Blessed are the Faithful Spouses

Series: God’s Plan for a Blessed Life (Sermon 5)

Faithfulness Begins Within: Anchoring Our Families in Christ

Bible Passage: Matthew 5:27-32

Summary: In Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, his exegesis of the Ten Commandments, Jesus addresses the seventh commandment: “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” He emphasizes the seriousness of adultery, and explains that the sin of adultery is rooted in lustful thoughts and desires. He emphasizes the importance of looking into our hearts and identifying our sinful corruption. Then, Jesus calls us to a higher standard of righteousness than the world, encouraging us to cultivate an atmosphere of spiritual purity in our hearts that will lead to stronger and more faithful marriages and family relationships. At the root, Jesus’ words emphasize the transformative power of Jesus Christ in our lives, and shows us that we can pursue and achieve the blessed life in our relationships.

Big Idea: A strong marriage starts with godly thoughts and desires. Faithfulness to our spouse and family members strengthens our bonds of love and glorifies God, resulting in a blessed marriage and family life.

1. The Principle of Purity

Matthew 5:27

Marital faithfulness begins in your heart. You must be convinced in the bottom of your heart that adultery is a sin and that you will do everything humanly possible to preserve your marriage. This will always involve monitoring your thoughts, emotions, and desires. Impure thoughts and desires signals a need for us to run to God for protection and help, which will also involve being honest, loving, and supportive within your spouse.

2. Practicing Guarding Your Heart

Matthew 5:28

Perhaps you could emphasize that faithfulness begins in the heart. Jesus points out that adultery is not merely a physical act but starts with lustful thoughts. Highlight how guarding our hearts against such thoughts can protect and strengthen marriages and family relationships. The focus is on seeking Christ's help for purity, recognizing that He offers forgiveness and the power to renew our minds and hearts.

3. Remove the Temptation

Matthew 5:29-30

Jesus’ statement is hyperbole; he is using a metaphr. He doesn’t mean that you should literally cut off the body parts that are causing you to sin. What he is saying is that you must avoid whatever or whoever tempting you to have selfish thoughts and desires. Jesus’ point is that adultery and sin is dead serious, and we must avoid temptation and sin at all costs. Do whatever it takes to remove sources of temptation. Ultimately, we cannot overcome Satan and the world’s temptations on our own. We need Christ’s help, which starts by reading his word and praying constantly. Christ empowers us to overcome these temptations and selfish desires when we depend on Him to purify our hearts.

4. Radically Rejecting Sin

Matthew 5:29-30

We must radically reject sin and embrace physical, emotional, and spiritual purity. You and I must align our thoughts, words, and actions with Christ's radical emphasis on purity. We will foster healthier, nontoxic marriages and family relationships when we stop being so selfish and promote honest communication and accountability.

5. Possessing a Commitment Beyond Social Contracts

Matthew 5:31

Jesus now points his finger at every generation’s cultural misconceptions about divorce. When we are saved, Christ’s union with us is permanent, and he promised, “Never to leave us and forsake us.” For this reason, I believe that a genuine believer cannot lose his salvation. His bond with us is permanent. We should take that example of Christ’s love for us, and apply it to our marriages. True, godly commitment transcends culture and even legalistic obedience to the law to create an relationship based on genuine, eternal love.

The marriage bond is sacred and requires daily effort beyond simple legalistic interpretations. You and I must be completely committed to daily communication, reconciliation, and grace as we interact with our spouse and family.

6. Sanctity in Restoration

Matthew 5:32

I can hear your thoughts, and every one of those thoughts begins with the phrase, “Yes, but…” No! Jesus, not culture or personal feelings, should be the metric that defines marital status and personal fidelity. We must invest in our marriage relationships and constantly restore any areas of that relationship that we have broken. This repair of the marriage wall beings with repentance and grace. Christ’s grace is the essential ingredient that will hold our marriages and families together. Nurture and atmosphere of authenticity, communication, and forgiveness. Christ's redemptive power can heal your relationships and offer a fresh start, so that you and your spouse can live the blessed family life.

Conclusion: In a world filled with temptation and evil, this sermon offers practical advice to maintaining a strong marriage and blessed family. A strong marriage starts by monitoring your thoughts, emotions, and guarding against any selfish, sinful ideas that may creep in. We should create an atmosphere of open, mutual accountability with our spouse and family members. If we acknowledge and address our sinful desires and drive them out, God will help us build strong marriages and healthy family relationships through an atmosphere of honesty, support, and commitment so we can live a blessed family life.

Challenge: Jesus teaches us that marital faithfulness begins in our hearts and inner thought life. A strong marriage requires vigilance over our thoughts, motives, and intentions. We must adhere to a high moral standard that honors God and puts our spouse first. Therefore, you and I must guard our hearts by giving God control of our thoughts and desires.

How this passage could point to Christ: Jesus is ultimate example of faithfulness. He calls us to align our hearts and our morality with His perfect standard of righteousness. His grace allows us to confess our sinful thoughts and desires, and through repentance, He purifies our thoughts and enables us to live in accordance with God's standards for relationships, showcasing His love and commitment as the ultimate source of fidelity. Ultimately, Christ fulfilled the law and died on the cross for our sins to provide saving grace for our failures. Through Christ’s righteousness, and not our own righteousness, we can find the strength to form a lasting, loving commitment to our spouses and families. If we do this, we will live the blessed family life.