As a young lad, I can vividly remember the attitude toward divorce and fornication. People were divorced in those days, but it was almost never spoken of. The subject of an unwed mother was dealt with in private and hushed conversation. While I am sure it happened, I never remember one family in our home church who was divorced, and on only one occasion can I recall public knowledge of immorality among church members. Among the worldlings, there were adulterers, but even then it was a rather subdued subject. Pornography was available, but even the evil mind would have to hunt for it.

 We've come a long way from those days. It is not needful even to comment about the gutter level of the media, society, education, and business, let alone the White House. "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come" (II Tim 3:1). Who is surprised about the level of degradation in this present world?

 The real shock is the level of sexual immorality in the church today. The light attitude toward divorce, adultery and fornication in the membership of the church is staggering. Marriage vows mean little, and churches are filled with huge numbers of the divorced, as well as those who have been involved in sexual sins. A light attitude is invading churches about sodomy and unmarried people living together, much of which reveals an unbiblical view of repentance and forgiveness.

 A recent survey of evangelical teens claims that up to sixty per cent of these teens have been involved in sexual immorality at least once. Much of this has come from the "dumbing down" of sin. Churches celebrate fornication with public weddings for those who have public sin outside of wedlock. The end result is that the rest of the teens detect an implied message----"go and do likewise." The clear lack of repentance on the part of the offenders is really the heart of the matter. This is not about our extending forgiveness. It is about their lack of repentance and unwillingness to receive true forgiveness.

 The grave burden in this issue is not the sexual adultery that has been and now is multiplied with little shame. James speaks of a spiritual adultery. "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God?" (4:4). This is the same kind of adultery that the prophets denounced in Israel, who is called the adulterous wife of Jehovah.

 I clearly remember "spiritual adultery" practiced in the church that I attended as a lad. It was discussed in, with, and about sister churches. The conversations were not hushed and private. People were proud and bragged of their sinfulness. This wickedness in fundamental churches has increased to a tidal wave in this hour-the majority of churches we know are affected with this plague. This sin is far worse than sexual adultery because it results in the damning of men and women, boys and girls. This adultery was the public sin that kept me personally from coming to Christ until late in my teens.

 "From whence come wars and fightings among you? Come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?" (James 4:1). Political wrangling, phone brigades, critical spirits, and disobedient sheep are all part of this adultery that James cries out against. Business meetings, when they are politics at their worst, with ugly, irreverent speech, petitions, hateful, bitter attitudes, slander, gossip, bearing of false witness-these are spiritual adultery In addition to these indictments, there are the affairs of denominational leaders and councils who practice infidelity with local churches. This is also spiritual adultery. Paul makes it clear that where this kind of division exists there "must be also heresies" (I Cor.11:18-19). He also puts physical adultery right beside all of these sins in Galatians 5:17-21. Can you imagine a spiritual adulterer attempting to discipline sexual adultery? How this must grieve the Spirit of God?

 Much of the above problem in churches has to do with the large numbers of people on church roles who repeatedly demonstrate that they are unsaved. It would do a church well to be slow to speak of the immorality of this society when weekly they tolerate, defend and therefore encourage spiritual adultery. You see what I mean now, in the churches adultery has become the not-so-scarlet sin. At this point no one has to wonder why we have gone "soft on sin." Where is the condemnation of evil in the pulpit? The fire is gone out, and damnation is reserved for the conservative separatist who dares to make an issue of iniquity.

 Let us cry out to God, "0, our Father, what shall we do?" The answer is in the Book. Repent, confess, forsake and demonstrate the reality of our sorrow for sin. Stop defending wickedness! Speak out against all that grieves God. Do not be silent! I warn you, the New Liberalism will say YOU are the sinner for judging and decry your lack of forgiveness. Let us make sure our hearts are right with our wonderful Lord. "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (James 4:7). If we do not obey the Lord, adultery will continue to reign in our churches. The result will be that teens, like this writer, will be driven from the God of Glory. Remember this next time you sit in a business meeting or watch a church struggle. It couldn't happen without the accepted practice of spiritual adultery, the not-so-scarlet sin. ··

 Clay Nuttall is the Director of Project 21 at Piedmont Bible College

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