I was glad that you see the Bible’s condemnation of “having sex before marriage,” for as you say this has “become the norm in these days” and people need to see what God thinks of this. The Bible calls this FORNICATION, and I will now quote some passages which show God’s thoughts about it.

“Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither FORNICATORS, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God” (1^st Corinthians 6:9-10).

“But FORNICATION and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints” (Ephesians 5:3…NKJV).

“But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a FORNICATOR, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or and extortioner; with such an one no not to eat” (1^st Corinthians 5:11…KJV).

We see how very serious the sin of fornication is; it will keep unbelievers out of heaven, and it will keep a believer out of fellowship with other believers. Another big difference, which relates to your question, is the believer in Christ “can be REDEEMED from this sin.” One of the definitions of “redeemed” in the Bible means “deliverance, the setting at liberty.” Of course, this refers to being “delivered and set free FROM SIN.” The apostle Peter speaks of this in 1^st Peter 1:18, “Knowing that you were not REDEEMED with corruptible things, like silver or gold, FROM YOUR AIMLESS CONDUCT received by tradition for you fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ.” Before one is “redeemed by the blood of Christ,” they are living an empty and aimless life, one characterized by sinful lifestyles like sexual immorality (fornication, adultery, homosexuality), but once they put their faith in Christ’s death on the cross and the blood that was shed for their sins, they can be “set free from their slavery to sin.” Their “aimless conduct” (or “futile existence”) is changed to a “life with purpose.” We quoted 1^st Corinthians 6:9-10 above to show the unbeliever’s slavery to sin but in verse 11 we read, “And SUCH WERE SOME OF YOU. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.” Paul was writing to true believers who had been characterized by empty lives given over to sinful lifestyles, but through their faith in Christ and His death on Calvary they were no longer in habitual slavery to sin. What was once true of them was true no more! Their sins had been WASHED away (once and for all) in the blood of Jesus (see 1^st John 1:7) and now they were also being WASHED (daily) by the Word of God to keep them from the defilement of the world around them and from falling into their former sinful lifestyles (see John 15:3; 17:17; Ephesians 5:25-26).

In conclusion, one cannot “redeem himself/herself from the sin of fornication” but Christ can! He has already paid the price (His “precious blood”) to redeem us from our empty lives of sin and the believer in Christ now has His Word to set us free from sin. “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed in Him, ‘If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE” (John 8:32). “Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might SANCTIFY and CLEANSE her with the WASHING OF WATER BY THE WORD” (Ephesians 5:25-26). But we must desire His Word (1^st Peter 2:2); study His Word (2^nd Timothy 2:15); and obey His Word (James 1:19-24) in order to experience this wonderful “redemption (deliverance) from sin.”  (DO)  (502.5)