What Does the Bible Say About Sex Before Marriage?
1) Direct answer
Sex before marriage is sin. The Bible calls it fornication. God reserves sexual intimacy for a man and a woman joined in the covenant of marriage. Anything outside that covenant brings judgment, not blessing.
2) Scriptural explanation
- Marriage is honorable... and the bed undefiled, but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge (Hebrews 13:4).
- Flee fornication... he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body... your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost (1 Corinthians 6:18-20).
- This is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication (1 Thessalonians 4:3-5).
- To avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband (1 Corinthians 7:2).
- Fornicators... shall not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9-10).
- A man shall cleave unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh (Genesis 2:24).
- Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart (Matthew 5:28).
3) Simple clarifying logic
Now notice, God joined “one flesh” to a covenant, not to casual desire. You see, love keeps God’s Word; lust breaks it. Engagement, feelings, or promises do not replace the marriage covenant. The Spirit doesn’t say “experiment and see”; He says “flee fornication.” Our bodies belong to the Lord; intimacy is holy when the vow makes two one. Outside that vow it wounds the soul, the body, and the testimony.
4) Reinforcing statement
There is mercy. If you’ve fallen, repent and turn from it now. The blood of Jesus cleanses when we confess and forsake our sin (1 John 1:9). Walk clean, guard your heart, and honor God’s pattern: purity before marriage, faithfulness within marriage.
Ask a Follow-up Question
What did the Laodicean Church Age (our age) Angel (- messenger) Say about this?
Ranked passages from the local William Branham sermon and Church Age Book database. Relevance is relative, not a statement of doctrinal certainty.
Marriage and Divorce
65-0221M §97
Now, I'm going to say this to you. I'm very careful what I say to you. I don't mean to be rough with you people. I don't mean to be rough with you, my pastor brothers. I don't mean that. But I'm responsible, realizing that this has been given into my hands, and I can't hold it, and I don't know how to give it out; and I know that this tape will... Oh, my! I'll just get ready. The office open up, because here it comes. See? Just like it was on the Serpent's Seed, but it's absolutely proven to be right. I've got pape...
As the eagle stirreth up her nest
60-0804 §31
...alf-naked, in these little old clothes around here, and know that that woman is absolutely possessed of an evil spirit. That's right. Sister, let me tell you something. You say, "I'm as pure as a lily. I wear them." But do you realize something? Let me tell you, at the day of the judgment you're going to answer for committing adultery. The Bible said, "Whosoever looketh upon a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart." You might be as pure as a lily, but you dress yourself like t...
The choosing of a Bride
65-0429E §30
Now, we here see plainly, the spiritual plan of God's planning, for His future home with His future bride comes into view now. If a man marries a sex queen you see what he is looking for, for the future. If a man marries a woman that won't stay home, you see what he is looking for in the future. And I, one time... This sounds awful, and I just feel to say it. And I ... usually if I feel to say the thing, I ought to say it---and it is usually God's way. I used to go with a rancher that I worked with, to buy cattle....
The junction of time
56-0115 §28
...atural men and women no more; devil has so caught them. Look at the junction there with Sodom and Gomorrah. Look at the junction in the days of Noah: marrying and giving in marriage. You see the signpost? What happened? At the same time, God had a prophet on the earth to forerun the end time. Here it is. Listen. Always before the end time when Satan turns loose his impersonators, God sends His prophets. And we are told in the Bible, that in the last days your young men shall see visions and upon my handmaids and ma...
The Marriage of the Lamb
62-0121E §39
And then, after the decision is made that you are, then comes the engagement. That ... you find that at the altar. You've got to make an engagement before this union can be. And that's the way it is with Christ's church. It has to be an engagement with Christ, a pledge, an engagement, a love affair. And then, the next thing is, is promises made. There has to be promises made to one another---like that you make promise, "Sweetheart, if you'll marry me, I promise that I'll be loyal and true. I will look upon no other...