God instituted marriage in paradise, He also brought the woman to the man. He gave them to each other in marriage. Marriage is a type and resemblance of the mystical union between Christ and His church.
You shall not commit adultery. Exodus 20:14
This Commandment demands a call to purity. Yet, if we’re honest, it reveals our uncleanness. On the surface we can mask the external, physical requirements of this command, but on the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus opened up the Commandment and showed us how darken our hearts really are. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart (Matthew 5:27,28).
As with all sin, there is sin against God and sin against man. There are two types of adultery that we can violate:
- Natural Adultery. The gift of sex was given by God for procreation and pleasure within the covenant of marriage. We’re deceived if we think the Ten Commandments only condemns adultery in marriage and leaves us free to have sex outside of marriage. To do that would be fornication. The fornicator takes what could be lawfully his as a gift from God, and corrupts it. Others that follow adultery and fornication are rape, incest, sodomy, pornography and homosexuality. Even if you have kept your body physically from sinning, God can see inside your heart. So how do you stand in the mental area? How many times have you looked at someone with X-rated thoughts; taking hold of an image and entertaining it with unclean and filthy imaginations? Jesus issued serious warning about breaking this Commandment. He said it would be better to go to Heaven blind then to love your sin with both eyes and go to hell (Matthew 5:29).
- Spiritual Adultery. As in Israel, the breach of their relationship with God through their idolatry was described as “adultery” or “harlotry” (Ezekiel 16:16, 23:43). God uses it adjectively to describe the Jewish people in transferring their affections from God. So it is for Believers who cultivate friendship and affections with the world; we are breaking our spiritual union with Christ (James 4:4). We are to be considered “adulteresses” having been spiritually united to Him as wife to husband. Marriage is given to us that we might know more what it’s like to be in an intimate relationship with the Bridegroom. For the Church is the Bride of Christ and the Bridegroom, Jesus Christ, is returning for His Bride pure, undefiled and faithful.
What’s left for you? Turn now from the powerful deception of sexual sin. Forsake it now while you still can before you’re given over to a reprobate mind and a seared conscience and will not be able to repent. After repenting and trusting in Jesus Christ alone to save you and to free you from your sin, please consider some of these antidotes:
- Keep watch to your eyes. Much sin comes in through the eyes. Could that be why Job made a covenant with his eyes (Job 31:1)?
- Keep watch to your lips. Light flirting is still adultery; playful, sexual teasing (Colossians 3:8).
- Keep watch to your attire. Your clothes should be a frame for your face, not a frame for your body (Proverbs 7:10).
- Keep watch to your time and desires. Beware of what you watch, read and listen to that would provoke you to lust (1 John 3:3,4).
- Look to loving your spouse. It is not having a wife, but loving a wife, that makes a man live chastely (Proverbs 5:18).
- Look to the Word of God. Job deemed the Word more necessary than his daily food (Job 23:12).
- Look to the Holy Spirit. Only by prayer and the Spirit can you put to death the deeds of the body (Romans 8:13).
- Look to Christ. He that has once tasted Christ in a promise, is ravished with delight; and how would he scorn a notion to sin! Have recourse to the blood of Christ, which is the fountain to cleanse from all sin and uncleanness (Zechariah 13:1).
Take confidence that even though sinners may shake off your words when you talk to them about their sexual sin, they will find it more difficult to shake off the conviction by the Holy Spirit.