What Jesus said about Sexuality, Lust & Sexual Morality

Jesus on sexual morality: lust in the heart, adultery and fornication, and why He said sexual sin comes from within a person.

1. Lustful looking can constitute adultery of the heart.

   Read the Scripture (KJV) Matthew 5:27–28

   King James Version

   Matthew 5:27–28

   ²⁷Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:

   ²⁸But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

2. Evil thoughts, sexual sins, theft, murder, adultery, greed, deceit, envy, slander, pride, and folly arise from within.

   Read the Scripture (KJV) Mark 7:20–23; Matthew 15:19

   King James Version

   Mark 7:20–23

   ²⁰And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.

   ²¹For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,

   ²²Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:

   ²³All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

   Matthew 15:19

   ¹⁹For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:

3. Divorcing a spouse and marrying another can constitute adultery.

   Read the Scripture (KJV) Matthew 5:32; 19:9; Mark 10:11–12; Luke 16:18

   King James Version

   Matthew 5:32

   ³²But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.

   Matthew 19:9

   ⁹And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.

   Mark 10:11–12

   ¹¹And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her.

   ¹²And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.

   Luke 16:18

   ¹⁸Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.

4. In Matthew, Jesus names fornication as the one exception in his teaching on divorce.

   Read the Scripture (KJV) Matthew 5:32; 19:9

   King James Version

   Matthew 5:32

   ³²But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.

   Matthew 19:9

   ⁹And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.

5. A woman divorcing her husband and marrying another is also described as committing adultery.

   Read the Scripture (KJV) Mark 10:12

   King James Version

   Mark 10:12

   ¹²And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.

6. Sexual immorality arises from the heart and defiles.

   Read the Scripture (KJV) Matthew 15:19–20; Mark 7:21–23

   King James Version

   Matthew 15:19–20

   ¹⁹For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:

   ²⁰These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.

   Mark 7:21–23

   ²¹For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,

   ²²Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:

   ²³All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

7. Jesus refuses to condemn the woman caught in adultery, exposes her accusers' hypocrisy, and tells her to sin no more.

   Read the Scripture (KJV) John 7:53–8:11

   King James Version

   John 7:53–8:11

   ^7:53And every man went unto his own house.

   ^8:1Jesus went unto the mount of Olives.

   ^8:2And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them.

   ^8:3And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,

   ^8:4They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.

   ^8:5Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?

   ^8:6This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.

   ^8:7So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.

   ^8:8And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.

   ^8:9And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.

   ^8:10When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?

   ^8:11She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

   Textual note: John 7:53–8:11 (the woman caught in adultery) is not found in some of the earliest manuscripts.