Preaching on Fornication: A Call to Holiness

A sin that strikes at the very heart of God's design for human relationships and defiles the sanctity of His people: fornication, or sexual immorality. The scriptures speak clearly and unequivocally about its destructive nature and call us to a life of holiness, set apart for God.

This sermon is part of Small Sins, Great Transgressions Sermon Series

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I. CHRISTIANS MUST NOT COMMIT FORNICATION

A. To avoid fornication, each man should have his own wife, and the wife her own husband. 1 Corinthians 7:2. Marriage is the legitimate way to satisfy sexual desires (1 Corinthians 7:2)

"But because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband." Recognizing the power of sexual urges, Paul points to marriage as God's ordained and holy framework for their fulfillment, providing a context of commitment, love, and security.

B. Whoever divorces his wife for any reason makes her the victim of adultery. Matthew 5:32; 19:9.

Jesus warned against fornication as a cause for the dissolution of marriage (Matthew 5:32) "But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery." Jesus Himself recognized the gravity of sexual immorality, identifying it as the only legitimate ground for divorce, highlighting its power to shatter the sacred bond of marriage and lead to further sin.

C. The body is not meant for fornication. 1 Corinthians 6:13.

D. The church must not associate with fornicators. 1 Corinthians 5:9-11. Fornication tarnishes the testimony of the Church (1 Corinthians 5:1) "It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not even among the Gentiles, that one should violate his father's wife." Paul's sharp rebuke to the Corinthian church reveals how sexual immorality within the body of Christ brings shame and disrepute upon the entire community, hindering its witness to the world. Such blatant sin was even shocking to the surrounding pagan culture.

E. We must abstain from fornication. 1 Thessalonians 4:3. 9. God's will is sanctification and separation from fornication (1 Thessalonians 4:3) "For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality." Paul clearly states that God's desire for us is our sanctification, our being made holy, and this begins with abstaining from sexual immorality. It is a direct command and a fundamental aspect of living a life that pleases God.

F. We must flee from fornication. 1 Corinthians 6:18; Genesis 39:7-13. Fornication is a sin against one's own body (1 Corinthians 6:18) "Flee fornication. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits fornication sins against his own body." Paul emphasizes the unique nature of sexual sin, stating that it is a transgression against our own physical being, the temple of the Holy Spirit. It defiles that which God has consecrated.

G. We must put to death fornication within us. Colossians 3:5. 8. Fornication is part of the old nature that must be mortified (Colossians 3:5) "Therefore put to death your members which are upon the earth: fornication, uncleanness, inordinate passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry." Fornication is identified as a key aspect of our former, sinful nature that we are called to "put to death" as believers. This requires a conscious and ongoing effort to resist and overcome these desires through the power of the Holy Spirit.

II. THE PUNISHMENT OF FORNICATORS.

A. God will judge fornicators. Heb. 13:4. And it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Heb. 10:31.

B. Fornicators and adulterers will not inherit the kingdom of God. 1 Cor. 6:9-10; It is a work of the flesh. Gal. 5:19-21.

C. They will not enter the holy city. Rev. 22:15.

D. They will have their part in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. Rev. 21:8.

III. The early church exhorted the Gentiles to abstain from fornication (Acts 15:29)

"That ye abstain from things sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well." 1 The early apostles, guided by the Holy Spirit, specifically instructed the Gentile believers to abstain from fornication, placing it alongside other significant prohibitions. This underscores its seriousness and its incompatibility with a life devoted to Christ.

IV. Fornication provoked God’s wrath upon Israel (1 Corinthians 10:8)

"And let us not commit fornication, as some of them did, and fell in one day twenty-three thousand." Paul reminds the Corinthians of the devastating consequences of sexual immorality in the history of Israel, where disobedience led to severe judgment. This serves as a stark warning against repeating such destructive patterns.

Preaching on Fornication: A Call to Holiness

Conclusion

Let us heed this clear call to holiness. Let us flee from fornication in all its forms, recognizing its destructive power and its offense against God and our own bodies. Let us embrace God's design for purity and seek to live lives that honor Him in our sexuality, reflecting the sanctity that befits those who are called to be saints. Amen.

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Ronaldo Gomes da Silva is a Professor of Homiletics and Education Specialist (UFF, Brazil). A recognized authority in ministerial training, his homiletical frameworks are used globally and were recently cited by the newspaperCEADEMA of State Convention (June 2025).

Preaching on Fornication: A Call to Holiness