Expert: Brenda Martin - 5/28/2009

Question
I would like to know what the Bible says about punishment or any suffering for the sexually immoral.
Thank you

Answer
“WHATEVER A MAN IS SOWING, THIS HE WILL ALSO REAP.” (GALATIANS 6:7) Sometimes people sow by making bad choices and reap a measure of suffering as a consequence. They may choose to drive recklessly, resulting in an accident. Many choose to smoke cigarettes, leading to heart disease or lung cancer.

Those who choose to engage in immoral sexual conduct risk suffering ruined family relationships, loss of self-respect, sexually transmitted diseases, and unwanted pregnancies. People may seek to blame God for such suffering, but they are actually the victims of their own bad decisions.—Proverbs 19:3.

Regarding the sinful, immoral practices of his day, the apostle Paul said that those practicing such things ‘receive in themselves the full recompense, which is due for their error.’ (Rom. 1:27) Because of the widespread “new morality”—which in most cases is simply the sin of immorality—there is an epidemic of venereal diseases, as well as unwanted pregnancies, abortions, broken marriages and emotional instabilities. Surely, people having such unhappy experiences are suffering because of their sinful course.

So, then, do we suffer for our sins? Undoubtedly, we do. Because of Adamic sin, man has been suffering sickness, death, imperfection and alienation from God throughout human history. Even in our everyday life, we often suffer the natural consequences of the sins we commit. Hence, nobody “gets away” with sin.

The day of accounting with God will come. At that time he will punish the wicked, destroying them forever. Proverbs 2:21, 22 says: “The upright are the ones that will reside in the earth, and the blameless are the ones that will be left over in it. As regards the wicked, they will be cut off from the very earth; and as for the treacherous, they will be torn away from it.” Then the upright ones, many of whom have suffered adversity, will enjoy perfect health and a generous share of earth’s abundant produce.

There is no teaching of eternal torment in the bible; just eternal life for the meek & eternal death for the wicked.

All the best
Brenda