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QUESTION 6:
Is it right for a Christian to live in with a single man if they are not married?

ANSWER:
It appears what is socially accepted, has become the standard of morals even for Christians. It not only is not right, but it is absolutely wrong. It is a sin of a very serious nature. This is called "fornication" in the Bible. In the listing of sins this one is usually the foremost:- "Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them." Romans 1:29-32.

These verses list twenty-two sins; the second one is "fornication." "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." 1 Corinthians 6:9-10. Again, fornication made the top of the list, this time it is number 1. "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." Galatians 5:19-21. In speaking to the Ephesians in Chapter 5:3-5, Paul lists six sins that were to be avoided. Once again, "fornication," tops the list at number 1. Fornication means; any form of illicit sex and it often includes adultery. God decreed sexual relationship to be holy and undefiled within the union of marriage. "Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge." Hebrews 13:4. ANY sex apart from marriage is sin in the eyes of God, and it is subject to the judgment of God. Homosexuality, adultery, fornication, and all perverted sex is sin. There are four sins which will be more characteristically committed in the last days; murder, sorceries, fornication, and theft. "Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts." Revelations 9:21. Here we are told that they would not repent of these sins. All of this is happening today, also. These are the sins that will bring the judgment of God upon sinful man, in the near future.

Today His door of mercy is open. He will forgive us. There must be a repenting of sin, "And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent" Acts 17:30, and faith in Christ, "And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." Acts 16:30-31, now, before it's too late. God is waiting for us to repent. "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:9.

All comments and questions to: Harold Smith

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Updated July 2009, by Shelly Allen