November 7 - Commandments #7 "Fatal Attractions"

Fatal Attractions

 “You shall not commit adultery.” (Exodus 20:14)

There is an old cartoon where Moses is coming down from Mount Sinai with the Ten Commandments when he is talking to the people.  He said, “I have good news and bad news.” “The good news is I was able to talk God down from 21 commandments to just 10 commandments…the bad news is He won’t budge on Number 7.” Ah, yes, that blasted adultery one. 

Chuck Colson, who passed away a couple years ago, commented accurately, “The church … is not a democracy. It can never be subject to majority rule. Its authority comes not from the consent of the governed, but from Christ its Head, who rules through Scripture and the Holy Spirit.” He says, “A church run by the whims of transient majorities is a sorry sight” and quotes Joseph Sobran, “It can be exalting to belong to a church that is five hundred years behind the times and sublimely indifferent to fashion; it is mortifying to belong to a church that is five minutes behind the times, huffing and puffing to catch up.”  This is why the Ten Commandments are so key to God’s heart for us.

The topic of adultery is an issue that pertains to everyone as we have seen it become so rampant in our culture.  It's not just a sin against your spouse or your children; it's a sin against God. Adultery, in some ways, is the Grand Mother of commandments because it is the one commandment when broken that breaks every other commandment.

Adultery is putting a god above God.  It mitigates God’s authority to our own.

Adultery is stealing. It steals the love from another. It steals someone's spouse away. It is taking love that does not belong to you. Adultery destroys trust ands jeopardizes the family. You said: "I will always be faithful to you." Adultery is a living lie. It is done without the knowledge of the spouse. Adultery is coveting someone who does not belong to you. Adultery is the supreme example of selfishness. I need this for me. My spouse does not meet my needs. Marriage is all about giving, but adultery is all about taking. Adults dishonors God, creates idols, vanity, Sabbath, parents, and so much more

Choose adultery and you choose a great deal of pain.  Sadly, our culture can make it seem like it’s no big deal. 

And here in this seventh commandment, the commandment where God says “You shall not commit adultery” is a clear call for God’s people in every generation to maintain sexual purity. While the statistics can be less than encouraging, I was encouraged by one recent statistic. It was that fact that 80% of Americans believe adultery is wrong and that only physical abuse does more harm to a marriage. The truth is- only the majority practiced what it preaches.  Because although 80% say it’s wrong, studies conclude that more than one-third of the men and one-quarter of the women in America have cheated on their spouse at least once. While that contradiction between words and deeds is somewhat mind blowing, I think I know why some people commit adultery. They do it because they’ve fallen for the myth about adultery that’s circulating. It is the idea that “the grass is greener on the other side.”  However, as one person said, it’s greener on the other side because the “grass isn’t being watered on our side.”

I found a letter to Dear Abby, that makes its point loud and clear when it
comes to today’s commandment. The letter goes like this:  “How about a letter from a "winner?" My married lover left his wife for me. I was told that I wasn’t breaking up anything; his marriage was dead long before he met me; his wife had gotten fat. I was married too, but I assured him that my marriage was also over; my husband had gotten dull and boring. So I divorced my boring husband and he divorced his chubby wife. We both had children, but we explained that we were both in love and when they were older they would understand.  .Our marriage was a dream come true. No more lying and sneaking around.   At long last we were legally husband and wife for all the world to see. Our apartment was filled with modern furniture, old-fashioned guilt, and plenty of doubt and mistrust. Two years later he was meeting someone new. I told him he was a liar and a cheat. He said it took one to know one. And by the way, he had gotten a little dull and boring, and I had put on a little weight. Signed:  A Winner.” 

Just as we mentioned with murder in yesterday’s article, Jesus pushes the issue deeper than the act and all the way down to the heart.  Matthew 5 27 says, “You know the next commandment pretty well, too: ‘Don’t go to bed with another’s spouse.’ But don’t think you’ve preserved your virtue simply by staying out of bed. Your heart can be corrupted by lust even quicker than your body. Those leering looks you think nobody notices—they also corrupt.” 

What areas can we make sure to be mindful:

1)  Heart affairs and lust:  Pornography, lustful thoughts, matters of the heart are equivalent to an affair in Jesus’ eyes.

2)  Emotional affairs:  Office and neighborhood flirting can set a dangerous trap.

3)  Physical affairs:  The pain the follows is severe and leads to consequences

While the enemy, the world and the flesh are quick to cast a shiny lure, God is able to flee the fatality of adultery while filling us with the Spirit’s power to avoid the hook.  You’ll be glad you did.

Terry Risser

Reflections:

1)   Why are affairs of the heart or body so enticing?

2)   Can you recall a time that you narrowly escaped the hook?

Consider reading the Word today:

 

Copyright 2014- Terry Risser