Flaunting Fornication

By Raymond Elliott

    No, it wasn’t a young husband who had just learned that his wife had given birth to their first child, and he was so excited that he proudly exclaimed to all in the waiting room that he was the father of a baby boy. No, that was not the case at all; rather, it was a young man who stood in front of TV cameras, raising his right arm and with glee in his eyes announced to the whole world that he was the father of child born to a former Playboy Bunny. His supporters shouted with approval. You see there had been a question as to who the father was of this baby that had been born out of wedlock. The mother had died suddenly, and she had not revealed which man had fathered the child. It may have been the case that she really did not know herself who the father was.

    A famous movie actor divorced his wife and began to co-habit with another movie star. There was a mixed feeling about these two well known actors. What about the hurt that his ex-wife was experiencing over their marriage breakup, but soon the ugliness was forgotten and now the unmarried couple is interviewed on national television and is praised for their involvement in the making of another movie. Forget about the fact that they are unmarried and are living in violation of the marriage laws given by the Creator of mankind.

    Then there is the case of a rich heiress who videoed herself and her partner committing fornication. I am reminded of the example of the Israelite who was very brazen in bringing his Midianite woman before Moses and the congregation of the children of Israel and taking her into a tent and committed fornication with her. It was then that Phinehas the son of Eleazer, the son of Aaron took a javelin and thrust both of them through with it. Because of his action, the plague that God had sent among the people was stopped; however, twenty-four thousand Israelites died due to their committing harlotry with the women of Moab (Numbers 25:1-9). Webster defines “flaunt” as meaning, “1. to make a gaudy, ostentatious, conspicuous, impudent, or defiant display. 2. to flutter or wave freely -vt. To show proudly, defiantly or impudently (to flaunt one’s guilt” (Webster’s New World Dictionary). Such acts as displayed by the rich heiress and the Israelite showed contempt for God’s laws regarding the need to avoid the sin of fornication.

    Recently in a major city in a western state, the local school system invited a psychologist to speak to students in the twelve to fourteen age groups about sexual mores. He encouraged the boys and girls to engage in sex at their young age. This educated person explained more in detail as to what he meant when he encouraged these youth to be active in sexual exploitation when he said that it could be between male and female or of the same sex. It really didn’t matter to him as long as they enjoyed themselves. In other words, there should be no restrictions regarding with whom and how it was to be done. Now wasn’t that nice of the school to require these young students to hear such advice from a person of education and influence. Strong defines fornication as, “illicit sexual intercourse. A. adultery, fornication, homosexuality, lesbianism, intercourse with animals, etc. b. sexual intercourse with close relatives; Lev. 18. c. sexual intercourse with a divorced man or woman; Mk. 10:11” (Strong’s Greek Lexicon). How sad that some educators in our public school system would actually encourage our children to violate the Word of God regarding sexual impurities.

    We have been informed that married people are in the minority. Couples who live together without conforming to the marriage laws actually outnumber the couples who are legally married. The number of unmarried couples living together has increased ten times over the past few years than in previous ones.

    We live in a world where darkness reigns. In this so called Christian Nation, sin abounds profusely. Where there is no law to be obeyed regarding morality, each person can do as he/she pleases. Virginity went out of style many years ago. Our youth are being taught by precepts and examples that sex is acceptable outside of the marriage relationship.

    Our modern day society is much like the pagans in the Roman Empire when the apostle Paul wrote the book of Romans. He described in Chapter 1, Verse 29, the immorality of the people, “Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers.” Even among members of the church in Corinth there was a brother who was guilty of fornication in that he was living with his father’s wife (his step-mother, no doubt) (1 Corinthians 5:1). The believer in Christ is taught that the body is sacred and should be used only in a pure manner in serving the Lord. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 6:13, 18, “Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.” “Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.” Fornication is described as a work of the flesh and they that practice such sin shall not “inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:19-20). We are taught to “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth, Fornication, uncleanness…” (Colossians 3:5). Paul instructs the Christian to “abstain from fornication” (1 Thessalonians 4:3). In Jude 1:7 we have this warning, “Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.”

    The apostle Paul exhorted Timothy to “Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart” (2 Timothy 2:22). This is the opposite of the culture in which we find ourselves as Christians. The believer in Jesus will make every effort to keep oneself pure in heart and body. We cannot expect citizens of the kingdom of darkness to comply with the teachings of the Word of God regarding the purity of life. In Hebrews 12:14 we read, “Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.” In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus spoke regarding purity when he said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8). A pure heart makes for a holy way of life. As one thinks in his heart he becomes (Proverbs 23:7). It is therefore most important that parents teach their children regarding sexual sins and the need to keep oneself pure. Elders must make sure that biblical lessons are taught by preachers and teachers regarding these important matters so that our young people will be properly informed of God’s desire for them to be pure both in heart and body.