I want to address a matter that is often dismissed ignored or trivialized in our world sexual immorality when I say that sexual immorality can send you to hell some might accuse me of fear-mongering of using Scare Tactics to manipulate or frighten but I want you to know that these words are not my own they come directly from Jesus Christ himself let's be clear Jesus did not speak about sexual immorality to sensationalize or dramatize it he spoke about it because he understood its devastating consequences on our souls consequences that our generation seems to have forgotten or
outright rejected we must ask ourselves why would Jesus use such strong language if the consequences were not severe let's reflect on the words of Jesus from The Sermon on the Mount Matthew 5: 29-3 if your right eye causes you to sin pluck it out and cast it from you for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish than for your whole body to be cast into hell and if your right hand causes you to sin cut it off and cast it from you for it is more profitable for you that one
of your members perish than for your whole body to be cast into hell these are the words of Our Lord not mine Jesus explicitly warned that sexual immorality lust adultery and all forms of impurity can lead to Eternal damnation was he trying to frighten us no he was telling us the truth he was providing a Stern warning out of love because he wants no one to perish he wants all to repent and come to the knowledge of the truth so when I emphasize the seriousness of sexual sin I am not being over dramatic I am
merely echoing the urgency and severity with which Jesus himself treated this matter this isn't about creating fear for fear's sake it's about a Divine warning that we dare not ignore now consider the entire Sermon on the Mount there are many sins listed lying divorce hating your neighbor giving to impress others praying publicly for attention fasting to show off loving money being anxious judging others all of these are sins yet out of all these sins Jesus specifically mentions hell in relation to just two anger and sexual immorality he singles them out illustrating their particularly grave consequences
in the passage we read Jesus uses hyperbolic language a figure of speech where he exaggerates to make a point not to literally encourage self-mutilation but to stress the drastic measures we should take to avoid sin he is telling us that it is better to lose something precious in this life than to lose our soul in the next we are urged to take whatever steps necessary to cut sin out of our Lives no matter how extreme it seems because the alternative is far worse an eternity separated from God yet we live in a generation that minimizes
the severity of sexual immorality our culture and even parts of the church have desensitized us to the gravity of what Jesus said we are constantly bombarded with messages that normalize and even celebrate sexual immorality adultery fornication and pornography are glamorized in media trivialized in conversations and often treated as no big deal but remember Jesus did not take this sin lightly and neither should we we must understand that the desensitization of our culture is a direct attack on the Holiness God calls us to sexual immorality is not a harmless Indulgence it is a destructive force that
breaks families corrupts hearts and severs our relationship with God let's talk about por ography a pervasive issue today approximately 25% of all search engine queries are related to pornography demonstrating its staggering prevalence and accessibility Google alone processes around 8.5 billion searches daily which equates to about 3.1 trillion searches annually if 25% of these searches are related to pornography that amounts to roughly 775 million searches per day or about 9 40,000 searches per minute the scale is mindboggling reflecting the immense hold that pornography has on the world it is not just a private matter or a
victimless crime it is a spiritual epidemic that ens snares millions and leads them into deeper bondage research shows that individuals who consume pornography are significantly more likely to engage in extramarital Affairs men who view pornography regularly are 300% more likely to cheat on their spouses moreover the American sociological Association found that the risk of divorce nearly doubles when one partner starts watching pornography for women the likelihood of divorce increases by about 300% and for men it increases by 200% pornography has a devastating impact on marriages around 56% of divorces involve one party with an obsessive
interest in pornographic websites pornography distorts the Mind erodes trust and destroys the very Foundation of marriage which God designed to be a sacred Union this isn't just a problem for the secular world it's a problem within the church approximately 64% of Christian men admit to viewing pornography at least monthly a rate nearly identical to non-Christian men among young Christians aged 18 to 24 a staggering 76% are actively engaged with pornography even pastors are not immune with more than 50% reportedly viewing porn regularly these statistics should alarm us and drive us to repentance and accountability we
must not be complacent or assume that because we are believers we are immune the enemy seeks to devour us and he uses sexual immorality as one of his most potent weapons the Bible instructs us to flee from sexual immorality 1 Corinthians 6:18 a distinct command compared to how we are told to handle the Devil Himself sexual sin is not something to confront or negotiate with it is something to run from because it uniquely destroys us from within it is a sin against our own body the Temple of the Holy Spirit when Paul speaks of sexual
immorality he emphasizes its deeply personal and destructive nature this is why we must not simply resist but actively flee from it as Joseph did when faced with Piper's wife he didn't stand and argue he ran we must adopt the same urgency and determination to escape these traps sexual temptation is powerful appealing directly to our most basic desires often in ways that can easily overpower our defenses it infiltrates our minds and hearts leading us down Paths of Destruction that we never intended to tread this is why the Bible treats it with such urgency it's not just
about breaking a rule it's about safeguarding our very Souls from a danger that can lead to Eternal sep separation from God sexual sin compromises our witness damages our integrity and Grieves the Holy Spirit who dwells within us brothers and sisters we must Heed These Warnings seriously this is not about fear mongering this is about recognizing the truth that Jesus spoke and responding with the seriousness it deserves sexual sin is not just another misstep it is a path that can lead to Hell let us not be deceived by the world's lies or comfort by half truths
God created sex he did and sex is a beautiful natural part of human life it is a gift designed by God and it is normal and healthy to desire it but because God loves you he has established specific boundaries for how sex should be experienced within the Covenant of marriage between one man and one woman these boundaries aren't arbitrary they are there for your own good to prot protect you physically emotionally and spiritually God's laws are not restrictive chains but protective measures that guide us toward a fulfilling and Godly life God understands the consequences of
living a promiscuous life and time and time again his word warns us against such a lifestyle there is nothing wrong with Desiring sex but it must be pursued within the parameters set by God the desire itself is normal but sin seeks to pervert God's design for for sex twisting Something Beautiful into something harmful we live in a culture saturated with sensuality and the celebration of self-indulgence our society encourages us to do whatever feels good to follow our desires without restraint but the problem with this mentality is that what feels good isn't always acceptable in the
eyes of the Lord Galatians 5 warns us about the dangers of giving in to the feel-good aspects of our flesh we must remember that our emotions and desires can deceive us leading us away from the path of righteousness the problem you and I face is our flesh though our spirit may be born again it still resides in a fleshly body that is prone to Temptation being born again doesn't mean you will never be tempted it means you have the power to overcome Temptation through the Holy Spirit there is a constant War within us the spirit
versus the flesh our spirit renewed and Born Again longs to please God to pursue his will and to remain in communion with him but our flesh with its natural desires and inclinations often pulls Us in the opposite direction this is why the Bible instructs us to put off the old man and put on the new man to walk by the spirit and not by the flesh the battle is ongoing and it requires vigilance prayer and a commitment to living according to God's word God's parameters for sex are clear it is to be in enjoyed within
the bonds of marriage between one man and one woman our flesh however often tries to satisfy this natural desire through Unholy means disregarding the Divine boundaries set by God one of the many reasons for these boundaries is to protect us from the physical emotional and spiritual consequences of sexual sin in 1 Corinthians 6:1 15-17 Paul writes do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with The Prostitute never do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one
with her in body for it is said the two will become one flesh but whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit this passage emphasizes the Deep spiritual connection formed through sexual intimacy when you join yourself with another person in this way you are not merely engaging in a physical act you are forging a union that transcends the Physical Realm it's a spiritual bond that was intended to be reserved for marriage this is why sexual relationships outside of God's design can be so destructive two people involved in fornication may find themselves
inexplicably bound to each other unable to separate even when they know the relationship is toxic they want to leave but feel powerless to do so this is because there is a connection between them that goes beyond the physical it is a spiritual connection that makes them one the Bible tells us the two shall become one flesh and this Union is not limited to marriage it happens whenever people engage in sexual relations this is why breakups can feel like a profound loss almost like a form of grief because a part of you has been given away
consider the phenomenon of Friends with Benefits relationships this is where two people are physically intimate without any commitment or emotional attachment at least that's the intention but have you ever noticed that in these Arrangements at least one person often ends up getting attached despite the intent to keep things casual a connection forms this is because in God's design sex was never meant to be casual it is a profound act that unites people in ways that go beyond what is seen fornication builds a spiritual bond that can linger long after the physical relationship has ended this
is why some people continue to think about or feel connected to past partners years after the relationship has ended time alone does not heal these spiritual wounds because time does not address the spiritual realities at play only through repentance healing and the renewal of our minds by the Holy Spirit can we be truly set free from these bonds God created sex and he did so with a purpose he loves you and his laws are there for your protection and benefit God's warnings against against promiscuity and sexual immorality are not about denying us pleasure but about
guiding us toward the fullness of life that he desires for us when we live within God's parameters we experience the true beauty of his design for sex unmarred by the pain and consequences of sin Galatians 5:16 to18 reminds us so I say walk by the spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh for the flesh desires what is contrary to the spirit and the spirit what is contrary to the flesh they are in conflict with each other so that you are not to do whatever you want but if you are led by
the spirit you are not under the law we are called to walk by the spirit to let the spirit lead us and in doing so we will find the strength to resist the Temptations of the flesh this is a daily battle but it is one we can win through Christ who strengthens us let us strive to honor God with our bodies uphold his standards and live in the freedom and joy that comes from obedience to his perfect will First Kings 11: 1-4 but King Solomon loved many strange women together with the daughter of pharaoh women
of the mobites ammonites zidonians and Hittites of the Nations concerning which the Lord said unto the children of Israel ye shall not go into to them neither shall they come in unto you for surely they will turn away weigh your heart after their gods Solomon clave unto these in love and he had 700 wives princesses and 300 concubines and his wives turned away his heart for it came to pass when Solomon was old that his wives turned away his heart after other gods and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God as was
the heart of David his father as great as the story of Solomon is he did not live up to his full potential he had the world at his feet he was a leader he was blessed and gifted by God he had everything that a person could desire and what stopped him from living up to his full potential was his flesh his marriages had a devastating effect on him the Bible says that he loved many strange women this was the beginning of Solomon's fall there's no two ways about it Solomon had a problem with lust to
call it a problem is an understatement 1,000 wives and concubines can you imagine that Solomon consumed by his lust had 1,000 wives and concubines the Bible warns us to flee lust have you ever noticed the Bible encourages us to stand up and go toe-to-toe with the devil James 4:7 resist the devil and he will flee from you yet in this same Bible there is not a single verse that encourages us to fight lust the Bible instructs us to run from lust we are told to flee lust that alone there should tell you the devastating nature
of lust remember the Apple doesn't fall too far from the tree David had the same problem with his flesh and lust yes not to the same scale and volume of Samson but David killed a man because of his lusts yet David repented and God forgave him most people today would never forgive David for what he did but that's not God God is a god of forgiveness and loving kindness and Tender Mercies Solomon did not only marry women from Israel he brought in wives from different nations some of his wives and concubines were princesses from other
countries which God had warned the Israelites not to intermar with God knew that the women of those nations were idolatrous and that they would turn away the hearts of his people from him to worship other gods first Solomon married the daughter of a pharaoh isn't that a foolish thing for him to do the Israelites had already been warned to not take strange or foreign wives he was trying to form a coalition with an enemy Nation First Kings 11: 7-9 then did Solomon build an high place for chimos the abomination of Moab in the hill that
is before Jerusalem and for Molech the abomination of the children of Ammon and likewise did he for all his strange wives which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods and the Lord was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel which had appeared unto him twice I find this hard to believe I struggle to wrap my head around this this great man with a great heritage wisdom and blessings turns to the most depraved gods of the Pagan Nations second Solomon married some woman of Moab as a king he would
have heard or read how God destroyed about 24,000 Israelites because they committed adultery with the moabit women on their way to the promised land this can be seen in numbers 25 veres 1-9 the moabites were known for seducing the Israelites into fornication and adultery yet Solomon threw caution to the wind and married many of them Solomon married strange women from other National ities like the ammonites the the zidonians and the Hittites we can recall that these nations are all enemies of the Israelites but Solomon kept the enemies of God As Lovers he continued marrying strange
women until he had 700 wives and 300 concubines of course the wives insisted that he erect statues and Idols to their gods to which he obeyed the person you marry matters strange women turned Solomon's heart away from the Lord Solomon brought all of these strange Gods into Israel the moabites were involved in human sacrifice and Solomon brought this into Israel can you imagine the ammonites worshiped molok and they were also involved in human sacrifice can you imagine First Kings 11: 4-6 for it came to pass when Solomon was old that his wives turned away his
heart after other gods and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God as was the heart of David his father for Solomon went after ashth the goddess of the zidonians and after milcom the abomination of the ammonites and Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord and one not fully after the Lord as did David his father finally Solomon became an idol worshipper because of the strange wom he brought into his life the man who built the temple that manifested in became a man that built an author for ashth and milcom Solomon
wrote The Song of Solomon The Book of Ecclesiastes and much of the Book of Proverbs and each of these books show him at different stages of his life in general people tend to not have a kind eye towards the Ecclesiastes The Book of Ecclesiastes deals with the purpose of life and Solomon in this book is the preacher Ecclesiastes 1: 1-2 2 the words of the preacher the son of David King in Jerusalem vanity of vanities saith the preacher vanity of vanities all is Vanity looking at life all around he judges it to be vanity nothing
useless meaningless even with a thousand wives in concubines it seemed that every part of his life suffered from this emptiness this is what a lot of people do not understand there are men and women who think they would be happier if they had more money we all think that if we had a $100 million in our bank account today we would be happy there are some people listening to me right now who think that if they had a different wife a younger better-looking wife they would be happy in the same way there are women who
think if they had a different husband one who listened and was more affectionate they would be happy there are some people listening to me right now who think that if they had more pleasure and fun in their life they would be happy the preacher Solomon the wise King Solomon had all these things Solomon had riches Beyond a person's Wildest Dreams Solomon lived for pleasure and enjoyed it everything a person's flesh could ever want Solomon had and look what he says in the Book of Ecclesiastes Ecclesiastes 2:1 17 therefore I hated life because the work that
is wrought Under the Sun is Grievious unto me for all is Vanity and vexation of spirit this is a man who had the world at his feet yet he hated life he had every pleasure Under the Sun at his disposal yet he hated life Solomon had the opportunity to test the various ways men seek happiness he had great riches and therefore could buy anything he wanted to buy he also had great power and therefore could do anything he wanted to besides this he was the wisest man in all the Earth yet this man hated life
he experienced everything under the sun and he said it was empty that is a lesson there are millionaires who are miserable empty and unhappy pleasure money power Fame and wisdom will not satisfy the soul of a person there is only one thing where which can satisfy your soul and that's not another marriage or money or pleasure it is the Lord Jesus Christ in Ecclesiastes 12: 13-14 Solomon said let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter fear God and keep his Commandments for this is the whole duty of man for God shall bring every work
unto judgment with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evil having admitted that all he did amounted to vanity Solomon learned his lessons and wrote about his life to forewarn any other person from choosing his path he finally advised us to fear God and keep his Commandments
