-----You shall be FAITHFUL in marriage
Matthew 5:27-30
**The thought is the Father of the deed.**
**The heart of the matter is the
matter of the heart. **
-----You shall be PURE in marriage
Philippians 4:8 2 Cor. 6:14
**Adultery means to contaminate
or to make impure**
-----You shall be COMMITTED to marriage.
Matthew 19:6 2 Cor. 10:5 Job 31:1 Ps. 101:3
YES, BUT HOW?
--Jesus is LORD! --Draw the LINE
--Be ACCOUNTABLE! --Fear GOD
To fully upack the 7th commandment, we have to restate the commandment in three different ways. The first of which is to be faithful in marriage. Adultery is not in the act. Jesus says it is in the heart. It is in the desire. I cannot say I am innocent of this transgression because I’ve never had sexual intercourse with another woman. I may have never done that, but if I’ve have desired another woman, Jesus says that I have committed adultery in my heart. Jesus always goes to the root of the matter. He know that the thought is the father of the deed. The deed is not the issue. Jesus says the issue is the thought. If we can take care of the thought, the deed won’t happen. Jesus knows that the heart of the matter is the matter of the heart.(used song here by Brother’s Keeper)
If we are going to be faithful in our thoughts we must be pure in marriage. PHP. 4:8 says that whatever is…… Now, lets don’t harbor false guilt. We can’t help thoughts coming into our minds. They just do. Maybe they are from the devil, maybe they are because we’re human. Maybe it’s because we live in a sinful world. Who knows!! We can’t feel guilty about stray thoughts that just come into our minds, BUT, we don’t have to linger on them. We don’t have to take that thought and fondle it and wonder and imagine and fantasize what it would be like to really do it. In Jesus’ interpretation of this command, we’ve crossed the line. We can’t help the birds flying over our heads but we don’t have to let them make a next in our hair. Another aspect of purity is keeping the marriage relationship pure by not marrying out of the faith. The OT and NT are in agreement that this is not pleasing to God. You shall not be unequally yoked…….Solomon was draw away from the Lord by foreign women. Here me single people---Hold out! Wait for the right person. Put Jer. 29:11 on your fridge and claim it. Ladies you hold most of the responsibility here. It’s the women who usually compromise here. Gals, don’t marry out of the faith. Don’t marry just because you are worried that no one else will come along. Trust God for the right man!!
Also, you must be committed in marriage. Anthing in life that we want to do must take commitment. David says I will set no evil thing before my eyes. Job was as equally committed in chapter 31. Paul tells Timothy to take every thought and make it captive to the Holy Spirit. That’s commitment. Well, you may be saying, Yes, But How!!!!!
Four ways:
Jesus is Lord!!!!
Everyday make Him Lord. Everyday renew the committed to His Lordship
Be Accountable
Find someone who can ask you the tuff questions
Draw the Line
Find where the line is and take two steps back from it.
Fear God
2 Samuel is a sad story of a life that went downhill after adultery. Have fear that what we sow we will reap. Sin has its consequences. God is a loving and forging God but He is a god of righteous as well.
