What other Scriptures emphasize purity and holiness in relationships like Leviticus 20:18? Leviticus 20:18—The Call to Sacred Intimacy “If a man lies with a woman during her menstrual period and uncovers her nakedness, he has exposed her flow and she has uncovered the source of her blood; they must both be cut off from their people.” (Leviticus 20:18) Related Old-Testament Safeguards • Exodus 20:14 — “You shall not commit adultery.” • Leviticus 18:19 — “You must not approach a woman to have sexual relations with her during her menstrual impurity.” • Deuteronomy 22:13-30 — detailed protections for marital faithfulness and sexual integrity. • Genesis 2:24 — “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.” Wisdom’s Voice on Purity • Proverbs 5:15, 18-19 — enjoy intimacy only within marriage; “May your fountain be blessed.” • Proverbs 6:32-33 — adultery wounds a life beyond repair. • Proverbs 7 — the ruin that follows yielding to sexual temptation. Jesus Elevates the Standard • Matthew 5:27-28 — lust in the heart violates God’s purity. • Matthew 19:4-6 — marriage defined and guarded by God from the beginning. The Apostolic Charge to Holy Living • Acts 15:20 — believers urged to “abstain from sexual immorality.” • Romans 12:1-2 — offer bodies as “living sacrifices…holy.” • 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 — “Flee from sexual immorality…you were bought at a price.” • Ephesians 5:3-4 — “not even a hint of sexual immorality” among the saints. • Colossians 3:5 — “Put to death…sexual immorality, impurity, passion.” • 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 — “God’s will…your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality.” • 1 Timothy 5:1-2 — treat the opposite sex “with absolute purity.” • Hebrews 13:4 — “Marriage must be honored by all and the marriage bed kept undefiled.” Holiness as Identity • 1 Peter 1:15-16 — “Be holy, because I am holy.” • Revelation 21:8 — the sexually immoral listed among those outside God’s eternal city. Putting Purity into Practice • Guard the mind: steer clear of lust-inducing media and situations. • Honor marriage: speak well of it, protect it, invest in it. • Flee compromise: distance yourself quickly from tempting circumstances (2 Timothy 2:22). • Pursue accountability: invite trusted believers to ask hard, honest questions. • Focus on worship: presenting body and mind to God daily (Romans 12:1). |
    |