41 Bible Verses about Sexual Immorality

Bible Verses about Sexual Immorality address God’s call to purity, holiness, and honoring Him with our bodies. Scripture consistently teaches that sexual immorality separates people from God’s best and harms both the spirit and the heart. These verses are not meant to condemn but to guide believers toward a life that reflects God’s design, love, and righteousness.

Through these Bible verses, believers are reminded that God offers strength to resist temptation and grace for repentance and restoration. They emphasize self-control, respect, and faithfulness while encouraging believers to flee from sin and pursue holiness. Studying these Scriptures helps renew the mind, strengthen spiritual discipline, and walk in obedience according to God’s will.

What Does the Bible Say About Sexual Immorality?

The Bible consistently and clearly condemns sexual immorality (porneia in Greek) as sin that violates God’s design for sexuality within the covenant of marriage between one man and one woman. Scripture addresses sexual immorality throughout both Old and New Testaments, commanding believers to flee from it (1 Corinthians 6:18), warning that those who practice it will not inherit the kingdom of God (Galatians 5:19-21), and explaining that sexual sin uniquely violates our bodies which are temples of the Holy Spirit. 

God’s Word isn’t restrictive to limit pleasure but protective to preserve the beauty, intimacy, and life-giving power of sexuality within its proper context, while warning that sexual immorality—including fornication, adultery, pornography, lust, and all sexual activity outside marriage—brings spiritual, emotional, relational, and sometimes physical consequences that damage the abundant life Jesus offers.

Bible Verses about Sexual Immorality

• 1 Corinthians 6:18 “Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body.”
• 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God.”
• Ephesians 5:3 “But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.”
• Colossians 3:5 “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.”
• Hebrews 13:4 “Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.”
• 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 “Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”
• Galatians 5:19-21 “The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
• Romans 13:13-14 “Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.”
• 1 Corinthians 5:11 “But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.”

Warnings Against Sexual Immorality

• Proverbs 5:3-5 “For the lips of the adulterous woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil; but in the end she is bitter as gall, sharp as a double-edged sword. Her feet go down to death; her steps lead straight to the grave.”
• Proverbs 6:32 “But a man who commits adultery has no sense; whoever does so destroys himself.”
• Proverbs 7:26-27 “Many are the victims she has brought down; her slain are a mighty throng. Her house is a highway to the grave, leading down to the chambers of death.”
• 1 Corinthians 6:13 “You say, ‘Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy them both.’ The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.”
• Jude 1:7 “In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.”
• Revelation 2:20-21 “Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling.”
• Matthew 5:27-28 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
• Proverbs 5:20-23 “Why, my son, be intoxicated with another man’s wife? Why embrace the bosom of a wayward woman? For your ways are in full view of the LORD, and he examines all your paths. The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare them; the cords of their sins hold them fast. For lack of discipline they will die, led astray by their own great folly.”
• 1 Peter 2:11 “Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul.”

Consequences of Sexual Immorality

• Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
• Proverbs 6:27-29 “Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned? Can a man walk on hot coals without his feet being scorched? So is he who sleeps with another man’s wife; no one who touches her will go unpunished.”
• 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.”
• Galatians 6:7-8 “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.”
• Numbers 32:23 “But if you fail to do this, you will be sinning against the LORD; and you may be sure that your sin will find you out.”
• Proverbs 5:11-14 “At the end of your life you will groan, when your flesh and body are spent. You will say, ‘How I hated discipline! How my heart spurned correction! I would not obey my teachers or turn my ear to my instructors. And I was soon in serious trouble in the assembly of God’s people.'”
• Hosea 4:11 “Prostitution, wine, and new wine take away understanding.”
• Romans 1:24-27 “Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another.”

Key Bible Scriptures That Warn Against Sexual Immorality

• Exodus 20:14 “You shall not commit adultery.”
• Leviticus 18:22 “Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable.”
• Deuteronomy 22:22 “If a man is found sleeping with another man’s wife, both the man who slept with her and the woman must die. You must purge the evil from Israel.”
• Job 31:1 “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a young woman.”
• Proverbs 6:25 “Do not lust in your heart after her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes.”
• 1 Corinthians 7:2 “But since sexual immorality is occurring, each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband.”
• 2 Timothy 2:22 “Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”
• James 1:14-15 “But each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”
• Revelation 21:8 “But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

Biblical Teachings on Purity, Holiness, and Moral Living

• 1 Peter 1:15-16 “But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.'”
• Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
• Psalm 119:9 “How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word.”
• Matthew 5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”
• Titus 2:11-12 “For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age.”
• 1 Timothy 5:22 “Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, and do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.”
• 2 Corinthians 7:1 “Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.”
• Romans 12:1-2 “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
• 1 Thessalonians 5:23 “May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Frequently Asked Questions

What Bible verse warns against sexual immorality?

“Flee from sexual immorality.” — 1 Corinthians 6:18

What scripture talks about purity of the body?

“Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit.” — 1 Corinthians 6:19

What Bible verse teaches self-control over lust?

“Each of you should learn to control your own body.” — 1 Thessalonians 4:3–4

What did Jesus say about lust in the Bible?

“Anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery in his heart.” — Matthew 5:28

What Bible verse calls believers to holiness?

“For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.” — 1 Thessalonians 4:7

What scripture encourages fleeing temptation?

“Flee the evil desires of youth.” — 2 Timothy 2:22

What Bible verse warns of consequences of immorality?

“The sexually immoral will not inherit the kingdom of God.” — 1 Corinthians 6:9

What verse encourages a clean heart?

“Create in me a clean heart, O God.” — Psalm 51:10

What Bible verse offers forgiveness after sexual sin?

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive.” — 1 John 1:9

What scripture gives hope for freedom from sin?

“If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” — John 8:36

Conclusion

Bible verses about sexual immorality clearly remind us of God’s desire for purity, holiness, and integrity in our lives. Scripture teaches that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit and that honoring God includes honoring Him with our thoughts, actions, and choices. These verses are not meant to condemn, but to guide believers toward a life that reflects God’s love, discipline, and righteous standards. Through God’s Word, we gain clarity on what leads to spiritual growth and what pulls us away from His will.

As you reflect on these Bible verses, may they strengthen your resolve to live in obedience and grace. God offers forgiveness, restoration, and strength to overcome temptation when we turn to Him sincerely. Sexual purity is a journey of faith, supported by prayer, accountability, and reliance on God’s Spirit. Walk confidently knowing that God’s commands are given out of love and are meant to lead you into freedom, peace, and a fulfilled life in Him.