Used by permission. www.Lockman.org
In 1 Thessalonians 5:23, the Holy Spirit reveals to us the whole plan of God for us. It says;
“Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you ENTIRELY; and may your SPIRIT and SOUL and BODY be preserved COMPLETE, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Emphasis added).
At the moment of receiving Jesus Christ into your life, your spirit becomes regenerated and made habitable and conducive to occupy the Spirit of God. It is immediately sanctified and consecrated only for the habitation of the Holy Spirit. However, the Holy Spirit does not intend to remain and dwell only in your spirit. He also wants to move into your soul and occupy it and finally own your body as well. Therefore, God wants you entirely sanctified that you may be the temple worthy for the Holy Spirit to dwell. By entirely, He means all the parts of man; spirit, soul and body, not leaving any part out. And by complete, He means each part to be completely sanctified, not leaving some particular areas left out. This is the full salvation. By this process, the Holy Spirit is joined to the believer; spirit, soul and body.
This is the joining of the Bride to the Bridegroom through the Holy Spirit which will be consummated at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb after rapture. Whoever then frustrates this process of transformation by the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit will be unfit for rapture. Consequently, such a believer will be left behind to taste the great tribulation.
Among many sins that be, fornication is the sin that easily frustrates this precious work of the Holy Spirit. We may not be able to rate one sin above another, but when it comes to our sanctification, fornication is our greatest enemy. Since the plan of God is to join us with Jesus Christ, fornication is then the tearing apart of that joining. It stands directly against our joining, that is, our sanctification. So the apostle asked in 1 Corinthians 6:16;
“Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body with her? For He says, ‘The two shall become one flesh.’”
By involving in fornication, you separate yourself from Jesus Christ and give yourself to your desires.
The word fornication in the Bible, especially in the King James Version does not only mean sexual intercourse outside marriage. It is rather a broad term used for all forms of illicit sexual intercourse--adultery, incest, homosexuality, bestiality, masturbation and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine.
And in 1 Corinthians 6:18, the Bible explicitly says, “Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.” (KJV).
Although all unrighteousness is sin (1 John 5:17), and no unrighteous one will inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:9), no sin directly and presently destroys the body like fornication. This is because it hinders the work of the Holy Spirit that is necessary to not only preserve the body but also transform it. It quickly brings sicknesses and eventually death. Only the Lord can fully sustain the body. 1 Corinthians 6:13 clearly states this. It says;
“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.”
Some say sex is needed to sustain the body. This may be true for some and for such, they should use the permitted way which is marriage. (2 Corinthians 7:9). Fornication is not the ordained way for providing such sustenance. It is like stealing to sustain yourself because you are hungry. Although you are permitted to eat food when you are hungry, stealing is not the ordained way of getting the food to satisfy your hunger. So even when sex is needed for the sustenance of the body, having it outside marriage is against the will of God.
Seeing that fornication is so harmful and destructive, how then can you escape it?
Firstly, fornication can come as an internal attack. Matthew 15:19 says, “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders.” You deal with the fornication that arises from the heart by constantly reading the Bible for the transformation of your mind and the cleansing of your heart. Having spent quite a lot of time in the flesh before getting saved, dealing with the heart may not be very easy. The work of transformation may also go on for awhile before the heart gets properly aligned with the ways of God. However, By unceasing prayers and constant reading of the word, the heart will be cleansed nonetheless.
In addition, it can be addressed by rebuking any thought of fornication in the Name of Jesus anytime it arises.
Secondly, it can also be an external attack. Although you are to pray not to fall into temptations, in this case, you do not pray about it or rebuke it, but flee immediately it is suspected. You pray before the temptation comes. But if it comes, you run away so as to escape it. 1 Thessalonians 5:22 says, “Abstain from all appearance of evil.” (KJV). This external attack may not come directly from the opposite sex, but through other means that may suggest fornication like books, movies, places, etc. Such should be avoided.
Thirdly, avoid evil company. 1 Corinthians 15:33 clearly says, “Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company corrupts good morals.’” Sometimes, it may seem companying with the ungodly will have little or no effect on the believer. This is not so, more often than not, the believer gets corrupted. In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul made a very powerful statement. He told the Corinthian believers not to company with even a believer who was a fornicator – not even to eat with such a person. This he said to prevent the spread of corruption.
Lastly, as you flee from fornication, pursue the things of God with those who are genuine, lest you find yourself drawn back to it. 2 Timothy 2:22 says, “Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.” This is very important so as to keep you engaged. For idleness easily gives room for the tempter.
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