When this country began, it was common to put one convicted of sexual activity outside of marriage in stocks as the object of public condemnation. Today, however, laws against such behavior are widely scorned even among most people professing to be "religious." In the vast majority of states, it is no longer possible to specify "adultery" as the cause for a divorce due to the "No-Fault" divorce laws in this country. It is truly incredible that our laws have gone from upholding moral standards to protecting those guilty of immorality in only a few generations!
Instead of such statistics causing concern, they are used by some to herald the "progress" of our society into a more "broad-minded" enlightenment. Our humanistic media takes every opportunity to advance such activity. The television talk shows seem to leave no stone unturned in their search for more and more outlandishly promiscuous behavior which they urge us to "accept." Homosexuality, adultery and every form of fornication are winked at and applauded in movies, songs and literature. Public schools are being used to inculcate this tolerance of ungodliness from the earliest grade levels. The redefinition of "good" and "evil" is progressing at an alarming rate.
God declared that He would not change the standard. Proverbs 17:15 gives the following warning: "He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the just, both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord."
Clearly, God is not swayed to accept or tolerate changes in His instruction regarding morality regardless of public or media opinion. He has always condemned sexual activity outside of marriage whether premarital or extramarital (Heb. 13:4; 1 Thess. 4:3-7; 1 Cor. 6:15-20; Exod. 20:14; Lev. 20:10-21; 18:20).
The problem with our age is that we have been deceived by the humanist pitch which aims at reversing the moral standards commanded by God. They want us to believe it is moral to be immoral and immoral to be moral! The Bible urges us not to accept that lie.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God."
Ephesians 5:3-6 "But fornication and all uncleanness or covetous-ness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; ...For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience."
Revelation 21:8 "But for the fearful, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, their part shall be in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone; which is the second death."
Those who claim to believe in God and the Bible as His word will reject modern attempts to redefine morality. Those who reject God and His word will one day stand before Him in judgment to answer for such opposition. Their sophisticated, progressive air will not sway the Almighty. His standard has been conclusively revealed in His word. It is not changed by attempts at human redefinition.
Some of our brethren have sought to redefine "adultery" and God's marriage law to the point that they tolerate adultery. Matthew 19:9 clearly teaches that one may not put away a spouse and marry another, while that first spouse lives, except in the case where the putting away was for the cause of fornication. That law applies to both saint and alien sinner. It is not nullified by baptism. It is not altered by the edicts of man. No amount of attempted redefinition schemes to call evil "good" will change the facts. Neither will the truth be changed by attempts to portray as "evil" those who teach the good.
Some brethren would not think of redefining God's law by overtly calling evil "good" and good "evil," but they do the same thing by silently tolerating cases of fornication and adultery. The case of 1 Corinthians 5 clearly teaches that a local church cannot silently tolerate immorality in its midst. Ephesians 5 clearly teaches that individual Christians cannot silently tolerate immorality in others. Despite that clear teaching, it is a sad fact that some congregations even in this area tolerate those living in adultery to be accepted among them. It is also a sad fact that some families and friends turn a blind eye to adultery and fornication in order to sustain their relationships whether due to ties of a physical, social or monetary nature. In over 25 years of preaching, I have seen that "a little leaven leavens the whole lump" even as God said. The church that tolerates a little adultery will have more immorality. The family that tolerates adultery in adults will find their children engaged in fornication in years to come. The elders and preachers vilified as hard-hearted and unforgiving will not be able to help then. Why? Because their good was maligned as "evil" when they upheld truth and the redefined leaven of evil is left unimpeded.