

Is living together a sin?

Submitted: 8/30/2006
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Question: My parents just recently got a divorce. The apostolic church I attend does not believe in divorce nor remarriage and neither do I. Also, my mother is now living with a man and they are not married, just seeing each other. According to what I believe, that is a sin. But is there anywhere in the Bible that I can show them that living with another person who is not your spouse is a sin. Thanks, God bless.

Answer: To simply live in the same house as someone of the opposite sex is not a sin in and of itself (though it may be extremely unwise). It is having sex with someone you are not marriage to--that is the sin. In the Bible this is called either adultery (if you are married) or fornication (if you are not married). Here are a few verses that condemn this practice: Matthew 15:19-20; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; and Galatians 5:19-21.

We are wondering why you feel the need to convince your mother that she is sinning. Obviously she is either not in the church or could care less about the teachings of the church. If she has not been born again, you may be better off trying to win her to the Lord rather than trying to convince her this particular act is a sin (she surely has committed many sins!). If she has already been born again, she already knows she is sinning, whether she admits it or not. We suggest you examine your motives carefully. It is not uncommon for a person to be angry at their parents for splitting up. If you are only wanting to punish her by condemning her as a sinner, your motives will prevent your efforts from bearing any good fruit. Be sure you are being motivated by love, not anger.