A Holy Covenant (Matthew 5:27-32)

Sermon

Key Passage

Matthew 5:27–32 NIV

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 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. 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 has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Introduction

Father’s Day

Happy Father’s Day!

This may seem like an odd sermon to preach on Father’s Day. But I’m not too worried about what topic we preach on what day.

I feel on one hand, we need to be followers of Jesus in the world we live. Should we celebrate Father’s Day? Absolutely!

The Bible says, “Honor your father and your mother”

Therefore today, honor away!

Also, tomorrow and the next day, but today, take the extra time to do it well.

However, we are also navigating the Word of God.

You know that when the Bible goes somewhere, we go there. If it is uncomfortable, or seemingly out of timing, then we go there.

The Bible has authority over us. We don’t presume authority over Scripture.

It isn’t wrong to do something different from time to time and for specific reasons. But I feel that today, we need to stick with the Scriptures in the context and flow that we are moving.

The last awkward alignment of Scripture and life was a few years ago when we invited The Solomon Foundation group to share with us about their work in our building project.

It is still moving forward!

We were talking through Mark 13 where Jesus looks at the stones of the Temple and says, “Do you see these great stones? Not one will be left on another.”

And after service we are going to introduce TSF to talk about putting one stone on another!

We are going to move into today’s passage.

I don’t have the time today to present an extended context for our passage. If you have missed any of this series, I encourage you to go to one of our previous sermons and listen to it.

Here is a very brief context:

Jesus is preaching about the Kingdom of Heaven.

This is something new to the audience.

They had only known what they had been taught. And they had been taught by people who lived as though they were above the law.

Jesus began teaching them about how to interact in this world while being a part of the Kingdom of God.

This is a heavy passage that covers some very touchy topics.

When I say touchy, I mean this topic discusses some places of hurt and fear in our past.

Because of this, there are many strong opinions regarding the matters of divorce and marriage.

In our passage today, Jesus gives a very clear and concise teaching that articulates the truth in a way that we come to a crossroads of trusting His voice, or choosing our own path.

I don’t want to give my own interpretation of these passages to you today. We are under the authority of Jesus and the Word of God.

Being a disciple means that we follow Jesus

Either we follow Him in obedience or we choose our own path in disobedience to Jesus.

You cannot claim to follow and live in disobedience.

Jesus describes this in the Great Commission as “Teach them to obey everything I have commanded you”

In order to follow Jesus, we need to know His teachings, but not to the point of simply having the right answers.

We must know His commands and adjust our lives to His truth.

Even if we don’t like it. Even if we don’t understand it.

He is King. We are not. If we are a part of His Kingdom, we obey the King.

Our world has boldly taught a comprehensive theology of sexuality

The world tells us what it holds to be right and wrong. What is acceptable and what is unacceptable.

Being the church, we need to know and understand what the Bible says about sexuality, marriage, and our covenants between God and our spouse.

I want to begin with an understanding of the word ‘covenant’.

In the last Supper, Jesus said, “Matthew 26:28

Matthew 26:28 NIV

This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

Jesus says that His blood was payment for sin in a covenant between God and mankind.

I want you to know that this topic goes much deeper than I am able to communicate this morning.

But there has always been a covenant between God and man

In the OT, the covenant involved the sacrifice of animals for the remission of sin.

In the NT, it was no longer the blood of animals, it was the blood of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ that paid the penalty for sin.

This is something I don’t know that we fully grasp in our culture.

We use words like, “salvation, faith, and discipleship” to describe our relationship with God.

These are not wrong. But there is an bond that holds them all together. A covenant.

A Holy God saw the sacrifice of Jesus to be a sufficient offering for the sin of humanity.

Salvation is not simply saying a prayer. It is understanding that I am now a part of an agreement between Jesus and the Father.

His blood paid the penalty of sin before a Holy God on my behalf.

This is what discipleship is. It is the pursuit of Jesus as Lord and savior within this covenant.

A second covenant that we will discuss today is the covenant of marriage and we will parallel this covenant with the covenant we have with God.

They have similarities and they are unique.

When we look at marriage we see a man leaving his own life to be united to His wife.

In the same way, we see a woman who leaves her father and mother to be united to her husband.

Matthew 19:5–6 NIV

and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

They are no longer two people, but they are now one.

this is another example of a covenant.

For the purposes of our conversation today, here is what I want us to understand about a covenant:

A covenant is:

sacrifice

identity

commitment

relational

pure

for life

Sacrifice-

Blood sacrifice for sin

No longer an individual. Individual life is put to death (in a way) and you are now one instead of two

Identity-

You are now identified with one another

God has brought man and woman together as one flesh.

This is not a 50/50 agreement. This your identity 100%.

Jesus brought unity between God and man. We are now identified in God when we are in covenant with Him

Commitment

God has a commitment to us. We have a commitment to God as a part of the covenant

We make a commitment to our spouses as part of the marriage covenant

Relational

Both God and marriage are built on the foundation of love

Pure

10 Commandments— You shall have no other gods before me

10 Commandments— You shall not commit adultery

Unmixed with anything other than the one you are in a covenant relationship with

For life

These covenants are not for a period of time. They are our identity for our lives.

Also, we must know that these covenants are a part of our identity before we enter the covenant.

Is it idolatry to worship another God if I am not yet in a covenant relationship with God? Yes. Because I was created for the purpose of a covenant relationship with God.

Is it adultery to engage in sexual acts with another person before marriage? Yes. Because God is not confined to time. He knows the person He has in mind for you to enter into a covenant with. Sexuality is freed within the covenant. It is not free outside of the covenant of marriage.

We should not avoid these covenants. They are good.

I know this was a long introduction, but we need to understand this before we fully dive into today’s passage because today’s passage gives us absolute clarity in how to uphold a holy covenant.

A holy covenant between us and God and us in our marriage covenants.

Preachy Time

Our first teaching from Jesus today has to do with the topic of adultery.

Matthew 5:27–28 NIV

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Jesus addresses the law and how that law had been taught to the people.

This is very much like the conversation we had last week. I will diagram that concept here:

DIAGRAM #1- Last week “anger”

DIAGRAM #2- Last week Heart of Anger

DIAGRAM #3- This week “adultery”

DIAGRAM #4- This week Heart of Adultery

Upholding a Covenant is a Matter of the Heart

not a matter of the law

The word lust reveals our heart in the matter.

We have been using the verse from Matthew 15 as a baseline for understanding that our heart is the root of our sin.

Matthew 15:18–20 NIV

But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.”

Did we establish the “murder” topic last week? We did.

Murder doesn’t come from the act of killing. Murder comes from a heart that is out of alignment with the heart of God.

Adultery is the same idea.

Before adultery is even a conversation, the word “lust” arises.

Lust in this setting is the greek word “epithymeo” (epi-thi-mayo)

This means to “Covet, desire, set ones heart upon”

Lust- Greek: epithymeo

To covet, desire, set ones heart upon

In this setting, we can see the definition points us to a desire in our heart for something other than what God has put before us.

Much like last week, this is a seed that we believe is laying dormant in the soil of our hearts.

When we allow our hearts to be receptive to this seed, it will grow to maturity, and not in a good way.

To go to the “why” behind this instruction we need only to look at the definition of a covenant again.

A covenant is something that is ordained by God.

It is a covenant between God and us and also between us and others.

We must view these covenants as linked together.

We are not independent of God in marriage.

It is God who makes the two people one flesh.

We can rest and talk about the meaning of the word “lust” but this is the same outline as last week.

This isn’t “what can I get away with” up to the point of sin.

This is, “You need to know that your heart is out of alignment before the consequence of sin is great.”

DIAGRAM #4

It is the heart that is wrong, not simply the act.

In fact, if you find yourself asking the question, “Is it a sin to...?”

You are asking the wrong question

That question is usually asked so we can justify our actions and even a heart that seems to know something is wrong.

We ought to ask, “What is holy?”

This gives us a clear path.

Holiness addresses the heart behind every action.

Matthew 5:29–30 NIV

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. 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.

I want us to understand this passage clearly.

This is a literary form called ‘hyperbole’

We can ask the question, “Is Jesus being literal here?”

If we say ‘yes’, then we could conclude that the source of sin in our eyes is our eyes themselves.

Also the source of sin in our hands is our hands themselves.

Jesus has already said that the source of our sin is our hearts.

The point is that a person with one eye can still lust, very effectively.

A person with one hand can still commit murder with his one hand.

What is the point Jesus is making here?

I want to move us back to the idea of a covenant.

Within a covenant, we have a new identity.

The realities of this new covenant are eternal.

However, the covenant is a convergence of temporary things that lead to eternal realities

Therefore, temporary things can have spiritual impacts.

I would say a simple understanding of this text would be “Do not let temporary things get in the way of eternal things.”

Do Not Let Temporary Things Get in the Way of Eternal Things

This passage seems to fit right in the middle of this part about lust and this part about divorce. We might ask, “is this about sexuality?”

Yes, and no.

I believe this is about covenant living

Which covenant? Both the covenant we have between us and the person God has united us with and us and Him

When we talk about the Kingdom of God and the covenant between God and man that was made possible because of the blood of Jesus shed on the cross, we have a future, a hope an eternity before us.

And if we have a covenant established by that same God between us and another person, it is also a physical covenant that has eternal ramifications.

When we are dealing with eternal things, we cannot let temporary things get in the way.

Jesus is using extreme language to make this point.

There is nothing in this world that is of greater value than the least valuable item in eternity.

We struggle wrapping our heads around this reality, which is why Jesus uses the language that He does.

If there is something that is in my life that is taking away from my marriage covenant, I need to realize that I am not only in a covenant to my wife. I am in a covenant to God about my wife.

As a disciple, there is nothing that should get in the way.

Even if she is not upholding her side of the deal. I am accountable to God for my side of the deal.

The same is true in my covenant with God.

As a disciple, there is nothing in this world that should get in the way of my following Him

Even if it feels like God is not holding up His end of the bargain, I must be faithful. I will soon discover that He too is faithful.

Matthew 5:31–32 NIV

“It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Jesus begins this last segment with the same refrain as the last two topics: “It has been said...”

This was the teaching that was presented to them.

Jesus heightens the command much like He did on the previous two about adultery and murder.

He says, “Divorce is not the only sin. A heart that would lead to divorce is the sin”

He says, “If you divorce at all, outside of only one exception, sexual immorality, is wrong.”

Then he adds the reality that if this is the case, there are consequences in your life and one sin may lead to more sin.

Either way, we need to address the heart behind this command and gaze upon the nature of God to understand where we stand in this moment.

Matthew 19:4–6 NIV

“Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

This is God’s design.

A man and a woman in the context of a holy covenant with one another before God.

What God joins together, may mankind not separate

How do we separate? Sin.

A problem in our world is that people use verses that have nothing to do with divorce to justify their divorce.

This is a matter of the heart.

I’m not able to get into all of the nuance of covenant and relationship.

I do want to address abuse however. If you are in danger and/or a victim of abuse, your goal ought not be to get out of the marriage to start over with another person.

This reveals the heart.

Find a place of safety. Seek Biblical counsel. Do not put yourself or your children in danger.

Back to our passage here

If our foundation of the covenant is destroyed. Destroyed between us and destroyed between God.

How likely is it that we could build a holy covenant on that broken one?

This is why Jesus said what He says here.

This may be a confusing topic.

I know there are people in this room who are in this place right now.

You may be remarried after a divorce.

Maybe this was done in ignorance.

Maybe this was done in rebellion.

I want to conclude with a story from David

Rooftop— Bathsheba

Killed her husband

Got her pregnant

Married her

Is this sinful?

Should he compound his sin and divorce her?

David recognized what his actions in the sphere of the marriage covenant had done with his spiritual covenant with God.

The prophet Nathan came to David and revealed God’s heart toward David and his sin.

Here is how David responded:

Psalm 51:10–12 NIV

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

David saw that his commitment was compromised. He was no longer in relationship with God. He had destroyed the purity that a covenant was supposed to have.

And he recognized it had come from his heart.

A covenant is:

sacrifice

identity

commitment

relational

pure

for life

Here is what happened. David remained married to Bathsheba and she gave birth to a son named Solomon.

God redeemed David. God restored David.

But David had to first humble himself before God.

For those who are single, seek the holiness of God and allow Him to guide you. He will guide you to a path of holiness.

Sometimes that may be singleness. Trust Him.

Sometimes that may be in a covenant marriage. Trust Him.

Jesus came to save us from our sin, not condemn us. Salvation and redemption are only found through Him.

Conclusion

I hope we have reshaped the way we look at our relationship with God and our relationship in marriage this morning.

Last week I made the statement , “who you are in relationship is who you are in relationship.”

This is my primary point today. These are not simply relationships with one another and relationship with God.

Our marriage covenant is holy. We must treat it with the reverence and emphasis that Jesus directs.

Our spiritual covenant with God through Jesus is also holy.

We must seek a heart that seeks after Jesus at the expense of the things of this world.

We are accountable to God for these things.

Real Life in Action:

Head- What have I learned about covenant relationship?

Heart- Have I allowed temporary things to impact things of eternal value?

Hands- Ask for God’s guidance in my relationship with Him and my spouse.