The Christian Online Magazine -
"A college boy in an eastern school was quoted as saying, 'Sex is conquest, love is surrender. Who wants to surrender?' "- Encyclopedia of Sermon Illustrations
This is quite a perverted mindset of sex, yet, sad to say, it prevails among many of our youth today. Sex is no longer considered as a beautifully orchestrated physical union between a husband and wife. Rather, it is a conquest of another's innocency, purity, and virginity - a selfish pursuit of one's own physical satisfaction and pleasure.
Everywhere we turn, we can easily see that we have become a sex-crazed society. Young girls are taught as early as pre-K how to "shake their bodies" and dress provocatively before the boys. By the time they reach their early teens, it's no wonder that we find them pregnant. Babies are having babies. The young boys see it all as a game of conquest - something that they can brag about and supposedly boast in their "manhood," based on how many girls they did indeed "conquer."
This is sick!
This is pitiful!
This is insane!
This is the society that we presently live in!
And, folks, things are not getting any better!
They only grow worse and worse each day!
The most grieving part of this whole picture is that the scene does not change behind the closed doors of the Church. What is going on out in the world is happening right in the midst of God's Blood-bought people. This ought not to be! It is an abomination in the sight of a Holy God!
If the Body of Christ does not set the standard for holy living, then who will?
Who can the world turn to for answers to their sinful bondages if the "saints" are bound in sin as well?
In Psalm 11:3, David cried out - "If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?"
That is a good question for the Church to ask today! If the preachers and leaders can't remain faithful to their wives, but seem to want their wife and every one else's, then how can we, as the Body of Christ, minister to a sin-sick world when we ourselves are a sin-sick people?
How can we preach to others of the Power of the Holy Spirit Who causes the saint to walk in 100% victory over sin every moment of the day, when we have Pastors who are committing adultery and are even involved in homosexuality? Who will listen to our message after witnessing such a lineup of failure and weakness?
2 Corinthians 12:21 - The Apostle Paul faced enormous problems in the Corinthian Church - one of which was the scandalous sins that prevailed among "many." Not a few but "many" were involved in "uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness." There was a total lapse of holy and pure living.
How did he react? Did he consider it all a light matter? On the contrary, the Scripture tells us that Paul said - "And lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and that I shall bewail many which have sinned already, and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed."
In other words, he said that he would mourn for those who had sinned so grievously and had not yet repented.
Earlier, in 1 Corinthians 5, we read how he rebuked the believers for tolerating an incestuous relationship among one in the congregation. Instead of being troubled over such "leaven" in their midst, they were "puffed up" and filled with pride and vain confidence, totally overlooking such an heinous sin -
"It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife. And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you."
Just as Paul was grieved over the sin in the Corinthian Church, even so should we mourn at the loose-living among the Body of Christ today. Oh! For those who will bewail, weep, travail, sigh, and cry for a moving of the Spirit where the Fear of the Lord will come back in the midst of us and convict all those who would dare to live in sin and call themselves Christians!
Ephesians 5:3 - Fornication - the sexual sin committed between unmarried people but also including adultery - should never, ever be found among Christians - "But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints." It should be wholly unknown amidst the Christian circles simply because it is not appropriate behavior for those who claim to be holy - "as becometh saints."
Colossians 3:5 - The Apostle Paul admonished the believers to "mortify" their "members" or the spring of all evil desires and passions which would give way to fornication and uncleanness. They were to put to death, suppress, subdue, and strip of power any corrupt habit or affection of their minds which would result in such sin - "Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication..."
Mark 7:21 - This particular sin stems from an impure heart. It flows from the evil - reasonings, appetites, passions, wicked words and actions - that have been treasured in the heart, from a carnal mind, or from the corrupt nature - "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders."
Galatians 5:19 - It is classified as one of the "works of the flesh" or a fruit of man's corrupt and depraved nature.
1 Corinthians 6:9 - It is activity that is found among the "unrighteous" - certainly not the righteous.
Galatians 5:21 - Those who commit this sin and do not repent of it, die, and go straight to hell for all of eternity! "...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."
1 Thessalonians 4:3 - It is the will of God for every saint to be holy - "For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication."
Hebrews 12:14 - God requires holiness in the heart and purity in the body - "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord."
Therefore, Christians are urged to diligently watch over their souls - checking and subduing any unholy habits, uncleannesses, as well as anything that is contrary to purity in thought, word, and deed.
1 Corinthians 6:18 - They are to "flee fornication;" that is, to escape or avoid any trace of temptation, refusing to even entertain the slightest thought that would give place to it.
1 Corinthians 5:11 - If a professing Christian is involved in such an abominable sin, the rest of the Body of Christ is to separate and withdraw from him - "But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator...with such an one no not to eat." His sin is not to be excused or overlooked.
In order to show forth their utter abhorrence for his scandalous behavior, they are admonished to disassociate from him and have absolutely no fellowship with him - "no not to eat."
Prayerfully, this will shame him and bring him to repentance for his sinful behavior.
The Scriptures clearly point out that fornication "should not be once named" among Christians. Like any other sin, it damns the soul and leads to everlasting destruction in Hell.
God commands our holiness as followers of Christ.
If we plan on making heaven our eternal home, then we will have to be holy and live holily.
There is no such thing as a Christian who fornicates.
You are either a Christian or a fornicator.
You cannot be both!
There is no question about it - No Fornicator will be in heaven!
Thus saith the Lord!!!
Who will sigh and cry because of all the abominations found in the Church?
May God mark all those reading this message who will respond with - "Here am I, Lord."
