1 Thessalonians 5:22; 2 Timothy 2:22; 1 Corinthians 6:18
The Holy Ghost, through Paul, gave the Churches at Thessalonica, Ephesus and Corinth a divine alarm: and all have the same warning sound - 'flee!' 'Flee/abstain/run from all appearance of evil', 'Flee all youthful lusts...', and 'Flee fornication...' Why is it necessary to flee? The life of a man is in his blood; and every sexual activity (legal or illegal) has something to do with blood - Leviticus 17:11. Therefore, when you are involved in any sexual activity, your life, destiny, generations to come and eternity are also involved. This is the reason for the Divine Alarm: that everyone flees, abstains and runs away from immorality for the sake of their precious soul, that it be not rejected by Heaven, damned in hell and destroyed eternally. There is a need to flee, not necessarily the evil, but that which looks like it; even those in the heart. Matthew 5:27-28 shows us that it is possible even to commit fornication in the heart. If the Lord would open our eyes, we'll see that there are several men and women in the Church, who commit fornication/adultery in the heart daily, while their mouths profess the Kingdom of God as their home.
Why this Alarm? When we flee, we will be able to follow after righteousness, purity, peace and charity with those who serve God in sincerity and call upon Him from pure hearts. Some people don't follow the ways of God, though they call upon His name. From such, we ought to flee! How do we know them? They don't have righteousness, true faith (that pleases God), or charity in themselves: but in place of peace we find crises, and in place of love, we see lust. But the Bible says to follow only those who seek after righteousness, faith, charity and peace. Do not be carried away by power exercised through signs and wonders, because the devil can perform signs and wonders also. Instead be carried away by holiness, righteousness, purity, and character, as these can Heaven alone offer a man. Again, every other sin one commits, aside from fornication, is done outside the body; but the sin of sexual immorality involves the blood, soul, body, destiny and even generations to come. Why? What controls a man's life is his blood, and we know that without it, man would die. Despite this, Jesus shed His precious blood for us: for the atonement of our sins and redemption of our souls. Hence, there is a need never to joke with this divine warning, especially as our present world is
engulfed with all kinds of immorality, much more than Sodom and Gomorrah, the world of Noah and any age past! The devil is at it again, and he has mapped out strategies to be used to win the world for hell, destroy the Church, defy the believers, corrupt the holy seed and manipulate even the altar, and its messages and preachings through this deadly monster called 'sexual immorality.' This is a call of God's beloved children to spiritual alertness against satan's attacks, traps, and pitfalls.
Oh, what a lovely Father's counsel, advice and admonition to his beloved children. Why the warning? Every sin man commits is a product of the heart - Mark 7:20-23, "All these evil things come from within, and defile the man." Therefore, when a man's heart is pure, his body will also be pure; from his eyes to his ears to his mouth (conversation) to every other area of his life. But when the heart is defiled, polluted and contaminated, then his body can only manifest that which it contains. There says, " Out of the abundance of a man's heart, the mouth speaks..." Proverbs 23:7(a). Thus if we are to flee, there are several things we are advised to follow after. They are those things upon which we ought to think - righteousness, holiness, purity, justice, etc. Philippians 4:7-8. Brother, your heart is important. It must be guided. Any thought aside from the lovely things, of good report, and possess virtue are thoughts which can lead a man astray. We are advised to 'Flee from all appearance of evil' and not just the very evil itself. It's time to run from that which looks like evil because "...the days are evil." Ephesians 5:16. Don't allow your soul to be corrupted by looking upon things the Lord would not have you look at, or go places you ought not to go, or think upon things you ought not to think on or handle things you ought not to handle. When you do, you can never be holy or pure. 2 Corinthians 4:1-4. Seeing we have repented from and renounced all worldly lusts, let's not faint in it. For if our Gospel be hidden, it is hidden to those whose minds have been blinded, and hearts corrupted by the devil (with the dazzling things of this world), that they should not believe, nor repent nor receive the Word of God and abide in it, that the Light of God, (Jesus-the image of God) should shine on them. Thus, all that proceeds out of them is wickedness, rebellion, greed and many other vices.
We already are living at the end of time; Jesus can come at any time. And at the same time, the devil and his agents are out with several new ways to introduce immorality to both the great and small, rich and poor, religious and righteous, with just one motive - to reduce the persons on the way to Heaven and multiply the souls in hell. To this Solomon charged, " My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not"- Proverbs 1:10. It's a charge to everyone despite time and age, because the devil has no respect for anybody. He lost his place in Heaven and desires that the sons of Adam join him there also. But the Holy Ghost is wiser than he is. And He's saying that this 'fleeing' is not just for the youths or singles, but even the married. There is a need to take heed to this divine alarm, warning, instruction, counsel and advice to overcome the devil. For Job, he made a covenant with his eyes - Job 31:1; David decided to bridle his tongue- Psalms 39:1. Proverbs 27:20. And for us, we must flee from all evil appearances and sights, for there is no man, pastor, bishop, cardinal, Reverend, teacher, etc., who can take the fire of immorality into his bosom and not be burned - Proverbs 6:27-28. Flee all discussions, social gatherings and activities that do not promote the course of the Kingdom of God, but rather promote and advertise sin, seductions and hell. Proverbs 6:16-33, 7:4-27.
Refuse to adhere to sexual iniquity. Joseph was just an upcoming youth when Potiphar's wife began to desire him above her husband. She must have made several advances just to entice him, but Joseph never yielded to her. One day, she sent every servant away from the house so she could achieve her aim of laying with Joseph, but he refused; and he FLED! - Genesis 39:7-13. Youths, teenagers, adults, and the married, we must refuse, and flee because immorality is wickedness against God. Do not stand and think you can fight it; it will only overcome you, so flee! But what Joseph overcame, Dinah was carried away by - Genesis 34:1-2. Why this warning? Many giants have been slain, and many potential ones brought to nothing by this evil. It has been the ruin of many kings and families, brought about the downfall of many businesses and careers, cut short many lives, made a jest of several religious institutions and caused many firebrands ministers to become puppets in the hands of the enemy. Flee, no matter who you are or
your spiritual attainment, because this giant killer is no respecter of persons. Dinah's pride and beauty as a virgin was taken away when she was defiled by the prince of Shechem. Samson, a man anointed from the womb (just like John the Baptist and our Lord Jesus), lacked the nature and character of God; and his doom was caused by Delilah- Judges 16:15-25. This great man lost his strength, his eyes and then his life, after being reduced to a mere entertainer to the Philistines. David, a man after God's heart, defiled himself when he saw the nakedness of another woman and laid with her. And though he tried to cover it up smartly, the Lord commanded judgement for that which had been done, in that one of his sons slept openly with his (David's) wives, and another son (Amnon) raped his half-sister. And the lives of these two sons were cut short. This is the end product of fornication, immorality, and adultery, a life cut short. Many in the Church have been sent by the devil to capture souls for darkness, so flee! If you feel you are anointed, Samson was more anointed, but he fell. If you think you are wise, Solomon was the wisest man ever to live. He wrote the Books of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Songs of Solomon. These books are full of mysteries. Yet, the Bible tells us that he loved many outlandish women (women from nations the Lord commanded should not be joined to Israel), and in the end, they caused him to trespass against God; and his kingdom was divided into two at his death. He died not having the same testimony as his father, David. Oh, please abstain! In Genesis 6:1-13, judgement was passed on mankind because of sin, in that his lifespan was reduced; and when they continued in their evil ways, that world was destroyed. 2 Peter 2:1-9. Men have yielded to decadence so much, that if there be a generation intensifying the wrath of God, it's our own! And many Churches, religious organizations and their leaders are not helping the matter. 2 Peter 2:13-16, 18-19. Remember, it's not only they that commit a sin that is worthy of death but even they that have pleasure in those that do them - Romans 1:22-32. How is it that you don't drink yet you work in breweries; you don't wear 'animal hair' yet you fix for others, you don't dress indecent, yet you sew indecent styles for your customers; you don't smoke yet you work in Tobacco companies, and you don't sleep around, yet you work in hotels and organize rooms for sin partners all in the name of 'its a job...it's where I get money? It's not only those who commit such sins that are worthy of death but also those who encourage them that do them!
Therefore come out from amongst them and be separate! Deuteronomy 7:3-4. "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers...be ye separate... touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." 2 Corinthians 6:14-18. Brother/sister, your soul is precious and likewise also is your redemption; so don't toy with your testimony, even in the Church, as many have been defiled there. 1 John 2:15-17. So many preach the Word and talk of the Lord Jesus whom they are not prepared to meet, and a Heaven they are not going to enter. They are playing with fire. Guard yourself against such people and their advances! Don't 'stay' when the Lord tells you to 'run', and don't 'go close' when the Lord tells you to 'abstain.' Run! - if you want to make Heaven.
"Touch not; taste not; handle not..." those things which perish; for if you continue in them, you will likewise perish with them. Colossians 2:21-22.
REMAIN BLESSED.
Pst Ig Nwabuo Flee from sin!