January ‘Witness’: Living a chaste and decent life

“You shall not commit adultery,” our Lord commands. Martin Luther explains that husbands and wives should love and honor each other, and that all Christians should live “chaste and decent lives.” (At least, that’s how it was translated in the old version of the catechism.)

Yet it seems as though the world has abandoned any notion of chaste and decent lives. At best, the world greets the idea of chastity with mild humor; at worst, Christian men and women attempting to live chaste lives are mocked for missing out on “the good life.”

The January issue of The Lutheran Witness discusses chaste and decent lives. Chastity is not simply about “waiting for marriage,” but about the entire life of the believer. It includes how we talk about homosexuality and transgenderism (and struggle against them), how we battle against the modern-day drug of pornography, how we dress and live together as God’s people, and much more.

As the people of God, we must certainly speak the truth of God’s Word about these topics in a world that has abandoned truth to fulfill personal desires. At the same time, we also have plenty to repent of. All praise be to our God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who suffered and died to forgive any and all sins — even those against the Sixth Commandment.

Enjoy web-exclusive stories and a selection of articles from the print magazine at lcms.org/witness, and connect on social media at facebook.com/TheLutheranWitness and twitter.com/LutheranWitness.

Posted Jan. 4, 2020