Adultery: It's a Bigger Problem than You Think

And that is saying something considering that 40% of separations or divorces are directly related to unfaithfulness. When you compare those numbers to couples who never struggled with infidelity but divorce for other reasons, the percentage is only 17%. Amazingly, 76% of marriages with faithful spouses remain married.

I would say it is pretty obvious that this is a serious issue. Why is this so serious? Better yet, why does God take marriage so seriously? Let me be plain tonight: God takes marriage seriously because marriage was the first institution God ordained after His work of Creation.

Becasue God takes marriage so seriously Satan works very hard to destroy it. Someone has said that the “Family is the basic unit of society.” If that is true, and I believer it is, then marriage is the basic unit of the family. Look around today at the attacks on marriage. Look at what our Republican senators just voted for? What a mockery of what God intended.

Marriage is a sacred bond between a MAN and a WOMAN before God, and it should be respected, by everyone, not just the husband and wife who enter into its bonds. The problem today is that our society has grown more promiscuous than the 1960’s.

I want to look this evening at what Jesus had to say on the subject, and that should settle it for us, read with me Matthew 5:27-30

Matthew 5:27–30 KJV 1900

27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: 28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. 29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. 30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

Notice the facts Jesus points out on adultery:

Be Careful Who You Listen To v.27

The very best advice this world can give is still just worldly advice.

The pharisees in Jesus’ day loved to quote what was written in their traditions. Don’t you find it interesting: The prophets said, “Thus saith the LORD” while the scribes and Pharisees said, “Thus saith a teaching...” And here Jesus comes along and says, “I say unto you”.

The prophets appealed to divine authority, the pharisees to men who put tradition above God’s Word, but Jesus speaks with authority!

Truth! The scribes and pharisees said to abstain from adultery, but their understanding of the sin was limited by their own sinfulness. Their prohibition was based on condemning the physical act, but Jesus did not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it! Part of fulfilling meant getting down to the root of the problem.

A huge problem in Christianity is that we listen to what unsaved people have to say more than what God says on a subject in His Word. If you ask an unsaved person if being unfaithful to your spouse is a bad thing, what do you expect them to say?

I was watching an episode of The Jefferson's. Don’t judge me, you know you watched it too. This episode was filmed in 1976, and the premise was Weezy was angry at George because he wanted to open a new store, but she felt he had too many already. Well you know George, he was going behind her back and opening a new store anyway, even after telling her he would not do so. As the case often is, one lie led to another, and after finding a love letter from their neighbor Bentley, Weezy mistakenly thinks it was a note from George’s “girlfriend”. Instead of confronting George she does what so many people do, she went to her friends, the Willis’. Do you know what Tom and Helen told her? “Hey Louise, its a new era. So what if George is stepping out, let him have his thrill, get it out of his system, and he’ll come back to you.

Imagine if instead of getting terrible advice from unsaved people she had gone to the Bible? She would have called him out on it and gotten to the bottom of it, instead she let them talk her into listening to her. I know that is an OLD TV show, but is that not what we do today? We look any and everywhere for advice except from the ONE place we can get REAL advice. Let’s now look at Jesus’ Word on the subject, He says…

Be Careful Where You Look v. 28

Those who tell you what not to do focus ONLY on the physical aspect of the sin, but Jesus gets down to the “heart” of the issue: It is an issue of the heart.

Notice if you will the word “looketh” - the suffix, “eth” used by the KJ translators, is in the present active tense.

The idea is one who looks and continues to look on a woman. In other words, this is not a simple glance. In other places it is translated as “behold, take heed, or to look on”. Let me just say this is the type of looking that would, should make someone feel uncomfortable.

Jesus was not speaking of a simple glance. Billy Graham once said, “I cannot help it if I glance a an attractive woman, I can help whether or not I take a second glance.”

The problem in our society is that we have developed the attitude that “It’s ok to look, as long as I don’t touch.” That is not what Jesus says though!

Jesus says “if a man (or woman) looks after someone with lust (unchecked, unbridled restraint) in their heart…” Let me set the record straight, this type of looking, the kind that stems from lust, is the type of looking that will lead to action!

Jesus was saying, and we TODAY need to listen, “If you are looking at someone like this, you have ALREADY comitted adultery in your heart! In other words, they plans have been made, you’re just looking for an opportunity.

For this reason, Jesus offers the final advice…

Be Concerned When You Are Lured v.29-30

Matthew 5:29–30 KJV 1900

And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

Let the record show, Jesus was not suggesting bodily mutilation as either a means to atone for infidelity or to gain entrance into heaven. Jesus was teaching that the real issue was bringing the passions of you heart under the control of the Holy Spirit.

In a day when Satan has near total control over society we must be on guard.

We have already mentioned that the thought today is “Look but don’t touch”, does this not explain why the number of people, men and women, married and single, who view pornography is on the rise? After all, they are looking, but not touching. See verse 28 if you need to be reminded of what Jesus has already said.

If you are unable to control what your eyes view, then it will not be long before you are unable to control your physical body as well.

Conclusion:

I will remind you we must be careful to whom we listen, careful as to where we look, and be careful of the ways we are lured.

Christian, Marriage and the family are under attack by Satan and the world. Just this last week the disrespect of marriage act passed the Senate. We must be bold in our stand on what God truly views as a marriage.

Christian, Satan would love nothing more than to destroy your marriage and he will not stop until he does just that! How do we defend our marriages? I suggest we follow God’s advice:

Ephesians 5:22-25 “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;”

1 Corinthians 7:1-4 “Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband. The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.”

Hebrews 13:4 “Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.”

Husbands, love your wives, wives, show respect to your husband, and parents, set a godly example for your children.