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There are many verses in Scripture that instruct the Christian reader concerning fornication making it clear that it is extremely sinful to commit. If there is any sinful act that will provoke the wrath of God and bring destruction upon a people or individual, it is fornication.
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This sin, when perpetrated, is a sin that not only violates God’s law of marriage in a physical sense but also violates Him spiritually. It is a sexually intimate sin that is rooted in a self-centered mode of worship deemed idolatrous, “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry; For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh upon the children of disobedience” (Colossians 3:5,6). (KJV)
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Fornication is, also, the only sin that when committed is perpetrated against one’s own body (I hope to write on this soon). It is a sin that your body will suffer from and cannot be undone. It cannot be dismissed, no matter what.
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Although true Christendom recognizes that committing fornication is sinful and shouldn’t be carried out (at least with the little knowledge they have), their Biblical understanding of it, preaching concerning it, fear in avoiding it, and discipline toward it within congregations is wanton.
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As I have alluded to before, an accurate description of fornication according to God’s Word can only be perceived when an accurate description of Biblical marriage is perceived. If marriage Biblically is distorted, so also will fornication Biblically be.
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Even though some elements of marriage may be apprehended by the church, the elements that are misconstrued serve to induce fornication, which will extinguish those apprehended elements altogether. They become contradicting. This is what we are witnessing in the church today. The degree of sexual promiscuity and divorce at every level is afflicting and perplexing the church. Hence, why there is so much discussion on these issues.
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There are presently excessive violations (fornications) being perpetrated in the church to date. And these violations are only those visibly observed by the few apprehensive elements known. However, when one truly understands Biblical marriage, one will realize it is much worse. The church and its leaders are unable to see the true enormous depth of this sin, because of their lack of understanding.
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Some situations they deem to be fornication and yet aren’t. Many other situations they deem not to be but are. Many Pastors when officiating believe they are joining two people in marriage, when, in fact, they are frequently enhancing a fornicated union. The celebration is, in reality, one of fornication and not marriage. The church and its leader’s misunderstanding of Biblical marriage help actuate this sin. Their good intentions are misaligned with God’s Word and in essence foster fornicated relationships.
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When vying against the world, their lack of knowledge in marriage causes them to “beat against the air” when they attempt to support, defend, and fortify it.
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As a side note, I am not referencing the fornication of the world, but the fornication that is present in the church alone, because this is the fornication that matters. This may sound strange and crazy to most, but the marriage of God’s joining is a holy institution and is given to the believer, not the unbeliever (see “Biblical Marriage A Christian Exclusive”).
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So, at the front of many other issues, the church must recognize its marriage concepts are Biblically flawed and many of its present arguments regarding the existence and relevance of marriage are bankrupt. An understanding of Biblical marriage must first occur before the church will ever hope to see a reduction in sexual and marital sins within its ranks, as well as in society. It’s all about knowledge, accepting that knowledge, and conveying it to God’s people, so they are aware. But, are they willing to listen? Both leader and layman may not like what they hear.
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The true church of Jesus Christ cannot expect the world to change when it is doing what it is telling the world not to do. When Jesus spoke about being salt and light to the world and that these attributes are not to be diminished or covered, He wasn’t referring to being silent in declaring the Gospel. He was pointing to how sin and hypocrisy causes their effects to be diminished and void, “That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights” (Philippians 2:15).
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These attributes require holiness in the lives of God’s people for two purposes: 1. To provide absolute truth and validity to that truth, which we know God provides and the world seeks. 2. To provide an acceptable conduit for God’s Holy Spirit to work through, “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord…lest any man fail of the grace of God…Lest there be any fornicator or profane person…” (Hebrews 12:14-17).
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Men cannot see Jesus and be drawn to Him without peace and holiness in our lives. There is no light to the testimony of faith without holiness of lifestyle. For the world to be able to see Christ, it will require the church to be holy in body, “…acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world…” (Romans 12:1,2). Right now, the church has no idea just how unholy it is.
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Someone who has read or heard my teaching may ask, “why do you only focus on what constitutes marriage and fornication and not address other aspects of married life?”
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Well, I will give two reasons for the content on what I write and speak on marriage. Firstly, is there really a need for another writer or speaker proclaiming the day-to-day instructions on issues of how married couples Biblically ought to be toward each other? There are presently countless writers, speakers, radio programs, and seminars. I ask you, is the church any better off in its marital conditions? The Bible is already very clear on our responsibilities in marriage. If we live according to all matters of lifestyle and attitude Scripture admonishes, day to day marriage will never be a problem, in both sexual and domestic occurrences.
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Secondly, one can instruct on those particular issues until people begin to fall out of windows asleep, but if that union is of fornication, falsely labeled as marriage, all holy instruction, otherwise, is insignificant and pure vanity. How do you tell them not to fornicate themselves against the other when that is what already exists? It’s like two so-called married homosexuals; how do you tell them not to commit fornication against the other? It would be that way for any fornicated male/female union. It’s similar to putting flowers on a grave. It may make you feel good, but it does nothing for the dead man. Is there hope for the church’s situation? Yes, but not without knowledge.
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Fornication is rampant in the church and is damnable. The church is leavened. Again, traditional secular marriage concepts accepted by the church helps actuate that sin. This must stop. “And that you may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean” (Leviticus 10:10).