Sexting is a term made popular after the arrival of picture cellphones. Essentially, it’s when a person sends sexual pictures or videos through a text message to another person. It sounds exciting, and you want to know if it’s permissible for a Christian to do that too.
Well, if you’re reading this article, you’re probably a Christian who’s considering sexting as a way to still be intimate with your partner without being physically intimate. It seems like it could be a way to have your cake and eat it too. After all, the Bible doesn’t say anything about sending sexy photos.
So maybe it’s actually okay to do, right? Well, that’s what we’re going to answer in this article. The short answer is yes, it’s okay, but it’s only okay in a certain situation. After we identify that situation, we’ll look at what does and doesn’t qualify as sexting.
What’s the Big Deal with Sexting?
It’s important to understand why sexting is a big deal. As the name implies, it’s a sexual text message. This should send up a red flag for you because you’re supposed to uphold a certain sexual morality as a Christian. Therefore, depending on the circumstances, sexting could be considered a form of sexual immorality (1 Thessalonians 4:3).
Sexting in Marital Relationships
This is the only type of relationship in which it’s okay to participate in sexting. Marriage is a gift of God meant to be enjoyed between partners. We think that enjoyment can also extend to sexting with each other.
Nevertheless, some married couples choose not to indulge in sexting. And guess what, that’s totally fine too! When you’re married, you have God’s blessing to decide what you will and won’t do together sexually.
If sexting is something you want to pursue then wait until you’re married. If sexting isn’t for you then you shouldn’t feel like you’re missing out on something special. We all know the real thing is better anyway.
Sexting in Dating Relationships
It’s against the will of God for sexting to be part of your behavior while in a dating relationship. It crosses the line of sexual immorality and is definitely sinful. Please don’t prioritize your fleshly desires over God’s commandments regarding purity.
That being said, not every sexy photo you send qualifies as sexting. It’s important to know what kind of photos are permissible to send while dating someone. We’re going to cover that in the next section so you don’t fall into sinful behavior during your dating relationships.
What Qualifies as Sexting
Sexting is sending or receiving explicit photos through text messages. This begs the question, what counts as an explicit photo? All photos are not created equal, and in this section, we want to cover the types of photos and videos that definitely qualify as sexting.
Private Parts
Any photo that shows your private parts is the very definition of sexting. We award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul. Kudos if you caught the movie reference there.
Seriously, this is a big no. You’re sending pictures of a view that should be for your spouse only in exchange for a few moments of excitement and pleasure. It’s never worth it in the end.
You’re also setting yourself up for possible embarrassment later. Those pictures you’re sending can be saved, and if they can be saved, they can also be shared with others. Nothing ruins a reputation faster than a vindictive ex-boyfriend or girlfriend with nude photos of you. Don’t think it can’t happen to you.
Sexual Innuendo
A picture that doesn’t show any nudity can still be considered sexting. Sending blatantly sexual photos is also crossing the line of sexual immorality. Sending messages with sexual innuendo is not appropriate, and this category is meant to be all-encompassing for those types of photos.
It’s hard to paint a pretty picture with words about what qualifies as sexual innuendo. So we’re just going to give you some guidelines that really get the point across. Brace yourself.
Touching or rubbing yourself in a sexual way is inappropriate. Sending a striptease video is inappropriate. Using objects on yourself to convey a sexual meaning is inappropriate. Listen, recording yourself doing anything that dishonors the character of God or your mission to represent Him is inappropriate.
Rest assured, we felt just as awkward writing the last paragraph as you did reading it. Just remember, for every rule listed above there’s a real-life scenario that put it on the list of things not to do.
What Doesn’t Qualify as Sexting
It’s also important to understand what isn’t considered sexting. In Christian communities, there can be a tendency to overdramatize that which could be sinful. It comes from a good desire to be pure, but it can really stifle a romantic relationship if it’s taken overboard. So we want to give you a couple of examples of text messages that don’t qualify as sexting.
Swimsuits
We don’t think a photo that shows off your newly purchased bikini or board shorts qualifies as sexting. Depending on what you’re doing in them, you can definitely turn these kinds of photos into a form of sexting. So we caution you to use good judgment about what you’re sending to others.
Nevertheless, photos or videos of you at the beach are perfectly acceptable to send someone. A picture of yourself looking beautiful in your clothing isn’t something to be ashamed of. It’s an enticing part of the courtship process.
Flirting
We don’t think a photo or video of you blowing kisses to your significant other qualifies as sexting. Flirting appropriately is what keeps the spark of a relationship alive. We want you to know that these types of messages are okay.
However, you can also take flirting too far. So we caution you to use good judgment in what you permit yourself to text. If you think you’re sending something that will incite lust in your partner, you shouldn’t send it.