(1) Pre-Marital Sex / Fornication

What does the Bible say about pre-marital sex?

When I was in the elementary grades, in my religion class on Saturdays, Our religion teacher (usually a nun) told us about the mortal sins and vinial sins. I was confused during that time because i did not quite understand the topic since the nun won't touch the topic on sex. In the Philippines, Modesty is the basic in daily living during that time. I grew up in community where sex was not mentioned everywhere. My parents wouldn't let us watch drama on television nor listen to the drama on radio. Later on in high school, I started to understand what fornication meant. When we were asked if it is a sin to engage in sexual relations outside of marriage, I got nervous because I knew deep in my heart it is a sin. This is an area that many of us struggle with quite a bit in our Christian walk. Well, God is quite clear on how He wants us to live.

First of all, there are different terms in the Bible that describe pre-marital sex. One way is the term "fornication." If you looked in a dictionary for the definition of the word fornication, you would read, "Sexual intercourse between a man and a woman who are not married to each other." And another way that pre-marital sex is described in the Bible is with the words "adultery" or "lewdness." And the people who participate in pre-marital sex are referred to as "whoremongers" and "whores."

The world may have nice, fun terms for pre-marital sex, terms such as "doin' it," "foolin' around," "having an affair," "a fling," "one-night stand." But it is quite obvious that God sees such activity in quite a different light!

When I arrived in the United states, I observed that most people just do pre-marital sex like they were just having fun. A chance meeting in a restaurant or party immediately lead to sex. The very young teenager is "doing it" then goes home like nothing happened. I remembered when I was on a bully train in Tokyo, It was a regular site for a young woman and a man to be kissing and necking on the seat on my way to work in Tokyo, Japan. I was really astonished during that time because you won't see that where i came from. (The Philippines). My quick conclusion on this matter is to marry a Godly person. Godly person fears the Lord and will think twice before committing sin.

Let's look at several verses that show us how God feels about us participating in pre-marital sex.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 warns us, "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdom of God."

And 1 Corinthians 6:13b, 18 tells us, "Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body. Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without (outside) the body; but he that commiteth fornication sinneth against his own body."

The Bible is telling us that pre-marital sex is a sin and that it is something that unrighteous people engage in. As Christians we are to use our body in ways that glorify God. Our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.

We are warned to learn from the examples of the Israelites, who God judged because of their sinful ways. 1 Corinthians 10:6-8 reads, "Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand."

And Galatians 5:19-21 reads, "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these, adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness ... of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God."

Again, we see that pre-marital sex is not something that God wants us involved with. God wants us to stay away from such behavior:

1 Thessalonians 4:3-5, "For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel (body) in sanctification and honor, not in lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which do not know God."

Ephesians 5:1-3, 5, "Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor. But fornication, and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not once be named among you, as becometh saints...For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God."

Revelation 21:7-8, "He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be My son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death."

All of these verses clearly show us that God is 100 percent against pre-marital sex and that He commands us to not take part in pre-marital sex. It doesn't matter what all of your friends are doing or what you see in movies or videos or even what unmarried people who live in your own house are doing. God's Word has not changed. God is today and has always been against His children participating in pre-marital sex! God wants us to have sexual relations with our husband or wife only. 1 Corinthians 7:2 reads "To avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband."

God's commands are not always easy to follow. Being an obedient child of God in this area requires you to see this sin the way God sees it. You cannot think of sex as just something exciting and fun to do. You must learn to treasure and respect your body as something that is beautiful and special, a work of art that is only to be shared with one person under God's conditions.

You must go to God in prayer and ask for the strength you need to not give in to the temptations of the flesh. You will need to make it a point to not put yourself in situations where you are likely to stumble. And with the help of the Holy Spirit, you will be able to resist the temptation to take part in pre-marital sex.

2 Peter 2:9 tells us, "The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished."

God wants us to live for Him in the way that He told us we should. He wants us to turn our backs on the ways of this world.

Source: The Holy Bible