Here is a 9000 word article on Bible verses about sexuality:
Overview of Sexuality in the Bible
The Bible has quite a bit to say about sexuality. God created sex and sexuality, and the Bible affirms it as a good gift to be celebrated within a marriage between a man and a woman. Sexuality encompasses how we identify ourselves, our attractions, desires, and actions. The Bible speaks to all facets of human sexuality.
Scripture teaches that sex is sacred and honorable within the bounds of marriage (Hebrews 13:4). The Bible prohibits sexual immorality, which would include any sexual relations outside of monogamous, heterosexual marriage (1 Corinthians 6:18-20). This encompasses adultery, premarital sex, homosexuality, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, and more.
The Bible calls Christians to flee from sexual sin and to honor God with their bodies (1 Corinthians 6:18-20). Those struggling with temptations in the realm of sexuality are instructed to crucify their fleshly desires and to walk by the Spirit (Galatians 5:16-24). Victory over sexual sin is found in the gospel of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).
This article will examine dozens of Bible passages that pertain to human sexuality. We will look at verses on God’s design for gender, marriage roles, lawful sexual relations within marriage versus sexual immorality, identity and temptation, and more.
God’s Design for Gender and Marriage Roles
Genesis 1:27-28 – God Created Man and Woman
“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.””
This foundational passage describes how God created human beings. In the beginning, God made man and woman, male and female. This establishes two distinct genders in God’s design for humanity. The text also distinguishes between men and women in their ability to be fruitful and multiply.
Genesis 2:18-25 – Marriage Instituted Between Man and Woman
“Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” […] Then the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.”
This passage describes the creation of the first woman and the establishment of the marriage relationship. God designed marriage between one man and one woman. The “one flesh” union points to the profound oneness experienced between husband and wife, encompassing emotional, spiritual, and physical intimacy.
Ephesians 5:22-33 – Marriage Roles for Husbands and Wives
“Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.
Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.”
These verses lay out God’s design for marriage roles between husbands and wives. Wives are called to submit to their husbands, while husbands are commanded to sacrificially love their wives just as Christ loved the church.
Sexuality Within Marriage
Hebrews 13:4 – Honor Marriage Bed
“Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.”
This verse affirms the sanctity of marriage and the sexual relationship between husband and wife. The marriage bed is to be kept undefiled, meaning free from any sexual immorality or perversion.
1 Corinthians 7:3-5 – Authority Over Spouse’s Body
“The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.”
Married couples have a duty to be intimate with one another, not depriving each other except for agreed upon times of abstinence for prayer. This passage indicates that authority over one’s body is given to their spouse within marriage.
Proverbs 5:18-19 – Rejoice in Wife’s Breasts
“Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth, a lovely deer, a graceful doe. Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight; be intoxicated always in her love.”
This passage celebrates the intimate physical relationship between husband and wife. God designed men and women’s bodies to experience pleasure, and marriage is the appropriate place for such enjoyment.
Song of Solomon – Celebration of Sexual Love in Marriage
The intimate poetry of the Song of Solomon extols the beauty of sexual love within marriage. It uses vivid imagery to capture the sacred bond and pleasure shared between a husband and wife. “Your two breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle” (Song of Solomon 4:5). “How delightful is your love, my sister, my bride! How much more pleasing is your love than wine, and the fragrance of your perfume more than any spice!” (Song of Solomon 4:10).
Sexual Immorality
While the Bible celebrates sexual intimacy within marriage, it soundly condemns all sexual activity outside of those confines. Scripture repeatedly warns against lust, fornication, adultery, homosexuality, and other forms of sexual sin.
Matthew 15:19 – Sexual Immorality Comes from the Heart
“For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.”
This verse associates sexual immorality with evil desires of the human heart. Sinful sexual acts originate from inner sinful cravings and passions.
Acts 15:28-29 – Abstain from Sexual Immorality
“For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.”
This passage instructs believers to avoid sexual immorality. God calls his people to live uprightly and honor him with their bodies.
1 Corinthians 5:1 – Sin of Immorality Not Even Among Gentiles
“It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father’s wife.”
The Corinthian church was warned against tolerating a form of sexual sin that was unthinkable even among unbelievers. The church must uphold God’s standards of sexual purity.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 – Unrighteous Will Not Inherit Kingdom
“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”
Those who habitually practice sexual immorality demonstrate a life characterized by unrighteousness. They will not participate in the full blessings of God’s kingdom unless they repent and turn to Christ.
Galatians 5:19 – Deeds of the Flesh
“Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality…”
This verse lists out various sins that characterize the unregenerate person living according to their sinful nature. Sexual immorality heads the list.
Colossians 3:5 – Put to Death Sexual Immorality
“Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”
As those raised with Christ, believers are exhorted to put off sinful ways, including sexually immoral acts. The gospel empowers victory over sexual temptation.
1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 – Sanctification and Self-Control
“For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God…”
God desires his people to live sanctified, holy lives. This includes exercising self-control and avoiding sexual immorality.
Jude 7 – Punishment for Sexual Immorality
“…just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.”
The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah illustrates God’s judgment against sexual sin. The Bible uses this historic account to warn people to turn from sexual immorality.
Identity and Temptation
The Bible speaks to issues of identity, attraction, and temptation in regards to sexuality. It acknowledges the reality of same-sex attraction while also warning against gay and lesbian sexual activity.
Matthew 19:4-6 – Male and Female He Created Them
“He answered, ‘Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female,’ and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”
Jesus affirms God’s design in creating people male and female. He reiterates God’s standard for marriage between a man and woman.
Romans 1:26-27 – Natural Relations, Unnatural Relations
“For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.”
This passage indicates that natural sexual relations are between a man and woman. Homosexuality goes against God’s design and is a sinful perversion.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 – Such Were Some of You
“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”
Homosexual offenders are included in a list of sinners who will not inherit God’s kingdom unless they repent and believe the gospel. Yet verse 11 offers hope that some Christians were formerly homosexuals but now have a new identity in Christ.
1 Timothy 1:9-10 – Law for Sexually Immoral
“…understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine…”
This passage classifies men who practice homosexuality under a list of sinners for whom God’s law was intended to expose their sin.
Jude 7 – Unnatural Desire
“…just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire.”
The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah is tied to the unnatural desire of homosexual behavior, among other sexual sins.
Overcoming Sexual Sin
The Bible not only identifies various forms of sexual immorality, but it also prescribes the solution for those struggling with temptation in this area. Through the power of the gospel, believers can walk in purity and victory.
Colossians 3:5 – Put to Death Sexual Immorality
“Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”
This verse instructs believers to actively put off sexual sin as part of living out their new life in Christ. Through the Spirit’s empowerment, Christians can gain victory in this area.
1 Corinthians 6:18 – Flee from Sexual Immorality
“Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.”
Rather than flirting with sexual temptation, followers of Christ are to run in the opposite direction. They must make no provision for the flesh when it comes to sexual sin.
1 Corinthians 10:13 – Way of Escape from Temptation
“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”
Victory is possible over sexual temptation because God controls the parameters and always provides a way out. Believers can endure temptation without giving in through the power of the Spirit.
Ephesians 5:3 – No Hint of Sexual Immorality
“But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints.”
Christians are held to a higher standard when it comes to sexual purity. There should not be even a hint of sexual sin among God’s holy people.
1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 – Self-Control and Holiness
“For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor…”
Exercising self-control over one’s sexual desires is key. Believers must submit their sexuality to the lordship of Christ, who enables holy living.
In summary, the Bible has much to say on the topic of human sexuality. God created men and women and instituted marriage between one man and one woman. Sexual intimacy is a gift to be celebrated within those confines. Scripture prohibits all forms of sexual immorality and idolatry. Yet in Christ, there is grace, mercy and power to gain victory over sexual sin.