• "Sexual activity among consenting adults doesn't hurt anyone."
• "An affair can help, not hurt a marriage."
• "My sexual behavior doesn't have any effect on my usefulness for God."
• "I won't go too far."
• "I can get out of this relationship whenever I want."
• "I'll never get caught."
• "God is all-forgiving and He understands, so He won't punish me for the way I am."

What's the truth about the consequences of misdirected sexual desire? The apostle Paul mentioned two major effects in his letter to the Thessalonians. He wrote, "That no one would take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified" (1 Thess. 4:6). This one verse gives us two big reasons to avoid all forms of sexual immorality.

• Immorality produces victims.
• Immorality invites God's judgment.

Let's study each of these ways our behavior affects us, others and God.

1. Immorality produces victims. The people involved-even though they may be willing participants-are victims. They have been wronged, used, abused, deceived, and robbed. For example, the couple who engage in premarital sex rob each other of their virginity and a clear conscience. They deprive each other of the joy of giving to their future marriage partner the precious gift of an intimacy that was intended to be preserved for marriage alone. "If we choose to sin, there will be evil results. We cannot avoid them. We can be forgiven, but that doesn't change the results."-Ray Stedman A person who commits adultery wrongs not only the sexual partner but also spouses and families. Contrary to the myth that a secret affair can strengthen a marriage, adultery does nothing but eat away at trust and intimacy. A man who views pornography wrongs others by seeing them as sex objects instead of people of God-given value. His purchases of sexually explicit material encourage the exploitation of women, If he's married, he deprives himself and his wife of fulfilling sexual experience because he compares her to the near-perfect beauties in the magazines and videos. If he's single, he fills his mind with lust that compels him to mistreat the women he dates. A person who combines fantasizing with compulsive masturbation deprives himself/herself of a clear conscience, fails to deal with the real world, and lessens the enjoyment of proper sex. A man or woman who encourages another person to engage in a homosexual act helps to produce guilt, develop a twisted sense of sexual pleasure, and encourage a lifestyle that contradicts God's design for male and female. Proverbs 5 through 7 describes several ways immorality victimizes people. It produces death (5:5), loss of honor (v.9), regret (vv.11-13), misplaced loyalty (vv.15-20), and it reduces a person's value to that of a piece of bread (6:26). For example, King David's sin with Bathsheba produced several victims: David himself, as he became trapped in his own guilt; Bathsheba, as she was taken from her husband; Uriah, Bathsheba's husband, as he was killed by David's orders; the baby, who died; and the Lord, as the heathen used the incident to blaspheme Him (2 Sam. 11,12).
2. Immorality invites God's judgment. Illicit sex not only produces victims, but it also insults God. First Thessalonians 4:6 states that "the Lord is the avenger" when people are victimized by immorality. God does not take our sin lightly. He sees clearly the damage that we are doing to ourselves and to one another. He knows that because we reap what we sow, no one gets away with anything. Galatians 6:7 states, "Do not be deceived , God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap." We can be sure that either in this life or the life to come, God's justice will be perfectly executed. That's sobering. How does God deal with those who commit immoral acts? From the Bible and practical experience we see several methods God may use to execute His justice:

• the plague of a guilty conscience
• painful memories
• sickness and sexually transmitted diseases
• death
• imprisonment for sex crimes
• loss of friends and family relationships
• loss of ministry usefulness for God
• loss of rewards in heaven

  "Can a man take fire to his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?"-Proverbs 6:27 In the aftermath of his sin with Bathsheba, even though the Lord forgave David when he repented, judgment still followed (2 Sam. 11,12). God said that during David's rule the nation would always be at war, his own family would rebel against him, his wives would be taken and defiled, and the child who was conceived through the adultery would die (2 Sam. 12:9-14). This does not mean that this is always how God judges adultery, but in David's case, perhaps because of his leadership role, the Lord took this course of action. In Genesis 39 we read about a young man named Joseph who resisted temptation because he feared God and the consequences of displeasing Him more than he feared people. When Potiphar's wife tried to seduce him, Joseph said, "How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?" (Gen. 39:9). In the short term, Joseph's life became miserable because Potiphar's wife was furious and had him falsely imprisoned for attempted rape. But Joseph had a clear conscience and experienced God's blessing in prison and after his release (Gen. 39-50). Most of us Remember Sodom and Gomorrah, two towns whose citizens were notoriously immoral. God destroyed them with fire (Gen. 19). The apostle Paul spoke of keeping his body under control, lest he would become disqualified for the prize of faithful service (1 Cor. 9:27). And he wrote to Timothy that a person who wants to be used of God must be purified (2 Tim. 2:21). The author of the letter to the Hebrews wrote that God disciplines His children (12:1-11). We can be sure that if we fall into sin He will take action to confront us with the awfulness of it. "Sex in the right setting results in joy. In the wrong setting, it produces pain." Why does God want you and me to be pure? Here's a partial listing that includes some of the above points. Can you think of other reasons?

• to bring honor to God
• to please God
• to help and not hurt people
• to honor our wife/husband
• to protect the church
• to keep us from becoming victims
• to reflect God's goodness
• to show a proper understanding of sin
• to make us useful for His service
• to protect our future happiness

  What this should tell us is that God's rules are for our best interest. His standards show His love for us, and help us to show our love for others. Sex in the right setting results in joy. In the wrong setting, it produces pain.