Flee Immorality!
Satan's Promise: Power or Pleasure

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It seems to me that a great deal of the problems that face the church today are the result of easy-ism – easy believing, easy morality, easy commitment, easy faith. An easy gospel has great appeal because it is devoid of personal demands and individual cost. Also, when it is easy, it is also easily forgotten.

This, I think, is what the Corinthians were involved in. They had created an easy gospel, a gospel that allowed them the best of two worlds. They were spiritual enough to be accepted as believers but carnal enough to enjoy the forbidden fruits of sin. With the Corinthians, there were a number of issues that Paul had to address, but among the more serious was that of sexual immorality. An easy gospel had allowed the Corinthians to become complacent and indolent concerning sexual sins, an especially prevalent problem because of the great deal of immorality that existed in Corinth at that time.

This is brought home in the eighteenth verse of the sixth chapter. "Flee immorality," the apostle commands, "for every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body." Now here is an incredible thought. Every sin that a person commits, be it stealing, lying, cheating, killing, it does not go beyond the act, but sexual immorality goes deeper. When a person is sexually immoral, whether it is adultery, fornication or homosexuality, he takes upon himself not only the character of that sin, but the personality of the partner in the sin is indelibly impacted upon the inner man. This is not true of the other sins.

Let us try to get this into perspective. In both Psalms 115:8 and 135:18 a similar principle is stated: a person takes on the personality of the thing he worships. In these verses, the person takes to himself the identity of the idol he worships. What I am saying, and the Bible is telling us, is that we become like that which we worship!

We see this is the "identification principle" of Romans 6. When a person becomes a Christian, he is indelibly identified with Christ – "in Christ and Christ in you." Paul reiterates this great truth in 1 Corinthians 6:17. A Christian becomes joined to Christ. He becomes one in spirit with Him.

Now the root of the word, "join" or "unite," in 1Corinthians 6:17 comes from a word that means to glue or cement together. It speaks of firm oneness, of an unbreakable bond. When this happens at conversion, each and every Christian begins to take on the identity and personality of the One he worships. The more a Christian knows of Christ, the more he or she becomes like Him. In our counseling, great stress is placed on building a Christian identity, on becoming Christ-like. Christ-likeness is the great goal of each and every child of God.

But the apostle brings us to a chilling thought. Of all the sins a person can commit, it is the sin of sexual immorality that goes beyond the surface and into the inner man. It is this sin, or rather the consequences of this sin, that man or woman retains.

Let me explain. To have sex in any form joins the two into oneness. In other words, whoever has sex with another person becomes one with that person and begins to take on the identity and personality of the one he or she had sex with. Not only that, but the person one has sex with brings into that union all the various sexual unions of previous liaisons. A man or woman might think a "one-nighter" is soon forgotten, but the Bible doesn’t hold to that. Sexual encounters produce a unique oneness that warps the personality. The more the sexual unions, the greater the personality is warped.

But there is more to it than just this. Sexual activity outside of marriage is a two-edged sword, for it not only contaminates one’s personality, but it also affects the oneness a person has with Christ. It erodes the spiritual cement and pollutes the union with Christ. No, I am not saying a person loses his salvation if he is saved. What I am saying is that the relationship with Christ suffers.

It has been my experience over many years that when a Christian has sex outside of marriage it leaves an indelible imprint upon his or her personality. Not only are they more prone to additional affairs, but they must constantly fight the battle of their thoughts. No matter what is said, their relationship with, and their ministry for, Christ suffers.

Certainly, the sin of sexual immorality is covered with the blood of Christ. Certainly, purity can be restored, but innocence is lost forever, and the consequences of the act are not averted by God’s forgiveness. They go on and on. Small wonder that Paul screams, "Flee immorality!"

In the Scriptures there is a thread that links idolatry and adultery. Both go beyond the surface of the body to the inner man. Both are sins that strike at the very core of a person’s being. Both are sins of retention. Both impart the identity of and personality of the one involved.

Obviously, Paul was warning Christians to remain pure, not to fall into sexual immorality. He even went so far as to say that we are not to have anything to do with Christians who are immoral. (1 Corinthians 5:9) Paul knew the consequences of immorality and he would save us from them.

But what of those brothers and sisters who have been immoral? First, let me say that the sin itself has been forgiven, totally and completely. However, because the consequences of sin will go on, both internally and externally, great care must be given lest there be further succumbing to this tremendously appealing sin.

To those who have not sinned in this manner, remember there is great power in innocence. A person who is innocent of a certain sin is not beset by that sin. But when innocence is lost, the thoughts of the person tend to be constantly assailed by thoughts of the sin. God does restore purity, but innocence cannot be restored.

Now let me say this. God has furnished us with all the tools necessary to keep from sexual immorality. More than this, in His immeasurable grace, He offers the gift of restoration to those who have been immoral.

Satan uses a time-proven formula to tempt us. He never varies in his schemes. He doesn’t have to try anything new because of the success of this formula. He always approaches us either with the promise of power or of pleasure – power through knowledge or riches, and pleasure through sexual encounters. He knows that man responds to the power and pleasure approach because of his pride and passions.

To counter this, we must arm ourselves appropriately. Because we are dealing in intense spiritual warfard, it is imperative that we strengthen the human spirit, the inner man, while we hold the body in check. It is absolutely necessary that the spirit rule the body and not the reverse.

The Bible tells us just how to do this. No, it is not mind over matter, but spirit over flesh. Paul says, "I buffet my body and make it my slave." (1 Corinthians 9:27) It is Jesus who tells us how to do this. "If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." (Luke 9:23) So, the first thing we learn is that we are to control our bodies with its appetites and desires by denying ourselves – that is saying no to the things of the flesh.

Next, we are told by Paul that through the power and Person of the Holy Spirit, we are to put to death the deeds of the body and we shall live. This is a conscious, volitional choice to begin to deliberately crucify the deeds of the flesh that Paul outlines in every one of his epistles (e.g., Romans 8:13).

Also, we must remember: "If you walk in the Spirit, you will not carry out the desires of the flesh." (Galatians 5:16) A holy walk cannot be manufactured; it can only be lived in the power of the Spirit. Submission to the Spirit, not determination, is what counts.

With these tools in hand, put yourself under accountability to someone else. Become transparent with at least one other Christian who shares your goals for holy living. Do not get entangled in any alliance, but flee, flee temptation. Do not allow yourself to be compromised. Rather, set your face as flint to the person and things of God.

May we all, but the lives we live, demonstrate to the world that Christ is alive and well.

©1998 Jim Craddock, President, Scope Ministries

For more information regarding fleeing temptation and walking in the power of the Spirit, see the following Scope resources: "Lesson 5: Living by the Spirit" in Scope’s Discovery Group Study Series, "Be Transformed"; Session 5, "Experiencing My New Identity in Christ," and Session 12, "Spiritual Warfare," in Scope’s Biblical counseling training manual and audio tapes, Pneumanetics; and Jim Craddock’s booklet series, "Candidate for a Miracle."