What Does The Bible Say About Abstinence? Abstinence and self-control/self-discipline are closely related and necessary to win the Christian race. It is important to understand that there is a significant degree of mutual dependence between these two terms. In order to successfully Follow Jesus Christ, one must practice abstinence from evil – in thoughts, words, and actions. This is to say that Christians have been called to stay away from all things that are displeasing to God. Likewise, exercise self-control over their body desires, thoughts, words, and actions that are not in line with God’s Will for mankind. As followers of Jesus Christ, self-discipline should be part of our qualities. There is much that the Bible says about self-control or self-discipline. Note that self-discipline is essentially the same as self-control.

Self-control is one of the nine (9) fruits of the Spirit listed by Apostle Paul in Galatians 5:22-23 – “But the Spirit produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control. There is no law against such things like these,” The KJV translation of the Scriptures uses the word temperance in place of “self-control” which, just like self-disciple generally points to our ability to control or restrain ourselves from all kinds of thoughts, words, actions, feelings, desires, and impulses that are not in line with God’s Will. By self-control, we are referring to our ability to control or restrain ourselves from the desire for physical and material comfort, things that can put our relationship with God at peril. It is important to understand here that self-control is an indispensable attribute of the Christian life, especially as our flesh regularly subjects us to ungodly feelings, desires, thoughts, and actions.

What Does The Bible Say About Abstinence?

It is of great importance for Christians to restrain themselves from all kinds of thoughts, words, actions, feelings, desires, and impulses that are not in line with God’s Will. This is a way of showing their love for God and aligning themselves with Christ for Eternal Life. It was with an understanding of this that Apostle Paul called us to “purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God” (2 Corinthians 7:1). Likewise, he calls us to “offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God,” and not to be subjected to the pattern of this world (Romans 12:1-2). As Christians or followers of Jesus Christ, we’ve all been called to offer our bodies as living sacrifices to God Almighty (Romans 12:1-2).

As inhabitants of this world, we all know how challenging it is to subordinate the constant pull of worldly things so as to please God in spirit and truth. Although not easy, we must strive hard to please God with our bodies, thoughts, words, and actions. Even Apostle Paul struggled with sin and inner challenges as he tells us in Romans 7:15-20 – “What I want to do I do not do…the evil I do not want to do – this I keep on doing…it is sin living in me that does it.” Brethren, keep watching for we are in a battle against sin. Today, especially in affluent societies, the lack of self-control is rampant. This truth is evidenced by the high rate of sexual immorality, the number of obese people, the extensive use of stimulants, depressants, and over-the-counter medications.

What Does the Scriptures Say About Abstinence From Sex Before Marriage?

There is much information in the Bible about sex, and believe it or not, God thinks it’s a great idea! And why shouldn’t He? He invented it. However, it is just unwise to have sex with someone who is not your wife as it is unwise to wake up a sleeping lion or ice skate on a lake in the middle of summer. Having heard this, one is likely to ask “why?” Interestingly, there are tons of Biblical and practical, common-sense reasons that have significant consequences. Some common consequences include dealing with the possibility of pregnancy, contracting or sharing a sexually transmitted disease, and the most underrated – but possibly most impacting – are the intense emotional issues that sexually active teens struggle with and take into their marriage.

Does the Bible condemn or say that premarital sex is wrong?

Yes! Although you won’t find this exact phrase used in the Bible, the Bible repeatedly calls mankind to flee from “sexual immorality” or “sexual sins.” The Bible encourages sex within the union of marriage. These references to sex are talking about any sexual activity outside of marriage. Thus, if you are having sex (or thinking about having sex) without being married, reconsider your thoughts as you reflect on Hebrews 13:4, 1 Thessalonians 4:3-4, 1 Thessalonians 4:7, 1 Corinthians 6:18-20, and Colossians 3:5. Likewise, Song of Solomon 2:7, Song of Solomon 3:5, and Song of Solomon 8:4 are regarded as verses with a strong warning against premarital sex when it says, “Do not arouse or awaken love until it so desires.” In simple terms, save sex for marriage.

Amazingly, God is not down on sex. He designed it to be so intense, so exciting, so memorable, and so fun that He wants us to share it with one person: our spouse. Thus, if you haven’t had sex yet, it is wise and advisable to keep waiting – you’ll be glad you did! If you’ve already had sex, talk to God about it. He wants to forgive you and give you a fresh start. Behold, you can start over today – right now! All you need to do is to sincerely turn to God and talk to Him for He is willing and ready to forgive you. He loves you and wants you to live righteously in Christ. Hebrews 13:4 says, “Marriage should be honored by everyone, and husband and wife should keep their marriage pure. God will judge as guilty those who take part in sexual sins.”

Supporting Scriptures and Benefits of keeping God’s Law

Hebrews 13:4 says, “Marriage should be honored by everyone, and husband and wife should keep their marriage pure. God will judge as guilty those who take part in sexual sins.“

1 Corinthians 6:18-20 encourages us to “Run away from sexual sin. Every other sin people do is outside their bodies, but those who sin sexually sin against their own bodies. You should know that your body is a temple for the Holy Spirit who is in you. You have received the Holy Spirit from God. So you do not belong to yourselves, because you were bought by God for a price. So honor God with your bodies.”

It is important to understand these Scriptures as well as the fact that God is not down on fun and He is not down on sex either. Rather, He is down on pain. God knows that if we pursue anything out of His guidelines, we will suffer consequences. God so much loves us that He has established sexual guidelines that will increase our sexual pleasure. When a husband and wife do things God’s way, they can enjoy a great and fascinating sexual life. And until you get married, pursue and love God, honor, cherish, and love the one you are planning to marry while exercising self-control and doing things at the right time. If you’ve already had sex, you can begin waiting today. If sexual sin is something that you’ve struggled with for a long time and find it difficult to quit, talk to God and look unto His strength.

Is sex before marriage a sin?

Even though sex before marriage is one of the clearest prohibitions in Christianity, one would be hard-pressed to find scripture on it. Many turn to the ten commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” (Exodus 20:14). But this passage is about having sex with another person’s spouse. Others might turn to the “sex chapter” in Leviticus 18 which lists and condemn every kind of perverse act that trashes the gift of sex such as incest, bestiality, pornography, threesomes, and other sexual sins. However, 1 Corinthians 7:2 is perceived as a Biblical verse that puts sex before marriage within the context of sexual immorality. Likewise, all Biblical verses that condemn sexual immorality as being sinful also condemn sex before marriage. Sex before marriage is condemned and regarded as sinful (Check 1 Corinthians 5:1; 6:13, 18; 10:8; 2 Corinthians 12:21; Galatians 5:19; Acts 15:20; Ephesians 5:3; Colossians 3:5; 1 Thessalonians 4:3).

It is without a doubt that the early chapters of the Bible were based on rules and commandments of the Jewish traditions. Behold, sex before marriage was clearly condemned in Judaism, and the same goes for Christianity. This was the culture Jesus Christ was raised in. These commandments and rules endorsed marriage. Likewise, they endorsed sex within the context of marriage and not out of marriage. Although, the words “sex outside of marriage” are never mentioned, however, it is implied that it is against God’s design. Remember that Adam wasn’t joined to Eve until God gave her away in the first marriage union ever made. The same tradition was applied for Noah, Abram, Shem, and Jacob. Behold, they waited until they were united in marriage to have sexual relations. God meant for us to enjoy sex and this can be properly done within the context of marriage (Proverbs 5:19).

An example of condemnation of sex before marriage in the Bible

The song of songs is regarded as the best book of the Bible about the joys of sex. Amazingly, this Biblical book reminds us that sex is strictly for marriage. However, there is one example of the condemnation of sex before the marriage of a soon-to-be wife who had sex outside of marriage in Deuteronomy 22:13-19. It is important to understand that it was such a precious manner that the husband had the right to divorce her if she was found not to be a virgin. And because of how this law could’ve been misconstrued, laws were put in place to protect the woman as well. Fascinatingly, she had the right to prove that her virginity had been taken in the marriage bed. Following this, we can say without a doubt that the Bible promotes complete abstinence before marriage.

And because the Bible promotes complete abstinence before marriage, we can as well say that sex between a husband and his wife is the only form of sexual relation of which God approves (Hebrews 13:4). All forms of sexual relations before marriage are highly condemned within the Christian community. Christians can mess up and receive God’s full forgiveness. However, there is a stark difference between messing up and continuing to do so with the mindset, ” I can always ask for forgiveness.” As Christians, our repentance should be a sincere one without hidden intentions of going back to commit the very sins. A good understanding of this leads to a full repentant heart. Note that repentance isn’t just an attitude of the heart; it literally means to completely turn from the former life with a commitment to change for the better.

Is abstinence before marriage a realistic message?

Truth be told abstinence before marriage is a realistic message. It is rather unfortunate that many in the modern culture have declared that sexual immorality is dead, a thing of the past, and isn’t realistic. They argue that it is old-fashioned and outdated. This leaves many wondering whether or not abstinence before marriage is a realistic message in today’s “hookup culture.” Worth noting is that God’s truth is eternal – not old-fashioned or unrealistic. Although God’s truth isn’t always easy, we’ve been called to stick to it. Sexual abstinence before marriage is often difficult and requires a high level of commitment, and self-control. In fact, it requires a person to be a rebel in a “sexually enlightened” culture.

Sincerely speaking, the sexually enlightened philosophy these days has brought our culture a lot of negative things – porn addiction, sexually transmitted diseases, and abortion on demand. Today, many say that “hook-up” is the goal of the night. Following this, you see singles bouncing from club to club looking to hook up with a stranger for casual sex. However, it is important to understand that this is not how God designed sex to work. Whether you are in a committed relationship or even engaged to be married, it is wise and advisable to embrace abstinence as you wait for the marriage to take place before engaging in sexual practices,

Tips to help you practice abstinence before marriage

• Accept to be a rebel in a “sexually enlightened” culture and never allow someone to force you to have sex before marriage.
• Always have in mind that it is possible to honor God by saving sex for a marriage relationship.
• Keep your eye on the prize which is to become more like Christ in your thoughts, words, and actions.
• Always avoid putting yourself in situations where you’ll be tempted to compromise your values or sexual purity.
• Always date a person of like mind as it will be easy for both of you to help each other keep abstinence.
• If you are serious, make sure that you set boundaries and be accountable to a good friend or mentor.
• Let God know your intentions and ask Him to give you the strength to succeed.

Is abstinence advisable or recommended in marriage?

Abstinence before marriage is good but it isn’t within marriage. The Bible calls on Christians to avoid abstinence within marriage except with mutual consent for a reasonable amount of time consecrated to fasting and prayer. And when they do so, the Bible still calls on them to come together as soon as they can so as to avoid falling into the temptation of Satan.
1 Corinthians 7:5 says, “Do not deprive each other of sexual relations, unless you both agree to refrain from sexual intimacy for a limited time so you can give yourselves more completely to prayer. Afterward, you should come together again so that Satan won’t be able to tempt you because of your lack of self-control.“

What Does The Bible Say About Abstinence?

1 Corinthians 7:1 – “Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.”

1 Corinthians 7:2 – “But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband.”

1 Thessalonians 4:3-4 – “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,”

Hebrews 13:4 – “Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.“

1 Corinthians 6:18 – “Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.”

1 Peter 2:11 – “Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.”

Group 1 – What Does The Bible Say About Abstinence

2 Timothy 2:22 – “So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.”

Colossians 3:5 – “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.“

1 Corinthians 6:19 – “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,”

Proverbs 31:30 – “Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.”

Genesis 39:7-10 – “And after a time his master’s wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, “Lie with me.” But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Behold, because of me my master has no concern about anything in the house, and he has put everything that he has in my charge. He is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept back anything from me except yourself, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?” And as she spoke to Joseph day after day, he would not listen to her, to lie beside her or to be with her.“

Group 2 – What Does The Bible Say About Abstinence

Romans 13:13 – “Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy.“

2 Corinthians 12:21 – “I fear that when I come again my God may humble me before you, and I may have to mourn over many of those who sinned earlier and have not repented of the impurity, sexual immorality, and sensuality that they have practiced.”

Ephesians 5:3 – “But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints.”

Jude 1:7 – “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.”

Matthew 5:8 – “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”

Group 3 – What Does The Bible Say About Abstinence

1 Corinthians 10:13 – “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.“

1 Corinthians 9:27 – “But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.”

2 Timothy 1:7 – “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”

Galatians 2:20 – “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Acts 15:20 – “But should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood.“

Acts 22:16 – “And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.’“

Group 4 – What Does The Bible Say About Abstinence

Hebrews 13:1-25 – “Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body. Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” …”

Proverbs 4:23 – “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.”

Daniel 10:3-18 – “I ate no delicacies, no meat or wine entered my mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, for the full three weeks. On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river (that is, the Tigris) I lifted up my eyes and looked, and behold, a man clothed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a multitude. And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision, but a great trembling fell upon them, and they fled to hide themselves. …“

Group 5 – What Does The Bible Say About Abstinence

John 15:1-27 – “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. …“

John 14:6 – Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Psalm 119:6-38 – “Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all your commandments. I will praise you with an upright heart, when I learn your righteous rules. I will keep your statutes; do not utterly forsake me! How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! …“

Group 6 – What Does The Bible Say About Abstinence

Matthew 11:18-30 – “For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is justified by her deeds.” Then he began to denounce the cities where most of his mighty works had been done, because they did not repent. “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more bearable on the day of judgment for Tyre and Sidon than for you. …“

Hebrews 11:1 – “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

Psalm 46:10 – “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”

Philippians 4:1-23 – “Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved. I entreat Euodia and I entreat Syntyche to agree in the Lord. Yes, I ask you also, true companion, help these women, who have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life. Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; …“

Group 7 – What Does The Bible Say About Abstinence

Galatians 5:13-6:18 – “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another. But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. …“

Ephesians 4:15-24 – “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. …“

Group 8 – What Does The Bible Say About Abstinence

Romans 11:1-12:21 – “I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says of Elijah, how he appeals to God against Israel? “Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars, and I alone am left, and they seek my life.” But what is God’s reply to him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand men who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. …“

1 Corinthians 10:8-18 – “We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. …“

Acts 15:29 – “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.”

Group 9 – What Does The Bible Say About Abstinence

Romans 8:1-39 – “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. …”

Luke 1:14-37 – “And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.” And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” …“

Group 10 – What Does The Bible Say About Abstinence

Acts 2:38-45 – “And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. …“

Mark 14:1-72 – “It was now two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to arrest him by stealth and kill him, for they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar from the people.” And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head. There were some who said to themselves indignantly, “Why was the ointment wasted like that? For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they scolded her. …“

Group 11 – What Does The Bible Say About Abstinence

Matthew 19:26 – But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Mark 7:20-23 – And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

Mark 14:1-72 – “It was now two days before the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking how to arrest him by stealth and kill him, for they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar from the people.” And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head. There were some who said to themselves indignantly, “Why was the ointment wasted like that? For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they scolded her. …“

Group 12 – What Does The Bible Say About Abstinence

Hosea 4:1-19 – “Hear the word of the Lord, O children of Israel, for the Lord has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land. There is no faithfulness or steadfast love, and no knowledge of God in the land; there is swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed. Therefore the land mourns, and all who dwell in it languish, and also the beasts of the field and the birds of the heavens, and even the fish of the sea are taken away. Yet let no one contend, and let none accuse, for with you is my contention, O priest. You shall stumble by day; the prophet also shall stumble with you by night; and I will destroy your mother. …“

Amos 1:13-2:12 – “Thus says the Lord: “For three transgressions of the Ammonites, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they have ripped open pregnant women in Gilead, that they might enlarge their border. So I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah, and it shall devour her strongholds, with shouting on the day of battle, with a tempest in the day of the whirlwind; and their king shall go into exile, he and his princes together,” says the Lord. Thus says the Lord: “For three transgressions of Moab, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because he burned to lime the bones of the king of Edom. So I will send a fire upon Moab, and it shall devour the strongholds of Kerioth, and Moab shall die amid uproar, amid shouting and the sound of the trumpet; …“

Group 13 – What Does The Bible Say About Abstinence

Daniel 1:1-2:49 – “In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the vessels of the house of God. And he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and placed the vessels in the treasury of his god. Then the king commanded Ashpenaz, his chief eunuch, to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family and of the nobility, youths without blemish, of good appearance and skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding learning, and competent to stand in the king’s palace, and to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans. The king assigned them a daily portion of the food that the king ate, …“

Jeremiah 35:1-19 – “The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah: “Go to the house of the Rechabites and speak with them and bring them to the house of the Lord, into one of the chambers; then offer them wine to drink.” So I took Jaazaniah the son of Jeremiah, son of Habazziniah and his brothers and all his sons and the whole house of the Rechabites. I brought them to the house of the Lord into the chamber of the sons of Hanan the son of Igdaliah, the man of God, which was near the chamber of the officials, above the chamber of Maaseiah the son of Shallum, keeper of the threshold. Then I set before the Rechabites pitchers full of wine, and cups, and I said to them, “Drink wine.”“

Group 14 – What Does The Bible Say About Abstinence

Ezekiel 16:1-63 – “Again the word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, make known to Jerusalem her abominations, and say, Thus says the Lord God to Jerusalem: Your origin and your birth are of the land of the Canaanites; your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite. And as for your birth, on the day you were born your cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water to cleanse you, nor rubbed with salt, nor wrapped in swaddling cloths. No eye pitied you, to do any of these things to you out of compassion for you, but you were cast out on the open field, for you were abhorred, on the day that you were born. ...”

Jeremiah 32:17-22 – “‘Ah, Lord God! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you. You show steadfast love to thousands, but you repay the guilt of fathers to their children after them, O great and mighty God, whose name is the Lord of hosts, great in counsel and mighty in deed, whose eyes are open to all the ways of the children of man, rewarding each one according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds. You have shown signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, and to this day in Israel and among all mankind, and have made a name for yourself, as at this day. You brought your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and wonders, …“

Group 15 – What Does The Bible Say About Abstinence

Isaiah 56:1-57:21 – “Thus says the Lord: “Keep justice, and do righteousness, for soon my salvation will come, and my deliverance be revealed. Blessed is the man who does this, and the son of man who holds it fast, who keeps the Sabbath, not profaning it, and keeps his hand from doing any evil.” Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord say, “The Lord will surely separate me from his people”; and let not the eunuch say, “Behold, I am a dry tree.” For thus says the Lord: “To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose the things that please me and hold fast my covenant, I will give in my house and within my walls a monument and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off. ...”

Jeremiah 15:19-17:8 – Therefore thus says the Lord: “If you return, I will restore you, and you shall stand before me. If you utter what is precious, and not what is worthless, you shall be as my mouth. They shall turn to you, but you shall not turn to them. And I will make you to this people a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you, but they shall not prevail over you, for I am with you to save you and deliver you, declares the Lord. I will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked, and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless.” The word of the Lord came to me: “You shall not take a wife, nor shall you have sons or daughters in this place. …

Group 16 – What Does The Bible Say About Abstinence

Isaiah 40:1-41:29 – Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins. A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” …

Isaiah 52:1-53:12 – “Awake, awake, put on your strength, O Zion; put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city; for there shall no more come into you the uncircumcised and the unclean. Shake yourself from the dust and arise; be seated, O Jerusalem; loose the bonds from your neck, O captive daughter of Zion. For thus says the Lord: “You were sold for nothing, and you shall be redeemed without money.” For thus says the Lord God: “My people went down at the first into Egypt to sojourn there, and the Assyrian oppressed them for nothing. Now therefore what have I here,” declares the Lord, “seeing that my people are taken away for nothing? Their rulers wail,” declares the Lord, “and continually all the day my name is despised. …“

Group 17 – What Does The Bible Say About Abstinence

Isaiah 3:1-26 – “For behold, the Lord God of hosts is taking away from Jerusalem and from Judah support and supply, all support of bread, and all support of water; the mighty man and the soldier, the judge and the prophet, the diviner and the elder, the captain of fifty and the man of rank, the counselor and the skillful magician and the expert in charms. And I will make boys their princes, and infants shall rule over them. And the people will oppress one another, every one his fellow and every one his neighbor; the youth will be insolent to the elder, and the despised to the honorable. …“

Isaiah 3:9-5:23 – “For the look on their faces bears witness against them; they proclaim their sin like Sodom; they do not hide it. Woe to them! For they have brought evil on themselves. Tell the righteous that it shall be well with them, for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds. Woe to the wicked! It shall be ill with him, for what his hands have dealt out shall be done to him. My people—infants are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, your guides mislead you and they have swallowed up the course of your paths. The Lord has taken his place to contend; he stands to judge peoples. …“

Group 18 – What Does The Bible Say About Abstinence

Proverbs 22:3-12 – “The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it. The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life. Thorns and snares are in the way of the crooked; whoever guards his soul will keep far from them. Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender. …”

Proverbs 20:6-20 – “Many a man proclaims his own steadfast love, but a faithful man who can find? The righteous who walks in his integrity— blessed are his children after him! A king who sits on the throne of judgment winnows all evil with his eyes. Who can say, “I have made my heart pure; I am clean from my sin”? Unequal weights and unequal measures are both alike an abomination to the Lord. …“

Song of Solomon 2:1-3:11 – “I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys. As a lily among brambles, so is my love among the young women. As an apple tree among the trees of the forest, so is my beloved among the young men. With great delight I sat in his shadow, and his fruit was sweet to my taste. He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love. Sustain me with raisins; refresh me with apples, for I am sick with love. …“

Esther 1:8 – “And drinking was according to this edict: “There is no compulsion.” For the king had given orders to all the staff of his palace to do as each man desired.”

Group 19 – What Does The Bible Say About Abstinence

Proverbs 4:12-5:20 – “When you walk, your step will not be hampered, and if you run, you will not stumble. Keep hold of instruction; do not let go; guard her, for she is your life. Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of the evil. Avoid it; do not go on it; turn away from it and pass on. For they cannot sleep unless they have done wrong; they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble. …“

2 Chronicles 7:14 – “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

Proverbs 6:20-7:27 – “My son, keep your father’s commandment, and forsake not your mother’s teaching. Bind them on your heart always; tie them around your neck. When you walk, they will lead you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they will talk with you. For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life, to preserve you from the evil woman, from the smooth tongue of the adulteress. …“

1 Chronicles 16:11 – “Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!“

Group 20 – What Does The Bible Say About Abstinence

2 Samuel 3:35-39 – Then all the people came to persuade David to eat bread while it was yet day. But David swore, saying, “God do so to me and more also, if I taste bread or anything else till the sun goes down!” And all the people took notice of it, and it pleased them, as everything that the king did pleased all the people. So all the people and all Israel understood that day that it had not been the king’s will to put to death Abner the son of Ner. And the king said to his servants, “Do you not know that a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel? And I was gentle today, though anointed king. These men, the sons of Zeruiah, are more severe than I. The Lord repay the evildoer according to his wickedness!”

1 Kings 2:1-3:28 – When David’s time to die drew near, he commanded Solomon his son, saying, “I am about to go the way of all the earth. Be strong, and show yourself a man, and keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn, that the Lord may establish his word that he spoke concerning me, saying, ‘If your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.’ …”

Group 21 – What Does The Bible Say About Abstinence

Judges 13:1-14:20 – “And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, so the Lord gave them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years. There was a certain man of Zorah, of the tribe of the Danites, whose name was Manoah. And his wife was barren and had no children. And the angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, “Behold, you are barren and have not borne children, but you shall conceive and bear a son. Therefore be careful and drink no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean, for behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. No razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb, and he shall begin to save Israel from the hand of the Philistines.” …“

Ruth 3:9-12 – “He said, “Who are you?” And she answered, “I am Ruth, your servant. Spread your wings over your servant, for you are a redeemer.” And he said, “May you be blessed by the Lord, my daughter. You have made this last kindness greater than the first in that you have not gone after young men, whether poor or rich. And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you ask, for all my fellow townsmen know that you are a worthy woman. And now it is true that I am a redeemer. Yet there is a redeemer nearer than I.”

Group 22 – What Does The Bible Say About Abstinence

Judges 9:1-57 – “Now Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem to his mother’s relatives and said to them and to the whole clan of his mother’s family, “Say in the ears of all the leaders of Shechem, ‘Which is better for you, that all seventy of the sons of Jerubbaal rule over you, or that one rule over you?’ Remember also that I am your bone and your flesh.” And his mother’s relatives spoke all these words on his behalf in the ears of all the leaders of Shechem, and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, “He is our brother.” And they gave him seventy pieces of silver out of the house of Baal-berith with which Abimelech hired worthless and reckless fellows, who followed him. …“

Deuteronomy 30:15-19 – “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you today, by loving the Lord your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them, I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish. You shall not live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess. “

Group 23 – What Does The Bible Say About Abstinence

Deuteronomy 29:6 – “You have not eaten bread, and you have not drunk wine or strong drink, that you may know that I am the Lord your God.”

Joshua 1:9 – “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Numbers 14:18 – “‘The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but he will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, to the third and the fourth generation.’“

Deuteronomy 23:2-24:16 – ““No one born of a forbidden union may enter the assembly of the Lord. Even to the tenth generation, none of his descendants may enter the assembly of the Lord. “No Ammonite or Moabite may enter the assembly of the Lord. Even to the tenth generation, none of them may enter the assembly of the Lord forever, because they did not meet you with bread and with water on the way, when you came out of Egypt, and because they hired against you Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse you. But the Lord your God would not listen to Balaam; instead the Lord your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the Lord your God loved you. You shall not seek their peace or their prosperity all your days forever. ...”

Group 24 – What Does The Bible Say About Abstinence

Deuteronomy 30:15-19 – “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil. If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you today, by loving the Lord your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away to worship other gods and serve them, I declare to you today, that you shall surely perish. You shall not live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to enter and possess. I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, “

Numbers 24:1-25:18 – “When Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he did not go, as at other times, to look for omens, but set his face toward the wilderness. And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe. And the Spirit of God came upon him, and he took up his discourse and said, “The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor, the oracle of the man whose eye is opened, the oracle of him who hears the words of God, who sees the vision of the Almighty, falling down with his eyes uncovered: How lovely are your tents, O Jacob, your encampments, O Israel! ...”

Group 25 – What Does The Bible Say About Abstinence

Leviticus 20:1-27 – “The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Say to the people of Israel, Any one of the people of Israel or of the strangers who sojourn in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech shall surely be put to death. The people of the land shall stone him with stones. I myself will set my face against that man and will cut him off from among his people, because he has given one of his children to Molech, to make my sanctuary unclean and to profane my holy name. And if the people of the land do at all close their eyes to that man when he gives one of his children to Molech, and do not put him to death, then I will set my face against that man and against his clan and will cut them off from among their people, ...”

Numbers 5:1-6:27 – The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Command the people of Israel that they put out of the camp everyone who is leprous or has a discharge and everyone who is unclean through contact with the dead. You shall put out both male and female, putting them outside the camp, that they may not defile their camp, in the midst of which I dwell.” And the people of Israel did so, and put them outside the camp; as the Lord said to Moses, so the people of Israel did. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, …”

Group 26 – What Does The Bible Say About Abstinence

Genesis 39:1-41:57 – “Now Joseph had been brought down to Egypt, and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, had bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there. The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master. His master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord caused all that he did to succeed in his hands. So Joseph found favor in his sight and attended him, and he made him overseer of his house and put him in charge of all that he had. From the time that he made him overseer in his house and over all that he had the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; the blessing of the Lord was on all that he had, in house and field. …“

Leviticus 10:1-20 – “Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it and laid incense on it and offered unauthorized fire before the Lord, which he had not commanded them. And fire came out from before the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord has said, ‘Among those who are near me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified.’” And Aaron held his peace. And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said to them, “Come near; carry your brothers away from the front of the sanctuary and out of the camp.” So they came near and carried them in their coats out of the camp, as Moses had said. ...”

Group 27 – What Does The Bible Say About Abstinence

Exodus 3:14 – God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I am has sent me to you.’”

2 Peter 1:1-3:18 – “Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, …“

Colossians 2:23-3:12 – “These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh. If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. …“

Group 28 – What Does The Bible Say About Abstinence

1 Peter 3:1-5:14 – “Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, when they see your respectful and pure conduct. Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious. For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, …“

Colossians 1:1-29 – “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the saints and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father. We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, …“

Group 29 – What Does The Bible Say About Abstinence

Acts 8:26-40 – Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place. And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah. And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” …

1 Corinthians 6:1-7:40 – “When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous instead of the saints? Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life! So if you have such cases, why do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church? I say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers, …“

Group 30 – What Does The Bible Say About Abstinence

Luke 7:33 – “For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’“

John 10:10 – “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

Micah 6:8 – “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?“

Joshua 24:15 – “And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Isaiah 9:6 – “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Group 31 – What Does The Bible Say About Abstinence

Judges 16:1-18:31 – “Samson went to Gaza, and there he saw a prostitute, and he went in to her. The Gazites were told, “Samson has come here.” And they surrounded the place and set an ambush for him all night at the gate of the city. They kept quiet all night, saying, “Let us wait till the light of the morning; then we will kill him.” But Samson lay till midnight, and at midnight he arose and took hold of the doors of the gate of the city and the two posts, and pulled them up, bar and all, and put them on his shoulders and carried them to the top of the hill that is in front of Hebron. After this he loved a woman in the Valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. And the lords of the Philistines came up to her and said to her, …“

1 Kings 18:1-46 – After many days the word of the Lord came to Elijah, in the third year, saying, “Go, show yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain upon the earth.” So Elijah went to show himself to Ahab. Now the famine was severe in Samaria. And Ahab called Obadiah, who was over the household. (Now Obadiah feared the Lord greatly, and when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the Lord, Obadiah took a hundred prophets and hid them by fifties in a cave and fed them with bread and water.) And Ahab said to Obadiah, “Go through the land to all the springs of water and to all the valleys. Perhaps we may find grass and save the horses and mules alive, and not lose some of the animals.” …

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