Becoming
The Sixth Commandment teaches that sexuality is a good gift from God, but one that must be ordered through chastity and self-control. Jesus reveals that sexual sin begins in the heart and calls believers to purity of intention, not merely external compliance. When sexuality is governed rightly, it protects human dignity, fosters true love, and reflects God’s design for intimacy.
Deuteronomy 5:18
‘And you shall not commit adultery.
Matthew 5:27-28
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.
Jesus Deepens the Commandment
Jesus does not abolish the commandment; He intensifies it by moving from outward acts to inward desires (Matthew 5:27–28).
Sexual sin begins in the heart, not merely in physical behavior.
The Sixth Commandment governs an entire moral category, not just isolated actions.
True obedience involves purity of intention, not merely external restraint.
The Nature of Sex (Gender)
Scripture teaches that sex is binary: male and female (Genesis 1:27).
Sexual identity is a given reality, not something self-created or chosen.
Gender is physical, moral, and spiritual in nature.
Men and women are different yet complementary, not interchangeable.
Both are equal in dignity, value, and created in the image of God.
Difference, Complementarity, and Dignity
Sexual difference was designed for union, not division.
Man and woman are meant to function together, each bringing what the other lacks.
Their differences do not imply inequality, but mutual dependence.
Above sexual difference stands shared humanity and equal worth before God
Sexuality and the Call to Chastity
Sexual purity is historically called chastity.
Chastity belongs to the virtue of temperance, which is self-control.
It is the right integration of sexuality within the whole person.
Chastity allows sexuality to serve love rather than dominate the person.
The Sexual Appetite
Sexual desire is a natural appetite given by God, similar to hunger.
The appetite itself is not sinful, but it is irrational and must be governed.
Without rational mastery, desire becomes destructive.
Moral maturity requires learning to order desire toward the good.
Sexuality as Fire
Scripture compares sexuality to fire: powerful and beneficial when contained.
When uncontrolled, it causes destruction in individuals, families, and society.
Modern culture removed sexuality from its proper place, leading to disorder.
Chastity restores control and freedom.
Virtue is built over time through discipline and vigilance.
Forms of Chastity
Celibate chastity for single persons.
Conjugal chastity for married persons.
Widowed chastity after the loss of a spouse.
Every baptized Christian is called to live chastely according to their state of life.
Offenses Against Chastity
Scripture identifies sexual immorality, impurity, passion, and evil desire (Colossians 3:5).
Lust is the root of sexual sin: disordered desire or excessive pursuit of pleasure.
Sexual pleasure becomes disordered when separated from its proper purposes.
Self-gratification, pornography, and fornication violate human dignity and God’s design.
Sexuality was created for self-gift within marriage, not self-use.
