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by Bill Seng

“And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord.” ~Genesis 4:1

Fornication is any sort of sexual intercourse that takes place outside of marriage. This includes premarital sex. Fornication is mentioned over 30 times in the Bible (though it’s a word mostly used in older versions like the King James Version) and is never mentioned in either a casual or positive manner. The reason for this is simple: it devalues the sacred bond of sex.

Genesis 4:1 is the first time that it is mentioned that Adam and Eve shared in any sort of intercourse.  Although it is immediately following the Fall, we must assume the way that it is described sets the standard for what sex is all about. Take note that Eve was already given to Adam by God himself (Genesis 2:22) and they were commanded to be fruitful and multiply (Genesis 1:28). The word that indicates that Adam and Eve had sex is a Hebrew word which means “to know.” It is commonly used throughout the Old Testament to indicate that intercourse took place. This should already hint to the reader that sex is not to be a casual or noncommittal bond.

One might argue that the spiritual bond is what unites a man and a woman, thus sex is acceptable so long as that exists. I argue that the spiritual bond cannot exist in purity unless it is acknowledged by a community, as a communal recognition of marriage was required in the Old Testament. This acknowledgment was so revered that the king of Egypt trembled in fear after being informed that he had unwittingly taken another man's wife to be his own (Genesis 12:18). Perhaps the reason for this communal acknowledgment is for the sake of accountability and to help encourage the couple to fulfill their marital vows. Nonetheless, it must be acknowledged and honored by others or it is not a pure relationship that honors God.

Sex is to be first and foremost honoring to God. How does this relate to premarital sex? According to God's plan, all things have an appropriate time. It is written that when Jesus returns he will take away the church as his bride (Matthew 25:10). Following Christ's “marriage” to the church, believers will experience all of the joys that come with being in God's presence. Sex, in an earthly sense, is supposed to be representative of that joy. To squander it before its time is right is like trying to tell God that your plan is better than his. Also, the Old Testament likens the worship of false gods to fornication (Ezekiel 16). All around, premarital sex dishonors God.

In a secular sense, then, there should be no problem or reason to prohibit premarital sex. The reasons I outlined are purely religious, and rightly so. There are scientific reasons for why sex should be saved for marriage, but the scientific repercussions of breaking this order are merely symptomatic of a larger problem, namely that of sin. In fact, most people who are truly rooted in secular ideology embrace the fact that they can sleep with whoever they want, whenever they want, and get away with pretending that they feel no guilt, and that they are somehow better than you for doing so. God’s plan is the most satisfying. He will reward those who honor his plan for sex and marriage.

Like the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, God is not prohibiting anyone from experiencing a wonderful joy by prohibiting premarital sex. He is instead trying to prevent us from opening a Pandora’s box of shame and sin, and repeat it. His plan for sex is what’s best and is both statistically and scientifically proven to be what works best for the human race. He designed us, he knows how we operate, and he knows how to ensure the maximum level of pleasure. Furthermore, when sex is practiced in the context of marriage, it honors God and serves as a reminder that the greatest joys of eternity are yet to come.