As mentioned in a previous post, I was sent to studying the New Testament by a dear brother years back to understand the believers relationship to the Ten Commandments.

This post will continue with

Commandment #7 – No Adultery

Exodus 20:14

You shall not commit adultery.

The NO ADULTERY command is included in Jesus and the apostles teaching, but primarily from the positive perspective, from the love angle, not the rule angle.

There is a difference.

Jesus reinterprets the commandment for us and again the commandment is extrapolted to the inner life, the life that only God and you know about.

Matthew 5:27 – 30

“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.

If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell.

And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.

Jesus is telling me that lustful intent with the eyes is adultery in the heart.  That internal motivation is that which condemns the person.   In some specific way, adultery and lust is different from the other sins detailed in the decalogue.

Consider what the apostle Paul teaches

How does this relate to the Lord’s reference about the whole body being thrown into hell?

I have a friend who often states that it doesn’t hurt to look.  And he looks alot, a whole bunch.  I wonder sometimes how he relates to his wife?

1 Corinthians  6:9 – 10

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,

nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.

Sexually immoral, adulterers, homosexuality.  Paul is emphasizing the sex!

Story Time

I used to work in a office where one of the fellas, a single man, had a serious issue with homosexuals, and in an effort to befriend me, he would sometimes make derogatory statements about gays.  He knew I was a believer, and for some reason thought I would find comfort in his ragging on the gay community.

I had just been considering the verses above, and eventually asked him if he and his girlfriend were living together.  Why yes Carl, of course.

Did you know buddy, that the Bible condemns fornication with the opposite sex prior to marriage?  You are in the same camp as a homosexual is in God’s sight.  Please understand that you need to clean your own room up before you tell someone else how dirty their room is.

Sex sells in this culture.  Don’t sell yourself.

By the way, I am still trying to understand the concept of marriage in the Bible.  If you have any direction in that regard, I would sure appreciate the help.

Thanks again for coming to visit.  Hope to hear from you and to see you again for our next topic.

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