The SIN of Fornication

We live in a world today where many people don't think anything of jumping into bed with someone else. This is not only sad but scary as sexually transmitted diseases are on the rise. There are even commercials on Television which advertise syphillus medicine and creams for genital herpes. Words which people used to blush to speak about.

But the blatant acceptance of fornication wasn't always so. The idea of "free love" in the 60's (i.e. fornication) was frowned upon by society and hippies were looked upon as ruffians, vagabonds, freeloaders, and gypsies. But now just three generations later, they and their lifestyles are celebrated and even imitated by many. How could it be in just a few generations and few years that fornication went from being a sin to being "in?"

Even though people today chuckle when you say fornication is a "sin" the Bible still declares it to be wrong. In passage after passage we find God speaking against the act of two bodies joining together outside of His institution of the bounds of holy matrimony.

In the Bible, we read passages like:

Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body. (1 Cor. 6:13)

Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. (1 Cor. 6:18)

Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. (1 Cor. 7:2)

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. (Gal. 5:19-21)

But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; (Eph. 5:3)

Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: (Col. 3:5)

For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: (1 Thes. 4:3)

Although many of these are commands not to fornicate, many today believe that fornication is not sin, rather a natural act between two consenting individuals, and a mutual experience of love between them. They simply cannot accept that something they believe to be so good can be a sin. Thus, they make light of God and the Bible, and call those who preach it old "fuddie-duddies" who "just haven't caught up with the times."

But God is adamant in his convictions. God hates sin and thusly God hates fornication. So much so, we find in one passage where God killed those who were guilty of this henious sin. We 1 Cor. 10:8 we read: "Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand."

This passage speaks of a scene from Numbers 25 in which Israel sinned against God and many Israelites fornicated. Because of their fornication, God sent a plague upon the people which left 23,000 dead. Did you get that? God killed 23,000 people in one day all for one sin -- that of FORNICATING!

Now, as far as we know, God's never done that again. But have you ever thought what the world would be like if he did? I mean, what if God were to kill every person in this world everytime they fornicated? There would be a very small population left, wouldn't there? And those that were left would definitely make sure they didn't have sex outside of marriage. And you know what else? There wouldn't be any more sexually transmitted diseases. They would all be gone!

But God didn't do that. He wanted people to obey Him out of love, not out of fear. So he gave man freewill to decide if they would fornicate or not. Sadly, many choose the sin of fornication.

Sadder still, many who claim the name of Christ are fornicators. And probably most sad is when a man who claims to be a Pastor or a Minister of the Gospel commits this act. When that happens the whole world quickly jumps on him claiming he's "fallen." But why is it wrong for a preacher to do it, but not wrong for everyone else? The fact is it's wrong for ANYONE to fornicate! It is sin.

I remember before I was saved I was religious and I read my Bible daily. From my upbringing, religious teaching and studies I knew fornication was sin, and I determined in my heart not to do it. I remember my Mom, who was a Registered Nurse, bringing home a book when I was fourteen entitled, "The Encyclopedia of Sexually Transmitted Diseases: Illustrated." She told me to look through the book and I did. It scared me to see people's private parts eaten up with Sexually Transmitted Diseases and it changed my life. From that day I didn't look at girls with a lustful heart of "I want to get with her!" Instead my first thought was, "I wonder what disease she's got?" It really ruined me towards women. I was scared to death of getting an STD so I made up my mind I just wouldn't touch a woman until I was married.

But the thing I can't understand is how men can and do commit fornication and it never bothers them or their conscience. How can a man or a women live such loose lifestyles that they don't care about the consequences? They could get pregnant, get STDs, or worse, even AIDS. But they just don't care, and they remain sexually active often never using a condom.

As a teenager, I knew fornication was sin, because the Bible told me so. But could it be so simple that the reason others committed fornication was because they didn't know that?

I found out that wasn't the case. While a teenager in church I noticed even those kids in my youth group were sleeping around on Friday and Saturday nights, while coming to church all pious and holy on Sunday morning. How could they do such a thing and not feel bad.

After I got saved and got into the ministry I saw the thing that bothered me the most--those who claimed to be Christians and even preachers practicing fornication (and even adultery) with others. How could this be? And why didn't they feel bad about it? And weren't they concerned about what would happen to the church if they were found out?

To this day I still can't understand how a man can stand in the pulpit and preach against sin on Sunday while he's out committing it on Friday and Saturday night. How can he fornicate and yet feel no remorse?

To me fornication is sin. To God it is also sin. But how come it's not sin in the eyes of the world? And how can those who claim to be Christians be actively partaking of such a heinous transgression?