I’m a member of the church, but lately, I’ve made a poor, sinful choice by going somewhere I was tempted. I went to a massage parlor for the sole purpose of helping my body. Later during the massage, I engaged in some immoral foreplay activities with the woman there. I’ve been reflecting on my future, and I wonder, with this sin committed, can I marry now that I’ve done this sin? I don’t want to be held down by depression, instead, I wish to do right for the Lord.<\/p>\n\t
You got caught in the sins of lust, lewdness, and perhaps fornication. “Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts<\/em>” (Romans 13:13-14). Sin, no matter what its form, carries the same penalty. “For the wages of sin is death …”<\/em>\u00a0(Romans 6:23).<\/p>\n The Christian’s response to sin is to repent (II Corinthians 7:10-11) and to confess to God his faults (I John 1:9). A Christian doesn’t remain in sin (Romans 6:1-2).<\/p>\n Having committed fornication doesn’t mean you cannot marry. There is a mistaken notion that a person marries whoever he has sex with, but that isn’t found in the Bible. Marriage is a covenant, not an act of sex. “Yet she is your companion and your wife by covenant<\/em>” (Malachi 2:14). When marriage was instituted, God said, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh<\/em>” (Genesis 2:24). A man leaves his parents, gets married (joined to his wife), and then the two of them become a new family unit (one flesh). It includes sex, but it is much more than just sex.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Question: I’m a member of the church, but lately, I’ve made a poor, sinful choice by going somewhere I was tempted. I went to a massage parlor for the sole purpose of helping my body. Later during the massage, I engaged in some immoral foreplay activities with the woman there. I’ve been reflecting on my…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[1572,205,64,596],"class_list":["post-41197","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","tag-fornication","tag-lewdness","tag-marriage","tag-sensuality"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":30773,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/how-can-looking-at-pornography-be-adultery-especially-since-im-not-married\/","url_meta":{"origin":41197,"position":0},"title":"How can looking at pornography be adultery, especially since I’m not married?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 27, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I have looked up some information on your site and found some to be helpful, but I can't help but wonder still. It is said that looking at porn is a sin and it says that anyone who looks upon someone with lust commits adultery. But isn't that term\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":27393,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-phone-sex-with-your-fiance-a-sin\/","url_meta":{"origin":41197,"position":1},"title":"Is phone sex with your fiance a sin?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 9, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I am a born again believer, and I am going to marry a person committed to the Lord. We are engaged and we are waiting for the marriage. During these times we indulge in a little phone sex. It ends up with me ejaculating. Is it ok or is\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":33186,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/i-came-close-to-having-sex-with-a-coworker-what-do-i-do-about-the-thoughts-regarding-what-i-almost-did\/","url_meta":{"origin":41197,"position":2},"title":"I came close to having sex with a coworker. What do I do about the thoughts regarding what I almost did?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"June 9, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I taught in a nearby primary school three years ago. There was this lady who also taught and is currently teaching. She one time approached me requesting my assistance in her examinations. In the course of the teaching, I began to develop a passion for her, with no intention\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":40923,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/since-we-plan-to-marry-is-sexual-touching-ok\/","url_meta":{"origin":41197,"position":3},"title":"Since we plan to marry, is sexual touching OK?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 12, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I have a ring on my finger and me and my boyfriend plan to marry within the next 5 years. We have not had sex and do not plan to until marriage, but we have done things with our hands. We are not sure whether it was a sin\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":22452,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-is-the-fate-of-a-man-who-was-involved-with-a-sexually-immoral-woman\/","url_meta":{"origin":41197,"position":4},"title":"What is the fate of a man who was involved with a sexually immoral woman?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 16, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Is it good to be in a relationship that one knows will not end up in marriage? What must a lady, who made love with many men, do to be clean? What is the sin that God will never forgive? If a man, who is clean, is in a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":37142,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/does-a-former-homosexual-have-to-marry-a-woman-to-prove-he-is-no-longer-a-homosexual\/","url_meta":{"origin":41197,"position":5},"title":"Does a former homosexual have to marry a woman to prove he is no longer a homosexual?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 10, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I have heard you say that homosexuality is not genetic and that the behavior can be changed. Does this mean I must become a heterosexual and prove it by getting married to a woman before God will let me into heaven? 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