The False Doctrine Of The Sexual Immorality Movement (SIM)
Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI
Biblical Authority Ministries, September 23, 2026 (Donate)
Sexual issues in today’s culture are rampant. Sadly, they
are almost normalized. Even worse, children at younger and younger ages are
caught up in it or exposed to it.
When the Bible, creation and prayer were thrown out of the
school system in the 1960s in the USA (echoed elsewhere in the Western World),
it was replaced by the godless religion of the day—secular humanism (e.g., evolution,
millions of years, naturalism, materialism).
Humanism dominated classrooms of biology, history, and
science. Logic, ethics, and reasoning were largely thrown out. With a new shift
in the general public and students, man was now seen as an evolved animal with
mere sexual instincts and the sexual revolution took place through the 1960’s
and early 1970s.
By 1973, abortion was legal (to kill children you didn’t
want because of all the sexual promiscuity), pornography was allowed, divorce
was skyrocketing. Before you know it, homosexual issues [e.g., homosexual “marriage”
with Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. 644 (2015)] and gender issues followed—and we
are currently in a culture that bore the fruit of all this evil.
How can Christians survive? First, by knowing what God
teaches on this delicate subject and by following God’s Word to be obedient regarding
marriage and sex.
The term "Sexual Immorality Movement," or
SIM, is properly used to describe modern movements that normalize or promote
sexual behavior contrary to biblical teaching. This includes the sexual
revolution, "free love," premarital sex, adultery, pornography, LGBTQIAA++ movements, easy or no-fault approaches to divorce, and attempts to redefine
marriage.
The fundamental biblical problem with SIM is an authority
problem: Who defines sex, marriage, and morality—God or man? Of course, the answer
is God through His Word. But the world in which we live is deceived to believe
man and disregards God. So this issue is a hot one in our culture.
God Created Marriage and Sexuality: God Defines Sexual
Morality
Sexuality didn’t originate with human society. God created
man "male and female" (Genesis 1:27), created the woman for the man
(Genesis 2:18-23), and instituted marriage:
Therefore a man shall leave his
father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. (Genesis
2:24, NKJV).
Jesus reaffirmed this creation ordinance in Matthew 19:4-6 and
Mark 10:6-9. Biblical marriage is therefore not something mankind has the authority
to redefine. Thus, scripturally, sexual intimacy belongs within the marriage
covenant between a man and woman (1 Corinthians 7:2-5; Hebrews 13:4).
Premarital And "Free Love"
Scripture repeatedly condemns sexual immorality. 1 Thessalonians
4:3-5, NKJV says:
For this is the will of God, your
sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess
his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like the
Gentiles who do not know God;
Fornication (sex outside of marriage) and other sexually
immoral acts are also condemned in Matthew 15:19; Acts 15:20; 1 Corinthians
6:18; Ephesians 5:3; and Colossians 3:5.
The modern idea that consenting adults may freely engage in
sexual relationships outside marriage is in contradiction God's placement of
sexual intimacy within marriage.
Homosexuality And LGBT Sexual Ethics
God’s Word also identifies same-sex sexual behavior as
contrary to God's design (e.g., Leviticus 18:22; Romans 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians
6:9-11; 1 Timothy 1:9-10). So keep in mind that this modern issue has ancient
roots and biblical people like Moses and Paul had to deal with it too.
Romans 1 is particularly important because Paul connects
sexual rebellion with mankind's deeper rejection of God as Creator (Romans
1:18-28). When the Creator is rejected, His created order is eventually
rejected as well.
But there is hope! God also offers forgiveness. 1
Corinthians 6 lists numerous sins, including sexual sins, and then says,
"And such were some of you" (1 Corinthians 6:11). By the grace and
blood of Jesus Christ, sexual sinners can be saved and many have. This is great
news.
How Has SIM Entered Churches?
The Bible repeatedly warns about God's people adopting the
morality of the surrounding culture.
Paul confronted the Corinthian church because sexual
immorality had entered the congregation and was being tolerated (1 Corinthians
5:1-13). Instead of accommodating it, Paul commanded church discipline and
repentance.
Romans 12:2, NKJV warns:
And do not be conformed to this
world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what
is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
2 Timothy 4:3-4 warns that people will accumulate teachers
according to their own desires and turn their ears away from the
truth. This explains a major way sexual revisionism enters churches: cultural
desires become the standard used to reinterpret Scripture rather than Scripture
remaining the standard used to judge cultural desires!
This is syncretism—mixing biblical Christianity with
an outside worldview. A church may begin saying biblical sexual commands were
merely cultural, reinterpret passages concerning sexual immorality, redefine
marriage apart from Genesis, affirm behavior Scripture identifies as sinful, or
simply stop preaching difficult passages.
As churches let things pass, they become normalized in the churches
and Word of God no longer has an affect! Note that this isn’t always about
sexual sins but many other sins too. If churches don’t stand on God’s Word from
the first to the last verse, errors creep in and can destroy the flock.
Eventually, what Scripture commands people to repent of may
be affirmed or even celebrated. Don’t be deceived, mocking God in such a
fashion will only bring judgment.
The Deeper Problem: Biblical Authority
SIM is ultimately another manifestation of the problem that
began in Genesis 3: mankind questioning God's Word and attempting to determine
good and evil independently of God.
Isaiah 5:20-21, NKJV warns:
Woe to those who call evil good,
and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put
bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in
their own eyes, And prudent in their own sight!
A church, therefore, can’t faithfully submit to Christ while
deliberately reversing His moral standards. Jesus said that if you love Him,
you’ll keep His commandments" (John 14:15).
Yet Christians must remember that sexual sinners aren't
uniquely sinful. All of us have sinned (Romans 3:23). Sexual immorality is one type
of manifestation of man’s sin problem.
The biblical response is, therefore, not hatred or cruelty,
but truth, repentance, forgiveness, and transformation through Jesus Christ. We
should want people to repent and come back to Christ.
Bear in mind that Christians shouldn’t conform to sexual
immorality but also, we shouldn’t treat those caught in it as if they were beyond
salvation. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 says that people can be saved out of sexual
sin, washed, sanctified, and justified through Christ just like any other sin.
The SIM is a collection of false doctrines wrapped up in one
name. Regrettably, it has infiltrated churches—some even fly the SIM flag
outside (LGBTQIAA++ flag). That should be both a warning that they don’t believe
the Bible and it is also a reason to be praying that they repent.
Even so, the solution isn’t adapting Scripture to the sexual revolution, but calling everyone back to the authority of God's Word, biblical marriage, sexual purity, repentance, forgiveness, and salvation through Jesus Christ.
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Bodie Hodge, Ken Ham's son in law, has been an apologist defending
6-day creation and opposing evolution since 1998. He spent 21 years working
at Answers in Genesis as a speaker, writer, and researcher as
well as a founding news anchor for Answers News. He was also head
of the Oversight Council.
Bodie launched Biblical Authority Ministries in
2015 as a personal website and it was organized officially in 2025 as a
501(c)(3). He has spoken on multiple continents and hosts of US states in
churches, colleges, and universities. He is married with four children.
Mr. Hodge earned a Bachelor and Master of Science degrees
from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale (SIUC). Then he taught
at SIUC for a couple of years as a Visiting Instructor teaching all levels of
undergraduate engineering and running a materials lab and a CAD lab. He did
research on advanced ceramic materials to develop a new method of production of
titanium diboride with a grant from Lockheed Martin. He worked as a Test
Engineer for Caterpillar, Inc., prior to entering full-time ministry.
His love of science was coupled with a love of history,
philosophy, and theology. For about one year of his life, Bodie was editing and
updating a theological, historical, and scientific dictionary/encyclopedia. Mr.
Hodge has over 25 years of experience in writing, speaking and researching in
these fields.
*Image by generative program as requested by Bodie Hodge
