Posted on 10/30/2018 8:55:23 AM PDT by Salvation
The epistle from Monday’s daily Mass (30th Week of the Year) contains an admonition against unchastity. This grave warning is essential in times like these, when many call good or “no big deal” what God calls sinful. This is especially true in the realm of sexuality; entire sectors of society not only tolerate but even celebrate sexual practices that Scripture calls gravely sinful and that will lead to Hell if not repented of. Homosexual acts, fornication, and adultery cannot be considered allowable by any Catholic or any person who sincerely accepts Scripture as the Word of God. Even those who do not share our faith should be able to observe the damage these acts cause: they spread disease, harm marriages and families, subject children to less-than-ideal households (e.g., single mother/absent father), and lead to abortion.
In today’s post I will focus on the sin of fornication and present the clear biblical teaching against it. Sadly, many Catholics report that little to nothing is heard from the pulpit or in the classroom about this issue. The hope in this post today is to present a resounding, biblical trumpet call to purity that leaves no doubt as to the sinfulness of sex before marriage. Scripture is clear: fornicators will not inherit the Kingdom of God. That is to say, fornication is a mortal sin and those who do not repent of it will go to Hell.
The usual conditions for mortal sin apply (grave matter, sufficient reflection, and full consent of the will). In most situations, these conditions are met. Over the years I have met with many sexually active couples preparing for marriage and have never found them to be surprised that I rebuke them for this. They know it is wrong; the voice of God echoes in their consciences. As for consent of the will, although some fall occasionally in a weak moment, consistent fornicating with no measures taken to prevent it (e.g., not cohabitating) is not weakness; it is sinful neglect of prudence and common sense.
We are in a sinfully confused cultural setting in which many either celebrate or make little effort to avoid what God calls serious sin. The Church must not lack clarity, yet pulpits and classrooms have often been silent. This has led to parents themselves to be silent—and silence is often taken as tacit approval.
Fornication cannot be approved of. It is sinful and excludes unrepentant sinners from Heaven. Our charity for souls compels our clarity about the grave sinfulness of premarital sex.
The following passages from the New Testament clearly condemn fornication and other unclean or impure acts. The gravity and clarity of such condemnations are helpful in the sense that they help us to take such matters seriously and steer clear of them. However, the condemnations should not be seen in isolation from God’s mercy, as He never fails to forgive those who come to Him with a humble and contrite heart. God hates sin, but He loves sinners and is full of mercy and compassion for them. This mercy must be accessed through repentance, however.
There is a general requirement for sexual purity.
Among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or crude joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure: No fornicator, no impure or greedy person—such a man is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with worthless arguments. These are sins that bring God’s wrath down upon the disobedient; therefore, have nothing to do with them (Ephesians 5:3-7).
Unrepentant fornicators are excluded from the kingdom.
The one who sat on the throne said to me, “See I make all things new!” Then he said, “Write these matters down for the words are trustworthy and true!” He went on to say: “These words are already fulfilled! I am the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end. To anyone who thirsts I will give to drink without cost from the spring of life-giving water. He who wins the victory shall inherit these gifts and he shall be my son. As for the cowards and traitors to the faith, the depraved and murderers, the fornicators and sorcerers, the idol-worshipers and deceivers of every sort—their lot is the fiery pool of burning sulphur, the second death!” (Revelation 21:5-8)
Happy are they who wash their robes so as to have free access to the tree of life and enter the city through its gates! Outside are the dogs and sorcerers, the fornicators and murderers, the idol-worshipers and all who love falsehood. It is I Jesus who have sent my angel to give you this testimony about the Churches (Rev. 22:14-16).
No fornicator, no impure or greedy person—such a man is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God (Eph 5:5).
I warn you, as I have warned you before: those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God! (Gal 5:21)
Sins of the flesh crush the spirit within us.
My point is that you should live in accord with the Spirit and you will not yield to the cravings of the flesh. The Flesh lusts against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh; the two are directly opposed. This is why you do not do what your will intends. If you are guided by the spirit you are not under the law. The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery, idolatry, sorcery, hostilities, bickering jealousy, outbursts of rage, selfish rivalries, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, orgies and the like. I warn you, as I have warned you before: those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God! (Galatians 5:16-21)
Even our thought life is summoned to purity.
You have heard the commandment “You shall not commit adultery.” What I say you to is, Anyone who looks lustfully at a woman has already committed adultery with her in his thoughts. If your right eye is your trouble, gouge it out and throw it away! Better to lose part of your body than to have it all cast into Gehenna. Again, if your right hand is your trouble, cut it off and throw it away! Better to lose part of your body than to have it all cast into Gehenna (Matthew 5:27-30).
From the mind stem evil designs—murder, adulterous conduct, fornication, stealing, false witness, blasphemy. These are the things that make a man impure (Matt. 15:19-20).
Wicked designs come from the deep recesses of the heart: acts of fornication, theft, murder, adulterous conduct, greed, maliciousness, deceit, sensuality, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, an obtuse spirit. All these evils come from within and render a man impure (Mark 7:21).
Sexual impurity is a form of worldliness and idolatry.
Put to death whatever in your nature is rooted in earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desires and that lust which is idolatry. These are sins which provoke God’s wrath (Colossians 3:5-6).
My body is not my own to do with merely as I please.
Can you not realize that the unholy will not fall heir to the Kingdom of God? Do not deceive yourselves: no fornicators, idolaters, or adulterers, no sodomites, thieves, misers, or drunkards, no slanderers or robbers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you; but you have been washed, consecrated, justified in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. Do you not see that your bodies are members of Christ? Would you have me take Christ’s members and make them members of a prostitute? God forbid! Can you not see that the man who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? Scripture says, “The two shall become one flesh.” But whoever is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. Shun lewd conduct. Every other sin a man commits is outside of his body, but the fornicator sins against his own body. You must know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is within – the Spirit you have received from God. You are not your own. You have been purchased at a price. So, glorify God in your body (I Cor. 6:9-11, 15-20).
The call to Christian purity is not merely a human opinion; it is God’s declared truth. Further, sexual sin is a form of injustice.
Now my brothers, we beg and exhort you in the Lord Jesus that, even as you learned from us how to conduct yourselves in a way pleasing to God—which you are indeed doing—so you must learn to make still greater progress. You know the instructions we gave you in the Lord Jesus. It is God’s will that you grow in holiness: that you abstain from sexual immorality, each of you guarding his member in sanctity and honor, not in passionate desire as do the Gentiles who know not God; and that each must refrain from overreaching or cheating his brother in the matter at hand; for the Lord is the avenger of all such things, as we once indicated to you by our testimony. God has not called us to sexual immorality but to holiness; hence whoever rejects these instructions rejects, not man, but God who sends the Holy Spirit upon you (I Thess. 4:1-8).
Fornication and other sexual sins are numbered among the more serious sins.
We know that the Law is good, provided one uses it in the way law is supposed to be used—that is, with the understanding that it is aimed, not at good men but at the lawless and unruly, the irreligious and the sinful, the wicked and the godless, men who kill their fathers or mothers, murderers, fornicators, sexual perverts, kidnappers, liars, perjurers, and those who in other ways flout the sound teaching that pertains to the glorious gospel of God—blessed be he—with which I have been entrusted (1 Timothy 1:8-11).
Fornication and adultery dishonor marriage.
Let marriage be honored in every way and the marriage bed be kept undefiled, for God will judge fornicators and adulterers (Heb 13:4).
Therefore, do not be deceived. Fornication is a serious sin, a mortal sin. It is a sin that excludes one who does not repent of it from Heaven. It offends God, harms marriage and the family, spreads disease, encourages abortion, is an injustice to children and society, and dishonors marriage. It merits strong punishment, as God’s Word declares.
Do not despair of God’s mercy but do repent. Mercy is accessed only through repentance. It is wrong—seriously wrong—to fornicate. Repent without delay.
Monsignor Pope Ping!
An excellent and important post.
Thank you.
Gotta disagree theologically.
1. There is only one unpardonable sin per the Bible - blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.
2.There is no verse in the Bible where Jesus names one sin worse than another.
3. Jesus was the final and perfect sacrifice, for ALL sins.
They should be telling this to their priests..
All sin is serious and kills.Only the blood of Christ cleanses and regenerates the soul.1Cor.5:5...Paul is clear that a regenerated soul,even after greivous immorality,has eternal life in heaven.The word of God only....beware of men!
Thank you.
Per my reading of the Bible, you are spot on. The sin answer for each of us is Jesus - having a personal relationship with Him, and asking Him to forgive us for our sins. He already paid our price, took our punishment.
Sin, however, always has consequences.
Laz is gonna be in big trouble then!
I can’t believe that you are speaking out AGAINST St. Paul, the author of most of these quotes.
Why do you believe the inspired word of God written by St. Paul?
Or to go to Confession and KNOW that GOD has forgiven our confessed sins.
Jesus doesn't address the issue of homosexuality but that doesn't mean it is okay.
The Bible clear commands that some acts are worthy of more punishment than others. That indicates, obviously, that murder is worse than stealing a pack of chewing gum.
Any sin that isn't forgiven by God, however, will send one to hell. But, the Bible indicates both reward in heaven and punishment in hell will be based on behavior.
You don’t have to “Go to Confession” to know that God has forgiven you of your sins. If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your savior, then you are forgiven, once and for all. He doesn’t take it back, based on your future behavior. Everyone sins every day. Eternal salvation, today, if you have already accepted Jesus Christ as your savior, is not dependent on what you do or don’t do today. Or tomorrow. Salvation, which includes forgiveness for your sins, is permanent.
I agree. I cut out the middle man years ago.
Please see my remarks in [brackets]
Jesus doesn’t address the issue of homosexuality but that doesn’t mean it is okay. [ See Paul’s many references/letters (mainly for Jews and Jewish converts) to how to relate the Law and the Prophets to the new Covenant. Also Jesus said he wasn’t on earth to remove the law, rather to fulfill it. Sin is still sin, with the same wages *IF* unforgiven through faith in Jesus.]
The Bible clear commands that some acts are worthy of more punishment than others.[YES, that is in civil law and the Jewish LAW/Tanukh, but Jesus was clear - it’s cut and dried - sin is sin, and the wages are the same.] That indicates, obviously, that murder is worse than stealing a pack of chewing gum. [ In civil law, and the original Law, yes. *But* this post was about Spiritual consequences, and what might keep you out of Heaven. ANY unforgiven sin, not ones the church picks, is a no-go. Jesus is THE way, not a pick and choose set of sins. Gotta disagree ]
Any sin that isn’t forgiven by God, however, will send one to hell. But, the Bible indicates both reward in heaven and punishment in hell will be based on behavior. [ there is no pain, or envy, or fear etc in Heaven. Gotta disagree with you here]
That's not totally true. The post was on "fornication" and the two times Jesus condemns fornication the Greek word translated as fornication is "pornea". The Greek word pornea means any type of wrongful or unlawful sex. In the Jewish culture where Jesus was talking to a Jewish audience this would have certainly included homosexual relations.
Prepare for rationalization in 3,2,1.
The New Testament warnings about impurity are blunt and numerous, directed at Christian Groups of many forms. The warnings are regarding not entering into the Kingdom of God, obviously this is a very bad thing. We’re are taught that the Kingdom of God is “Righteousness, Peace, and Joy”.Romans 14:17. Could not the message that impure thoughts and actions prevent Righteousness, Peace, and Joy, as our reward on earth for our life in Christ, but that only Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is unpardonable?
Are the Kingdom of God, and the Kingdom of Heaven different things? I must meditate on this further
+1000 EXACTLY
Problem: RC hierarchy = Syndicate racket
Solution: Gov’t RICO prosecution + #RCWalkAway
RE: “They should be telling this to their priests..”
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