INTRODUCTION:
Our society is flooded with sex, from radio to TV to movies to billboard signs along our streets.
Sexual immorality is one of the greatest dangers facing the 21st century. The book the Di Vinci code is a good example. Clothed in quasi-religious garb, this book is basically a commercial for unrestrained sex. The plot centers around a supposed conspiracy by the Catholic Church to cover up the fact that Jesus married Mary Magdalene and fathered a child by her. The true hero of the story is a brave man and woman who uncover the true worship of the goddess, complete with sex rites and orgiastic worship.
Television portrays adultery and sex outside of marriage as common place, acceptable, and even good. Homosexuality is portrayed as honorable and natural.
Popular teenage idols are typically musicians who not only sing about illicit sex, but practice what they preach.
Pornography is running rampant. Internet porn is quickly degrading our culture. Recent studies show that 1 out of 4 men in church today are addicted to porn.
Amid all this confusion, the Bible calls for holiness and purity. Paul commands the Corinthians to flee from sexual immorality. But why? Why is sexual immorality so dangerous? Why does God's word call for a life of uncompromising purity? Paul answers this question in I Corinthians. Corinth was a church in trouble. The church was split. Doctrinally the church was comprised. The Corinthian society was so associated with sexual impurity that to be called a Corinthian meant to be sexually promiscuous. Sound familiar? At the center of this great epistle Paul calls the people to live holy in the midst of this perverted and promiscuous society.
We will discover 3 reasons why we should flee from sexual immorality.
1 Corinthians 6:12
All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.
This may have been a common Corinthian saying; Paul cites it again in 10:23. Apparently they used this phrase to justify doing whatever they wanted to, especially in regards to sex.
This probably came from the teachings of Paul! He had taught them they were free from the law.
Galatians 5:1
Romans 6:14
Galatians 5:13
Sin, especially sexual sin, is still a powerful force.
“Expedient” …beneficial…profitable. Sex in and of itself is not sinful. God designed it to be beautiful and pleasurable. But sex has a mysterious quality. It binds people together physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Because of this quality sexual sin is particularly devastating. It affects the whole person, both spirit and body. Any time sexual activity is indulged in outside of a marriage relationship, there is damage. ''No sin that a person commits has more built-in pitfalls, problems, and destructive tendencies than sexual sin.''
This would include fantasizing and all forms of pornography.
Sex outside of a marriage relationship - This would include activities that stir up lust and lead to sex. By the way, this goes for single adults and adults who are divorced. You have the same responsibility to be pure as your teenage and college age children.
Extra-marital sex- adultery. Again, Jesus says this can be mental or physical
Sexual sin is one of the most enslaving and addictive activities. Take internet pornography as an example.
What makes sex online far more compelling than any shrink-wrapped smut [is] instant gratification in endless variety-you never get to the end of the magazine and have to start looking at the same pictures again. With old porn, once you view it, you've consumed it. You've chewed the flavor out of the gum. This can't be done on the Net. The gum never runs out of flavor. A new piece of flesh waits behind every old one, and expectation bids you to go further. Much further. Because as long as there's more to come, you'll keep coming. This is all so new. No stimulus like this ever existed before.
Jesus Christ can break that strong hold. He can cast it down!