Fornication and adultery is not understood today and we need to examine what these words mean and what God says about them. We need to understand them in order to protect our own children and instruct them to live God’s way. The following paragraphs will define each and give Biblical reference to what God expects.
First we have the word fornication. Fornication is the sexual involvement without being married. As the years have progressed, so has this act, especially among teenagers and young adults. Those who do not practice fornication are usually picked on or bullied because they are not “normal.” How sad that God’s word is being distorted!
In 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, God says, “Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminates, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.” He clearly says that fornicators (and adulterers) will not inherit Heaven. As parents, preachers, teachers, family, and friends, we must do our part to raise our children God’s way. It is up to us to guide them toward God so His grace lifts them to a life of eternity.
Acts 15:19-20 says, “Therefore it is my judgment that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles, but that we write to them that they abstain from things contaminated by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood. We must do our part to help others understand the severity of God’s word. In 1 Corinthians 6:13-18, He says the body is NOT for immorality and the immoral man sins against his own body. Again, in Ephesians 5:1-5 we are instructed to be imitators of God because immorality, impurity, filthy and silly talk, and such do not inherit the kingdom of Christ and God.
For those who are bullied and made fun of for not “sleeping” around, they should be praised and encouraged to remain faithful all the more because they are living righteously and God smiles upon them. God says those will go to Heaven. But, He frowns upon those who sin and if we want to do something to help, then we need to be open and honest with others, especially our children, and explain that their souls are in jeopardy for fornicating behavior.
Fornication usually leads to bad habits and the lack of having a solid God-like relationship. Many who commit fornication end up getting married and then divorced because they seem to never be satisfied. This kind of behavior usually leads to adultery, meaning having a sexual relationship with someone other than your spouse.
God clearly states in 1 Corinthians 6:16, “Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body with her? For He says, “THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH.” Verse 18 says to flee all immorality. A prostitute gives the body to whomever and those that go from partner to partner are no different.
Of course not all fornicators who marry end up committing adultery, but clearly they have already sinned and in marrying, they cause their partner to sin as well. In explanation of this, remember, GOD says the two shall become ONE when they join (have sex) and that is that. Once the act is done, it cannot be taken back in His eyes - the two are ONE. Matthew 19:9 Jesus Himself said, “And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.” Go back to 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 and reread where adulterers also have no part of Heaven. Jesus continues in Matthew 19:11 that, “Not all men can accept this statement, but only those to whom it has been given.” Too many today cannot accept His word because their hearts are of this world and not on Him.
The desires of the flesh are strong and it causes many to sin. The devil knows how to get the flesh and cause poor judgment. For in the New Testament God says to take time for Him but always come back together for each other less the devil wedge between. Both couples who are married should NEVER stray. That is the work of the devil not God. Couples have a responsibility to care for each other’s personal needs and wants and NEVER to stray to anyone else. There is hope for God says in Galatians 5:16 to “walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh…” The flesh and the Spirit are opposing forces and in verse 19 it says the deeds of the flesh are immorality, impurity, and much more.
Some couples have trouble in their marriages, but to turn away to someone else is a sin. God has to always come first and then once that is understood, the rest will fall in place if you take heed to His word and each other not self. Marriage is a lot of work, but it is a vow each took on their wedding day and that vow is solid in God’s eyes.
Adultery is so common because of selfishness and so many readily accept it. Jesus says in Matthew 5:32, “But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for the reason of unchaste, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.” The word unchaste means that fornication or sexual activity occurred before marriage.
From the beginning with God’s Ten Commandments, He commanded us to NOT commit adultery. God speaks of any man who committed adultery with his neighbor’s wife in Leviticus 20:10 as being punishable by death! This topic of fornication and adultery is dear to God’s heart and He was strongly affected by it back even in Leviticus! This is important enough to God to now in the New Testament warn us that these acts cause us to be thrown into Hell.
We turn on our televisions today and see fornication and adultery plastered all over and we hear songs of this on our radios like we are being “brain washed” into accepting what is not right. We must inform our children and young adults NOW, and perhaps older adults, just exactly what the consequences are for this kind of behavior because their souls going to Heaven depend on it! Be aware of what fornication and adultery is and set the example God expects!
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