“This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16)
The end of the age is upon us. What has been preached and prophesied for many years is coming to pass. As it was in the days of Noah; times when men are trying to change the standards and moral codes that have been set down centuries ago by God, so it is in these days which precede the rapture of the church. The vices of that time are also today’s abuses-eating, drinking, partying, and sexual misconduct.
In the midst of such sinful filth and slime grows the church as a pure white lily. The church is the bride of Christ, and it is preparing itself for the appearance of the Bridegroom. The Scriptures reveal that Jesus will come back to receive “a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing” (Eph. 5:27).
God is holy and just and changes not; neither will His standards adapt to meet the imaginary progressiveness of this present age. The so called “new morality” professes to restate codes of conduct in the light of modern knowledge and science when in actuality it returns to the morality of Romans 1:18, 24, 28; instead of progress, it is retrogression.
THE NEW MORALITY
The substance of the new morality is twofold: 1) For unmarried people to live together as husband and wife on a “trial marriage” basis to test their ability to live happily together. 2) For married people to go outside the marriage bond and enjoy extramarital relationships to satisfy their unfulfilled lust.
This teaching says that if one indulges in these sexual experiences (in or out of marriage) that it will give you the ability to feel at one with the universe and with God! What utter and reprehensible nonsense. It teaches that right and wrong are relative terms with the standard being the desires (needs) of man rather than the strict codes of the law. It teaches that sex is an expression of love and should not be prohibited or curtailed. Homosexuality or lesbianism is an expression of love between members of the same sex and therefore should be legalized in order to let people express themselves to one another in a way that seems the most natural. In the name of compassion the new morality condones adultery, fornication, etc. The Scripture says, “Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap” (Gal. 6:7). The commands of God still stand; Exodus 20:14 and Mark 10:19.
THE BIBLE AND MORALITY
The generation in Noah’s day (Genesis 6) became so filled with wickedness that not only their behavior but also their thoughts were focused upon evil continually. Because of the total turn to immorality and ungodliness, God decided to destroy every living substance (Genesis 7:22). The same wickedness and ungodliness that existed in the days of Noah will also be widespread before the return of Jesus Christ. However, the Scriptures inform us that the world will be purged in the next judgment by fire!
The Mosaic Law (Leviticus 18) has a detailed listing of unlawful marriages, lusts, and immorality. All of these sins were punishable by immediate death, which reveals the seriousness of their offense in the sight of God. Included in this list is the commandment that there be no sexual relations with a person who is near of kin (Lev. 18:6). Moreover, any sexual relations outside of marriage were prohibited. God also condemned all deviant sexual conduct such as homosexuality and bestiality, which are sexual relations with animals.
In large part, Jesus’ teaching on morality is found in His Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5. Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God” (Matt. 5:8). The heart is the engine room of the soul. A person must keep his heart pure if he is to overcome temptation, for every person is tempted. Temptation is not sin, but to allow sinful desire, thought, or impulse to lodge in our heart will finally cause us to sin. David prayed, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me” (Psalm 139:23-24).
The gateway of a person’s heart is his eyes (Matt. 5:28). If a man looks on a woman with lust, then he is guilty of committing adultery in his heart. Unless he conquers his lust, he will soon seek for a way to fulfill the lustful thought through the flesh. If we will stay pure in our hearts, we will see God! The Bible instructs us to “follow...holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14).
The apostle Paul counseled the young minister Timothy to “flee also youthful lusts” (II Timothy 2:22) Lust is a strong, inordinate desire for something. Youth is one of the most dangerous times for sexual immorality in one’s life. The body has reached maturity and yet the mind and heart have not developed through the disciplines of life. A person must learn to control the body’s natural and normal sexual impulses. He must learn to flee from fornication (I Corinthians 6:18). There are basic codes of conduct which a person should follow in order to avoid undue temptation and in order to maintain his purity and integrity before God. Some subjects are not for public discussion. “For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret” (Ephesians 5:12). Maintain proper conduct toward members of the opposite sex.
Moral sins defile a person’s mind and body. They leave a stain and stigma that cannot be erased even though they may be forgiven. Lying, stealing, and cursing are ugly sins, but they do not stain a soul like immoral sexual sins. There is a spirit of licentiousness loose in our world today. Webster defines licentious as “disregarding the laws of morality, especially in sexual matters.”
Fornication is defined as “voluntary sexual intercourse between an unmarried man and an unmarried woman” The practice is clearly and repeatedly condemned in the Scriptures. There are some common problems that result from premarital sex. Present-day “common law” arrangements are not acceptable with God. Premarital sex weakens a person’s moral character and often opens him to temptations after he is married. Psychologists inform us that sexual dysfunction in marriage may be caused by guilt from immoral sexual behavior in the past. When someone joins in physical union with a member of the opposite sex outside marriage, it opens his emotions to a world previously unknown.
Adultery is “voluntary sexual intercourse of a married man with a woman other than his wife or of a married woman with a man other than her husband”. The spirit of adultery promotes the idea that if a couple’s relationship does not seem to work, then they may engage in extra-marital affairs. It negates personal and marital commitment to the relationship, disregarding their love for one another. Adultery violates God’s will and plan for several reasons. God can work out marital problems as long as the couple is willing to respond to Him and to each other in love and submission. “Is any thing too hard for the Lord? (Genesis 18:14). It takes time to build a relationship. Adultery is wrong because it is a violation of God’s plan.
Homosexuality is “characterized by or involving sexual attraction felt by a person for another person of the same sex”. Can a homosexual be saved? Yes. But like other sinners, a homosexual must reject his homosexuality and turn to God. He must obey God’s plan of salvation and live a sanctified life in Jesus Christ. (Romans 1:20-28)
IMMORALITY IN OUR WORLD
There is much immorality in our world today. Prostitution is legalized in many nations. Many public beaches and swimming pools are open to near nudity. The notorious spring break for colleges is often an excuse for the “future intellectuals” to act sexually irresponsible. Student dorms on college campuses are often troubled by promiscuous sexual behavior. Some television programs unabashedly show nudity and present adultery and fornication in a favorable light.
How can we avoid being lured into the ungodly sins of this life? We should “abstain from all appearance of evil” (I Thessalonians 5:22). We should judge activities and situations in the light of Philippians 4:8: Is it true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous? These virtues will help us to make the right choice. Many people live good, clean, moral lives. But just because they live morally clean lives does not mean they are saved. People many appear to be too good to be lost, but inside something is missing. Jesus taught that the basis for morality is a pure heart.
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