Rachel Evans
In Catholicism, mortal sins are those that destroy in us the charity without which eternal beatitude is impossible, cutting Catholics off from God forever unless they are redeemed by repentance and God's forgiveness. Lasciviousness, or aselgeia in Greek, is a sin that is strongly condemned in the New Testament. It is a form of wickedness with sexual overtones, manifesting in fleshly, carnal actions. It can include flirting, suggestive touching, sexual innuendos, bawdy humour, and the use of sexually explicit media materials. It is a sin that puts one's soul in jeopardy and can lead to a state of being past feeling.
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What You'll Learn
Lasciviousness is a mortal sin
Lasciviousness, or "aselgeia" in Greek, is a gross form of wickedness that often has sexual overtones. It starts in a sinful heart and manifests in fleshly, carnal actions. It can lead to a state of being "past feeling," where one becomes numb to their sinful actions. The word refers to several attitudes or actions, including excess, unbridled lust, debauchery, and sensuality. It can also imply any form of excess beyond sexual sins, indicating someone who "knows no boundaries" in their indulgence in evil.
In the modern age, lasciviousness is a pressing issue due to the easy accessibility of sexually explicit media and pornography. This accessibility has led to addictions and ruined marriages, even among those who identify as Christians. Lasciviousness also occurs frequently in workplaces, where flirting, suggestive touching, sexual innuendos, and bawdy humor are common. Immodest and provocative clothing can also be considered lascivious conduct, as it often leads to fornication and adultery.
The Bible clearly warns against lasciviousness, stating that those who engage in such conduct will not inherit the kingdom of God (Gal. 5:19-21). As followers of Jesus, it is crucial to understand that indulging in lasciviousness puts one's soul in jeopardy. Repentance and forgiveness are necessary to overcome this mortal sin and restore one's relationship with God.
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It is a gross form of wickedness
Lasciviousness is a gross form of wickedness that manifests in fleshly, carnal actions. It is a sin that stems from a sinful heart and can lead to a state of being "past feeling", where one is unable to enter the kingdom of heaven. The term "lasciviousness" is derived from the Greek word "aselgeia", which encompasses any form of excess and a lack of boundaries in indulging in evil. While it often carries sexual connotations, it is not limited to sexual sins.
In the context of sexuality, lasciviousness includes the use of sexually explicit media, such as pornography, which is easily accessible in today's digital age. It also includes behaviours such as flirting, suggestive touching, sexual innuendos, immodest clothing, and the sharing of salacious photographs or communications on social media platforms. These behaviours can lead to fornication and adultery, which are considered grave matters in the Catholic Church.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines mortal sin as one that "'destroys in us the charity without which eternal beatitude is impossible'. It turns man away from God, leading to eternal death and exclusion from Christ's kingdom. Mortal sins require three conditions: grave matter, full knowledge, and deliberate consent. Grave matter refers to the seriousness of the sin, as specified by the Ten Commandments.
Lasciviousness falls under the category of mortal sin as it is a serious transgression that goes against God's law. It is a form of impurity and lust, which are considered internal and external sins. While casual or unintended gazes at another person may be innocent, purposely looking at sexual intercourse or indulging in sexually explicit content can excite lasciviousness and is considered a grave fault.
Lasciviousness puts one's soul in jeopardy, leading to sexual immorality, impurity, idolatry, anger, and other sins. It is a radical possibility of human freedom, where the choice to indulge in lasciviousness turns one away from God and the path of holiness. Therefore, lasciviousness is not only a gross form of wickedness but also a mortal sin that can have dire consequences for one's spiritual well-being and eternal salvation.
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It can lead to a state of being past feeling
Lasciviousness is a sin that is strongly condemned in the New Testament. The Greek word behind the English term "lascivious" is "aselgeia", which appears nine times in the New Testament. The word refers to several attitudes or actions, including excess, unbridled lust, debauchery, and sensuality.
Lasciviousness can lead to a state of being "past feeling", as described in Ephesians 4:19. This means that a person has indulged so deeply in their sinful desires that they have lost the ability to feel or experience emotions. They have become numb to their own feelings and the feelings of others, which can lead to a lack of empathy and further immoral behaviour.
The state of being "past feeling" is a serious consequence of lasciviousness because it indicates a person's heart has hardened towards God and their fellow humans. It is a form of spiritual insensitivity where individuals no longer respond to the promptings of the Holy Spirit or feel conviction for their sins. This hardness of heart is considered a dangerous state, as it can lead to final impenitence and eternal loss, as described in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Lasciviousness is often associated with sexual sins, such as pornography, adultery, and immodest dressing. However, it can also extend beyond sexual sins to include any form of excess or indulgence in evil without boundaries. This can manifest as greed, gluttony, or a general lack of self-control.
The Catholic Church teaches that mortal sins, including lasciviousness, turn people away from God and destroy charity in their hearts. This results in a loss of sanctifying grace and exclusion from Christ's kingdom, leading to eternal death in Hell. Therefore, it is crucial for individuals to repent of their sins and seek God's forgiveness to avoid the dire consequences of lasciviousness and the state of being "past feeling".
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It includes sexual immorality
Lasciviousness is a sin that is strongly condemned in the New Testament. The Greek word behind the English term "lascivious" is "aselgeia", which appears nine times in the New Testament. The word refers to several attitudes or actions, including sexual immorality.
Sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. The Bible states: "Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body" (1 Corinthians 6:18-20, NLT). As followers of Jesus, our focus should be to be holy in spirit and in body.
Indulging in lasciviousness puts one's soul in jeopardy. Paul's letter to the Galatians states: "When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these."
Lasciviousness can manifest in various ways, including through sexual innuendos, bawdy humor, immodest and provocative clothing, and the use of sexually explicit media materials such as pornography. It can also occur through flirting and suggestive touching, which can lead to fornication and adultery.
The Catholic Church teaches that mortal sins are those that "destroy in us the charity without which eternal beatitude is impossible." Mortal sins require grave matter, full knowledge, and deliberate consent. While the gravity of sins can vary, sexual immorality is considered a grave matter as it is a serious violation of God's law, turning people away from God.
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It is a sin against your own body
Lasciviousness is a sin against your own body. The Bible says, "Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? So you must honor God with your body" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20, NLT).
The Greek word behind the English term "lascivious" is "aselgeia," which occurs nine times in the New Testament. It refers to several attitudes or actions with sexual overtones, including excess, unbridled lust, debauchery, and sensuality. It can also imply any form of excess, suggesting someone who "knows no boundaries" in whatever form of evil they indulge in.
Lasciviousness can manifest in various ways, such as through immodest and provocative clothing, flirting, suggestive touching, sexual innuendos, bawdy humor, and the use of sexually explicit media materials, including pornography. These actions can lead to a state of being "past feeling" (Ephesians 4:19) and can result in serious consequences, including the destruction of one's relationship with God.
As followers of Jesus, our focus should be on holiness in spirit and body. Indulging in lasciviousness puts our souls in jeopardy, leading to sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, and other sins.
To avoid lasciviousness, it is important to abstain from practices that contradict Scripture and to train oneself and one's children in morally pure and respectable behavior. By doing so, we honor God with our bodies and maintain our relationship with Him.
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Frequently asked questions
Lasciviousness is a gross form of wickedness that has sexual overtones. It can include flirting, suggestive touching, sexual innuendos, bawdy humor, and immodest clothing. It can also refer to the use of sexually explicit media materials, such as pornography.
Yes, lasciviousness is considered a mortal sin in Catholicism. Mortal sins are those that "destroy in us the charity without which eternal beatitude is impossible" and bring about "eternal death".
Other examples of mortal sins include adultery, fornication, murder, blasphemy, hatred, and prostitution.
Mortal sins are considered more serious as they destroy charity and turn people away from God. Venial sins, on the other hand, offend and wound charity but do not completely destroy it.
According to Catholic teachings, a person who repents of their sin, intends to live a new life of grace, and receives the Sacrament of Reconciliation will be forgiven for their mortal sins.
