A Christian was committing fornication (porneia) with his father’s wife, and the Corinthian church was doing nothing to remove the immoral man from their number. Sadly, many churches repeat that pattern. Many churches openly accept the sin of fornication (premarital, extra-marital, heterosexual, and homosexual, 1 Cor. 6:9). Some churches condemn fornication but accept false doctrines that result in having fellowship with adulterers (Matt. 5:32; 19:9; 1 Cor. 7:10-11; Rom. 7:2-3). Some churches ignore the issue. But, the Holy Spirit did not ignore the sexual sin at Corinth. The sin’s unaddressed presence was infecting the church with a prideful and casual approach toward sin that had to cease (1 Cor. 5:2-7). Sexual immorality cannot be swept under the rug and ignored. Paul told the Corinthians to discipline the sinner to motivate his repentance and salvation (1 Cor. 5:3-5; 2 Cor. 2:6-11). Christians do not embrace fornication. It is a work of the flesh that is against God, and those who practice it will not inherit the kingdom of God (Gal. 5:19, 21). We must also reject teachings that enable fornicators to continue their sin (Gal. 1:6-9; 2 Jno. 9-11). We must “come out…and be separate” from those who sanction sin (2 Cor. 6:17). Determine not to rationalize and accommodate sin, for that only leads to eternal death (1 Cor. 5:13).
Tag Archives: porneia
Flee Fornication #757
16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For “the two,” He says, “shall become one flesh.” 17 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him. 18 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. (1 Corinthians 6:16–18, NKJV)
These are not pleasant words, nevertheless, their warning is needful. The sexual appetite is strong, and when fed within God-approved marriage, it is undefiled (Heb. 13:4). Every sin we commit begins in the heart (thus, “outside the body”). But, sexual immorality (“fornication,” translated from the Greek word, porneia) is “against the body”, that is, it is opposed to the God-intended purpose of the body (v. 18). After all, your body does not belong to you, but to God (1 Cor. 6:20, 15). Therefore, “glorify God in your body” by fleeing fornication and maintaining sexual purity. Our society is saturated with sexual sins and their allurements. The gospel calls us to the purity of holiness, not to return to the shameful and destructive sins of the flesh (1 Pet. 1:15; 4:1-3). Stolen water is not sweet, and stolen bread feeds the flames of hell (Prov. 9:17-18). While the world indulges itself in this soul-destroying use of their bodies, let us flee fornication and pursue righteousness (2 Tim. 2:22).
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