What other Scriptures address the consequences of sexual immorality? The Corinthian Warning: Learning from Israel’s Tragedy - “We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—” (1 Colossians 10:8). - Paul recalls Numbers 25, where Israel’s sin with Moabite women led to 24,000 deaths. - Consequence: swift, lethal judgment; a call for believers to flee the same danger. Old-Testament Snapshots of Judgment - Numbers 25:1-9 – plague stops only when Phinehas acts; thousands perish. - Genesis 19 – Sodom and Gomorrah destroyed by fire; Jude 7 says they “serve as an example by undergoing the penalty of eternal fire.” - Leviticus 20:10 – adultery under Mosaic Law carried the death penalty. - 2 Samuel 11–12 – David’s adultery births family turmoil, the child’s death, and ongoing sword in his house. Wisdom Literature: Personal Fallout - Proverbs 5:11 – “At the end of your life you will groan when your flesh and body are spent.” - Proverbs 6:32 – “He who commits adultery lacks judgment; whoever does so destroys himself.” - Proverbs 7 paints the seductress’s path as a highway “going down to the chambers of death.” Jesus on the Heart of the Matter - Matthew 5:28 – “whoever looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery…” - Consequence begins internally; unchecked desire leads to judgment (vv. 29-30 warn of hell). Paul’s Letters: Eternal Stakes and Community Impact - 1 Thessalonians 4:3 – “This is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality.” • Verse 6 adds, “the Lord is the avenger in all these things.” - Galatians 5:19-21 – works of the flesh include sexual immorality; “those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” - Ephesians 5:5-6 – “No immoral, impure, or greedy person has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God… because of such things, the wrath of God comes.” - Hebrews 13:4 – “God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.” Revelation: Final Accountability - Revelation 2:20-23 – Jezebel’s followers face “great tribulation” and death unless they repent. - Revelation 21:8 – the sexually immoral are listed among those whose portion is “the lake that burns with fire.” Pulling It Together - Earthly fallout: disease, broken families, ruined reputations, civil penalties. - Spiritual fallout: loss of fellowship, quenched Spirit, church discipline. - Eternal fallout: exclusion from God’s kingdom, fearful expectation of judgment. - Scripture unites in one voice: sexual sin always costs more than it promises, but repentance and obedience open the door to forgiveness, restoration, and lasting joy. |
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