LIE: THERE ARE NO CONSEQUENCES FOR SEXUAL SIN.
It is with great sadness that we find ourselves living in a culture that promotes ideals and beliefs that are contrary to our faith. More and more people are turning away from the clear boundaries in the Bible and holding onto ideas (idols) created by man. Our God is not grey about sexuality or sexual intimacy – if ‘he’ is – it is not the God of the Christian Bible. Idolatry is as much alive today as it was when Jesus walked on this earth – it has just hidden itself better or perhaps we have become more desensitized to the existence of it. It has appealed to our minds and we have made up gods that give us all the desires of our hearts, including what we want to do sexually. The God of the Bible is not indifferent and we feel distressed by the lies that are being accepted and even promoted in some churches (in word and deed).
When I refer to ‘word and deed’; I am referring to the fact that communicating compromise in the sexual arena is not necessarily verbal communication; many churches give the idea that God is indifferent merely by their silence on sexual issues.
Communication is verbal (word) and non-verbal (deed).
Our heart in this message is to expose the lies that are circulating and call for repentance – as that is the only thing that has ever paved the way to redemption.
Please note, that in this article, we are addressing those of you who are born again and have laid your life down for Christ; following Him and His Word according to the Bible (GALATIANS 5:18). If you have not made a decision to follow Christ, you are welcome to read on while taking the intended purpose of this article into consideration. I pray you will see the heart of a Holy God and a Loving Father!
Believers:
If you feel convicted at any point consider the order of things:
1. First we Confess (to God and another Believer) Then we Repent (through prayer to the Holy Spirit) – for perhaps believing lies that rebel against the Word of God (unbelief).
2. Then we receive Forgiveness; through the price that Jesus paid and we can then accept the Redemption that will sanctify us and change our lives forever!
TRUTH: THERE ARE CONSEQUENCES TO SEXUAL SIN.
1 CORINTHIANS 6:18:
“Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.”
The Bible elaborates on sin more than most Christians would like to admit. We cannot fail to discuss consequences with our young people, that would be unbiblical. To not talk about something is non-verbal communication; when we say nothing about biblical sexuality to our young people – we are giving them the message that sexual intimacy and sexual immorality are not significant issues before God.
This is just not true; The Word of God is very clear about
sexual temptation (1 CORINTHIANS 7:2),
sexual sin (MATTHEW 5:27-30) and
sexual purity (1 THESSALONIANS 4:3-5).
Firstly let us look at some of the physical consequences of sexual sin:
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SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES AND INFECTIONS.
It is important to note that there were only 2 significant STD’s to worry about 50 years ago (Syphilis and Gonorrhea). Today there are over 20 and some have hundreds of different strains. -
MENTAL ILLNESS.
The rise in depression and suicide among young people looks remarkably similar to the rise in sexual immorality; could they be connected? There is research that says it is. This research found that sexually active adolescents were more likely to be depressed than their abstaining peers. Kann, McManus, Harris et al., “Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance – United States, 2017.” -
AIDS/HIV.
AIDS/HIV is still taking lives today. The exact history of HIV is still unknown but we do know that it spread rapidly through promiscuous and immoral sex. The first recorded cases of AIDS were, for the most part, people who lived sexually immoral lives.
https://www.avert.org/professionals/history-hiv-aids/overview -
A LACK OF FAITHFULNESS.
As adultery and divorce rates rise, it suggests that the more promiscuous and sexualized our society has become; the more our culture has promoted and even encouraged divorce and adultery. One concept that our culture encourages is premarital sex in cohabitation. Research shows that those who cohabit before marrying are more likely to divorce or separate.
Regnerus and Uecker, Premarital Sex in America, 201. -
THE DEMAND FOR PORNOGRAPHY.
As the internet becomes more available; more people struggle with this destructive habit and are traumatized by the content. Pornography destroys intimacy and human connection. https://fightthenewdrug.org/overview/
Most adults today have entertained pornography in one way or another; which means, according to the Bible, many have committed adultery.
Jesus Christ said that looking at another person with lust is committing adultery with them in our hearts. (Matthew 5:27-32)
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CHILDREN ARE NEGLECTED.
The trend of promiscuity is creating unpredictable circumstances and often leads to unsafe places for children to grow up in (or lethal if they are terminated through an abortion). The Bible is very clear regarding the consequences of mistreating innocent children (before or after birth).
(Luke 17:1-2) -
SEXUAL ADDICTION.
Biblically speaking: addiction is idolatry. If we worship/adore anything other than the God of the Bible, it is considered to be idolatry. Nothing or no-one deserves our worship except for a Holy and Perfect God.
The list does go on… Yet This Short List Is Enough To Give Us The Picture That Societies So-Called ‘Sexual Revolution’ Has Been More Of A ‘Sexual Desolation’ Marked With Confusion, Depression, An Epidemic Of Exploitation And A Growing Amount Of Orphans.
…And ‘we’ are to blame. God gave man a choice: His way or Our way. Many chose ‘our’ way. Tragedy is what has always happened when man disobeyed God…We read about it in almost every book of the Bible.
The physical consequences of sexual sin are significant, yet the purpose of this article is to highlight the spiritual consequences. They are eternal. God created us and He created sexual intimacy; therefore His Word (The Bible) holds the highest authority on this issue. It should not be our human experience that determines our conviction – but the Word of a Sovereign God and our Holy Creator.
JAMES 1:12-16:
“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and He Himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.”
This portion of scripture is so wonderful because it clearly explains how sin starts, operates and the consequences of it.
The two points to ponder on and pray about:
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God cannot be tempted and He does not tempt us.
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There is no mention of Satan, which begs the question: Should we take more responsibility for our behavior than we currently do?
What are the Spiritual consequences of sexual sin?
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SIN SEPARATES US FROM GOD.
God will always be Holy and because of this; He cannot be near sin (ISAIAH 59:2). Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers and sisters; the greatest consequence of sexual sin is distance between you and a Holy God. -
SIN LEADS TO SPIRITUAL DEATH.
God warns us about sexual sin because He is a good Father. He explains many times over that His way leads to LIFE and sin leads to DEATH (ROMANS 8:6). He invites us to choose Him and His Word (in obedience); so that we may experience Him and true life, as He originally designed it to be. The Bible is full of stories that showcase lives that pursued pleasure (carnality) and the consequences of the choices that disobeyed God’s Word.
PROVERBS 14:12: “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.”
God takes sin seriously; He took it seriously enough to send His only son to die a painful death on a cross – To pay the price for our freedom. We should also take it seriously. Seriously enough to obey Him.
We know that every human being has fallen short of the glory of God and every person is a sinner. (ROMANS 3:23) Every person needs redemption.
The sin of man must be paid for – It is the eternal system of Justice that was laid in the beginning of time. The sin of man demands death – The wages of sin is death. (ROMANS 6:23) The penalty for sin must be paid for and it will be paid for in Hell (by the individual) OR on the cross by JESUS CHRIST (for those who accept Him and Believe in Him).
JAMES 4:17: “So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.”
You might be wondering:
What are the consequences of sin when you are forgiven?
What happens when you have accepted Jesus to be Lord of your life; what happens when you sexually sin?
It is made clear in the Bible that God does not always take consequences away. If we read the story of King David, who committed adultery and murder; God had mercy on him but his child still died as a consequence of his choices (2 SAMUEL 12:14).
Those who have not accepted Christ to be Lord of their lives, who have not repented and are unforgiven will pay the “penalty” for their sins.
And Those who have repented and walk, by faith, in forgiveness and freedom will experience “disciplinary consequences”.
John Piper communicates it clearly:
“There is a judgement whose purpose is to vindicate (defend) the right by paying back the wrong thus establishing equity in God’s kingdom of righteousness. This is done on the cross for those who are in Christ and it is done in hell for those who are not. But the aim of God-sent consequences of forgiven sin is not to settle accounts demanded by retributive justice.
The aim of the God-sent consequences of forgiven sin are:
To demonstrate the exceeding evil of sin.
To show that God does not take sin lightly even when He lays aside His punishment.
To humble and sanctify the forgiven sinner.”
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