What does adultery mean in Orthodoxy. Prayers to avoid the temptation of adultery, adultery. Adultery in thoughts

What is fornication? In simple terms, this is debauchery or sexual debauchery. In general, it is a negative social phenomenon. However, in the modern world, people are quite free to dispose of their bodies and relationships, so the majority looks at this concept with a fair amount of skepticism.

But one thing is a social view of the topic. And completely different - religious. And now I would like to consider this concept from this point of view.

Demon of impurity

Perhaps this is how you can call fornication. “What is it about bodily carnal relationships outside of marriage? After all, everything is done by mutual consent, without causing harm or damage to anyone ... ”- some may ask such a question.

Well, since the topic is religious, it is worth remembering the meaning of the word "sin". By it is meant lawlessness. Lawlessness. Violation of the laws of spiritual life. And it, as many may know, always leads to trouble and self-destruction. For nothing good is built on mistakes and sins.

If you delve into the study of Holy Scripture, you can find there a very detailed and chaste description of what fornication is. Even if after its commission there are no grave consequences (this is, after all, not murder, not robbery), it is still considered a grave sin. Here are the lines you can find in the sacred source: "Do not be deceived: fornicators will not inherit the Kingdom of God."

This is if they do not repent and do not stop fornicating. For them, the church rules are strict: they are forbidden to receive communion before repentance and going through penance. The last word means punishment, a moral and corrective measure. Moreover, it is very harsh and long lasting. Why does the Church have such an attitude towards people who are mired in fornication?

Causes of negative perception

It should be noted that intimacy in Orthodoxy has never been forbidden. He was even blessed - but only if a man and a woman were united in a marriage union (married or formalized according to civil laws).

The Apostle Paul himself wrote about intimate relationships: "Do not shy away from each other, only if by agreement, or in prayer and fasting, but then be together again, so that Satan does not tempt you with intemperance." These lines can be found in 1 Cor. 7: 3-5.

Marriage was something sacred, highly spiritual. After his imprisonment, husband and wife became "one flesh." A close, intimate relationship is a powerful experience that further binds spouses to each other, cementing their union.

However, what is blessed in marriage is sin if it is done outside of it. For the commandment is broken. In marriage, a man and a woman are united in one flesh in the name of love, while outside it - within the framework of lawlessness. What is fornication? This is receiving sinful pleasure, a manifestation of weakness and irresponsibility.

It is enough to pay attention to 1 Cor. 6: 15-16. This is what it says: “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Or that the one who copulates with the harlot becomes one with her? "

The meaning is very simple here. The whole essence and consequences of fornication are traced. Each lawless connection is a deep wound for the soul and body, often only realized later. But when a person finds love and enters into marriage, all his connections are a heavy burden placed on the soul. For the memory of past sins cannot be erased.

Yes, fornication unites people ... but only for the sake of desecrating their souls and bodies. This will not give true happiness to a person. Because you can find it only in spiritual unity, love and trust.

Where does sin begin?

It will not be superfluous to try to answer this question as well. What is "fornication" in Orthodoxy, where does this sin begin? Like everything else - with little things. This is what Matt. 5:28: "Everyone who looks with lust at a woman has committed adultery with her in his heart." There is a certain amount of truth here, since inner desire is the beginning of passion. For a person lets it into his soul and enjoys the feeling he receives. As a rule, bodily sin is not far from this.

But even the holy fathers say that prodigal passion is associated with gluttony, bodily satiety, and excessive wine drinking. It seems that these are different concepts? Not really. Fornication, like satiety, is aimed at satisfying bodily desires, at receiving physical pleasure. Plus, Eph. 5:18 there is a good phrase: "Do not get drunk with wine - debauchery comes from it."

Also in this topic there is such a concept as "eating for love". This is a fleshly passion, and you can curb it if you accustom yourself to moderation and abstinence, which concerns food directly. Hearty, fatty, spicy dishes, sweet wine - all this is hot blood, excites hormones, excites.

What else influences the riot of the flesh?

Continuing to discuss what fornication is in Orthodoxy, it is worth noting several more reasons why the craving for it is increasing among many people. They were listed by the church writer Abba Isaiah in the "Fatherland" (IV-V centuries). In addition to the already mentioned satiety, he noted:

• Idle talk.
• Vanity.
• Long sleep.
• Love in beautiful clothes.

And again, all of the above concerns the satisfaction of one's own desires and receiving pleasure. Everything must be abandoned. Engage in prayer, replace vanity with the humility of Christ, long sleep with vigil, and change beautiful clothes for rags. You can't leave anything. Because passions hold on to each other, like links in a chain.

Other opinions

A person who decides to live in fornication becomes an adversary to God and even a false prophet. For the marriage union, as well as everything connected with it, is a sign, a model, indicating the attitude of Jesus towards humanity. This is also said in certain sources (in Ephesians 5: 25-33. Col 3: 18-21, to be more precise). And a person who is mired in fornication simply perverts the sacred model of behavior. He becomes guilty. And in any case. Even if he did it in the name of love, with the intention to conclude a marriage in the future.

There are also modern interpretations. Today's thinkers say that the question of why fornication is a sin can be answered exclusively from a religious point of view. Because there will always be counterarguments from different positions.

Well, the answer is: “Fornication drives the Holy Spirit out of the human heart. Because he cannot exist with the Impurity. There is either one or the other. And it is better to make a choice in favor of the latter. Because there is nothing more terrible for any of us than to remain outside of God. For this is the underworld. Hell is precisely existence without God. "

However, there is one more nuance here. A person who lives in fornication and debauchery, who does not see the difference between debauchery and marital virtue, ironically perceives everything that was said earlier. Even cynical. Religious people call those "enslaved", morally degraded, physically sick. According to Orthodox laws, a fornicator is a dwelling of demons, a possessed person, someone with the seal of a fall on his face. Often, sexual maniacs and the expression "fallen woman" are cited as examples of these judgments.

About the consequences

They, too, should be noted with attention, considering the meaning of the word "fornication." If we move away from religion, then, of course, sexually transmitted diseases, an unplanned pregnancy, the appearance of rumors about a person's dishonesty, moral licentiousness, etc. will be included here.

And here is what religious figures, in particular Archpriest Maxim Obukhov, write about this: “Peoples among whom the sin of fornication was widespread, quickly disappeared from the face of our earth or lost their independence, weakened, yielded to other nations. Everything is logical here. A society that is infected with sin ceases to produce great personalities. It becomes a mediocre homogeneous gray mass. "

What happened earlier? Closely related marriage. It contradicts the commandments of God and is considered a sin, fornication. If children were born from such a marriage, then often with vices and genetic deformities that might not appear in them, but were reflected in their descendants. For incest is a direct path to the degeneration of the genus, since its consequence is the accumulation of the same defective genes of common origin.

In the Old Testament, Israel's idol worship is also often compared to a reckless woman mired in debauchery.

And in the entire book of Hosea, a parallel is drawn between the relationship between God and Israel, as well as the marriage of the prophet himself and his lascivious wife named Homer. And it is very colorful. Homer's actions against Hosea seem to reflect the unfaithfulness and sinfulness of Israel, who forsaken Jehovah for the sake of spiritual adultery with idols.

And in the New Testament, Greek words literally translated as "adultery" are used in most cases literally. This concept refers to sexual sin involving married people.

But one interesting exception can be found in a letter to a church located in the city of Tiatira. She was condemned for her tolerant attitude towards the wife of Israel's king Ahab, whose name was Jezebel. She did not just call herself a prophetess, but drew the church into idolatry and frightening immorality. All people who were tempted by her false teachings were perceived as those who had committed adultery with Jezebel.

Sins against the body

This is exactly what adultery and fornication are. What is the difference is clear. What common? This is also obvious. This is a temptation that is now at every step.

Modern thinkers call this a sin against chastity. The very spirit of the modern world in every possible way corrupts, seduces, enthralls people with carnal pleasures. It is more and more difficult to resist such influences. The temptation is everywhere - in the media, on the air, on the radio, on billboards and in videos, in music, in songs, in books, on social media.

Even if we ignore religion. Is it not enough from carnal sins of broken destinies, diseases, cases of suicide, murder and life's tragedies? Not at all. Fleshly sins are terrible in that they seem to scorch the souls and hearts of people with the fire of Gehenna. They poison. Even after repenting, a person tries to heal for a long time.

But the fact that carnal sins are hard to resist is a fact. For by succumbing to them, a person receives albeit short-term, but strong satisfaction. It's like a narcotic substance. Debauchery is addictive too.

It is not for nothing that fornication and adultery are classified as mortal sins. Slowly but surely they bring man down to the bottom of hell. Here it is worth paying attention to the testimony of Theodora the blessed, the wife of Theophilus. It says that a rare soul can easily pass through prodigal obstacles. For the one who committed treason - defiled the matrimonial bed, showed disrespect for the spiritual partner, for his “half”, deceived and betrayed him, undermined trust, broke the oath. It is not so much religious as universal human principles that are already at work here. And then hardly anyone will argue with what has been said.

Lust

In short, it is worth noting this concept too. Not a synonym for the word "fornication", as many might think, but a related concept. In asceticism, it is closely related to lust. This term does not mean sexual desire, but a distortion of gender relations. He is led to the Fall, associated with the lust for power, selfishness, the vision in another person is only an object for his own satisfaction.

Lust is lust, an illegal passion that turns a person away from the Lord and corrupts his heart. That which leads to sin and evil. According to the Bible, lust is the most frequent and dangerous sin, which is so contagious that even cases of its manifestation in the Holy Book are mentioned very delicately. One might even say - in passing. The word "lust" appears in the book only 8 times. They were afraid to use it often, so as not to savor debauchery and not to mention it once again.

What is the innocent side to do?

What should a person who has suffered from the weakness of the one he believed should do? What if the other half cheated, committed adultery? This is also said in some sacred sources.

Here are the lines that can be found in Rom. 7: 2,3. 1 Cor. 7:39: "Remarriage is possible if one of the partners dies." And in Matthew 19: 9. write the following: "The conclusion of a second union is allowed if the innocent party who suffered from adultery filed for divorce."

And nothing else. Because what God has combined, man cannot separate it. This, by the way, is said in Matt. 19: 6.

The permission to enter into a second marriage because of the sin of adultery is a sign, a reference and a reminder that even the Most High broke the covenant with Israel, after which he entered into a New one.

Conclusion

All of the above sins are the real evil. Even if you look at them not from a religious point of view, but from a moral, human point of view. It is worth pondering - what happens after the same adultery? Man did not just become a traitor. He:

• He destroyed his main fortress and value - his family. If he was not ready to take responsibility for himself and his actions, to answer to a partner, then there is no need to create a relationship.
• Sinks to the bottom. It turns out that he is not able to control and restrain himself. He is controlled only by animal desires and needs.
• Damages his reputation, falls in the eyes of other people.
• In the end, he is deprived of personal happiness and spiritual peace.
• Drowning in lust. Once started, it's hard to stop.
• Dirty in evil thoughts.
• Often gets sick. His body dies early. What is called: "Killed at 30, buried at 60".
• As a result, it becomes completely lonely.
• Emotionally burns out, losing feelings.

Returning to religion, it is worth noting that redemption is possible. But only if a person turns with sincere repentance to the Lord. It is important to ask for forgiveness sincerely, truly repenting for what you have done.

However, they do not come to this otherwise. A person realizes that the blackness devours him from the inside, ceases to live the same life. It just exists. And, in search of reassurance, he goes to church. Because he comprehended all the gravity and power of the sins committed. I realized how much his body was suffering, trying to find short-term comfort in a casual connection.

The sooner a person realizes what exactly he has done and rethinks his whole life - the faster he will take the righteous path, from which the road to happiness begins.

Date: 2014-06-22

Adultery is a voluntary sexual act of one of the spouses with a person who is not in an official (secular) marriage with him and is not married to him in church. In other words, it is non-fulfillment of marital fidelity.

The union of a man and a woman, concluded in accordance with all Christian traditions, is a church sacrament. This means that two loving people (bride and groom), by mutual agreement, promise to love, respect and remain faithful to each other.

For this, they receive in the church the blessing and God's grace for the birth of healthy children, for increasing the well-being of the family. "The great sacrament of marriage ..." is what the apostle called marriage in Orthodoxy. "... And the two will be one flesh ..." as he loved his believers and shed blood for their faith in the Church, so a husband should love his wife, and she should obey him in everything.

Both spouses should be equally responsible for the well-being, stability and harmony in the family. Adultery is a moral crime against your loved ones and, above all, against your other half. This is considered a great sin according to the Christian commandments “Do not commit adultery (do not commit adultery) - says the seventh commandment of the Old Testament of the Bible.

Ignoring the Biblical laws by a believer leads to betrayal of their faith, loss of mental balance. Sometimes instant lustful thoughts dull moral feelings, corrupting his good disposition.

The clergy are sure that the body of a believer is the temple of the Holy Spirit living in it. The sin of adultery or fornication kills chastity. From chastity, love is born, and from love all other benefits.

What is the difference between fornication and adultery?

Fornication is the constant satisfaction of one's physiological needs with different partners. The moral behavior, actions and thoughts of such a lascivious person have nothing to do with Orthodox traditions and religion.

Fornication has a broader meaning in Christianity, but this act is considered a lesser sin (compared to adultery), since it occurs outside of marital status. This means that he does not break the seventh commandment of the Old Testament.

A vulgarly dressed woman of frivolous behavior can be accused of fornication, with all her appearance trying to draw the attention of unfamiliar men. The desire to be in the spotlight, to catch the coveted glances for the sake of their own vanity, cynicism and lust.

A man can fall under the status of lascivious due to his frivolous behavior with the opposite sex. An uncontrollable desire for sexual intimacy with different women is also a great sin, taking away from an Orthodox Christian his God's blessing, energy and strength.

Adultery involves breaking many of the commandments. This is not only adultery, betrayal of a loved one. The priests believe that the eighth commandment is also violated here - do not steal. After all, your body now belongs to your second half, having offered yourself for sexual pleasures to another person, you stole from your own wife or husband.

The ninth commandment is also violated - do not bear false witness. Usually, the one who changes begins in every possible way to hide it and lie. It is a lie in family relationships that becomes the first reason for divorce.

The Church urges not to communicate and not eat at the same table with the fornication and adultery, who openly declare this. Such pride and glory is the path to corruption of soul and body. This doomedly destroys the union of love, deprives the children of a parent.

In order not to arouse lust for another woman, a wife should always be attentive to her husband and extinguish the flame of passion, drawing the spouse's attention to her appearance, beauty, affection, humility and love. The husband, in turn, must be extremely sensitive to the wife's goodwill.

A couple in the sacred union of marriage should not shy away from each other. The only exception can be fasting and prayer. This is the only way to avoid the temptation of Satan from his own intemperance.

What loses the one who has fallen into fornication and adultery

• Man not only destroys his family, he puts a huge wall between himself and God. And this means that in moments of despair it will be difficult for you (and even for priests) to offer prayer for the health, life of loved ones, as well as for your own blessing;
• Immorality is the path to oblivion. If a person is controlled only by natural instincts and the need for physical pleasure, then he is not able to give love and make someone happy. Such individuals end up alone, forgotten by their devoted relatives and those who once shared a bed of debauchery with you;
• The authority and reputation of such sinners becomes very unstable. This behavior is always condemned and not accepted by a healthy society. In a business environment, they will not conclude a major financial deal with a person who is not stable in family affairs. If he easily betrays loved ones, then he can also simply deceive partners;
• The reckless lifestyle of a family person leads to mental anxiety, nervous breakdowns, mental instability, generates distrust of others, and makes it impossible to enjoy simple human joys;
• The unfaithful husband (or wife) begins to get sick more often and may leave the world before his partner. It is affected by its early energy wear. The body does not have time to replenish physical and emotional resources, but the doors are simply closed for such replenishment. The habit of living “without brakes” gives rise to early death;
• Adultery can cause a loss of reason, logic, and business acumen. And this will become the reason for the loss of the main source of income. For many, such a life ends in poverty and lonely old age.

How to avoid punishment and return to the Orthodox faith

The first way to salvation is realizing your own sin. Only the deepest repentance and humility can bring back God's blessing. Fornication is not considered an involuntary, impulsive offense. To sin in this way requires some calculation and preparation. The lascivious person always has time to come to his senses and stop.

That is why the sin of adultery is terrible, that a person goes to it deliberately, and not in a state of passion or stress. Counting on their impunity, the unfaithful husband (wife) does not take into account the fact that the atonement for their misdeeds can be passed on to future offspring.

No one is safe from temptation and temptation, especially among the wealthy segments of the population. But it will not be possible to avoid punishment even in a fabulous state.

Many people repented and seek salvation in prayer. To increase your desire to atone for sin, you need to go to church and confess. It is especially effective to be present at the morning service, when your thoughts have not swallowed up pressing problems and everyday vanity.

In such a period of rethinking reality, human values ​​change, or rather, they return to the right track. Repentance helps a person on the path to enlightenment, this can open up new facets of existence for him.

Returning to the family, a person begins to realize what he could lose and how hard it would be for him to be alone. But don't stop at church just once. Attend Sunday services, give alms, rush to help those in need of your support.

Patronage, charity, patronage of orphans and large families - everything will be of importance in drawing closer to God. The grace of God will begin to work the moment you begin to experience joy and happiness from your actions. Immersion in the realization of good deeds will take time in search of physical pleasures and pleasures.

But do not forget about your own household members. Pay attention to your spouse, remember what conquered you in your half, made your heart beat faster and faster. Why did you decide to connect your life with this particular person.

For such a perception of the moments of the past, joint walks in the fresh air, sports games, travel are suitable. Create your own family traditions, rituals. Make your time together more varied and rewarding.

Traditions and facts of world practice

In the history of the church, there are cases when for the facts of adultery priests were deprived of the rank of a clergyman, and the common people were excommunicated from church attendance, confession and communion for fifteen years.

Adultery in the modern way of life is the very first reason for divorce proceedings. In some countries, for such a fall, they could take their lives, but as a rule it concerned exclusively women. This inequality was associated with the fact that the man was later not sure of his relationship with blood children.

Not all cultural traditions around the world condemn extramarital sex. For some, this lifestyle allows the individual to maintain freedom in sexual behavior. In Russia, family relationships are regulated by the Family Code of the Russian Federation.

In our country (according to the law), adultery is not a valid reason for divorce. The final decision on divorce is taken personally by each of the spouses. But at the same time, the law can exempt one of the spouses from paying alimony for the other, if his unworthy behavior in the family is proved.

In Judaism, according to the Old Testament, it is forbidden for a man to live with an unfaithful wife. And in Christianity, even a longed-for glance at someone else's wife will be considered a great sin of adultery and fornication. In Islam, such extramarital affairs could be punished with a hundred lashes. In Muslim countries, even today, a woman can be executed for fornication and adultery (although the Koran does not say anything about this).

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Every day, various television programs and talk shows invite "stars" to talk about their personal life, full of love adventures, accustoming people to the idea that cheating is normal, that living with two women at the same time or having children out of wedlock are common things.

Perhaps not one modern film is complete without a story about the happy life of two lovers "not burdened" by marriage ties or descriptions of meetings and betrayals of the heroes of the film.

Perhaps betrayal, or as they said before, fornication and adultery have become the norm in a person's life, and there is nothing wrong with that - just a man meets a woman, and it does not matter at all whether they are married or not. Or is it adultery after all? Let's try to figure it out.

What is adultery?

By creating a family and taking an oath to love each other, people create a wonderful, light union. By changing, allowing to desire or just thinking about another woman or man, the spouses denigrate this union, breaking the bright thread of the relationship that binds them to.

Adultery is adultery, not only in the physical sense, but also in the spiritual sense. It is like an emotional blow that destroys relationships between once loving people. Committing insane sinful acts - entering into a sinful relationship, a person receives emotional release outside the family, without immediately thinking about the consequences.

What does Orthodoxy think about adultery?

In the wise book of Orthodoxy it is written that every believer is obliged to observe. One of them - the seventh, says: do not commit adultery.

Living in a marriage union, a man and a woman find happiness with each other, committing adultery - they not only violate the rules of the commandments, but also destroy warmth and trust in their lives.

The holy Elder Basil, speaking about the adultery of spouses, did not see the difference between adultery committed by a husband or wife. He believed that both sins are mortal, very serious and require obligatory repentance.

Another wise righteous man, St. Zlatoust, believed that not only the 7th commandment warns against carnal sin - against sin against your body, but the next three, too. By committing adultery, a person violates the eighth: “do not steal”, because the husband's body is the wife's property, and stealing it is worse than stealing any property.

In the ninth, however, people are commanded “not to bear false witness,” and as the holy elder writes, the disintegration of families begins with a lie between two people, suffering and lies devastate wives, bringing the relationship in marriage to naught. And commanding people “not to desire your neighbor’s wife,” the Lord speaks of a strong family and the need to maintain good relations.

Desire for a neighbor's husband

It has become a fairly common case: "wanting a neighbor's husband." And if for men sinful relationships "on the side" more often have an emotional color, a desire for novelty sensations and the satisfaction of sinful desires with another man's wife, then a woman more and more often, in addition to new emotions and impressions from sinful relationships, is looking for benefits.

Taking a husband out of the family out of revenge, or simply out of a desire to take someone else's, if there a man is more successful, wealthy or handsome, has become quite common.

Women are increasingly taking away married men, destroying their marriage, and leaving their children to live in a family without fathers. They destroy not only their sacred marriage relationships, but also break the lives of others. And this adultery is committed in all strata of modern society: sinful thoughts penetrate not only into respectable, wealthy families, but also into modest ones who are not rich.

The Consequences of Sinful Actions

In all religions, incl. And Orthodoxy has its own rules describing how to live correctly, and how sinful, and what then awaits God's punishment.

When a person commits sinful adultery:

sins, destroying his or someone else's family,
he falls to the bottom, only carnal desires rule him,
the reputation of a sinner or sinner falls in the opinion of other people,
sinners walk the road that leads to hell, and must ask for forgiveness from people and God

Punishment and Atonement

How to atone for sinful actions? It is very important to acknowledge your guilt and sincerely repent. It is necessary, having gone to church, to pray, and then it is imperative - so one who has approached the line of fornication, will alleviate his physical and mental sufferings.

Adultery is the physical intimacy of people who are married to others. This passion includes the prodigal feelings and desires of someone else's body, impure thoughts and conversations in a vulgar manner. It is not only the traitor who commits adultery, but also the one with whom this sin is committed: guilt and shame lie on both sides.

Fornication and adultery: what is the difference

The apostles say that all unclean deeds and thoughts should not be mentioned in the scriptures at all. However, the surrounding debauchery extremely dulled the feelings of morality, that even among people brought up in Christianity, premarital sexual relations and divorces appeared.

• The sin of adultery in Orthodoxy is associated, first of all, with adultery, treason. By succumbing to carnal temptations, a person destroys his own family. Passion can be viewed as a betrayal, because a concluded marriage is always a sacred union. Relationships are destroyed, everything that was built in love for each other is declining.
• Fornication differs in that people enter into a relationship without being in a marriage relationship. A person with all his appearance and behavior shows that he has a strong desire to achieve his goal. The prodigal life makes one violate moral principles and blinds the mind of the individual, violates the law of chastity.

Fornicators provoke a large number of problems and disasters. Sin destroys homes and breeds strife, dries up love and goodwill. Libertines deprive themselves of a huge number of benefits and replace them with devilish troubles.

Orthodox priests say that there is no one more ashamed of a person who commits a vile adultery.

On a note! Those suspected of treason live with heavy emotions. It seems to them that the table is filled with poisons, and the house is shrouded in countless evil. Such people do not sleep well, they are not fond of the speeches of good friends and the light of the bright sun. They experience suffering not only when they see the adultery of their half, but also when they think about it.

Spouses must be very close to each other, so it becomes painful for them when a husband or wife finds himself in the unclean and illegal service of another person. People who commit fornication are highly condemned by the people and religion. Fornication is more punishable because the spouses entered into a sacred treaty and swore allegiance to each other.

About the family in Orthodoxy:

Believer in confession

Punishment for adultery

Fornication is called carnal joy without causing any harm to another.

The sin of adultery gives rise to libel (falsehood) and insult to a legal union. As a punishment, the church can excommunicate an adulterer from communion with the Holy Mysteries for 15 years. The fornicator is prescribed a seven-year term.

Important! The measure of penance (church punishment) is established depending on the state of the person who committed the sin.

• The people greatly condemn any manifestation of unfaithfulness, therefore the adulterer will feel unpleasant conversations on the side.
• Those who have fallen into fornication cannot receive communion until they bear repentance.
• Punishment comes from your own conscience, which does not allow you to forget your sin for a long time. Purification comes only after the destruction of the memory of this event.
• The consequence of the sin of adultery is the suffering that is born after learning about the betrayal. Spouses have to seek a divorce, because it is even more difficult to maintain a marriage.
• Any prodigal sin closes the gate to the Heavenly abode for the soul.
• Adulters will suffer “a second death in a hellish lake full of fire and brimstone.
• In the New Testament, the bodies of every person become members of the body of Christ; therefore, the sinner inflicts dishonor on the Son of God and dissolves the primordial unity. Having lost the sacred support, a person surrenders to the power of monstrous demons.
• Fornication and adultery build a metaphysical wall through which prayers and forgiveness are hard to seep. If he does not take appropriate measures to heal the soul, there is a possibility of falling away from the Church and God forever.
• They distance themselves from the adulterer, turn away. He is considered an object of shame and contempt, he brings sadness to his parents and is the subject of unflattering reviews.
• The sin of adultery in Orthodoxy is capable of destroying not only the physical, but also the spiritual shell. They annul the laws of morality, which are independent of human will.

This position did not take root in the Christian tradition for a long time, because in ancient times a wife did not have the status of a full member of society.

The meaning of the commandment "do not commit adultery"

Against this sin, the sayings of the Holy Fathers and certain sections from the Gospel are especially powerful.

• The one who looks at the woman with lust is already committing adultery.
• The children of Israel should not be subject to this passion, since the heavenly abode does not accept people who are unclean in heart.
• Bodies in Orthodoxy are regarded as a temple in which the Holy Spirit dwells. It is believed that there is nothing in the material world that belongs to us, therefore, sinning at a party is prohibited and unnatural.
• It is necessary to take care of the purity of your body, because the time will come and every Christian will have to give an answer for the life he has done.
• Adultery is necessarily judged by the Almighty Lord, but a clean marriage and an immaculate bed are permitted by God.

The reasons for adultery and the sin of fornication in Orthodoxy

The most important factor in falling into this dangerous passion is the mental striving for the delight of the flesh and a drunken life. The enemy (sin) finds loopholes in the consciousness of a Christian, if the latter does not drive away evil and prodigal thoughts. A soul that has weakened its control over temptations is approaching a miserable and destructive fall.

• The clergy note that those who have already fallen under the power of another passion become adulterers and fornicators. The root of all lust is the acquisition of praise and glory.
• Sinfulness increases when people do not protect their bodies from seduction objects. Pride and vanity, which are rarely noticed by a person, prompts them to go on prodigal intercourse for the sake of satisfying their own lust.
• The apostles call the cause of fornication (fornication) and adultery satiety. When our body is full, the demon of gluttony departs and invites the unclean spirit of adultery to come and confuse the mind with dirty thoughts, and the body with effusions.
• The spirit of drowsiness also torments the unfortunate man enough, because a lazy and drowsy mind is not capable of fully resisting the harsh demon of fornication.
• Often the help of the Almighty departs from those who ask, because they slander, reproach and condemn their neighbors. Going against the brothers, a person is left alone and is unable to resist destructive temptations.
• The raid of thought is an impetuous cause that is almost elusive by consciousness. Without a word or image, she instantly arouses passion.

How to atone for lascivious sin

Each of the passions is capable of capturing the soul and removing it from communion with the Eternal purity of the Lord. If sins unite, it becomes addition to get out of a dangerous situation, therefore, the business of every Orthodox is to destroy all the seeds of sinfulness.

• The first thing is to cleanse the secret places of the heart, which will allow us to see God in the soul. He will give instructions and correct advice that will save you from the influence of the sin of fornication. Not a single thought will hide from the Creator, therefore, the desire for fornication or adultery should be destroyed by great shame in the face of the Almighty.
• The clergy teach the laity to be more attentive to feelings and desires. Demons of lustful sinfulness are often presented in the form of a useful and good deed. Impure creatures first darken the mind, and then they explain what they need.
• Healing will come when thinking about the opposite sex stops arousing passion. To reduce the temptation, it is necessary to reduce the communication time and remove vicious thoughts from yourself. The fire of lust flares up in the movement of thought, and not in the body.
• Since the demonic attack is carried out on the body and soul, one should resist in two ways. Physical fasting alone is not enough; a layman should constantly meditate on the Holy Scriptures, and also occupy his hands with labor or handicraft.
• If a person is tempted, he is obliged to find a reason, internal or external, and eradicate it. Chastity presupposes simplicity in attire and the peace of one's own flesh, which will not allow fornication moods to arise in the mind.

Prayer help:

The business of every Christian is the destruction of a vicious mood. In this way, the believer brings himself closer to true knowledge, purity and bliss.

• The Christian is obliged to avoid the sin of drunkenness, which will allow him to be more vigilant, and will not allow the demon of fornication to lead into temptation. It is necessary to cleanse your own heart, in which, according to Solomon, the sources of life and death dwell. A person needs to become humble and humble, because passions arise from the freedom of communication.
• One of the most important weapons in the struggle is keeping feelings within their limits. The church teaches to move away from the hustle and bustle and concentrate on achieving the main goal - the purification of the heart and mind. The priests give the following advice: things can be treated neutrally, even if they are capable of causing lust. The very attitude of the individual to the environment is important.
• A Christian will save his soul from corruption if he can avoid communion with the demon of adultery. The enemy should not be contradicted, absolute ignorance helps. Counteraction will only increase the aggression of the unclean demon, which will not rest until it is defeated by humility.
• Another way to get rid of lustful thoughts is through righteous anger. If a Christian sees in his soul signs of increasing lust, he should be angry about it. Compassion will allow sin to stay inside and return to moments of weakness.
• A Christian should not judge the environment; it is important to have patience and meekness. A person is morally forbidden to ascribe to others what he does not know reliably. The believer is advised to work only on his own consciousness, clearing the way to the heavenly abodes.
• Confessions and prayers help in the struggle. Often these methods are the last chance of salvation for a deeply sunk soul.

Spiritual and bodily purity (chastity) is a virtue that is the exact opposite of adultery and fornication. Sinful betrayal gives suffering to the family and all its members. Fornication does not hurt anyone, but leaves the seed of fornication for a long time.

The Church obliges all Orthodox Christians to eradicate this vicious weakness by all means with the help of prayers, confessions and fasts. Getting rid of lustful passions opens the way to the Kingdom of Heaven and clears the mind.

Watch a video on fornication and adultery