The Pope of the Catholic Church is the head of the most populous church, which makes him the most popular and powerful church leader in the world. Any pronouncement of the Pope is taken seriously.
Pope Francis. Photo: imdb.com
Pope Francis recently dropped a bombshell. Sex outside marriage, according to him, is “not the greatest sin”. The Pope has stirred a hot debate in the Christian world with these words. This is because most Christians believe that any sexual intercourse outside of a marriage is a great sin, although the Holy Bible did not expressly describe it as “great”.
But is the Pope right in his assertion that sex outside marriage is not the greatest sin? Let us search the scriptures to see if Pope Francis is supported by the Word of God.
According to the Bible in several chapters and verses, sex outside marriage is a serious sin before God. Please, check these verses: 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, 1 Corinthians 6:18-19, Ephesians 5:3, etc.
The Bible did not rank sins, so how do we know which sin is the greatest? There is no straightforward way to know which sin is the greatest.
But we can use the greatest commandment as stated by Jesus Christ to arrive at “the greatest sin”. If we break the greatest commandment, then we have committed the “greatest sin”. It is simple logic.
So what is the greatest commandment?
Jesus Christ said in Matthew 22:36-40 that the greatest commandment is: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind”. Jesus Christ added in those verses: “Love your neighbour as yourself”.
The greatest sin, therefore, is failure to love God unconditionally, as well as failure to love your neighbour as yourself.
Clearly, Pope Francis was right to say that sex outside marriage is not the greatest sin.
All true Christians must be warned, however, not to take Pope Francis’s words as a license to indulge in sexual immorality. The Pope’s comment does not in any way reduce the severity of fornication and adultery.
Stay blessed.
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