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X is also the Roman numeral for 10. This series is about the 10 commandments.
If you were to see an off ramp sign on the freeway that says “do not enter” would you resent it or would you appreciate it? Well God’s commandments keep us from going the wrong way.
“Thou shalt not commit adultery. Exodus 20:14 KJ21
What is adultery?
Sexual intercourse between a married person and a partner other than his/her husband/wife.
God wants us to use sex to build a marriage not tear it down.
According to a Readers Digest study 50% of all husbands and probably 35% of all wives have committed adultery.
Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery. Hebrews 13:4 (NLT)
Last week we talked about the 6th commandment, “Thou shalt not murder.” According to Jesus if you have hatred in your heart you have already committed murder. Adultery is no different.
But let’s back up a moment. I titled this blog Bae Watch. What exactly is a Bae anyway?
Bae is defined as greatly admired or love for someone. It’s also the Danish word for “poop”.
Let’s see what Jesus has to say about Bae Watching.
“You have heard the commandment that says, ‘You must not commit adultery.’
But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
So if your eye—even your good eye—causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.
And if your hand—even your stronger hand—causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. Matthew 5:27-30 (NLT)
In this scripture Jesus is literally saying immorality will take us to hell.
There are at least three reasons why a person commits an immoral act.
- The ego needs the sense of conquering, taking, capturing, controlling, knowing, seeing, experiencing, and enjoying. A person’s ego is boosted and inflated.
2) The inner need for attention and sharing.
3) The raw lust of the flesh.
Immorality is so common it’s become acceptable. People have always tried to glorify their body and the flesh by exposing the body, dressing the body for sexual attraction, looking at and observing the body and its movements.
To restrict lust is considered abnormal, old fashion and oppressive. But Jesus takes a strong stance, so strong that He insists on radical surgery rather than allowing the hand or eye to sin. Jesus doesn’t literally mean for us to pluck out our eye. You can pluck out your right eye, not deal with your heart , and your left eye will still look at someone to lust.
How do you know you’re dealing with a lustful heart? Are you fantasizing and lusting as a result of look immoral pictures and websites? Do you lustfully look at the movements of a person walking? You may call recognizing beauty but Jesus calls it adultery! Do you dress to sexually attract others? Do you take pleasure in the stimulation and sensation of sexual gratification outside of marriage?
Please understand the Bible does not teach that sex is wrong. But the Bible does teach that sex can be used wrongly, and the wrong use of sex is sin. Sex has been given by God for at least three reasons.
- Sex causes a person to be attracted to another person. Therefore, sexual attraction is one of the major tools that brings about marriage.
But in order to avoid sexual sins, each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband. 1 Corinthians 7:2 (GW)
2) Sex is a tool with which to love. Sex, properly rooted and expressed in God, is one of the deepest and richest involvements and expressions of love.
3) Sex creates life. God has given man the privilege of being sub-creators of life—under Him.
So God created humans to be like himself; he made men and women. God gave them his blessing and said: Have a lot of children! Fill the earth with people and bring it under your control. Rule over the fish in the ocean, the birds in the sky, and every animal on the earth. Genesis 1:27-28 (CEV)
The law against immorality is the seventh commandment which is given for three reasons.
- To assure the respect and protection of all families and neighbors.
2) To protect us from the judgment of perishing in hell.
3) To protect us from sinning against our own bodies.
Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body.
Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself,
for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.
1 Corinthians 6:18-20
Adultery is often said to be sexual unfaithfulness by a married person. This is true, but it is much more.
Man’s idea of adultery is shattered by Jesus! Jesus says adultery is not only the actual act, but adultery is committed by any one of five acts: A deliberate look,
passion within the heart of desire or lust, the actual act of sex with someone other than one’s own spouse, divorce, spiritual unfaithfulness toward God or apostasy from God.
You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. James 4:4 (NLT)
Simply stated, Jesus says there is eye adultery, heart adultery (lust), and body adultery. This is a shattering revelation that strikes at the experience of every young person and adult.
Let’s focus on the eyes for a moment. The eyes can lead to lust by looking upon persons or pictures or stimulating objects. They search out others in order to lust. The eyes are used to let another person know that one is available. Eyes are also used to gratify lust when the act is not possible.
There are two other matters that need to be thought about at this point.
- Suggestive communication. Unclean talk such as jokes, foul words, and suggestive statements made in passing or luring talk that arises when sharing with the opposite sex can lead a person to let down his guard or to play loose with his conviction and commitment. Such sharing often deals with enticing phrases and suggestive talk that leads to temptation. Suggestive conversation can occur anywhere: at work, at school, at parties, over the social media, or just standing around talking.
It’s not right that dirty stories, foolish talk, or obscene jokes should be mentioned among you either. Instead, give thanks {to God}. Ephesians 5:4 (GW)
2) Dress. This arises from exposing parts of the body or from following the latest fad in dress that might be designed to display the body or attract attention.
And I want women to be modest in their appearance. They should wear decent and appropriate clothing and not draw attention to themselves by the way they fix their hair or by wearing gold or pearls or expensive clothes. For women who claim to be devoted to God should make themselves attractive by the good things they do. 1Timothy 2:9-10(NLT)
In other words being a disciple of Jesus is the new sexy!
As a believer you can conquer the eyes and lust and keep from committing adultery by doing a few simple things.
- Stay away from places, people, or functions that lend themselves to suggestive conversation, enticement, or lust.
2) Dress decently to please the Lord, behave at all times as a genuine Christian believer. Build a testimony by speaking and behaving as a Christian should.
3) Make a covenant not to look at or think about immoral persons, places, or things,
And start immediately: begin to think upon the positive and the moral day by day.
Resist the first thought—turn the mind and body immediately to other matters. Get busy at something else without hesitating, and stay busy.
4) Guard one’s self at all times. Show displeasure by statements or force if necessary. Flee when suggestive statements are made.
Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts. 2 Timothy 2:22 (NLT)
Silence is consent. Silence gives people permission to do what they do until it affects you. So if you need to speak out do it.
And finally stay in the perfect will of God. Whatever he has called you to do, do it with all your might. Be faithful to your calling, your marriage, your walk with God. The perfect will of God for your life, and your dedication to it, will help protect you from temptation.
Pray This
Father search my heart. Keep my heart soft and repentant. Help me not to be deceived or to deceive myself. Help me not to put myself in the position to be tempted to sin. And when temptation comes looking for me help me to run the other way. I commit to think only on those things that are good. I choose your perfect will for my life. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
Meditate On This
Abstain from all appearance of evil. 1 Thess 5:22