Bible scholars, dividing the whole scripture into the periods before the law, during the law and of grace, for ease of study, have observed differences on some subjects studied in these periods. But the problem of infidelity, sexual immorality or adultery has always attracted divine judgment in every dispensation of human existence. God hates and condemns fornication and adultery before the law.
He told Abimelech, “Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man’s wife.” Taking or living with another person’s wife or husband is condemned by God. To be physically, emotionally or psychologically close to another person’s wife or husband is also evil. He commanded Abimelech to “…restore the man his wife; … and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.” There is always a death penalty hanging over the adulterer.
One who commits fornication or adultery during the law loses eternal life and becomes like a lifeless piece of bread. He is guilty and condemned by His conscience, the word of God, angels, God, time and eternity. “But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul. A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away.”
In the dispensation of grace, the fornicators and adulterers are declared unfit to inherit the kingdom of God. Therefore, “flee fornication” as a believer. Adultery and fornication will take the sinner or backslider to hell. Those who hate murder, drunkenness, witchcraft, among others must also hate fornication and adultery as they all make the sinner to be hell-bound.
Our glorified Lord condemned sexual impurity in His church. He reveals that it is the responsibility of every leader in the church to keep it pure. To allow or defend fornicators and adulterers to defile and destroy the body of Christ, attracts divine judgment. So, the believer must hate what Christ hates and love what He loves so as to make the church holy and righteous. Those who commit sexual immorality in the secret and appear righteous in the open, adjust their preaching of the word to suit their defeated life and are guilty of adding or removing from God’s word. So, also, are church leaders who practise celibacy, but are neck-deep in sexual immorality.
It is a great and wonderful thing to be in a marriage where your body, bed, conscience, relationship is undefiled. “Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways.” God keeps the believer holy and righteous through the cleansed blood of His Son, Jesus Christ. He also gives us His Spirit to keep us righteous and holy. God can help both husband and wife to live a holy life like He kept Zacharias and Elisabeth who were “both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.” Though childless, they both lived a holy life. Believers who have a delay in child bearing should wait on the Lord to solve the problem instead of getting involved in condemnable acts.
In spite of whatever challenges we face, it is possible to be free from fornication and adultery and live in “holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.” We must endeavour to daily walk in holiness and in the fear of God in our lives and family by abstaining from all appearances of evil. Any conversation and closeness that is an appearance of evil must be cut off. This is possible as we allow the word of Christ to fill our hearts and also do everything in the name of the Lord or as unto Him. This also requires the believer to constantly build his faith by praying in the Holy Ghost and not allow anything to defile and destroy it. While it is necessary to raise the fallen, we must guard our faith and keep ourselves in the love of God with godly fear. Be assured as a believer that you can make it to heaven because God is “able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy.”
It will, however, be unfortunate to be denied entry to heaven for an unsettled sin. God requires repentance from unclean conversations, actions, immoral relationships as condition to receive forgiveness and cleansing in Christ’s blood. There will be joy in heaven for those who receive the salvation of God apart from the joy that will fill their own hearts here in this life. Those who faithfully live a pure life till the end will enter into the joy of the Lord in heaven forever.
• Further reading (King James Version): Hebrews 13:1,4; 2:3; 3:1,6,14;4:16;5:9;7:25;9:12,14;10:19-23;12:1,14. Hebrews 13:4; Genesis 20:2-7; 38:24; Leviticus 20:10; Proverbs 6:27-29,32,33; 1 Corinthians 6:9,10,15-18; Galatians 5:19-21; Romans 1:28-32; Revelation 2:20-23; 21:8; 22:15,18,19. Hebrews 13:4; Psalm 119:1-3; Ezekiel 36:25-27; Luke 1:5,6,74,75; 2 Corinthians 7:1; 1 Thessalonians 5:22; Colossians 3:16,17,23; Jude 20-25; Luke 15:7,10; Matthew 25:21.
