ADULTERY

ADULTERY

WHAT DID JESUS HAVE TO SAY ABOUT ADULTERY? Matthew 5:27-32

"You have heard that the law of Moses says, “Do not commit adultery.” (Matthew 5:27)

LUST IS A FORM OF ADULTERY.

The Old Testament law said that it is wrong for a person to have sex with someone other than his or her spouse (Exodus 20:14). But Jesus said that the desire to have sex with someone other than your spouse is mental adultery and thus sin-if the act is wrong, then so is the intention. To be faithful to your spouse with your body but not your mind is to break the trust so vital to a strong marriage. Jesus is not condemning natural interest in the opposite sex or even healthy sexual desire, but the deliberate and repeated filling of one’s mind with fantasies that would be evil if acted out.

ACTING OUT SINFUL DESIRES DRAWS OTHERS INTO SIN.

Luke 16:16-18

Some think, if lustful thoughts are sin, why shouldn’t a person go ahead and act upon their thoughts? Acting out sinful desires is harmful in several ways: (1) it causes people to excuse sin rather than eliminate it; (2) it destroys marriages; (3) it is deliberate rebellion against God’s Word; and (4) it always hurts others besides those immediately involved. Sinful desire is not as dangerous as sinful action, and that is why it should not be acted out. Nevertheless, sinful desire is just as damaging to righteousness. Left unchecked, wrong desires result in wrong actions and turn people away from God.

"Anyone who divorces his wife and marries someone else commits adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery. (Luke 16:18)

EVEN LEGAL ADULTERY IS SIN.

Most religious leaders of Jesus’ day permitted a man to divorce his wife for nearly any reason. Jesus’ teaching about divorce went beyond Moses’ (Deuteronomy 24:1-4). Stricter than any of the then-current schools of thought, it shocked his hearers (see Matthew 19:10) just as it shakes today’s readers. Jesus says in unmistakable terms that marriage is a lifetime commitment. To leave your spouse for another person may be legal, but it is adultery in God’s eyes. As you think about marriage, remember that God intends it to be a permanent commitment.

HOW DID JESUS TREAT AN ADULTEROUS PERSON?

John 8:1-11

"Then Jesus stood up again and said to her, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” (John 8:10-11)

JESUS ACCEPTED THE ADULTERER WITHOUT CONDEMNING OR CONDONING.

Jesus didn’t condemn the woman accused of adultery, but neither did he ignore or condone her sin. He told her to go and sin no more. Jesus stands ready to forgive any sin in your life, but confession and repentance mean a change of heart. With God’s help we can accept Christ’s forgiveness and stop our wrongdoing.

WHAT IS SPIRITUAL ADULTERY?

Isaiah 1:1-31

See how Jerusalem, once so faithful, has become a prostitute. Once the home of justice and righteousness, she is now filled with murderers. (Isaiah 1:21)

GOD COMPARES HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS PEOPLE TO MARRIAGE Hosea 1:1-11

The people had turned from the worship of the true God to worshiping idols. Their faith was defective, impure, and diluted. Idolatry, outward or inward, is spiritual adultery, breaking our commitment to God in order to love something else. Jesus described the people of his day as adulterous, even though they were religiously strict. The church is the “bride” of Christ (Revelation 19:7), and by faith we can be clothed in his righteousness. Are we his impure or faithful bride?
"When the LORD first began speaking to Israel through Hosea, he said to him, “Go and marry a prostitute, so some of her children will be born to you from other men. This will illustrate the way my people have been untrue to me, openly committing adultery against the LORD by worshiping other gods.” (Hosea 1:2)

SPIRITUAL UNFAITHFULNESS IS AS SERIOUS AS ADULTERY.

Just as Hosea’s wife, Gomer, was eventually unfaithful to him, so the nation of Israel had been unfaithful to God. Israel’s idolatry was like adultery. They sought “illicit” political relationships with other nations, and they mixed Baal worship with the worship of God. Like Gomer, we can chase after other loves-power, pleasure, money, or recognition. The temptations in this world can be very seductive. Are we loyal to God, remaining completely faithful, or have other loves taken his rightful place?