Born of Fornication

“We were not born of fornication; we have one Father…” John 8:41

 Sometimes God will choose the oddest times to bring up the strangest subjects.

 While at church, during the worship at the start of the service God asked me a question…

 “What is fornication?”

 Before you wonder, as I did, why He would choose such a time to discuss such a topic… let me continue…

…because He gave me an answer and following the answer… a great encouragement.

Fornication does not just mean sex outside of marriage… because for one, biblically, sex outside of marriage does not exist.  Marriage is the result of sex.  Specifically marriage is the union formed through consensual sex. (There is a difference between a wife and a bride… but we’ll get to that another time.)

We know that it is only through consensual sex because the punishment for rape was death, as the scriptures determined that rape was “as if a man killed another man.”  It even goes so far as to say that if “through fair speech” a man or woman was “caused to yield” then it wasn’t true consent and therefore not a true marriage since it was the result of deception.

 And there is only one form of marriage that is endorse by God… that of the marriage between a man and a woman.

Same sex physical unions were also punishable by death, as were incest, and … well… “inter-genus” unions.

 So then… what is the Biblical meaning of fornication?  The answer lies in the verse found in John 8:41.

 It is a reference to the pagan religions which practiced sexual rituals involving many men (and boys) with many women (and girls) at one time.  At the end of the day, if a child were born, there was no way of knowing who the “real” father was.

They had no identity, no one to claim them.  No family name.

They were born into a system of sacrifice and slavery.  Many of these children would remain in the temple to either be sacrificed… or to become part of this system.  When they were born into this life… they knew no other.

Where is this all going?...

Many people, spiritually, do not know who their Father is.

They have no true identity.  No family name.

Exposed to so many “possible fathers” they are lost in a sea of confusion and find comfort in being with others like them… finding what little identity they can through association.

No different than the children in the pagan temple… they live in a system of sacrifice and slavery.

And here is where I gained the most encouragement that day during worship.

I saw a picture.

A group of children… symbolizing those born out of spiritual fornication… standing huddled together in fear.
In walks Jesus.
Taking one in His arms He said, “I’ll claim this one.”
And then He did it again.  And again. And again…

Though they were born of fornication... they were born-again of love.

His love.

God sent His Son into the system of sacrifice… to die in our place… for free us from slavery to sin…

And to claim us as His own.

Through accepting His sacrifice we gain a new identity.  We become His children.

We take His Name.

Let us not take it in vain.

But that we would be ambassadors of the love, grace, and forgiveness that has given us life.

All… in Jesus’ Name.


SDG