What is Fornication?
Sin will shorten a man’s lifespan, while righteousness prolongs it. Sin hardens one’s heart toward righteousness. As an example, a harlot eventually wears a hard countenance, while a virgin preserves purity and a softness of spirit. A person can actually reach a point of such hardness that it becomes impossible to repent (Heb. 2:1; 6:4-6; Rom. 1:25-26).
When we are obeying God and living to please Him, we have an inner sense of peace that is always present. Yet, if we sin, we lose our peace toward God. We must immediately repent of our transgression and continue to forsake it, so our peace will return.
Adam transgressed God’s covenant by hiding his sin in his bosom (Hosea 6:7; Job 31:33). He would not repent. Whereas, David, after committing adultery with another man’s wife and then ordering the man’s premeditated murder, was totally forgiven by God when he repented (2 Sam. 12:13). His transgressions were forgiven and he was restored to the position of God’s friend (Psalm 32:1-5; 51:1-17; Acts 13:22).
Our bodies are not to be used for fornication (1 Cor. 6:13). Fornication is defined as; the free or uncontrolled indulgence of the passions or sexual appetites, voluntary sexual intercourse outside of marriage of any kind. The indulgence of lust, which is to desire eagerly or to long after. To have a carnal appetite, which is giving in to sensual and fleshly indulgence. It is also considered lewdness which is the indulgence of lust, fornication or adultery. It is also defined as living in sin, immorality, indecent, impure, unclean and unchaste. Fornication is a sin against our own bodies (1 Cor. 6:18). How is it a sin against the body? How is life shortened because of fornication? Just how much damage does it do to fornicate and masturbate?
Adrenaline is a chemical substance manufactured by the body in time of stress or need. Adrenaline makes the heart beat faster and is used to revive people who have had heart attacks or whose hearts have stopped beating. Adrenaline is used for emergency situations such as: running from a bear or a wild bull in the pasture, swimming to shore when a boat sinks or to lift a car by hand so that it doesn’t crush someone pinned underneath.
Adrenaline is used in fighting and many other physical activities. Humans use less than two percent of their strength, but when adrenaline is introduced into the body tissue, a far greater amount of strength is obtained. Adrenaline is also secreted as a result of stress and guilt. If a person steals apples out of an orchard protected by a farmer with a shotgun and a mean dog, adrenaline will be produced in the system. It’s a natural result.
Fornication and masturbation are done with a sense of guilt. That guilt produces adrenaline and that adrenaline shortens our lives. When we sin, we feel guilty. This activates the adrenaline flow and the end result is that sin shortens life.
God says, “Thou shalt not commit adultery [fornicate]” (Ex. 20:14). Fornication includes all improper sexual behavior, including masturbation.
Masturbation is done in response to an impulse of the flesh. Eating, drinking, sleeping and crying are also responses to impulses of the flesh. Some are okay and others are not. For example, dirty thoughts are improper thoughts. These evil thoughts turn into bad actions when they are constantly or even occasionally dwelled upon, especially if there is little character or self-control in that area of your life.
Having a desire to want to use one’s organs for enjoyment or sensation is quite normal, but, we are admonished by the word of God to control our vessels (sexual organs) in honor (Rom. 6:12-13; 12:1).
Your sex glands are designed in such a way that if they are left alone before marriage, they will remain in a sleeping state. Many times, because of ignorance, teenagers talk about masturbation, and experimentation occurs with their glands that were asleep. After the glands are awakened, those who masturbate begin to think of members of the opposite sex in an improper manner, which is the beginning of thought patterns that are not good. Then they might begin looking at pornography or dirty magazines and they are constantly thinking about and dwelling on sexual thoughts. We can see, then, how a little sin begins to grow and grow, until it fills the body and the mind (1 Cor. 5:6).
A person who has never masturbated before does not have the same temptations as one who has. If you have slipped and recently awakened those glands, ask God to forgive you and put your glands back to sleep and He will. The one who hasn’t slipped remains in a purer state of mind and can use his or her mind and energy on productive thoughts and actions. The person who is caught up in masturbation is using much of his or her thinking on non-productive thoughts—dirty thoughts. These thoughts conceive lust and wrong desire, and are sins that destroy not only the character of the person but also the mind.
Consider, if you will, a society where everyone—boys and girls, men and women—controlled their vessels in an honorable way before God. Human character would be at an all-time high. Everyone would be concerned about the rights and feelings of others in all honesty, morality and integrity, keeping themselves chaste for the honor of God (2 Cor. 12:21). The Bible says that we are better off if we can remain unmarried so as to devote ourselves to the Lord, however, if we burn with (sexual) passion than it is better to marry than to burn. In this case God would have us find a mate, in the Lord, and be married (1 Cor. 7:8-9; 25-28; 32-35).
Now consider a society in which everyone was ignorant of decent and moral behavior. This society would be filled with crime, movies and television filled with sex and indecent behavior, adultery and foul language. Pornography would be everywhere and easily accessible. Fornication would be commonly practiced and people would sleep with whomever they wanted, whenever they wanted without thought or concern. Prostitution would be common-place. You would find insanity, suicide, venereal disease and incest. This would all be found because they would not and did not glorify God with their vessels. Instead they ignored God’s Ways and did not glorify Him with their bodies following their fleshly desires instead (1 Cor. 6:20).
GOD’S SOLUTIONS
God says to discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness (1 Tim. 4:7). Our existence in the flesh is temporal, whereas our existence in the spiritual state is eternal. Living spiritual lives while on earth simply means being concerned about and practicing spiritual values, while we are presently living in fleshly bodies. The Bible is very clear about living spiritual lives. If you live a spiritual life while on this earth you will live forever, eternally (Rom. 8:6). But if you choose daily to live to the flesh by masturbating, fornicating, watching pornography, abusing alcohol or other drugs, you must die (Rom. 8:13). Living to the Spirit, then, is living to please God daily while we are in our fleshly bodies, habitually putting to death the sinful deeds of the body.
People who live spiritual lives are concerned with spiritual values (Rom. 8:5). Spiritual values uphold moral character and dignity, with decency, charity, kindness, nobility, integrity, wholeness, patience, virtue, forgiveness, thankfulness, service and chastity. In short, living to the Spirit is living as God lives daily (Eph. 5:1). Living to the Spirit means imitating the fruits of the Spirit by practicing righteousness. We do this until God has had a chance to make His character traits a part of our character traits, implementing them in our lives through daily testing and trials (Heb. 12:10-11).
The spiritual life is easy, but it requires diligence and alertness (Matt. 11:30). Living to the flesh requires nothing more than giving in to the pulls of the flesh, which is living a carnal and profane life. This is Satan’s will (2 Tim. 2:26). Those who live to the flesh are concerned about the things of the flesh, such as material acquisition, lust of the eye and covetousness.
For example, those who have a lot of material substance and who do not pay their bills are controlled by improper desires, such as coveting, stealing and never having enough. But those who have been blessed by God and who share what they have with others, help the unfortunate by providing them with clothes, food and lodging (1 Tim. 6:18-19). They are living spiritually by living unselfish lives to be pleasing to God, and not to man (Eph. 6:6-7).
Righteousness gives peace of mind and, when done in Christ’s name for the glory of the Father, it produces a change of character. It produces godly character (1 Tim. 6:11; Col. 3:17).
God in heaven wants us to come before Him daily in a purity of heart that comes from purity of character (Gal. 5:19-26). He wants us to love Him and others to such an extent that we come out of a life of sin and into a life of love. Perfect love casts out all fear or guilt (1 John 4:18). Those who are fearful or guilt-ridden are not made complete in love. Fear and guilt involve punishment, but when they are gone because of continued service in love, we have been made complete by God (James 1:4; Gal. 4:19).
Daily righteousness, acts of love and charity, kindness, forgiveness and long-suffering produce patience and all the fruits of the Spirit of God (Gal. 5:22-23). If these qualities are in us and are increasing, we will bear fruit (2 Peter 1:8).
It is righteous men who are made perfect, righteous men who are saved and righteous men who enter the kingdom (Heb. 12:23). The Way of righteousness is full of rewards and blessings. All we need to do is practice what God wants us to become—holy, blameless and perfect (Matt. 5:48; Phil. 3:12; 2:15; 1 John 3:7). It is so easy and pleasant; such a beautiful Way of life (Matt. 11:30: 1 John 5:3). So, let’s imitate God instead of Satan and enter into God’s rest (Eph. 5:1; Heb. 4:10-11).