Chapter 1 Part 2

Fornication as defined by the Bible has created an atmosphere in our society that has caused many to lose respect for each other as the temples of the Holy Spirit. As I will discuss later, many people no longer value others as more than objects to be used for personal gratification. They believe that everything on this earth was placed here for their pleasure only. Fornication by its very nature reduces our essences to there most base level, the seeking of selfish pleasure despite the cost. Some have even convinced themselves that there are no costs. Fornication elevates our physical wants over our spiritual needs. My desire to be with someone is not about being of benefit to them (spiritual) it is about what can I get from this encounter for my benefit (physical). We are called to want the best for each other and to be willing to sacrifice our wants and desires for those of others. How can I claim to love a woman and yet not be concerned with the condition of her spiritual eternity? On the other hand, do I only love her physical body and the pleasure that I can derive from it at the cost of her spirit?

“All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful;
all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify.
Let no one seek his own, but each others well-being.”
1 Corinthians 10:23-24

When we begin to lose value as humans to one another, we open a Pandora’s Box that includes all manner of human cruelty. If we look at our human history and our recent past, whenever one race values itself more human than another, genocide is not far behind. Fornication sets in motion this process on an individual basis. Its funny but the things that we look to alleviate with fornication (loneliness, low self-esteem) are the very things that we create by doing it.

“Do not prostitute thy daughter, to cause her
to be a whore; lest the land fall into whoredom,
and the land become full of wickedness.”
Leviticus 19:29

Fornication brings wickedness to the land by replacing God-given joy with man-driven pleasure. It replaces committed love with apathetic, disinterested selfishness. In many cases, those practicing fornication espouse love for one another, but it rings hollow if there is no concern for another’s honor and eternal life. I may not care if I get to see God, but how can I say I love you and not want you to see God? With fornication, it is no longer about the other person (they can be anyone) it is about someone getting what they want. It does not matter if you are married, engaged, or with someone, it only matters that my wants are being met. It is amazing how even those who practice these things recognize the state the world would be in if everyone did what they did. I have never heard of many people advocating this behavior for family members or others.