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.
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. Fornication must not even be named among the saints (Ephesians 5:3)
"But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is fitting among saints." Paul's strong language calls for a culture of holiness within the church, where sexual immorality is so abhorrent that it is not even a topic of casual conversation, reflecting the purity that should characterize God's people.
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.
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.
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Conclusion
Therefore, brothers and sisters, 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.
