In the Bible, abstinence typically refers to refraining from certain pleasures, particularly sexual activity, as a way to maintain purity and devotion to God (1 Corinthians 7:5). It can also imply self-discipline and the practice of self-control in various aspects of life.
Scripture
1 Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.”
2 But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband.
3 The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband.
4 For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.
5 Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
6 Now as a concession, not a command, I say this.
7 I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another.
8 To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain single, as I am.
9 But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
Biblical Significance of Abstinence
The concept of abstinence in the Bible extends beyond mere refraining from sexual activity; it embodies a deeper spiritual discipline and commitment to God. In 1 Corinthians 7:5, the Apostle Paul speaks about the importance of both partners in a marriage giving themselves over to the practice of prayer and devotion, implying that periods of abstinence can serve to deepen one’s spiritual focus and connection to God. This idea reflects a broader biblical principle that encourages believers to prioritize their relationship with God above physical desires, as illustrated in 1 Peter 2:11, where abstaining from fleshly lusts is framed as a means to combat spiritual warfare and live in alignment with divine purposes.
Moreover, abstinence can be viewed through the lens of self-control, which is highlighted as a fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23. This self-discipline fosters a stronger character and a greater capacity to resist temptations that can lead one away from God’s intentions. Abstinence, therefore, signifies not only a physical restraint but also an inward transformation where individuals dedicate themselves to spiritual growth and moral integrity. By practicing abstinence, believers are called to reflect their values and commitments, ultimately aiming to live a life that glorifies God and aligns with His will for holiness and wholeness.
Abstinence in the biblical context is also tied to the idea of purity and consecration. In the Old Testament, the practice of abstaining from certain foods and practices during specific times, such as the Nazirite vow, exemplifies a commitment to holiness and sets individuals apart for divine purposes. This separation from everyday life allows individuals to cultivate a closer relationship with God, emphasizing that abstaining from physical pleasures can lead to spiritual enrichment. The book of Leviticus outlines various laws governing purity, and these guidelines significantly underscore the importance of personal discipline and the desire to be set apart as holy unto the Lord.
Furthermore, the call for abstinence can be seen as an essential component of the believer’s journey toward sanctification. Romans 12:1-2 instructs followers to present their bodies as living sacrifices, which inherently involves a commitment to abstain from behaviors and lifestyles that are contrary to God’s design. In this light, abstinence becomes an act of worship and devotion, as it reflects an understanding of one’s body being a temple of the Holy Spirit. This understanding encourages believers to embrace a lifestyle of self-denial, emphasizing that true freedom is found not in indulgence but in surrendering to God’s will, thus shaping their actions, thoughts, and desires toward a more profound alignment with His purpose. Through these practices of abstinence, individuals not only foster personal integrity but also contribute to the larger community of faith that seeks to shine a light in the world.
Spiritual Discipline and Self-Control
Abstinence in the Bible often signifies a form of spiritual discipline that encourages believers to exercise self-control over their desires and impulses. This practice is seen as a way to cultivate a deeper relationship with God, allowing individuals to focus on spiritual growth rather than succumbing to worldly temptations. By abstaining from certain behaviors or indulgences, believers can develop a stronger sense of purpose and clarity in their faith journey.
Purity and Holiness
Another broader meaning of abstinence in the biblical context relates to the concepts of purity and holiness. Abstaining from sinful behaviors or practices is viewed as a means of maintaining one’s spiritual integrity and aligning oneself with God’s will. This pursuit of purity is not only about refraining from physical acts but also encompasses thoughts and intentions, emphasizing the importance of living a life that reflects God’s holiness and righteousness.
Commitment to Godly Living
Abstinence can also be understood as a commitment to godly living, where individuals choose to forgo certain pleasures or activities in order to honor their relationship with God. This commitment often involves making sacrifices that may seem difficult but are ultimately aimed at fostering a life that is pleasing to God. By prioritizing their faith and values over temporary gratifications, believers demonstrate their dedication to a higher calling and a life that reflects their beliefs.
How to Cultivate Self-Control for Spiritual Growth
Cultivating self-control is a vital aspect of spiritual growth that can transform your walk with Christ. It begins with recognizing that self-control is a fruit of the Spirit, as highlighted in Galatians 5:22-23, and it flourishes through prayer, meditation on Scripture, and intentional practice. Start by identifying areas in your life where you struggle with impulse or temptation—whether it’s in your thoughts, words, or actions. Bring these struggles before God in prayer, asking for His strength and guidance. Surround yourself with a supportive community that encourages accountability and growth. Remember, self-control isn’t about perfection; it’s about progress and reliance on God’s grace. As you practice self-control, you’ll find that it not only helps you resist temptation but also deepens your relationship with God, allowing you to reflect His love and light more fully in the world.
Bible References to Abstinence in Scripture:
1 Thessalonians 4:3-8: 3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality;
4 that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor,
5 not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God;
6 that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you.
7 For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness.
8 Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.
Galatians 5:16-24: But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
17 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.
18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality,
20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions,
21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Romans 13:11-14: 11 Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed.
12 The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.
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.
14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
1 Peter 2:11-12: 11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.
12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.
1 Corinthians 6:12-20: 12 “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything.
13 “Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food”—and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.
14 And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power.
15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never!
16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.”
17 But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.
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.
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,
20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
Ephesians 5:1-5: 1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.
2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
3 But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints.
4 Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.
5 For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
Colossians 3:1-10: 1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming.
7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them.
8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.
9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices.
10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.
2 Timothy 2:20-22: 20 Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable.
21 Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.
22 So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.
Titus 2:11-14: 11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,
12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,
13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,
14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.
Matthew 5:27-30: 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.
Proverbs 5:1-23: 1 My son, be attentive to my wisdom; incline your ear to my understanding,
2 that you may keep discretion, and your lips may guard knowledge.
3 For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey,
and her speech is smoother than oil,
4 but in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword.
5 Her feet go down to death;
her steps follow the path to Sheol;
6 She does not ponder the path of life;
her ways wander, and she does not know it.
7 And now, O sons, listen to me, and do not depart from the words of my mouth.
8 Keep your way far from her, and do not go near the door of her house,
9 lest you give your honor to others
and your years to the merciless,
10 lest strangers take their fill of your strength,
and your labors go to the house of a foreigner,
11 And at the end of your life you groan, when your flesh and body are consumed,
12 and you say, “How I hated discipline, and my heart despised reproof!
13 I did not listen to the voice of my teachers or incline my ear to my instructors.
14 I am at the brink of utter ruin in the assembled congregation.”
15 Drink water from your own cistern,
flowing water from your own well.
16 Should your springs be scattered abroad,
streams of water in the streets?
17 Let them be for yourself alone, and not for strangers with you.
18 Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth.
19 Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love.
20 Why should you be intoxicated, my son, with a forbidden woman and embrace the bosom of an adulteress?
21 For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the Lord, and he ponders all his paths.
22 The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him, and he is held fast in the cords of his sin.
23 He dies for lack of discipline, and because of his great folly he is led astray.
1 John 2:15-17: 15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.
17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
James 1:13-15: 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.
14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.
15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
1 Timothy 4:1-5: 1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons.
2 through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared,
3 who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.
4 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,
5 For it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.
Rev. François Dupont is a dedicated church minister with a wealth of experience in serving spiritual communities. With a calm and serene demeanor, he has been devoted to sharing the message of love, compassion, and tolerance for over two decades. Through his thoughtful sermons, compassionate counseling, and unwavering support, Rev. Dupont has touched the lives of countless individuals, allowing them to find solace and strength during difficult times. His serene presence and deep understanding of the human condition make him a trusted guide for those seeking spiritual nourishment and guidance.