Every sin is bad. Every sin corrupts. Saying a little white lie will send you to hell just as equally as a fornicating sin will. However, sexual immorality goes a bit deeper. Sexual immorality cuts to the core of humans in a way that other sins do not. The reason is simple: it’s intertwined with the heart and soul and mind, as well as with the body. Not every sin is like that. That’s what Paul means in 1 Corinthians 6:18 when he says that every other sin is outside the body, but the sexual immoral person sins against his own body. To sin sexually, Paul might say today, means you are practically going to ruin your life (here on earth, not just in eternity).
John Calvin explains it like this: “[Paul] does not altogether deny that there are other vices, in like manner, by which our body is dishonored and disgraced, but that his meaning is simply this — that defilement does not attach itself to our body from other vices in the same way as it does from fornication. My hand, it is true, is defiled by theft or murder, my tongue by evil speaking, or perjury, and the whole body by drunkenness; but fornication leaves a stain impressed upon the body, such as is not impressed upon it from other sins.”
Sexual immorality has a way of tearing apart lives and relationships in a way that other sins do not. This doesn’t excuse other sins. This doesn’t mean that obscene pride and outrageous lifestyles will not ruin a life. O, they will! But a plain reading of Scripture reveals this truth especially about sexual immorality. Proverbs 5:8-11 teaches us, “Keep your way far from her [that is, the forbidden woman, v. 3], and do not go near the door of her house, lest you give your honor to others and your years to the merciless, lest strangers take their fill of your strength, and your labors go to the house of a foreigner, and at the end of your life you groan, when your flesh and body are consumed.”
There is hope amidst this dismal picture. The good news of the gospel is that Christ’s blood has redeemed you. Your sexual purity is a blood-bought gift that was purchased on Calvary. Know that God owns your body, and he has made it for himself, for holiness. What better incentive is there to kill sexual sin (as well as every sin)!
Sexual immorality will consume your flesh and your body and your heart and your mind in an all-together differently destructive way than every other sin. Paul teaches that. Proverbs does, too. It’s all over Scripture. Every other sin is outside your body. Sexual sin is against your own body. Flee sexual immorality. Please, it will save you from ruining your life.
JAMES PRUCH 
18 responses to “Why Sexual Immorality Corrupts Differently Than Other Sins”
One other thought for that (and one I had to preach on the other week) concerns adultery more specifically… it’s one of the few sins where you break other vows on your way to committing the sin itself. Considering how importantly God views covenant, vow, word, promise and pledge, I thought it was worth shining a light on that particular angle. Again, read the first few chapters of Jeremiah, or read Hosea, and get a sense of the language that God chooses to describe his relationship to his people – and the pain when they break faith… hideous.
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what if the marriage already had adultery but we still live in the same house and still palying the role and we have kids?
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like whta if the marriage was already broken through abuse drugs wht do you do when you are developing your relation ship with God you have the holy ghost baptized in it and have fell in love with the other brother, and both of you ahve a better connection mentally spiritually and interlectually, and he helps build you up
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I know this comment is like 4 years old, but for anyone reading (hopefully the original commentor) I will say this:
The gospel is about healing. It is about fixing what is broken. It is about love. It is about self sacrifice. But above all, it is about these things being done by the supernatural grace and empowerment of God. Your marriage can be fixed…by God. You can love anyone…with God’s help. Etc. It might be hard but you must try to heal that which is broken with God’s help. It can be done. Trust Him. The Bible says, however, that if the unbelieving spouse decides to leave then the believer is free. But until then love and healing is all that matters. I hope things are going well for you. Things don’t always work out even if you try as hard as you can, but sometimes it’s just the trying that we need to experience to be healed ourselves.
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Really in a nut shell if you will, it’s all about forgiveness! It hurts when your spouse or spouse to be have had an affair. Forgiveness is not about forgiven small insignificant things in ones life. It’s about those hard hitting things, such as matters of the heart, family maters, life matters, and most definitely about things you think that you can’t forgive. Matthew 6:15; if you forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Matthews 5:33; …. Thou shall not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths. Your marriage vows included for good or for bad! This is where forgiveness comes into the marriage. If Jesus can forgive and love you after your sins, aren’t we to do unto other in like manner. Anyone other than the your living spouse is adultery even in divorce. John 4:18; …. Thou has well said, I have no husband: For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not is not thy husband …. You both vowed until death do we part!!!
You alone can’t fix your problems, but there isn’t anything impossible for God to fix!!!
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very insightful truth indeed.
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Nonsense. Christianity is based on forgiveness and salvation through grace a sin (any sin) does not condemn one to hell. You are missing the most basic tenant of Christianity in favor of fundamentalist dribble.
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Saying Christianity is based on forgiveness does not mean sin doesn’t condemn us to hell. It isn’t fundamentalist drivel, it is the gospel. Based on forgiveness why? God forgives what, then? Why does it need forgiveness? Why would God need to come as man to die if it wasn’t necessary for that forgiveness? I think it is probably you who is missing the basic concepts of Christianity here.
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Yes I feel so. Loving Jesus also means partaking in his sufferings. One way he suffered was in obedience to God to come down to earth and take the form of man. Another way is to take up sins he didnt commit even to the point of interceding for the forgiveness of men when he cried out father forgive them for they know not what they do.
If we are to live like he did We should also learn to forgive all sins like he did. Even the woman caught in the art of adultery he forgave. Can we love more than he loved us? Can we claim to have suffered more than we suffer? A disciple is not greater than his master…. we cannot but learn to be fully matured like christ. Allow his spirit to show you the best way out. He will count your faith in him as righteous even as he did to Abraham.
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Hello here’s my situation:
I prayed for God to send me a husband
God sent me a man that was married but in the midst of divorce due to his wife wanting another man and no longer wanted him.
From the beginning God had been working even before I felt that this man was sent from God.
This man cussed so bad he listened to bad music he never went to church neither owned or read the word of God. Over the last 14 months I believe God used me to bring this man his kids and his mother and other family members closer to God.
This man thru conviction from every disagreement we had, he drew closer to God. And so did his lost mother which was once a muslim. Now the man the mother his son and nephew got saved his mother got holy ghost and wayet baptised.
He did too and they are all a member of my church. This man wants to get remarried to me and my apostolic pastor says he cannot remarry unless his wife is died.
I want what God has for me
However I’m not sure if he is to be my husband. I love this man I seen his growth and I’m glad to be apart of it. His wife does not believe in marriage and she does not want to be married to him or at all.
What should I do?
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If his wife committed adultery she doesn’t have to be dead. If she committed adultery against him he has every right to divorce her and marry you. But you should pray to God about it first.
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God loves marriage. Ok, you have done a great thing by turning a sinner to GOD in the name of Jesus. You did the work of an evangelist. You let GOD use you. But, will GOD send you a husband joined to a wife? His wife needs deliverance. Does this man love his wife? Did GOD intend of you to help with this man and his families salvation solely? And you just want this man for yourself? Not accusing but asking you to search your heart. Is your soul leading you or the Holy Spirit of GOD. A married man. Would the Master send you to break apart a marriage? Or reconcile it? Jesus..living Word. Help. God bless you with the TRUTH that sets us free. Many blessings n grace for your love towards GOD in the name of Jesus. Amen But please be careful.
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Let the man sort out his own marriage, reconcile, divorce, grieve, heal – there’s a lot of work to be done before he could ever be ready to enter into a new marriage or relationship with a clean and free heart. Otherwise he will be dragging lots of bagging into a new relationship which will take a toll on you, him and the extended family. The saying ‘if you love something, let it go, if it comes back to you it’s yours’ comes to mind. If it is truely God’s will, He will bring it to pass.
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This is an old post but I respond so that anyone who is without will not stumble.
First, God, who considers adultery a great sin, did not send you a married man. God hates divorce. His word also says in 2 Corinthians 6:14-16 ” Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 15 and what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16 and what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” There is simply no way for anyone who reads the scriptures to believe that the Lord would send them a man who is not only married, but is an unbeliever. The only way we can believe such things is to disbelieve the word of God. The fact that he was an unbeliever when you met him should have given you pause to consider. When we allow what we “feel” to overrule what God says in His word, and continue in sin (including pining over a man when we should focus ourselves on the Lord Jesus), God will send us strong delusion. I know something about that. Don’t allow what you feel to overrule what God says in his word as this only leads to trouble. This is unbelief and unbelief is sin. Sin opens the door for Satan to enter and then you will have real troubles.
Do not think for one second that Satan cannot answer prayers. He answers the prayers of the disobedient all the time.
No woman has any business praying for a man. The bible says “22 Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good
thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD.” Proverbs 18:22. i would go far, far away from this if I were you.
You need not go to a public forum and ask for advice. Neither do I counsel you to “pray” because If you do not know the word of God, you cannot distinguish his voice. This is how you ended up in your situation. Yes, the devil hears and answers prayers. The only way you will know what to do is to seek the face of the Lord in His word AND in prayer. If you have the word of God, the Authorized King James 1611 you have God’s word on it. Go to the scriptures and let the word of God be your guide – not your feelings.
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I’m not going to even finish reading this; because first of all : GOD would not send you a man that’s still married to someone else, separated, divorce not finalized, none of that. GOD wants you happy and well to serve Him. Seek HIM first!
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Isn’t the gospel about transformation, renewal and hope?
The gospel you are proclaiming is only half the story.All religions have some type of moral code that people must abide by.But all people fail at some level – even if only in the heart.
The gospel is far more radical and life giving than what you are letting up.
The way you put it is more like bad news than good news.Please consider the effect your words have on those who have failed in this area.
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It’s interesting to really see to what extent sin has destroyed our world. But glory to Jesus when he comes for his millennium rule. Can’t wait to be part of it. However on the issue at hand, sexual sin really affects the heart of a person more than any other sin cause it is with the heart a man or woman can love or hate so if the heart is broken, what can one do? Even our salvation is of the heart…for with the heart man believes unto salvation. However, sexual immortality isn’t supposed to tear or render a once loving relationship completely apart. You can decide to bear it while you repair it. I know its hard but grace of God sustains us because the love of christ has been shared abroad in our hearts. God sees idolatry as adultery. And Israel when they went after other gods, Jehovah saw it as adultery yet says to Israel, come back to me. Its a really big sacrifice we have been called to bear when we come to christ that is why the weakminded and lukewarm cannot serve God fervently. If we can be led by the spirit, I believe he will show us the way out, as we obediently follow him.
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Hi, Dee I read your post about God sending you someone else husband in the midst of his divorce.Do you really think God work that way? Noo! God want all marriages to work because it was ordained by him, Holy.So why would he put you in the middle of the mess to cause more confusion? My God does not work that way, he is not the author of confusion. Satan sent this to you not God
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