Daily Bread - NOV/07/07

1 Corinthians 6:18 -Flee fornication! Every sin that a man does is without the body but the fornicator sins against the body itself.

The act of fornication is underscored by the Greek word itself, which is 'pornia.' From this word we also derive the word 'porno' which, like the Greek word 'porne,' refers to the selling of sexuality. One of the most dominant practices of pornia today is Pornography. Pornography also crosses over into another activity of the demonic realm called lasciviousness which is the practice of inciting sexual lust. This flood of pornography that has swept over the earth has further expanded the meaning of fornication. It is one of the primary focuses of the demonic attack against humanity. Satan desires to destroy man and the way that he does so is through sin. There is nothing good about sin, and it must not be accepted by the people of God. Our society - which has been overrun by the demonic - wants us to accept fornication as normal, entertaining, and recreational. Just like the ancient city of Corinth that was steeped in pagan philosophy, our children are taught in society to accept sexual immorality as a normal part of life.

Fornication by definition may be understood as every extramarital sexual practice. People need to come to realize that sexual pleasure is not worth the consequences that it brings both now and in eternity. The practice is so horrific to God that in the Old Testament the daughter of a Priest who committed fornication was to be burned alive (Leviticus 21:9). Furthermore, no child of fornication could be accepted as part of the holy community of God's people (Deuteronomy 23:3). The toleration - and even more the promotion - of fornication in the Old Testament subjected the whole nation to divine judgment (Leviticus 19:29). God warns everyone against the snare of the pornia in Proverbs 5 and Proverbs 6:24-35, revealing that there is a demonic snare so entangling that a person goes down into hell and can never escape.

The New Testament is no less severe with the practice of fornication. Yes, there is mercy and forgiveness with God, but it must also be remembered that when the woman was taken in the act of adultery Jesus said, "go and sin no more." The Spirit of God makes it very clear in this passage that our bodies are the Temples of God (vs. 19). We have been purchased with the blood of Jesus and made new by the Spirit of God so that we can glorify God in our bodies (vs. 20). Previously in this same message, Paul said that if anyone defiles the Temple of God then God would destroy such a person (3:16-17). How serious is Jesus about this? He said if your eye offends you pluck it out; for it is better to enter into life having one eye than to be cast into hell with two (Matthew 5:29). How many times has God warned us in the New Testament that if we do these things we will die? Let us consider that God knows the ways of life not man. Let's obey what He has to say and honor His commandments lest we find ourselves taken prisoner by an eternity without God (Mark 7:21; Acts 15:20,29; 21:25; Romans 1:29; 1 Corinthians 5:1,9,10,11; 6:9; 7:2; 10:8; 2 Corinthians 12:21; Galatians 5:19; Ephesians 5:3; Colossians 3:5; 1 Thessalonians 4:3; Jude 7).

Be blessed,

Pastor Mark Spitsbergen
abidingplace.org