The Cost of Sexual Immorality

You can count on a sermon series on sex and sexual sin to not only be relevant, but timely.  I was all too reminded of this fact last week with South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford's admission of adultery.  His admission was nothing unheard of; rather he has joined a long line of leaders and citizens who have been ruined by adultery.  Every day we are reminded that sexual sin is truly an epidemic within our culture, so what are we to do?

Christian author Randy Alcorn recalls a story that is equally poignant and profound:
I vividly remember meeting with a man who had been a leader in a Christian organization until he committed immorality. I asked him, "What could have been done to prevent this?" He paused only for a moment, then said with haunting pain and precision, "If only I had really known, really thought through and weighed what it would cost me and my family and my Lord, I honestly believe I would never have done it."

In response to this statement Alcorn came up with a list of twenty-three (yep, twenty-three) personal consequences of infidelity and immorality.  He revisits this list periodically to remind him to count the cost of sexual sin.  I offer this list as an exhortation for you to similarly count the cost.

A Personalized List of Anticipated Consequences of Immorality

• Grieving my Lord; displeasing the One whose opinion most matters.
• Dragging into the mud Christ's sacred reputation.
• Loss of reward and commendation from God.
• Having to one day look Jesus in the face at the judgment seat and give an account of why I did it. Forcing God to discipline me in various ways.
• Following in the footsteps of men I know of whose immorality forfeited their ministry and caused me to shudder. (List of these names)
• Suffering of innocent people around me who would get hit by my shrapnel.
• Untold hurt to my spouse, and therefore, my best friend.
• Loss of spouse's respect and trust.
• Hurt to and loss of credibility with my beloved children. ("Why listen to a someone who betrayed the family?")
• If my blindness should continue or my family be unable to forgive, I could lose my spouse and my children forever.
• Shame to my family. (The cruel comments of others who would invariably find out.)
• Shame to my church family.
• Shame and hurt to my friends, and especially those I've led to Christ and discipled. (List of names)
• Guilt awfully hard to shake—even though God would forgive me, would I forgive myself?
• Plaguing memories and flashbacks that could taint future intimacy with my spouse.
• Being haunted by my sin as I look in the eyes of others, and having it all dredged up again wherever I go and whatever I do.
• Undermining the hard work and prayers of others those who I labor with for the Gospel.
• Laughter, rejoicing and blasphemous smugness by those who disrespect God and the church (2 Samuel 12:14).
• Bringing great pleasure to Satan, the Enemy of God.
• Heaping judgment and endless problems on the person I would have committed adultery with.
• Possible diseases (pain, constant reminder to me and my spouse, possible infection of spouse, or in the case of AIDS, even causing her/his death, as well as mine.)
• Possible pregnancy, with its personal and financial implications.
• Loss of self-respect, discrediting my own name, and invoking shame and lifelong embarrassment upon myself.