The Ten Commandments - 9
You shall not commit adultery
In our journey of discovery through the moral laws of the Living God, called "The Ten Commandments", we come this time to number seven. This is found in the Old Testament book of Exodus chapter 20 and verse 14 and it says: "You shall not commit adultery."
In the Bible, the written Word of God, God tells us that certain things are wrong and they are offensive to Him. We saw last time that it is wrong to wilfully take the life of another human being and as we go through the remaining commandments we shall discover other things which God expressly forbids. These laws were not given to restrict us, or to spoil our lives, but rather they were given for our individual good and for the good of society as a whole. They were given by God who knows that sinful people need such laws.
If ever our societies needed to be reminded of this seventh commandment it is today! We need to hear the voice of God saying again, "You shall not commit adultery." What, then, is adultery? It is voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and a partner other than their lawful husband or wife. It is the ultimate act of unfaithfulness by a married person. So seriously does God regard this sin that He often uses it as a picture of the unfaithfulness of Israel when they went after other gods instead of giving their love to Him alone.
I'm going to look at this subject under three main headings:
First - "What God says about marriage." Second - "What God says about adultery." Third - "Spiritual adultery."
So, first of all, "What does God say about marriage?" Marriage is an ordinance from the time of the creation. It was instituted by God when He created Adam and Eve. In 1 Corinthians 7, a chapter where the apostle Paul writes about the marriage relationship, he says, "Each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband." The writer to the Hebrews in chapter 14 verse 4 says: "Marriage should be honoured by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer, and all the sexually immoral." You will remember that the Lord Jesus honoured marriage by His presence at the wedding in Cana where He turned the water into wine - his first miracle.
Perhaps the greatest testimony to the sanctity of the marriage relationship is that it is used to illustrate the mystical union between Christ and His church. He is called the bridegroom and the church His bride.
The Bible has much to say about the duties and responsibilities of marriage. Each partner has a role to play that is important. If the relationship is to work it must be founded on mutual love and respect. We discover what this relationship should be in Ephesians chapter 5 verses 22 to 28. What Paul teaches here is not popular today, but this is what God says about Christian marriage:
"Wives submit to your husband as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is head of the church, His body, of which He is the Saviour. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything."
Now you husbands, listen to this!
"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her ... In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself."
So, in marriage there must be loyalty, honesty, trust and love. The husband is the head of the house, but that authority is tempered by love and respect and a regard for the feelings of his wife at all times. He does not "lord it" over her, he is not a tyrant, but he is considerate. In the same way, Christian wives are to be submissive, not in a weak or subservient way, but rather recognising the God-given order of the relationship as set out in 1 Corinthians 11 verse 3: "Now I want you to realise that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God."
Secondly, "What does God say about adultery?"
There are eight things that God says in His Word about this sin:
Number one - "It is forbidden" - as this commandment teaches us. Jesus, in His Sermon on the Mount, taught the people (in Matthew 5 verses 27 and 28): "You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery'. But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." To emphasise the seriousness of this the Lord went on to say, "If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away!" So we discover that there is not only actual adultery, but there is adultery in the heart. Such desires must be conquered by the power of the Holy Spirit. They are dangerous and the actual act of adultery always starts with a wrong look. Remember King David who looked upon Bathsheba in this way and this one look led to both adultery and murder. Concerning adultery Job said, "It is wickedness and iniquity, and it is worthy of judgement."
Secondly - the marriage oath to be faithful is very solemn in the sight of God. At marriage two people enter into a covenant. In a Christian marriage they vow to give themselves only to one another to the exclusion of all others. To commit adultery is to betray that covenant and to go back on ones word.
Thirdly - Adultery dishonours God for it is forbidden by His commandment. It is saying to God, "Your laws mean nothing. I will do as I please", and yet these laws were given for our protection and well-being. We only have to look around us to see the results of marital unfaithfulness which brings sorrow and hatred and betrayal, and destroys family life. Adultery is degrading to those involved and it is dishonouring to God.
The fourth thing about this sin is that it is wilful. It is deliberate, it is conscious and it is premeditated. Adultery does not happen by accident. What begins as a chance encounter or an unwise relationship, or an improper thought often ends up in actions which lead to adultery. How we need to guard our relationships with those of the opposite sex, that we keep them pure and do not put ourselves in situations that lead to temptation.
Fifthly - Adultery is theft. It is to take that which is forbidden, that which we have no right to. It is taking one who belongs to another.
My sixth point is this: Adultery is very costly. We read these words in Proverbs chapter 6 verses 27 to 29:
"Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned? Can a man walk on hot coals without his feet being scorched? So is he who sleeps with another man's wife; no-one who touches her will go unpunished."
There is always a price to be paid for unfaithfulness as many have found to their cost. There is the burning of a troubled conscience and the ruining of other relationships. There is the effect that adulterous unions have on any children of the marriage. Yes, adultery is very costly, not only where human relationships are concerned, but also, as with any sin, where any relationship with God is concerned.
The seventh thing we discover about adultery is that it destroys reputations. Thomas Watson says, "Some when they get wounds, get honour. The soldier's wounds are full of honour. The martyr's wounds for Christ are also honourable. But the adulterer gets wounds but no honour to his name. his reproach will not be wiped away." There are wounds to reputation that no doctor can heal. There is an old Latin saying: "Lust's practice is to make a joyful entrance, but she leaves in misery."
And number eight is this: "Adultery without repentance damns the soul." Paul told the Corinthians, "Adulterers will not inherit the kingdom of God." That's 1 Corinthians 6 verses 9 and 10. There is forgiveness for those who truly repent of this sin and turn from it, just as there is for all sinners. If you are in such a relationship, come out of it. Seek the forgiveness of God and of those you have wronged, and allow the Lord to heal you. It will not be easy, but it is the only way to know true peace of mind and real joy in your life.
My final heading is: "Spiritual adultery."
Here we have a warning for all who are followers of the Lord Jesus. I have already referred to the fact that when the Children of Israel were unfaithful to God and went after other, false gods they were described as being adulterers. They were in covenant relationship to God their Saviour but they gave their allegiance and worship to another.
The fact is that the Lord Jesus Christ wants us to live for Him. If you are a Christian you belong to Christ, you are not your own, you were bought with His precious blood shed on Calvary. Spiritual adultery means living for this world and not living for the Saviour. We cannot serve two masters. We cannot have one foot in Christ's camp and the other in the world. We must remain true to Christ no matter what the cost.
There are those who say they are Christians and yet they are happy to join hands and hearts with those who deny the true gospel in various ways. That is spiritual adultery. God warned Old Testament Israel about this. They were to be separate from all the pagan practices and religions of the nations around them. They were called to be holy and to be separate. As a Christian you are in a covenant relationship with God through the Lord Jesus and you are to remain faithful to Him.
May the Lord help us all to obey this command in both its physical and spiritual applications.