The Sin of Fornication — E.A. Johnston

There's an old episode of Mayberry from 1960 where Barney and Gomer fall asleep in church. Listening to a visiting preacher. His message is on how to be a better person and he's got a monotone voice and they fall asleep.

It's pretty funny and on the way out Barney shakes his hand and says Reverend that was a good sermon on sin. It was pretty common back in those days to go to church and hear a sermon on sin. But I doubt you're gonna hear very many today.

The Sin of Fornication and Deceitful Hearts

We are in our sermon series on sin friends and today I'm covering the sin of fornication and I just might as well empty half this room with this one. Friends it's a taboo subject, but How many times have I sat next to young couples in church that were living together.

They were engaged and they saw nothing wrong with Living together without being married yet because of their commitment to one another and they felt God knew their hearts. And that's the problem. He knows our deceitful hearts.

Cohabitation, Marriage, and Cultural Relabeling of Sin

The sin of fornication. It's so widespread that many couples just live together with no intention of ever marrying. Like a country preacher once said why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?

But we don't call sin sin in our society anymore. We just relabel it. Adultery is just having an affair since the sexual revolution of the 1960s. Sexual promiscuity has been promoted throughout society.

It's in all our television programming in advertising programs. Morals have gone right out the window. The statistics of the current population survey of American states that that for the last 30 years the number of people not Marrying and living together has increased and it's increased by at least 7

More and more couples are deciding to forego marriage and just live together but God's Word in Hebrews 13 for declares Marriage is honorable and all and the bed undefiled. But whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.

The Church's Loss of Authority and the Call to Flee Lust

There used to be a time in this country years ago when living together was a scandalous sin. That's because back then the church still had a voice of authority and there was still a fear of God in the land.

But we wanted to reach the world. So we invited the world into our church and we ended up with worldly congregations. But the Apostle Paul warned Timothy to flee youthful loss. Today we live in a sin-soaked sex-crazed society that promotes promiscuity.

Celibacy, Virginity, and Society's Mockery

Society makes fun of Christians who were celibate. Celibate they mock someone who's still a virgin. My friend Bill McDonald used to smile and say I'm a 91 year old virgin. And he was proud of it, but society would think that's weird because Everybody's sleeping around a day.

People would be shocked to learn that God considers fornication a sin. That's why bars and clubs are full late at night. While everyone's trying to hook up with a partner in basketball stars. Boast about the thousand women they have slept with.

Sexual Conquest and the Last Judgment

It's bragging rights. But what they don't realize is that those thousand women will be 1 ,000 Evidences against them at the last judgment where they won't be bragging about their conquest then but they will be greatly ashamed.

Fornication is a serious sin and I wonder how many pulpits in America this week Will tackle it and preach against it. But pulpits in this country seem to just preach nice little messages that don't offend.

Once Saved Always Saved and Rebellion Against God

Anyone in sin is seldom dealt with. I'm afraid some people believe that once saved always Saved means you can sin all you want to and still get to heaven. But Jesus never preached a sin in religion and God will have no rebels in his holy Kingdom if he kicks Satan and his gang out of heaven He will surely boot those out who are rebels even if they're trying to smuggle their soul up there.

Scripture's Clear Teaching on Sanctification

The Bible speaks loud and clear on the sin of fornication first. Thessalonians 4 3 Plainly states for this is the will of God even your sanctification. That she should abstain from fornication.