What Do You Think About Most?
Adultery
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
It is hard to imagine how much damage has been done in our society and in our families by not obeying this commandment. The pure act of adultery takes away the most vital component of any marriage. Trust. While it is possible to reconcile through forgiveness and inner healing, Jesus gives us this commandment, like all other commandments for our good and protection. Unfortunately many have had to learn through the harsh consequences that betrayal of trust brings into marriage.
But as we have been saying, Jesus goes beyond the letter of this commandment to look at the root of this sin. Any form of adultery always begins with lust after another person. Lust unchecked leads a desire to fulfill itself. That is the way we are wired, which makes us so vulnerable to this particular sin. This is why Paul says in 1 Corinthians "Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body." 1 Corinthians 6:19
So Jesus in his love for us, goes into the heart of the matter. At the source of every sin, is temptation, then comes desire. "Desire when fully conceived gives birth to sin." James 1:15. As you can see we often walk right into sin, sometimes knowingly. So what is Jesus' command in this regard. He says, do everything in your power to cut it out before it becomes a problem. Whether it is what we feast our eyes on, or what we put our hands, we need to radically cut off sin before it takes root.
I have found the best antidote to this issue, is to focus on something else. If we spend all of our energy focused on how not to give in, we are bound to fall at some time. Instead as we focus on what Paul says in Philippians 4:8,
8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
It is hard to imagine how much damage has been done in our society and in our families by not obeying this commandment. The pure act of adultery takes away the most vital component of any marriage. Trust. While it is possible to reconcile through forgiveness and inner healing, Jesus gives us this commandment, like all other commandments for our good and protection. Unfortunately many have had to learn through the harsh consequences that betrayal of trust brings into marriage.
But as we have been saying, Jesus goes beyond the letter of this commandment to look at the root of this sin. Any form of adultery always begins with lust after another person. Lust unchecked leads a desire to fulfill itself. That is the way we are wired, which makes us so vulnerable to this particular sin. This is why Paul says in 1 Corinthians "Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body." 1 Corinthians 6:19
So Jesus in his love for us, goes into the heart of the matter. At the source of every sin, is temptation, then comes desire. "Desire when fully conceived gives birth to sin." James 1:15. As you can see we often walk right into sin, sometimes knowingly. So what is Jesus' command in this regard. He says, do everything in your power to cut it out before it becomes a problem. Whether it is what we feast our eyes on, or what we put our hands, we need to radically cut off sin before it takes root.
I have found the best antidote to this issue, is to focus on something else. If we spend all of our energy focused on how not to give in, we are bound to fall at some time. Instead as we focus on what Paul says in Philippians 4:8,
8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
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