"Living in sin" - does anyone have a biblical reference?

Question

So many times I have heard unmarried couples who live together referred to as being "living in sin". Does anyone know of a specific biblical reference that defines living together unmarried as being sinful? I've had plenty of people tell me that "the Bible says it" but can never tell me where! I understand the importance of Holy Matrimony in Christian living, and am a married woman myself, but I'd like to be able to back myself up if someone were to ask me this very question. Thanks. :)

Answer 1

Great question...

I'll sit back and wait for the obscure passages from the bible to be twisted to suit this question.

Star for you

Answer 2

If the man and woman are brother and sister and are living under the same roof, it would be permissible, provided there is nothing illicit in their relationship. If the situation is that a man and woman who are not married to each other and are living together and having sexual relations, that would be sinful. If the unmarried man and woman are living together, are not related, and are not having sexual relations, then other factors come into play. First of all, the Bible says that we are to avoid even the appearance of evil. If their living together stumbles others sufficiently to warrant a different living arrangement, then that should be done.
But, basically, an unmarried man and woman living together, sleeping in the same bed, etc., is wrong and sinful.

1 Cor. 6:18, "Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body."
Eph. 5:3, "But do not let immorality or any impurity or greed even be named among you, as is proper among saints."
Col. 3:5, "Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry."
1 Thess. 4:2, "For you know what commandments we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. 3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God."

Answer 3

Family life is every were in the Bible, i cant remember the exact passage but here is some examples: (This is how i recall it, the actual words may differ) Honor your Father and Mother (Ex20 this is the first commandment WITH a promise) Children obey your parents Parents don't make your children despondent Wives love your husbands and Husbands love your wives. Indeed, the Bible does not give a detailed account of Christ's life wile He was in the family home. But He said that people who believe in Him are His Brothers and Sisters.

Answer 4

Ezekiel the priest while in exile in Mesopotamia God had spoken to him about man where if he sinned by defiling a women in her impurity which I take to being a prostitute commits a sin.

In 1 Corinthians chapter 5 regarding sexual immorality of a man having sex with his father's wife could only mean incest between two adults not uncommon in some social orders of royal blood lines is taken as a sin apart from Adam and Eve and Abraham who diffidently sinned to the hilt.

Mathew chapter 19 goes on about whoever divorces his wife except for sexual immorality and marries another commits adultery and whoever marries her who is the divorcee committed adultery which is the sin.

Although in Ephesians contained in chapter 5-3 goes on about fornication and all the uncleanness or covetousness spells it out completely about unmarried people having sex before marriage.

See that wasn't to hard for an agnostic like me.

So apart from the 10 Commandments then there is reference to sexual sin if committed if you are caught out. Like back-dooring you mate.

Answer 5

The bible forbids fornication (unmarried sex). I'm not good at quoting scripture, but anyone knows that pre-marital sex is wrong, and so unmarried people living together as though they were married is obviously wrong; they are living in fornication. This is a lifestyle that is described as "living in sin".

I'm sure you can find plenty of scriptural quotes using a concordance. there's also a website that I love that lists plenty of scriptures: www.scripturecatholic.com.

God bless, and Merry Christmas.

Answer 6

Actually for a man to take a wife...all she needs to do is live with him, sleep with him and have his children...there is nothing in the Bible that states nuthin' bout no ceremony, certificate or legal implications. Biblically, if a man divorces his wife he needs to provide her with a certificate stating that he put her away from him rather than her just leaving so that she would have recourse to go back to her family but she wouldn't be allowed to marry again unless he dies. So, if two people live together as man and wife in a committed for the long haul til death do they part typa thing then that is marriage...many cultures still practice this very method of matrimony. However, the living in sin comes when two people are sexually active, living together or not and yet have not made that commitment of calling her wife and him husband, to establish a life together as becoming one person. Here's some biblical references...


1 Corinthians 7:37-39
37Nevertheless he that standeth stedfast in his heart, having no necessity, but hath power over his own will, and hath so decreed in his heart that he will keep his virgin, doeth well.

38So then he that giveth her in marriage doeth well; but he that giveth her not in marriage doeth better.

39The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.


Genesis 2:24
Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

Matthew 19:5
And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?

If the couple considers themselves "married" then so be it..but if not...then in the eyes of God they have not only committed a sin..but live that sin everyday. Love in Christ, ~J~

Answer 7

Fornication is sex outside of marriage. Even Webster's New World Dictionary knows that it is sexual intercourse between unmarried people. You don't make it to heaven practicing fornication. Read Ephesians 5:3 and on down.

For your question and for this reason God commands that we know His Word, the Holy Bible.

Answer 8

Matthew 5:28

Answer 9

Actually, the Bible DOESN'T define cohabitating before marriage as a sin. A lot of Christians seem to have this belief, but there's no biblical source for it.

Answer 10

Fornicators will not enter the kingdom of heaven. i believe thats in 1st corinthians and many other places