The Works of the Flesh - Part 1 (Adultery and Fornication)

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like; 

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.

(Galatians 5:19-21)

The works of the flesh, are defined as sinful qualities which contrast the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

The works of the flesh are characteristics of the sinful nature of man caused by lust [sinful desire]. They are opposites of the qualities which the Holy Spirit wants to develop in your life.

There is a constant spiritual battle going on in the life of a believer. The works of the flesh are in constant battle with your spirit to destroy the fruit of the Holy Spirit:

For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 

(Galatians 5:17)

Although the results of these sins are visible in wrong actions, the cause is not visible. The cause is sinful desires [lusts] of the heart:

And He saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him;

And He said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness; And these evil things come from within, and defile the man. (Mark 7:18, 20-23)

The sins listed in Galatians 5:19-21 are not all of the sins identified in the Bible. They are a group of sins called “works of the flesh” which contrast the fruit of the Spirit.

>       ADULTERY

This is not an old-fashioned way of thinking, it is bible!

Adultery is sexual intercourse by a married person with someone who is not their spouse.

One of the first ten commandments from God was:

Thou shalt not commit adultery. (Exodus 20:14)

In Old Testament times when a person committed adultery he was put to death:

And the man that committeth adultery with another man's wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death. (Leviticus 20:10)

Both Jesus and Paul repeated the warning against adultery in the New Testament:

Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery. . .   (Mark 10:19)

For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery. . .  (Romans 13:9)

Jesus expanded the meaning of adultery to include evil sexual desires of the heart:

Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:

But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. (Matthew 5:27-28)

Adultery also includes divorcing a mate and remarrying without Biblical cause:

But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery; and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery. (Matthew 5:32)

And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery. (Mark 10:12)

When a person commits adultery he is sinning against his own soul:

But whoso comitteth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul. (Proverbs 6:32)

God judges those who commit adultery:

Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. (Hebrews 13:4)

Those who commit adultery do not inherit the Kingdom of God:

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.(1 Corinthians 6:9)

One of the characteristics by which you can recognize false teachers is by the sin of adultery:

But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction . . .

. . . Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:

 (2 Peter 2:1,14)

The Bible warns:

For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adultress will hunt for the precious life. (Proverbs 6:26)

>       FORNICATION

This is not an old-fashioned way of thinking, it is bible!

Fornication is sexual intercourse by two people who are not married to each other.

This sin includes adultery which is sexual intercourse by a married person with someone who is not their mate.  It includes sexual deviation such as homosexuality [with someone of the same sex] and incest.

Fornication can be a Biblically permitted reason for divorce:

But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced commiteth adultery. (Matthew 5:32)

Fornicators will not inherit the Kingdom of God:

Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators. . .  shall inherit the kingdom of God.  (1 Corinthians 6:9-10)

The Bible tells us to abstain [refrain] from fornication:

For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication. (1 Thessalonians 4:3)

Nevertheless to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. (1 Corinthians 7:2)

Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. (1 Corinthians 10:8)

The body is not intended for fornication because it belongs to the Lord. For this reason, you must flee fornication:

. . . 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 the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.  (1 Corinthians 6:13,18-20)

It is your responsibility to mortify fornication:

Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: 

(Colossians 3:5)

Fornication is not to even be named among believers:

But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints. (Ephesians 5:3)

If a person continues in fornication, he will finally be given over to it totally.   Eventually, his conscience will no longer be bothered by it:

For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:

Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,  (Romans 1:26, 29)

(Biblical Studies)

08/25/15
05/15/17
11/19/18
02/05/20