Common vices are these in the world—the life of non-Christians can be quite crude and lacking in moral virtues. That Paul takes time to warn us, testifies to the fact that they continue to be temptations for Christians. Not only should we avoid these things, we should stay so far away from them both individually and as a community of believers that there should be not even a hint of them in our midst.

Immorality is the English translation of the Greek word pornea and refers to the general idea of sexual sin. Any sexual activity outside of a husband-wife relationship is considered in Scripture to be pornea, or sexual sin. Behavior outside of marriage that incites the sexual passions is dangerous to the Christian who desires to “walk worthy of your calling” (Ephesians 4:1). While clearly this has to do with behavior, Jesus made clear that sexual sin includes thoughts of the mind and heart (Matt 5:28). This includes indulging in sexual fantasies or visualizations through reading, magazines and the internet. Today, internet pornography is epidemic. So the Holy Spirit tells us to, “consider the members of our earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed …” (Col 3:5).

Paul adds impurity and greed to the list of things to avoid. Impurity has to do with sexual impurity. Greed is the uncontrolled desire to obtain something. In contrast, there is nothing so pure and good and giving as the sexual relationship in marriage. God created this in the Garden of Eden to be enjoyed. Sexuality is core to who we are as created beings. Like magnetism it draws male and female together. God’s guidelines are for it to be expressed and experienced in the committed relationship of marriage where it can be fully enjoyed, encouraged and protected.

A person who is self-centered desires the blessing without the commitment and that is where it goes wrong with sex outside of marriage. The world in its arrogant selfishness wants full freedom to experience sex without restraint, but in so doing, enslaves itself to the passions it seeks. In Christ there is freedom to enjoy sexuality as God intended, under control and in the right relationship. Anything else is just not “proper.” Finally, our talk should also show a respect for the sanctity of sex, rather than to demean it with crude sexual jokes.