Glossary of Bible Terms and Modern Phrases Dealing with Sex and Sexual Immorality

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Act out: Euphemism used in the sexual addiction recovery movement to describe the act of committing sexual sin.

Accountability partner: A trusted individual who helps a person struggling with pornography to stay committed to moral purity. Often used in conjunction with Accountability software.

Accountability software: Software that monitors and reports on Internet usage. Typically used to monitor if a user is visiting pornographic websites, and often used in conjunction with an accountability partner. Covenant Eyes is an example of accountability software. See also Porn blocker.

Adultery: Voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and a person who is not their spouse. Includes the physical act as well as the mental act of lusting with the eyes. Read posts that mention adultery.

Affair: See Adultery.

Apostasy: Abandonment or renunciation of a religious belief. Embracing beliefs that are contrary to previous beliefs. Read posts that mention apostasy.

Concupiscence: Strong sexual desire.

Covenant Eyes: Popular porn filter and accountability software, along with free resources, to help people find freedom from pornography. Visit Covenant Eyes.

Dopamine: A compound present in the human body that acts as a neurotransmitter, a chemical messenger between brain cells. Higher levels of dopamine create feelings of euphoria and bliss, and act as a reward system. Watching pornography releases unnaturally high levels of dopamine into the brain. Read posts that mention dopamine.

Fap: Slang, considered vulgar. To masturbate as a male.

Flesh, the flesh: That part of the human condition that is weak and still subject to the attack of sin, that is opposed to the Spirit and wars against it, and that becomes the instrument of sin.

Fornication: Archaic. See Sexual immorality.

Fornicator: Archaic. One who practices fornication, that is, sexual immorality. Read posts that mention fornicator.

Harlot: Archaic. A prostitute.

Idolator: One who practices idolatry. See Idolatry.

Idolatry: Divine honor paid to a created object. Excessive attachment to or veneration for anything other than God. Read posts that mention idolatry.

Know, to know: Archaic. To have sex with. “And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.” Genesis 4:1 KJV

Lasciviousness: Wanton, lewd, lustful activity, typically sexual.

Lay with: Archaic. To have sex with. “Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.” Leviticus 18:22 KJV

Lewdness: Promiscuous and unprincipled sexual behavior.

Licentiousness: Promiscuous and unprincipled sexual behavior.

Maid: Archaic. A young, female virgin. See Job 31:1.

Members: Archaic. Parts of the body. From the Greek word meaning an instrument, a weapon, a tool, an implement.

NoFap: No fapping. From the slang term “fap,” referring to male masturbation. NoFap is secular community-centered sexual health platform designed to help men overcome porn addiction, porn overuse, and compulsive sexual behavior (primarily masturbation).

PMO: Porn, Masturbation, Orgasm. Typically used online in reference to abstinence from pornography, masturbation and orgasm.

Porn blocker: Software that blocks pornographic websites from appearing in web browsers. Also called a porn filter. Covenant Eyes is an example of a porn blocker. See also Accountability software.

Pornography: Any image, text or sound designed to arouse a viewer, reader or listener sexually. What’s vital is not the format (video, photo, book, audio recording, other) but the intent. If the intent is to arouse sexually, it is pornographic. Read posts that mention pornography.

Relapse: Euphemism used in the sexual addiction recovery movement to describe an episode of willfully returning to sexual sin.

Repentance: Literally, a change of mind. In biblical terms, to repent means to think differently, to reconsider one’s thoughts and beliefs. In view is a 180-degree turn away from sin towards the Savior. Not to be confused with simple regret, remorse or feeling sorry for sin. New Testament repentance means a changed mind evidenced by a changed life. Read posts that mention repentance.

Sanctification: The process of making or becoming holy, set apart, sanctified, consecrated. The process of advancing in holiness, of being progressively transformed by the Holy Sprit into God’s likeness. Read posts that mention sanctification.

Setback: Euphemism used in the sexual addiction recovery movement to describe an episode of willfully returning to sexual sin.

Sexual immorality: From the Greek, porneia. Any act that defies God’s commands about sexual relations. Includes sex outside of marriage, sex with animals, sex with children, sex with close family members, viewing pornography, and masturbating. Read posts that mention sexual immorality.

Trigger: In the context of habitual use of pornography, sometimes called porn addiction, anything internal or external that causes a person to crave pornography. Triggers can be people, places, thoughts, sounds and sights. Read posts that mention triggers.

Went in unto: Archaic. Had sex with. “And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite, whose name was Shuah; and he took her, and went in unto her.” Genesis 38:2 KJV