What’s wrong with fornication? In our modern world, temptations are terrific; can’t God just forgive? Is fornication really sin? Is it the same as adultery?
“Adultery” is sex or familiarity with anyone who is not your God-given, lawful spouse. Fornication is the same. Even if you are engaged and looking forward to marriage, not yet has the Lord given you that personal intimacy; it’s a gift with His blessing that comes only from His hand and fornication is prematurely taking it out of His hand, trying to force God to do your own will, not His. It’s the direct opposite of Jesus’ prayer in His Garden of Gethsemane, when He prayed, “Not as I will, but as Thou wilt” (Matt. 26:39). His whole human soul revolted against going to the cross because He knew that it meant dying the forever-second death, and it cost Him sweating blood to say No! to His own will and Yes! to the Father’s.
Seen in this light, fornication is crucifying Christ afresh (cf. Heb. 6:6). It’s denying what He died to establish: He wants you to have a truly happy marriage and solid foundation home that will lighten this dark world. Fornication loads you with guilt God doesn’t want you to have; it’s destructive of domestic peace.
God has placed the seventh of His ten commandment in the center of His holy law, like your heart, your most sensitive, valuable organ enclosed within the defense of your rib cage. No sword could penetrate your physical heart until that outer defense is first broken. Thus it’s impossible to break the seventh until you have first already violated the preceding six; and it’s impossible to find forgiveness for breaking the seventh until you find repentance and forgiveness for breaking those preceding six.
For example, it’s impossible to break the seventh until you have first broken the fourth—you have been violating the holy Sabbath first, cherishing unholy thoughts and purposes; and you’ve broken the fifth, for illicit sex is a violation of holy parenthood; and you’ve broken the first for you have made it your “other god” which you have placed before the one true God.
But there is Good News: come to Jesus just as you are, filthy with sin; He “receiveth sinners” (Luke 15:2). With His New Covenant gospel He transforms the ten commandments into ten glorious promises. This happens when you believe that Preamble to the ten—a reminder of what Christ has already accomplished on His cross to deliver you from “Egyptian bondage” (Ex 20:1, 2).
You will discover how “love [agape] is the fulfilling of the law” (Rom. 13:10). That is what you really have been hungering for all this while!
Be sure to check your e-mail for "Dial Daily Bread" again tomorrow.
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