. 4 The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.

In the Book of Proverbs, the Bible says:

Proverbs chapter 14 (TEV)

9 Foolish people don't care if they sin, but good people want to be forgiven.

In the New Testament, the Bible says:

1 John chapter 5 (NLT)

18 We know that those who have become part of God's family do not make a practice of sinning, for God's Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot get his hands on them. 19 We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the power and control of the evil one. 20 And we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we are in God because we are in his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and he is eternal life. 21 Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God's place in your hearts.

Ephesians chapter 4 (NLT)

22 throw off your old evil nature and your former way of life, which is rotten through and through, full of lust and deception. 23 Instead, there must be a spiritual renewal of your thoughts and attitudes. 24 You must display a new nature because you are a new person, created in God's likeness - righteous, holy, and true. 25 So put away all falsehood and "tell your neighbor the truth" because we belong to each other. 26 And "don't sin by letting anger gain control over you." Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 for anger gives a mighty foothold to the Devil. 28 If you are a thief, stop stealing. Begin using your hands for honest work, and then give generously to others in need.

29 Don't use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. 30 And do not bring sorrow to God's Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he is the one who has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.

31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of malicious behavior. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

In John's Gospel, the Bible says that Jesus said:

John chapter 15 (TEV)

12 My commandment is this: love one another, just as I love you. 13 The greatest love you can have for your friends is to give your life for them. 14 And you are my friends if you do what I command you.

Elsewhere in the New Testament, the Bible says:

Romans chapter 12 (TEV)

1 So then, my friends, because of God's great mercy to us I appeal to you: Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to his service and pleasing to him. This is the true worship that you should offer. 2 Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God-what is good and is pleasing to him and is perfect.

Romans chapter 13 (TEV)

8 Be under obligation to no one-the only obligation you have is to love one another. Whoever does this has obeyed the Law. 9 The commandments, "Do not commit adultery; do not commit murder; do not steal; do not desire what belongs to someone else"-all these, and any others besides, are summed up in the one command, "Love your neighbor as you love yourself." 10 If you love others, you will never do them wrong; to love, then, is to obey the whole Law.

11 You must do this, because you know that the time has come for you to wake up from your sleep. For the moment when we will be saved is closer now than it was when we first believed. 12 The night is nearly over, day is almost here. Let us stop doing the things that belong to the dark, and let us take up weapons for fighting in the light. 13 Let us conduct ourselves properly, as people who live in the light of day-no orgies or drunkenness, no immorality or indecency, no fighting or jealousy. 14 But take up the weapons of the Lord Jesus Christ, and stop paying attention to your sinful nature and satisfying its desires.

2 Timothy chapter 2 (NLT)

22 Run from anything that stimulates youthful lust. Follow anything that makes you want to do right. Pursue faith and love and peace, and enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts.

Romans chapter 12 (TEV)

9 Love must be completely sincere. Hate what is evil, hold on to what is good. 10 Love one another warmly as Christians, and be eager to show respect for one another.

11 Work hard and do not be lazy. Serve the Lord with a heart full of devotion.

12 Let your hope keep you joyful, be patient in your troubles, and pray at all times.

13 Share your belongings with your needy fellow Christians, and open your homes to strangers.

14 Ask God to bless those who persecute you-yes, ask him to bless, not to curse.

15 Be happy with those who are happy, weep with those who weep. 16 Have the same concern for everyone.

Do not be proud, but accept humble duties. Do not think of yourselves as wise.

17 If someone has done you wrong, do not repay him with a wrong. Try to do what everyone considers to be good. 18 Do everything possible on your part to live in peace with everybody. 19 Never take revenge, my friends, but instead let God's anger do it. For the scripture says, "I will take revenge, I will pay back, says the Lord."

Romans chapter 12 (NIV)

20 On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

1 John chapter 3 (NLT)

1 See how very much our heavenly Father loves us, for he allows us to be called his children, and we really are! But the people who belong to this world don't know God, so they don't understand that we are his children. 2 Yes, dear friends, we are already God's children, and we can't even imagine what we will be like when Christ returns. But we do know that when he comes we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. 3 And all who believe this will keep themselves pure, just as Christ is pure.

1 John chapter 3 (TEV)

4 Whoever sins is guilty of breaking God's law, because sin is a breaking of the law.

5 You know that Christ appeared in order to take away sins, and that there is no sin in him. 6 So everyone who lives in union with Christ does not continue to sin; but whoever continues to sin has never seen him or known him. 7 Let no one deceive you, my children! Whoever does what is right is righteous, just as Christ is righteous. 8 Whoever continues to sin belongs to the Devil, because the Devil has sinned from the very beginning. The Son of God appeared for this very reason, to destroy what the Devil had done. 9 Those who are children of God do not continue to sin, for God's very nature is in them; and because God is their Father, they cannot continue to sin. 10 Here is the clear difference between God's children and the Devil's children: those who do not do what is right or do not love others are not God's children.

The apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome:

Romans chapter 1 (TEV)

18 God's anger is revealed from heaven against all the sin and evil of the people whose evil ways prevent the truth from being known.

19 God punishes them, because what can be known about God is plain to them, for God himself made it plain. 20 Ever since God created the world, his invisible qualities, both his eternal power and his divine nature, have been clearly seen; they are perceived in the things that God has made. So those people have no excuse at all! 21 They know God, but they do not give him the honor that belongs to him, nor do they thank him. Instead, their thoughts have become complete nonsense, and their empty minds are filled with darkness. 22 They say they are wise, but they are fools; 23 instead of worshiping the immortal God, they worship images made to look like mortals or birds or animals or reptiles. 24 And so God has given those people over to do the filthy things their hearts desire, and they do shameful things with each other. 25 They exchange the truth about God for a lie; they worship and serve what God has created instead of the Creator himself, who is to be praised forever! Amen.

26 Because they do this, God has given them over to shameful passions. Even the women pervert the natural use of their sex by unnatural acts. 27 In the same way the men give up natural sexual relations with women and burn with passion for each other. Men do shameful things with each other, and as a result they bring upon themselves the punishment they deserve for their wrongdoing.

28 Because those people refuse to keep in mind the true knowledge about God, he has given them over to corrupted minds, so that they do the things that they should not do. 29 They are filled with all kinds of wickedness, evil, greed, and vice; they are full of jealousy, murder, fighting, deceit, and malice. They gossip 30 and speak evil of one another; they are hateful to God, insolent, proud, and boastful; they think of more ways to do evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they have no conscience; they do not keep their promises, and they show no kindness or pity for others. 32 They know that God's law says that people who live in this way deserve death. Yet, not only do they continue to do these very things, but they even approve of others who do them.

Romans chapter 2 (NLT)

1 You may be saying, "What terrible people you have been talking about!" But you are just as bad, and you have no excuse! When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for you do these very same things. 2 And we know that God, in his justice, will punish anyone who does such things. 3 Do you think that God will judge and condemn others for doing them and not judge you when you do them, too? 4 Don't you realize how kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Or don't you care? Can't you see how kind he has been in giving you time to turn from your sin? 5 But no, you won't listen. So you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself because of your stubbornness in refusing to turn from your sin. For there is going to come a day of judgment when God, the just judge of all the world, 6 will judge all people according to what they have done. 7 He will give eternal life to those who persist in doing what is good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers. 8 But he will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and practice evil deeds. 9 There will be trouble and calamity for everyone who keeps on sinning - for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. 10 But there will be glory and honor and peace from God for all who do good - for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. 11 For God does not show favoritism. 16 The day will surely come when God, by Jesus Christ, will judge everyone's secret life. This is my message.

In Luke's Gospel, The Bible says that Jesus said:

Luke chapter 12 (TEV)

2 Whatever is covered up will be uncovered, and every secret will be made known. 3 So then, whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in broad daylight, and whatever you have whispered in private in a closed room will be shouted from the housetops.

In the Letter to the Hebrews, the Bible says:

Hebrews chapter 9 (TEV)

27 Everyone must die once, and after that be judged by God. 28 In the same manner Christ also was offered in sacrifice once to take away the sins of many. He will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are waiting for him.

In Luke's Gospel, the Bible says that Jesus said:

Luke chapter 12 (TEV)

35 "Be ready for whatever comes, dressed for action ... 36 like servants who are waiting for their master to come back from a wedding feast. When he comes and knocks, they will open the door for him at once. 37 How happy are those servants whose master finds them awake and ready when he returns! I tell you, he will take off his coat, have them sit down, and will wait on them. 38 How happy they are if he finds them ready, even if he should come at midnight or even later! 39 And you can be sure that if the owner of a house knew the time when the thief would come, he would not let the thief break into his house. 40 And you, too, must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you are not expecting him."

41 Peter said, "Lord, does this parable apply to us, or do you mean it for everyone?"

42 The Lord answered, "Who, then, is the faithful and wise servant? He is the one that his master will put in charge, to run the household and give the other servants their share of the food at the proper time. 43 How happy that servant is if his master finds him doing this when he comes home! 44 Indeed, I tell you, the master will put that servant in charge of all his property. 45 But if that servant says to himself that his master is taking a long time to come back and if he begins to beat the other servants, both the men and the women, and eats and drinks and gets drunk, 46 then the master will come back one day when the servant does not expect him and at a time he does not know. The master will cut him in pieces and make him share the fate of the disobedient.

47 "The servant who knows what his master wants him to do, but does not get himself ready and do it, will be punished with a heavy whipping. 48 But the servant who does not know what his master wants, and yet does something for which he deserves a whipping, will be punished with a light whipping. Much is required from the person to whom much is given; much more is required from the person to whom much more is given.

Luke chapter 21 (GWT)

8 Jesus said, "Be careful that you are not deceived. Many will come using my name. They will say, 'I am he!' and 'The time is near.' Don't follow them!

9 "When you hear of wars and revolutions, don't be terrified! These things must happen first, but the end will not come immediately."

10 Then Jesus continued, "Nation will fight against nation and kingdom against kingdom. 11 There will be terrible earthquakes, famines, and dreadful diseases in various places. Terrifying sights and miraculous signs will come from the sky.

25 "Miraculous signs will occur in the sun, moon, and stars. The nations of the earth will be deeply troubled and confused because of the roaring and tossing of the sea. 26 People will faint as they fearfully wait for what will happen to the world. Indeed, the powers of the universe will be shaken.

27 "Then people will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

Luke chapter 21 (CEV)

34 Don't spend all of your time thinking about eating or drinking or worrying about life. If you do, the final day will suddenly catch you 35 like a trap. That day will surprise everyone on earth. 36 Watch out and keep praying that you can escape all that is going to happen and that the Son of Man will be pleased with you.

Elsewhere in the New Testament, the Bible says to Christians:

2 Peter chapter 3 (TEV)

14 And so, my friends, as you wait for that Day, do your best to be pure and faultless in God's sight and to be at peace with him.

What The Bible Says About The Life-Changing Power Of The Holy Spirit

The apostle Paul, who travelled around in Bible times preaching about Christianity and making converts, wrote to some new Christians in his Letter to the Ephesians in the New Testament:

Ephesians chapter 1 (CEV)

13 ... You put your faith in Christ and were given the promised Holy Spirit to show that you belong to God. 14 The Spirit also makes us sure that we will be given what God has stored up for his people. Then we will be set free, and God will be honored and praised.

Paul wrote to the new Christians in Thessalonica in his "Second Letter to the Thessalonians" in the New Testament:

2 Thessalonians chapter 2 (TEV)

13 We must thank God at all times for you, friends, you whom the Lord loves. For God chose you as the first to be saved by the Spirit's power to make you his holy people and by your faith in the truth.

In a letter written by Paul to his fellow Christian worker Titus, the Bible says:

Titus chapter 3 (TEV)

1 Remind your people to submit to rulers and authorities, to obey them, and to be ready to do good in every way. 2 Tell them not to speak evil of anyone, but to be peaceful and friendly, and always to show a gentle attitude toward everyone.

3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, and wrong. We were slaves to passions and pleasures of all kinds. We spent our lives in malice and envy; others hated us and we hated them.
4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior was revealed, 5 he saved us. It was not because of any good deeds that we ourselves had done, but because of his own mercy that he saved us, through the Holy Spirit, who gives us new birth and new life by washing us. 6 God poured out the Holy Spirit abundantly on us through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that by his grace we might be put right with God and come into possession of the eternal life we hope for. 8 This is a true saying.

I want you to give special emphasis to these matters, so that those who believe in God may be concerned with giving their time to doing good deeds, which are good and useful for everyone.

In John's Gospel in the New Testament, which relates the life story of Jesus, the Bible says:

John chapter 7 (CEV)

2 It was almost time for the Festival of Shelters.

37 On the last and most important day of the festival, Jesus stood up and shouted, "If you are thirsty, come to me and drink! 38 Have faith in me, and you will have life-giving water flowing from deep inside you, just as the Scriptures say."
39 Jesus was talking about the Holy Spirit, who would be given to everyone that had faith in him. The Spirit had not yet been given to anyone, since Jesus had not yet been given his full glory.

John chapter 3 (TEV)

1 There was a Jewish leader named Nicodemus, who belonged to the party of the Pharisees. 2 One night he went to Jesus and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher sent by God. No one could perform the miracles you are doing unless God were with him."

3 Jesus answered, "I am telling you the truth: no one can see the Kingdom of God without being born again."

4 "How can a grown man be born again?" Nicodemus asked. "He certainly cannot enter his mother's womb and be born a second time!"

5 "I am telling you the truth," replied Jesus, "that no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. 6 A person is born physically of human parents, but is born spiritually of the Spirit. 7 Do not be surprised because I tell you that you must all be born again."

Later in the New Testament, the Bible says to Christians:

Ephesians chapter 4 (TEV)

22 So get rid of your old self, which made you live as you used to-the old self that was being destroyed by its deceitful desires. 23 Your hearts and minds must be made completely new, 24 and you must put on the new self, which is created in God's likeness and reveals itself in the true life that is upright and holy.

25 No more lying, then! Each of you must tell the truth to the other believer, because we are all members together in the body of Christ. 26 If you become angry, do not let your anger lead you into sin, and do not stay angry all day. 27 Don't give the Devil a chance. 28 If you used to rob, you must stop robbing and start working, in order to earn an honest living for yourself and to be able to help the poor.

29 Do not use harmful words, but only helpful words, the kind that build up and provide what is needed, so that what you say will do good to those who hear you.

Ephesians chapter 4 (CEV)

30 Don't make God's Spirit sad. The Spirit makes you sure that someday you will be free from your sins.

31 Stop being bitter and angry and mad at others. Don't yell at one another or curse each other or ever be rude.
32 Instead, be kind and merciful, and forgive others, just as God forgave you because of Christ.

Ephesians chapter 5 (NLT)

15 Be careful how you live, not as fools but as those who are wise. 16 Make the most of every opportunity for doing good in these evil days. 17 Don't act thoughtlessly, but try to understand what the Lord wants you to do.

18 Don't be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, let the Holy Spirit fill and control you.

2 Corinthians chapter 3 (NLT)

17 Now, ... wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, he gives freedom. 18 ... And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him and reflect his glory even more.

Ephesians chapter 1 (CEV)

6 God was very kind to us because of the Son he dearly loves, and so we should praise God. 7 Christ sacrificed his life's blood to set us free, which means that our sins are now forgiven. Christ did this because God was so kind to us.

10 Then when the time is right, God will do all that he has planned, and Christ will bring together everything in heaven and on earth.
11 God always does what he plans, and that's why he appointed Christ to choose us.

Romans chapter 1 (NLT)

4 And Jesus Christ our Lord was shown to be the Son of God when God powerfully raised him from the dead by means of the Holy Spirit.

2 Corinthians chapter 5 (TEV)

14 ... Since we believe that Christ died for everyone, we also believe that we have all died to the old life we used to live. 15 He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live to please themselves. Instead, they will live to please Christ, who died and was raised for them. 17 What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun! 18 All this newness of life is from God, who brought us back to himself through what Christ did.

20 ... We urge you, as though Christ himself were here pleading with you, "Be reconciled to God!" 21 For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

Romans chapter 8 (NLT)

1 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2 For the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you through Christ Jesus from the power of sin that leads to death.

Galatians chapter 5 (NLT)

13 For you have been called to live in freedom - not freedom to satisfy your sinful nature, but freedom to serve one another in love. 14 For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: "Love your neighbour as yourself."

15 But if instead of showing love among yourselves you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another. 16 So I advise you to live according to your new life in the Holy Spirit. Then you won't be doing what your sinful nature craves. 17 The old sinful nature loves to do evil, which is just opposite from what the Holy Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are opposite from what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, and your choices are never free from this conflict. ...

19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, your lives will produce these evil results: sexual immorality, impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful pleasure, 20 idolatry, participation in demonic activities, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, divisions, the feeling that everyone is wrong except those in your own little group, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other kinds of sin.

Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God. 22 But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us:

• love,
• joy,
• peace,
• patience,
• kindness,
• goodness,
• faithfulness,
• 23 gentleness,
• and self-control....

24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 If we are living now by the Holy Spirit, let us follow the Holy Spirit's leading in every part of our lives. 26 Let us not become conceited, or irritate one another, or be jealous of one another.

Ephesians chapter 4 (NLT)

2 Be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love. 3 Always keep yourselves united in the Holy Spirit, and bind yourselves together with peace. 4 We are all one body, we have the same Spirit, and we have all been called to the same glorious future.

Romans chapter 15 (NLT)

13 So I pray that God, who gives you hope, will keep you happy and full of peace as you believe in him. May you overflow with hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians chapter 2 (NLT)

1 Once you were dead, doomed forever because of your many sins. 2 You used to live just like the rest of the world, full of sin, obeying Satan, the mighty prince of the power of the air. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. 3 All of us used to live that way, following the passions and desires of our evil nature. We were born with an evil nature, and we were under God's anger just like everyone else.

4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so very much, 5 that even while we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God's special favor that you have been saved!)

Romans chapter 8 (NLT)

3 ... God ... sent his own Son in a human body like ours, except that ours are sinful. God destroyed sin's control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. 4 He did this so that the requirement of the law would be fully accomplished for us who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.

5 Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. 6 If your sinful nature controls your mind, there is death. But if the Holy Spirit controls your mind, there is life and peace. 7 For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God's laws, and it never will. 8 That's why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God. 9 But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them are not Christians at all.)

10 Since Christ lives within you, even though your body will die because of sin, your spirit is alive because you have been made right with God. 11 The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. 12 So, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation whatsoever to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. 13 For if you keep on following it, you will perish. But if through the power of the Holy Spirit you turn from it and its evil deeds, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.

Ephesians chapter 1 (CEV)

3 Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for the spiritual blessings that Christ has brought us from heaven!
4 Before the world was created, God had Christ choose us to live with him and to be his holy and innocent and loving people. 5 God was kind and decided that Christ would choose us to be God's own adopted children.

19 I want you to know about the great and mighty power that God has for us followers. It is the same wonderful power he used 20 when he raised Christ from death and let him sit at his right side in heaven.
21 There Christ rules over all forces, authorities, powers, and rulers. He rules over all beings in this world and will rule in the future world as well. 22 God has put all things under the power of Christ, and for the good of the church he has made him the head of everything. 23 The church is Christ's body and is filled with Christ who completely fills everything.

In Luke's Gospel, the Bible says that Jesus said:

Luke chapter 11 (CEV)

11 Which one of you fathers would give your hungry child a snake if the child asked for a fish? 12 Which one of you would give your child a scorpion if the child asked for an egg? 13 As bad as you are, you still know how to give good gifts to your children. But your heavenly Father is even more ready to give the Holy Spirit to anyone who asks.

What The Bible Says About Lustful And Nasty Thoughts

If you're suffering from a religious form of OCD where you have disturbing thoughts intruding into your mind of a sexual nature or worries over blasphemous thoughts, you might benefit from reading our self-help article instead: Conquering Distressing Abhorrent OCD Thoughts.

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In Psalm 139 in the Book of Psalms in the Old Testament, the Bible says:

Psalm 139 (TEV)

1 Lord, you have examined me and you know me.
2 You know everything I do;
from far away you understand all my thoughts.
3 You see me, whether I am working or resting;
you know all my actions.
4 Even before I speak, you already know what I will say.
5 You are all around me on every side; you protect me with your power.

Psalm 139 (NLT)

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my thoughts.
24 Point out anything in me that offends you,
and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

In the New Testament, the Bible says that Jesus said:

Matthew chapter 5 (NLT)

27 "You have heard that the law of Moses says, 'Do not commit adultery.' 28 But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust in his eye has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Mark chapter 7 (NIV)

21 For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts,

• sexual immorality,
• theft,
• murder,
• adultery,
• 22 greed,
• malice,
• deceit,
• lewdness,
• envy,
• slander,
• arrogance
• and folly.

23 All these evils come from inside and make a man 'unclean.'"

In the Book of Proverbs in the Old Testament, the Bible says:

Proverbs chapter 15 (TEV)

11 Not even the world of the dead can keep the Lord from knowing what is there; how then can we hide our thoughts from God?

In the New Testament, the Bible says to Christians:

Romans chapter 8 (NLT)

3 The law of Moses could not save us, because of our sinful nature. But God put into effect a different plan to save us. He sent his own Son in a human body like ours, except that ours are sinful. God destroyed sin's control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. 4 He did this so that the requirement of the law would be fully accomplished for us who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.

5 Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. 6 If your sinful nature controls your mind, there is death. But if the Holy Spirit controls your mind, there is life and peace. 7 For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God's laws, and it never will. 8 That's why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.

9 But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them are not Christians at all.)

10 Since Christ lives within you, even though your body will die because of sin, your spirit is alive because you have been made right with God. 11 The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as he raised Christ from the dead, he will give life to your mortal body by this same Spirit living within you.

12 So, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation whatsoever to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. 13 For if you keep on following it, you will perish. But if through the power of the Holy Spirit you turn from it and its evil deeds, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. 15 So you should not be like cowering, fearful slaves. You should behave instead like God's very own children, adopted into his family - calling him "Father, dear Father." 16 For his Holy Spirit speaks to us deep in our hearts and tells us that we are God's children.

17 And since we are his children, we will share his treasures - for everything God gives to his Son, Christ, is ours, too.

In the Old Testament Book of Proverbs, the Bible says:

Proverbs chapter 4 (TEV)

23 Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts.

24 Never say anything that isn't true. Have nothing to do with lies and misleading words.

Proverbs chapter 21 (TEV)

2 You may think that everything you do is right, but remember that the Lord judges your motives.

Proverbs chapter 30 (TEV)

12 There are people who think they are pure when they are as filthy as they can be.
13 There are people who think they are so good-oh, how good they think they are!

Proverbs chapter 16 (TEV)

30 Watch out for people who grin and wink at you; they have thought of something evil.

In the apostle Paul's letter to the Philippian Christians in the New Testament, the Bible says:

Philippians chapter 4 (Living Bible)

8 Fix your thoughts on what is true and good and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely, and dwell on the fine, good things in others. Think about all you can praise God for and be glad about.

The Old Testament prophet Isaiah said that God was saying to the people of Israel:

Isaiah chapter 65 (NIV)

2 All day long I have held out my hands to an obstinate people, who walk in ways not good, pursuing their own imaginations-- 3 a people who continually provoke me to my very face, ... 7 ... says the LORD.

The Old Testament prophet Jeremiah said that God was saying:

Jeremiah chapter 17 (NLT)

9 "The human heart is most deceitful and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? 10 But I know! I, the LORD, search all hearts and examine secret motives.

In Luke's Gospel in the New Testament, the Bible says:

Luke chapter 17 (NLT)

1 One day Jesus said to his disciples, "There will always be temptations to sin, but how terrible it will be for the person who does the tempting. 2 It would be better to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around the neck than to face the punishment in store for harming one of these little ones.

In the Letter of James in the New Testament, the Bible says:

James chapter 1 (TEV)

13 If we are tempted … we must not say, "This temptation comes from God." For God cannot be tempted by evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But we are tempted when we are drawn away and trapped by our own evil desires. 15 Then our evil desires conceive and give birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

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To demonstrate how thoughts can lead to actions, and thus, one reason why they should be considered sinful, here are two excerpts from articles. The first is from a story about what appeared to be an occult experience inflicted on a woman by a man, the woman taking action which was very unkind after a while to try to rid herself of the problem: (The article is linked to Here.)

"I resorted to doing something that was probably far more drastic than necessary to make him leave me alone, and to try to make him think about what he was doing. Although I'm a Christian, I regrettably discovered a few of my weaknesses and resorted to some sinful behaviour in the process. I sent him a long letter, most of which responded to the many criticisms of Christians he often made, the thinking partly being that if he became less antagonistic towards Christians, he might be more open to becoming one, and if he did, he wouldn't want to do scary things to people anymore. I did also genuinely want him to become a Christian. I was concerned about him. … The sinful part involved me thinking up some weird theories about why he was the way he was, some of which were reasonable, but some of which were extreme. I let my imagination run away with me. I found some of them rather amusing for reasons I can't remember now, but they probably upset him. …

I'd actually been entertaining myself with very mildly racist thoughts about the man for some time. ... I'd enjoyed trying to imagine what he would do if I provoked him by telling him the jokes I'd made up, because he got very scathing even about trivial comments he didn't like. I'd thought my thoughts were just a piece of harmless fun, particularly since I'd never mentioned them to anyone else. But they weren't godly thoughts. They were disrespectful.

I found him fascinating sometimes, but I'd actually begun to think of him some of the time as an object of entertainment and curiosity, because some things about him were so unusual. But I discovered that that's dangerous, because thinking of someone as an object makes it easier to do horrible things to them, because you're less concerned about how what you do will make them feel, because of course objects don't have feelings.

I was so amused by my thoughts at the time that I didn't stop to think about whether I should have been having them. But when the time came when I wanted to fend off the man, having been thinking them already, it was easy to embellish the thoughts and make them nastier. If I had stopped myself from thinking the ungodly thoughts much earlier, it's very doubtful that it would have suddenly occurred to me to begin thinking nastier versions of them when I was under stress. Therefore, my attack on him wouldn't have been so bad.

This realisation was mirrored a few months later when someone who helped me sort out the occult problem turned up and read me parts of some Christian books, some of which were about the occult and some of which were about other things. One was about a Christian thought life. I can't remember who the author was or what the title was, but it said that a pastor the author counselled had had an affair with a woman that eventually ended his career. The affair had started after she'd come to him for counselling and he was sexually attracted to her, and she'd enticed him to begin a relationship with her, and he couldn't resist the temptation. Apparently, the reason he'd been so quick to fall into it was because he'd been having sexual thoughts about women and so his mind was on that track to begin with. If he'd had a history of stopping himself from having lustful thoughts whenever they came into his head, obeying the Bible, which says that thinking about extramarital sex is as sinful as doing it, it would have been less likely that he'd have been so quick to fall into temptation, because his mind wouldn't have been focused on such things.

Worse than this, it's known that sex offenders feed their compulsions to offend through their thought life. From an article about current treatment programmes for sex offenders. Multi Agency Work With Sex Offenders in Northern Ireland:>

"Sexual offending is now viewed by workers in the field as a form of compulsive and obsessional behaviour. It involves:

• 1. High levels of planning including the selection and preparation of victims (grooming ). Offenders work out a strategy both to enable the abuse to take place and to avoid detection afterwards.
• 2. Distorted thinking patterns, by "blaming the victim". Sex offenders may seek to minimise their responsibility for their actions by persuading themselves that their victim either deserves or wants to be subjected to their sexual attentions.
• 3. Spending a lot of time fantasising about their planned and previous offences, going through the abuse in their mind and then starting to act out parts of it, building up towards carrying out the whole offence.

  Sex offending is now viewed as a cyclical process with offenders targeting their victims, de-personalising them through fantasy and distorted thinking, sometimes even rehearsing part of the offence and building up to the offence itself. This "cycle of abuse" is not fully worked through by all offenders, in all cases, but the model provides a useful framework within which sex offending can be understood and interpreted. A programme of work can then be developed to try and reduce the probability of offending in the future.

... There is a lot of evidence that sex offenders consciously work on developing inappropriate arousal and fantasy patterns over prolonged periods of time as a way of overcoming their inhibitions to carry out their sexual offences. Sexual arousal is learned behaviour and is controllable. More suitable outlets for sexual expression can be developed."

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It's been said that when a murderer claims in court that they just snapped temporarily and lost control, that is actually very unlikely to be true. They will probably have been fantasising about murdering the person for some time, and then one day under provocation - even if the provocation is only a minor irritation while they're feeling angry about something else, they actually do it. They may have thought of their fantasy as a mere safety valve before, but it does make them far more likely to commit the act they've been fantasizing about when they're under temptation than they would have done if they'd never fantasised about it.

Someone once emailed me saying he had a pornography addiction. He was ashamed of it and would often clear his hard drive of pornographic images; but no matter how bad he sometimes felt about having looked at them, within days, he was searching the Internet for pornography again, looking for worse and worse things, which worried him afterwards, but at the time it gave him pleasure. He wanted help. He was worried that sooner or later he would start wanting to do the things portrayed in the pornography he looked at to people, and that he would merely think of women as objects. I suggested that he re-focus his mind on other things. He said he was a Christian, so I suggested that in the times when he would normally search for porn, one thing he could do would be to go to websites where he could read Christian testimonies instead. (There are testimonies linked to on this site on the main Bible pages.) I advised that one thing he should try to re-focus his mind on was other people and their needs, and on trying to help them. I said he could do this partly by going to websites where there are lists of prayer requests, where he could pray for others instead of looking for porn. (There are links to websites where you can pray for others on Bible Part 1.) I advised that he should remember the prayer requests, so that when his mind was unoccupied, he could pray for the people with problems. I said that filling his mind with something useful might well stop it from going back to dwell on unhealthy thoughts at those times. I also suggested he focus his mind on the Bible, and specifically on his favourite verses. I recommended him to read some about the compassion of Jesus, such as you might find written about in the selections of Bible quotations about Jesus linked to in Bible Part 1.) I gave him links to websites where he could get further help with recovering from addiction. (There's a website where people can get help with addiction to pornography called Pure Intimacy: A resource for Those Struggling with Online Pornography and Affairs.)

When he got my email, he said that it was as if it brought him to his senses, and he lost the desire to look at pornography for the most part after that.

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The apostle Paul and others wrote to groups of Christians:

Ephesians chapter 5 (NLT)

3 Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God's people. 4 Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes - these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God.

Galatians chapter 6 (NLT)

1 Dear brothers and sisters, if another Christian is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself.

1 Corinthians chapter 10 (NLT)

12 If you think you are standing strong, be careful, for you, too, may fall into the same sin.

1 Corinthians chapter 10 (TEV)

13 Every test that you have experienced is the kind that normally comes to people. But God keeps his promise, and he will not allow you to be tested beyond your power to remain firm; at the time you are put to the test, he will give you the strength to endure it, and so provide you with a way out.

Hebrews chapter 4 (TEV)

13 There is nothing that can be hid from God; everything in all creation is exposed and lies open before his eyes. And it is to him that we must all give an account of ourselves. 14 Let us, then, hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we have a great High Priest who has gone into the very presence of God - Jesus, the Son of God. 15 Our High Priest is not one who cannot feel sympathy for our weaknesses. On the contrary, we have a High Priest who was tempted in every way that we are, but did not sin. 16 Let us have confidence, then, and approach God's throne, where there is grace. There we will receive mercy and find grace to help us just when we need it.

1 Peter chapter 1 (TEV)

13 ... have your minds ready for action. Keep alert and set your hope completely on the blessing which will be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 14 Be obedient to God, and do not allow your lives to be shaped by those desires you had when you were still ignorant. 15 Instead, be holy in all that you do, just as God who called you is holy. 16 The scripture says, "Be holy because I am holy."

Colossians chapter 3 (NLT)

1 Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits at God's right hand in the place of honor and power. 2 Let heaven fill your thoughts. Do not think only about things down here on earth. 3 For you died when Christ died, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 And when Christ, who is your real life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.

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I heard a sermon by the inventor of the Alpha course, Nicky Gumble, who said he recalled a man who had been to a strip club several years before, and after that had developed an on-going lustful attitude towards people. His attitude to his wife changed and they lost the intimacy in their marriage. Part of him began to want desperately to be cleansed by God from his constant lustful thoughts, but another part of him didn't want to let them go, because he enjoyed them so much. But one day, it occurred to him that God was offering something so much more enjoyable and precious than his lustful thoughts that it would be worth letting them go. When he did, his relationship with his wife improved and he began to see it as a precious thing and her as a valuable person again, which made it much more fulfilling for him.

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Another reason unholy thoughts are considered sinful is that they disappoint God's ideal of purity which all Christians should aspire to, with the help of God's Holy Spirit, and which it is said Christians will achieve in heaven, a state in which we will live for eternity.

In the New Testament, we have recorded what was said to various groups of Christians on the matter:

1 Thessalonians chapter 5 (TEV)

23 May the God who gives us peace make you holy in every way and keep your whole being-spirit, soul, and body-free from every fault at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians chapter 1 (TEV)

4 Even before the world was made, God had already chosen us to be his through our union with Christ, so that we would be holy and without fault before him.

Colossians chapter 1 (TEV)

21 At one time you were far away from God and were his enemies because of the evil things you did and thought. 22 But now, by means of the physical death of his Son, God has made you his friends, in order to bring you, holy, pure, and faultless, into his presence. 23 You must, of course, continue faithful on a firm and sure foundation, and must not allow yourselves to be shaken from the hope you gained when you heard the gospel.

Ephesians chapter 5 (NLT)

25 You husbands must love your wives with the same love Christ showed the church. He gave up his life for her 26 to make her holy and clean, washed by baptism and God's word. 27 He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault.

1 Corinthians chapter 1 (TEV)

6 The message about Christ has become so firmly established in you 7 that you have not failed to receive a single blessing, as you wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. 8 He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be faultless on the Day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Thessalonians chapter 3 (TEV)

12 May the Lord make your love for one another and for all people grow more and more and become as great as our love for you. 13 In this way he will strengthen you, and you will be perfect and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all who belong to him.

Hebrews chapter 12 (TEV)

18 You have not come, as the people of Israel came, to what you can feel, to Mount Sinai with its blazing fire, the darkness and the gloom, the storm, 19 the blast of a trumpet, and the sound of a voice. When the people heard the voice, they begged not to hear another word, 20 because they could not bear the order which said, "If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death." 21 The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, "I am trembling and afraid!" 22 Instead, you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, with its thousands of angels. 23 You have come to the joyful gathering of God's first-born, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, who is the judge of all people, and to the spirits of good people made perfect. 24 You have come to Jesus, who arranged the new covenant.

1 Peter chapter 1 (TEV)

2 You were chosen according to the purpose of God the Father and were made a holy people by his Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be purified by his blood.

2 Corinthians chapter 7 (TEV)

1 So let us purify ourselves from everything that makes body or soul unclean, and let us be completely holy by living in awe of God.

In the Apostle Paul's letter to the Roman Christians in the New Testament, he wrote:

Romans chapter 12 (TEV)

1 So then, my friends, because of God's great mercy to us I appeal to you: Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to his service and pleasing to him. This is the true worship that you should offer.
2 Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God-what is good and is pleasing to him and is perfect. 3 And because of God's gracious gift to me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you should. Instead, be modest in your thinking, and judge yourself according to the amount of faith that God has given you.

In the Old Testament Book of Isaiah, the Bible says:

Isaiah chapter 55 (NLT)

6 Seek the LORD while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near. 7 Let the people turn from their wicked deeds. Let them banish from their minds the very thought of doing wrong! Let them turn to the LORD that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

8 "My thoughts are completely different from yours," says the LORD. "And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. 9 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.