Be Not Deceived

By Dan Bailey

Be Not Deceived — (I Corinthians 6:9-11 —Article #3)

"Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God."

In this passage there are classes of people who will not go to heaven or inherit the kingdom of God. Adulterers are in the list. God created man and instituted marriage between one man and one woman. When two people are married and one of the marriage partners engages in sexual relations with another person, the sin is the sin of adultery. That is, if the husband engages in sexual relations with another woman other than his wife, then that man is an adulterer. If a married woman engages in sexual relations with another man, other than her husband, then that woman is an adulteress.

Adultery is rampant in our society. Divorce and remarriage for purposes other than fornication are common place in the world. Jesus said, "...Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away? He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery" (Matthew 19:4-9).

The only reason that Jesus gave to put away one's spouse and marry another is fornication. All adultery is fornication, but not all fornication is adultery. Fornication is the generic word for sexual relations. The Greek word includes homosexuality as well as adultery. We read in Hebrews 13:4, "Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge." Let us be faithful and true to our spouse lest we someday end up in the everlasting fire of hell.