Entry
Sexual immoralities / Sex isn't the issue
What did Jesus mean
There is evil that can come from specific sexual acts.
Where did Jesus say this
Mark 7:21-23 — “For from within, out of people’s hearts, come evil thoughts: sexual immoralities, thefts, murders, adulteries, acts of greed, acts of wickedness, deceit, shameless indulgence, an envious eye, slander, arrogance, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”
Words Behind the Words
Greek to English translation is kind of tricky, and some writings of Jesus leverage this in different ways. Some interpretations of Jesus use “sexual immorality” as opposed to “sexual immoralities” — and that’s an interesting distinction. In the original Greek version, the word porneiai is used. It is plural and means “sexual immoralities” or “acts of sexual immorality.”
What Jesus did not mean
Jesus did not mean that sex is bad.
Jesus was intentional with his word choice, and so we should be intentional with our interpretation.
Jesus doesn’t address sex itself. He addresses acts around sex — specifically, he addresses lust, prostitution, and adultery.
If you choose to view this verse from the “acts of sexual immorality” lens, then you choose to understand that Jesus is talking about a variety of sexual acts. These sexual activities come from “evil thoughts” — which can be explained as a misaligned heart (or bad intentions). He is not condemning sex altogether.
Sexual acts (or immoralities) such as lust and adultery lead to thoughts and actions that can hurt people.
Where to start
If you struggle with sexual immoralities, only Jesus can help you.
Examine your thoughts and ask Jesus for help.
This might seem abstract, but it’s not. However, it can be difficult.
Asking Jesus for help is simple. “Jesus, help me work through this.”
Examining your thoughts is more difficult. It requires a deep analysis of your motives and intentions.
You actually have to ask yourself: “Where do these thoughts come from? Why do I allow them to choose for me?”
Benefits
There are a few benefits.
For starters, you stop feeling shame. Jesus is not saying don’t enjoy sex with the right person at the right time. He’s saying “examine your intentions first.”
You take control of your own life. You stop choosing to allow thoughts (that you may not fully understand or even want to begin with) to dictate your life’s choices.
And lastly, you start to see Jesus as less radical and authoritative. Because he’s not. He’s here to help. Not control.
Also said as: what did Jesus say about sexual immorality · lust in your heart is adultery · fornication · out of the heart come evil things