Flee Immorality!

More than one preacher has misspoken and said the word immorality when he meant to say immortality. The result: raised eyebrows, embarrassment, and undoubtedly, a few chuckles. Look at the difference between the two words and look at the title. The following is about the ugly sin of immorality.

Most Christians have been trained to think and react negatively toward immorality. It is immoral, that is, not moral. However, it has not always been considered a sin.

The Greek term translated immorality was not a negative word. It originally referred to a prostitute, usually a woman purchased as a slave. Over time, it was applied more generally to any sexual behavior outside of marriage. (Adultery had its own specific word because of civil/legal concerns.)

Attitudes differed in antiquity at different places and at different times. Even when immoral practices were frowned upon, allowances were made. It was believed by some that sexual appetites were no different than food appetites and should be satisfied. Among the Persians daughters might be given over in service to gods and goddesses as temple prostitutes. This was considered a noble gesture.

Only in the Bible do we find consistent prohibitions against sexual activity outside of marriage, i.e., immorality. If you were to present biblical teachings to non-Christian young adults of our day, they might respond with a puzzled look and wonder, “Why?” Many have adopted the attitudes of antiquity.

Using the human body as an illustration, the Apostle Paul wrote to saints reminding them that “your bodies are members of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 6:14) Physically speaking, your hands, nose, legs, tongue, liver, etc. are all members of your body. They are all attached. That is the imagery Paul used to tell us that ‘we’ are attached to Jesus Christ as members of His body.

In the next verse Paul asked, “Shall I then take away the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute?” It is quite an outlandish question. It is to ask if one’s body should be dismembered! But it is in reference to the body of Christ! Even more shocking is Paul’s suggestion that the member that is removed be joined to a prostitute (i.e., immoral person). And why?

Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body with her? For He says, “The two shall become one flesh.” (vv. 16-17)

God created humans in such a way that sexual intimacy creates a literal bond. That is a good thing for a married couple, but disastrous outside of marriage. For that reason, Paul continued (v. 18):

Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body.

If you steal from a store, you hurt the store owner. If you lie to your friend, you hurt your friend. If you beat someone up, you harm that person. However, if you unite yourself to another person through sexual intimacy (and you are not married to that person), you harm yourself. And why?

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? (v. 19)

Sexual immorality makes your body (temple) unfit for the Holy Spirit. It is a desecration of something that has been made holy and is devoted to God.

Sexual sin destroys one’s relationship with God, not because a rule has been broken, but because it severs one’s union with Christ and makes a unifying bond with someone else. That’s why Paul’s used the strongest language he could in his warning against sexual immorality: 

Flee immorality. 

RUN!!


Mark Stinnett

October 12, 2025