Does God reward abstinence?

[DarkNebulaWelder]

Do you believe that God will reward a person who is single and abstains from sexual intercourse, though he/she has ample opportunity to engage in such sin?

Do you believe that physically attractive people, who are continually propositioned and tempted, have more trouble in this area than people who are not....only because the opportunity arises more easily?

[Vickilynn]

Do you believe that God will reward a person who i single and abstains from sexual intercourse, though he/she has ample opportunity to engage in such sin?

Shalom Dark,

Rewards? Hmmmm.

The bottom line is, what does the Word say?

It says we should not engage in sin, sexual or otherwise.

We should be obedient.

1 Corinthians 6

9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

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. 14And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. 15Do 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! 16Or do you not know that he who is joined[d] to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, "The two will become one flesh." 17But 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.

Yes, I believe G-d is pleased when we walk in HIS ways and not in the ways of the flesh that lead to death (sin).

Yes, I believe G-d is pleased when we choose to avoid sin and use our bodies as the Temple of the Holy Spirit and not for sexual immorality.

Do you believe that physically attractive people, who are continually propositioned and tempted, have more trouble in this area than people who are not....only because the opportunity arises more easily?

Not necessarily.

[Guest LadyC]

i think God is faithful to reward obedience, even though we may not recognize the rewards until much later looking back.

as to the second question, i don't think it's relevant.... there is all manner of sexual sin. just because one person is more attractive and gets more propositions than the next doesn't mean the less attractive person has it any easier in some other area of sexual sin. after all, even the ugliest person has ample opportunity to view porn, haunt the topless bars, pay for sex, or abuse another person sexually.

it's all sin, and it's all abhorrent to God.

[HimAll4]

I'm really not sure about the rewards thing.

There is a point in what is merely expected from us, and abstinence is only what God expects. I don't think we need to look for a reward for just doing what He wants us to do, do we?

[DarkNebulaWelder]

I'm really not sure about the rewards thing.

There is a point in what is merely expected from us, and abstinence is only what God expects. I don't think we need to look for a reward for just doing what He wants us to do, do we?

Oh, no, of course not, but doesn't the Bible state that obedience is better than sacrifice?

I would assume that if a single person remained abstinent, despite constant temptation, leaning on the Lord for strength, that God would be pleased with that.

For me, personally, my greatest reward in Heaven will be hearing the Lord say "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."

Edited May 13, 2007 by Botz

[Smalcald]

Do you believe that God will reward a person who i single and abstains from sexual intercourse, though he/she has ample opportunity to engage in such sin?

Do you believe that physically attractive people, who are continually propositioned and tempted, have more trouble in this area than people who are not....only because the opportunity arises more easily?

No doubt sexual abstinence before marriage is hard. But you are rewarded with a clear conscience, being disease free, not having a baby out of wedlock, not emotionally exploiting and hurting someone or getting hurt, and importantly not grieving the Holy Spirit. So yes there are both spiritual and temporal rewards to this hard path as there are rewards for all hard paths we walk with Christ. In addition people who have abstained before marriage have stronger longer lasting marriages. I am so glad I don't have to sit around thinking about all of the other men my wife had sex with before she met me, or some kid she had with some other man before she met me, and I don't have to think about a bunch of women in my past and she does not have to worry about that, we can focus on each other, and we both now have ample opportunity to enjoy our physical relationship and do so without dragging in past memories. So it DOES have real benefits.

[HimAll4]

Oh, no, of course not, but doesn't the Bible state that obedience is better than sacrifice?

I would assume that if a single person remained abstinent, despite constant temptation, leaning on the Lord for strength, that God would be pleased with that.

For me, personally, my greatest reward in Heaven will be hearing the Lord say "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."

I totally agree and this is what drives me on!

[Guest LadyC]

does nobody consider God's many blessings in your life a reward? i certainly do. when we're disobedient, those blessings are fewer and further between. so i still say yes, God rewards us for our obedience.

[sheya joie]

Do you believe that God will reward a person who i single and abstains from sexual intercourse, though he/she has ample opportunity to engage in such sin?

Do you believe that physically attractive people, who are continually propositioned and tempted, have more trouble in this area than people who are not....only because the opportunity arises more easily?

No doubt sexual abstinence before marriage is hard. But you are rewarded with a clear conscience, being disease free, not having a baby out of wedlock, not emotionally exploiting and hurting someone or getting hurt, and importantly not grieving the Holy Spirit. So yes there are both spiritual and temporal rewards to this hard path as there are rewards for all hard paths we walk with Christ. In addition people who have abstained before marriage have stronger longer lasting marriages. I am so glad I don't have to sit around thinking about all of the other men my wife had sex with before she met me, or some kid she had with some other man before she met me, and I don't have to think about a bunch of women in my past and she does not have to worry about that, we can focus on each other, and we both now have ample opportunity to enjoy our physical relationship and do so without dragging in past memories. So it DOES have real benefits.

Smalcald said what I was going to say.

[Floatingaxe]

Obedience to God qualifies us for all of God's promises. Disobedience forfeits them. This is God's eternal way.