Committed To Not Commit Adultry

Before we get started I have an announcement, I am honored to be able to tell you that Todd & Jill Issacson are expecting their first baby.

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Life Liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

I was reading an article that talked about happiness in the US. The article said that the US had dropped from 15 to 23rd in the world ranking of happiness. The article also said that happiness tended to be U shaped in a person’s life. Starting of young, people tended to be happier. By the 30’s happiness started felling, but by their 60’s people reached their peak happiness again.

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There were a lot of reasons stated as to why people were less happy in America. In my experience, I have see that there is one thing that is the biggest contributor to people lack of happiness, you want to be happier, leaning about this one thing and how to overcome it will decisively increase your happiness, at any age.

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Matthew 5:27–32

“You have heard the commandment that says, ‘You must not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 So if your eye—even your good eye—causes you to lust, 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 hand—even your stronger hand—causes you to sin, 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 be thrown into hell.

As we continue our series, “Matters of the Heart” we read here that committing the physical act of adultery is not the big issue here.

As we noted last week, the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees were the gold standard of obeying the law. When Jesus said, “you must not commit adultery” all the gold standard law-keepers would respond, “Amen, we don’t commit adultery.” But Jesus doesn’t stop with the act of adultery.

He goes on to say that, “anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

While the phrasing here is masculine, the implication is that it is universal for men and women.

To truly understand if we have committed heart adultery we must understand the word Jesus uses for lust.

One might think that if I haven’t thought about having sex with someone other than my spouse, I haven’t committed “heart adultery.”

Let’s see if that’s true. The greek word for lust is…

ἐπιθυμέω (epithymeō)

1. desire greatly, long for, desire

Matthew 13:17 “17 I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but they didn’t see it. And they longed to hear what you hear, but they didn’t hear it.”

Luke 15:16“16 The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything.”

1 Timothy 3:1 “1 This is a trustworthy saying: “If someone aspires to be a church leader, he desires an honorable position.””

Hebrews 6:11“11 Our great desire is that you will keep on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true.”

1 Peter 1:12 “12 They were told that their messages were not for themselves, but for you. And now this Good News has been announced to you by those who preached in the power of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. It is all so wonderful that even the angels are eagerly watching these things happen.”

Revelation 9:6 “6 In those days people will seek death but will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them!”

2. lust, covet, an evil desire

Matthew 5:28 “28 But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

Acts 20:33 “33 “I have never coveted anyone’s silver or gold or fine clothes.”

Romans 7:7 “7 Well then, am I suggesting that the law of God is sinful? Of course not! In fact, it was the law that showed me my sin. I would never have known that coveting is wrong if the law had not said, “You must not covet.””

1 Corinthians 10:6 “These things happened as a warning to us, so that we would not crave evil things as they did,”

Galatians 5:17 “17 The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions.”

James 4:2 “2 You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it.”

So if epithymeo can be good or bad, how do we know when it is evil?

When you want something for yourself that God doesn’t want for you!

After dealing with heart adultery, Jesus goes on to say why it is so bad, because it can lead to “your whole body being thrown into hell.”

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So how can we overcome evil epithymeo?

Be thankful for what you have!

Don’t focus on what you don’t have.

Ephesians 5:20 “20 And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

2. Refocus your thoughts.

Romans 12:2 “2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

3. Choose your friends wisely.

Ecclesiastes 4:12 “12 A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.”

4. Watch what your watch.

Proverbs 4:23 “23 Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.”