Victimless Sin

Victimless Sin?

“Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled;
but fornicators and adulterers God will judge” – Hebrews 13:4
In recent years our society has taken a very libertine stance toward sexual sins.
“What is the big deal?” we are asked. “When two consenting adults engage in
sexual intercourse no one is harmed. It is a victimless sin.” We are told that what
two people do in private is no one else’s business. They tell us that the traditional
religious requirement that sex be confined to marriage is outdated.
Fornication is not, in fact, a victimless sin. The ills of such a practice are legion.
The first victims of this sin are the participants themselves. The sexual
relationship is designed by God to build a strong emotional bond between a man
and a woman. Entering into these relationships casually, creating and breaking
that bond repeatedly, leaves personal and emotional scars. Promiscuity also has
physical consequences in the form of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). There
are an estimated 20 million new cases of STDs in the United States per year.
These diseases can cause infertility, cancer, and other life-long problems.
But there are many other victims of fornication. Unwanted pregnancies often
lead to more sin as unborn children are legally slaughtered through abortion. The
children that are born are often born into homes that have no father. Fatherless
homes, homes without a leader and provider, lead to all manner of societal ills
including troubled youth, poverty, crime, and substance abuse. Sadly, the
behaviors that beget these ills are frequently passed on to the children, creating a
situation that continues generation after generation. As a result society itself is a
victim of this sin. The burdens of increased crime, poverty, drug use, and
healthcare costs are borne by all of us. Acceptance of these sins as “normal” also
undermines the nuclear family – the foundation of any society. This acceptance
can present a snare to our families, leading many away from God into these sins.
The only reason we should need to avoid fornication is God’s prohibition – which
is clear and unequivocal (Hebrews 13:4; Ephesians 5:3-5; Colossians 3:5-7;
Galatians 5:19-21). But we also know God’s character. Everything He commands
us is for our good (Deuteronomy 6:24; 10:13). So, we should not be surprised that
violating His commands causes far-reaching harm.
Do not believe the lies. There are no victimless sins.
- Pat Gaughan

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Looking At Lions

A young preacher was visiting in the home of one of the older members. The man
pointed to a painting on the wall with the scene of Daniel in the lions’ den.
“What do you see?” he asked.
“Well, I see Daniel, and the lions are not harming him,” the young
preacher replied.
“Yes, but notice Daniel’s eyes. He’s not even looking at the lions. He’s
gazing upward toward heaven.”

What a great object lesson. Do you get it?
Our lives are filled with lions – things that threaten our peace of mind, things
that challenge our faith, things that can create distressing anxiety. Do we let
them completely dominate our attention?
The apostle Peter stepped out of a boat onto the stormy sea and began to walk
toward Jesus. This admittedly required amazing faith, but when he turned his
attention away from Jesus and focused on the wind and waves Peter began to
sink.
As we run our race we need to “fix our eyes on Jesus.” (Heb 12:2)
Satan will place things in front of us designed to make us look away. That’s when
we need to remind ourselves to . . .

Stop looking at the lions !

(Anon)

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This Old House

Years ago, Lawrence Welk hosted a television program. More than once it
featured the deep bass voice of Larry Hooper singing a song entitled “This Old
House.” It pictured a man observing that the “house” he was living in was beset
with the ravages of age: floor, shingles, hinges, and windowpane in bad need of
repair, but he was content because . . . “Ain’t a-gonna need this house no longer . .
. I’m a-getting ready to meet the saints.”
In 2 Cor 5 the apostle Paul says we are now living in tents, looking forward
longingly to a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. We may
wonder what our resurrection body will be like. Even the apostle John admitted
that had unanswered questions about that: “It has not appeared as yet what we
will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see
Him just as He is.” (1 Jn 3:2)
How thrilling and encouraging it is to contemplate the resurrection when we will
be given a glorious, powerful, imperishable spiritual body! (1 Cor 15:42-43)
(Anon)

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“Many of life’s failures occur when people do realize how close they
were to success when they gave up.” - Thomas A. Edison

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