Matthew 5.27-32, 1 Cor 7.1-7 October 17, 2010
INTRO: So Moses comes down from
ADULTERY! It’s all the rage now! Birds do it, bees do it, tigers do it, Titans do it; politicians, actors, motorcycle builders. The list goes on and on. And it’s nothing new; every culture in every age has had to deal with adultery.
According to the Bible, adultery is punishable by death (Leviticus 20:10)
- in some muslim countries today, adultery is STILL punishable by death; they in fact will stone the person (though usually only the woman) caught in adultery.
The POSITIVE principle: Marriage is sacred
- remember the meaning of the word sacred: set apart, of a different sort or kind altogether. That means that marriage is unlike any other relationship; it is set apart, it is different entirely
- that is different from what the culture tells us about marriage: that it is disposable, inconvenient, and not worth the paper it is written on! If you don't like it, toss it!
- But here's the problem: marriage was instituted of God, a covenant between two people for life. Why? Well, for one thing, according to the creation account, we need each other; we complete each other. For another instance, the marriage covenant was given to us so that we might be able to better understand the covenant between God and His people.
- This is another one of the ten commandments that, on the surface, most of us can say, “I’ve never committed adultery!” But I say, "not so fast!"
We commit adultery first with our minds (Matt 5:27-32) and our hearts (Matt 15:19)
- every activity below the waist has been initiated above the neck!
- And when Jesus said that if we lust after someone, it is adultery, he immediately condemned a full 50% of the population!
We commit adultery with our bodies
- our bodies belong to God (
- our bodies belong to our spouse 1 cor 7: 4-5: The wife gives authority over her body to her husband, and the husband gives authority over his body to his wife. 5 Do not deprive each other of sexual relations, unless you both agree to refrain from sexual intimacy for a limited time so you can give yourselves more completely to prayer. Afterward, you should come together again so that Satan won’t be able to tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
We commit adultery with our spirits
- by worshipping false gods (Ex 34:16, ps 106:39, Isaiah 57:7, Jeremiah 3) and idols; giving our time, attention, and energy to an image. You say, "I've never done that!" But what do you call pornography? It is giving time, attention, and energy to an image!
- Story of Hosea: God told the prophet Hosea to marry a prostitute, Gomer; And while Hosea loved Gomer, she would return to the brothel again and again. And again and again Hosea would go back and get her, taking her back to his home. The people (good, church-going people) were mortified at this, asking why their preacher would have anything to do with a WHORE. And God replied: that is how God's people have treated HIM: running off to worship false gods, images that promise things they cannot possibly deliver on.
It is obvious, though, that in the breaking of the covenant, great damage occurs:
but the man who commits adultery is an utter fool, for he destroys himself (proverbs 6:32)
2 allowable divorces: unfaithfulness (Matt. 19:9) and abandonment
example of adultery: David and Bathsheba (Ps 51; 2 Sam 11)
The NEED difference (from Men’s Fraternity)
Women need: Men need:
- affection - sex
- security (emotional) - security (physical)
- conversational companionship - activity companionship
- significance - significance
Men need:
- women to understand that the sex drive is powerful, persistent, and…normal; sex is to us what affection is to you: my #1 need; and here’s the real rub: real sexual fulfillment for me is impossible unless I can sexually fulfill you
o husbands need physical intimacy to feel close to their wives, but wives need emotional security/closeness to feel like having physical intimacy with their husbands
Why is adultery attractive? It meets our unmet need(s)
- we often trade one need for the acquisition of another: (why do men pay for sex? Trade physical security for sexual affection) (women get emotional security from someone, and trade physical affection for it)
- when we are not getting our needs met at home, in the marriage, we are tempted to get them met elsewhere; whether those needs are physical or emotional
What if it’s too late?
What to do when sexually tempted? RUN!!! 1 Cor 6:18
Woman caught in adultery – John 8:1-11 a good ending story!
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