Adultery: More than a Physical Problem

Sacred text: Romans 1:1–3 “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh”

Introduction: A story or illustration that brings up the overall theme of the text.

Context: A reminder about the previous text and/or the context for the current text.

A Theology of Adultery from the OT (Matthew 5:27)

You shall not commit adultery

Within the ten commandments that God gave to Moses as the law for the people of Israel, was a law that said, Exodus 20:14 ““You shall not commit adultery.” Now, adultery in the Old Testament was seen exclusively as a sexual offense but it was often used to refer to idolatry as well. The two are very closely related. As a sexual offense, adultery was condemned by God and resulted in a capital punishment as seen in Leviticus 20:10 ““If a man commits adultery with the wife of his neighbor, both the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.” Likewise in Deuteronomy 22:22 it says, “If a man is found lying with the wife of another man, both of them shall die, the man who lay with the woman, and the woman. So you shall purge the evil from Israel.” Idolatry is likened to adultery by the prophets, when the people of God would choose other gods and put them before the Lord, and was likewise a a capital punishment that required being stoned to death. Deuteronomy 17:2–5 says, “If there is found among you, within any of your towns that the Lord your God is giving you, a man or woman who does what is evil in the sight of the Lord your God, in transgressing his covenant, and has gone and served other gods and worshiped them, or the sun or the moon or any of the host of heaven, which I have forbidden, and it is told you and you hear of it, then you shall inquire diligently, and if it is true and certain that such an abomination has been done in Israel, then you shall bring out to your gates that man or woman who has done this evil thing, and you shall stone that man or woman to death with stones.”

Supporting point/illustration/quote

Sub point

A Matter of the Heart (Matthew 5:28)

Physical or Spiritual

Sub point

Supporting point/illustration/quote

Sub point

Supporting point/application

Sub point

Protect your Body (Matthew 5:29-30)

Protecting your eyes (visually)

Sub point

Protecting your hands (physically)

Sub point

Supporting point/application

Sub point

Divorce (Matthew 5:31-32)

OT theology of divorce

Sub point

A matter of the heart

Sub point

Supporting point/application

Sub point

A Theology of Change (Various)

We are changed (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Sub point

We will be changed

Sub point

We have hope

Sub point

Conclusion:

Prayer: