The Ten Commandment – 7th Commandment
Bible passage: Exodus 20:14
“You shall not commit adultery.”
Dear brothers and sisters, today we’ll be looking at the 7th Commandment – You shall not commit adultery. “Adultery" is defined as "a sexual relationship between a man and a woman who are not married to each other." Historically, even in South Korea, such actions were regarded as a significant violation of ethical standards.
Most regarded it as "a very grave sin," and if someone was found guilty of such an offense, they became too ashamed to lift up their head in public. Some of them even face ostracism from their community. But as time passes on, it appears that people's consciences become dull and their sense of guilt diminishes. The widespread use of technology and the development of the internet have made it easy for adults along with younger school-aged children to be exposed to inappropriate content easily.
As they are easily exposed to inappropriate influences and absorb them through eyes, ears, and feelings, they quickly allow their hearts to be stained by worldly lusts and commit sins in action more often. Despite the prevalence of sins and a dulled sense of guilt, we, as children of God, must not succumb.Romans 13:12 says, “The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.” Even amid the prevalence of sin, God's children must walk in the light.
By the way, the 7th commandment, “You shall not commit adultery,” not only prohibits physical acts but also carries profound spiritual significance. Through today’s message, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ that you will fully uphold God’s commandments and keep both your heart and actions holy and pure so that you may be worthy of becoming the Lord's brides. Dear brothers and sisters, as previously explained, the seventh commandment, "You shall not commit adultery," carries multiple meanings. First, it prohibits the general act of adultery, specifically "adultery committed through actions." Adultery committed through action is a typical deed of the flesh, and the Bible clearly states that it will lead to a loss of salvation.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 says, “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor [a]effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10 nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.” God can grant new believers who may not yet understand the truth opportunities for repentance. But once those who’ve entered the third level of faith and know the truth enough engage in such blatant deeds of the flesh, it’s difficult for them to receive a spirit of repentance. So, receiving the blessing of repentance requires them to thoroughly repent, fast, and desperately hang onto God. Also, receiving forgiveness requires them to completely cast off adultery.
Proverbs 6:32 tells us, "The one who commits adultery with a woman is lacking [a]sense; He who would destroy [b]himself does it." Leviticus 20:10 also warns, " ‘If there is a man who commits adultery with another man’s wife, one who commits adultery with his friend’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.” It’s important to remember that the Bible strictly prohibits not only sexual acts between unmarried individuals but also offenses involving animals or same-sex relationships.
Today, people's perceptions have shifted with TV series and movies often depicting unethical adultery as beautiful. So, it’s important to discern everything through the lens of God's word. Some may think that sexual relations between unmarried individuals are acceptable if they intend to marry in the future. But it's important to recognize that God prohibits such behaviors not only in the past or during Old Testament times. In the New Testament, God prohibits such fleshly acts even more strictly. In the name of the Lord, I urge you all to prevent yourselves from defiling yourselves, being swayed by worldly influences. Second, there is 'adultery in the heart.' Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’; 28 but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
The teaching emphasizes that merely looking at a woman with lust constitutes 'committing adultery' in the heart. Committing a sin in action is preceded by harboring a sin in the heart, as such is the case for all deeds of the flesh. Hatred in the heart leads to causing harm to others, while anger in the heart results in getting angry and using inappropriate language. Matthew 5:27-28 Similarly, harboring lust in the heart can lead to physical adultery. So, if only you harbor sin in the heart, you’re already committing adultery even if it hasn’t been committed in action. Even if you haven’t sinned in action, once you harbor lust in the heart that’s supposed to be holy, that can’t be hidden from God who watches all things. Though you pretend to be holy outwardly, if you harbor lust in the heart and see, hear, and think about lustful things, how could you be recognized as His holy children by God? Some may claim that one cannot cast off sensual desire in the heart but only strive against it.
But such views are not aligned with God's will. Human effort alone is not enough, but through prayer, fasting, and God’s power, even sinful natures in the heart can be cast off. Our Jesus wore a crown of thorns and shed His precious blood to forgive our sins of the heart and mind. He also sent us the Holy Spirit to help us remove even sinful natures in our heart. Once the sinful natures are rooted out, thoughts of untruth do not even arise. So, even if we happen to see and hear bad things, since our feelings are not incited, what is not truth doesn’t even come to mind. Of course, in the process of letting go of them, it may seem that the sinful natures which you think have been cast off resurface again and again. But those who truly believe in and obey God's word and desire to cast off sins and evil will not stay stagnant.
As you peel an onion, at first, you see one layer after another. But, as you carry on, there’s nothing left inside. The same applies to sinful natures. When you look through the eyes of faith, you won’t become discouraged by the thought of having tried hard but still being unable to overcome sins. Striving to let go of sins and evil leads to a firm belief in spiritual transformation. Hoping for complete sanctification, you can be motivated to try even harder. It’s not that sinful attributes remain the same even after being cast off. It’s also not true that evil attributes generate out of the blue. You’ve finally discovered the attributes that you haven’t recognized.
As this process brings you closer to perfection, you should rather offer more gratitude. While you’re trying to cast it off, even if thoughts of adultery intrude momentarily God does not condemn you. Problems arise when you continually accept and develop those thoughts. If you repent right after discovering such thoughts and continue your efforts for perfect sanctification, you invite greater grace and strength from God. So, He helps you achieve a spiritual victory in the end. Third, there is ‘spiritual adultery.’ The adultery committed through action and in the heart which we just discussed is adultery in a physical sense. But spiritual adultery is even more serious as it involves loving the world more than God whilst claiming to believe in Him. Physical adultery also stems from a heart by which one does not fully love God and instead loves worldly lusts more.
Colossians 3:5-6 tells us, “5 Therefore [a]consider the members of your earthly body as dead to [b]immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which [c]amounts to idolatry. 6 For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come [d]upon the sons of disobedience.” Even with the Holy Spirit and the experiences of God's work, a person will end up loving worldly things more than God, if his greed isn’t dealt with. As mentioned with the 2nd Commandment, loving the world more than God is spiritual idolatry. So, Greed leads to spiritual idolatry. And then, this results in spiritual adultery. Then, how do the "idolatry" in the 2nd Commandment and "spiritual adultery" in the 7th Commandment differ? In terms of the commandment, spiritual idolatry is anything loved more than God. Physical idolatry involves people who don’t know God at all creating physical representations to worship, while spiritual idolatry occurs when believers with weak faith love worldly things more than God.
New believers may fail to let go of the world and love it more than God. As they doubt if God is really alive, if hell exists, or if resurrection is real, it’s not easy to give up the world and live in the word. This can result in their serving spiritual idols, prioritizing money, fame, or family over God. But, as you listen to the word and pray, you experience God's answers and believe in your heart that the Bible is true and heaven and hell are real. You realize that you should love God above all else and try to do so. Despite having such faith, if you continue to love the world more than God and engage in things of the darkness, this means rejecting God's love you’ve received and committing spiritual adultery. While spiritual idolatry and spiritual adultery may seem similar, they technically have differences. Brothers and sisters, The Bible portrays the relationship between God and His people as a husband-wife relationship as well as a father-child bond. It’s like a relationship between a man and a woman who have vowed to love each other wholeheartedly.
Throughout Israel's history, the people often broke their covenant with God and worshiped foreign gods. While Gentiles created idols out of ignorance, the Israelites knew God so well. God chose them, led the Israelites to the land flowing with milk and honey, and showed them many signs and wonders, demonstrating His existence. Yet, over time, the people succumbed to their desires, accepting the idols of the Gentiles and loving them more than God. 1 Chronicles 5:25 says, "But they acted treacherously against the God of their fathers and played the harlot after the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them." It highlights that the idolatry of the Israelites was spiritual adultery. Jeremiah 3:8 also tells us, "And I saw that for all the adulteries of faithless Israel, I had sent her away and given her a writ of divorce, yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear; but she went and was a harlot also."
The northern kingdom of Israel engaged in spiritual adultery by worshiping idols. In turn, they faced God's rejection and destruction. But, despite witnessing this, the southern kingdom of Judah did not repent and continued to worship idols. By committing the sin of adultery, Israel brought upon itself God's wrath and faced destruction at the hands of the Gentiles. Today, in the New Testament time as well, God's children are considered the brides of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 11:2 records, "For I (Apostle Paul) am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, so that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin.” The verse means that Paul taught and guided believers to prepare themselves as pure brides for the Bridegroom, the Lord.
But, if you believe in the Lord, have received the Holy Spirit, and call the Lord your Bridegroom, but still love the world and compromise with untruth, this is spiritual adultery. James 4:4 warns about this, “You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” It is impossible for a person who acts in hostility towards God, betrays the Lord, and commits adultery to partake in the Wedding Feast nor be called the Lord’s bride. This is why spiritual adultery is a far graver sin than physical adultery. For example, if you curse and spit at your older brother, though it’s a big fault, there’s room for your brother to forgive you if you regret your actions. But, if you do the same against your father, this would be a grave discourtesy and difficult to be forgiven. Even physical adultery between people is difficult to be forgiven. But, betraying God and the Lord through spiritual adultery is an even graver offense.
So, in Jeremiah 11:11-14, God told the prophet not to pray for the spiritually adulterous Israel, stating that even if they cried out to Him, He would not listen. Similarly, in your life of faith, if your spiritual adultery exceeds the limits, you will not be able to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit nor have your prayers answered. This distance from God causes greater worldly influence and leads to sins leading to death including physical adultery. As mentioned in Hebrews 6 and 10, you crucify Jesus Christ all over again and end up on a path toward death. Dear brothers and sisters, 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 says, "Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are.”
The bodies of the redeemed children of God are described as holy temples. It’s important that we become qualified both in deed and heart so we won’t be ashamed as temples. Moreover, living a life of faith at this church, we’ve witnessed countless works of God. We’ve also learned much about His heart and will, salvation, and the need for sanctification. So, we must never forsake God's will. I urge you to seek only the truth in your hearts, being free from both physical and spiritual adultery so that you can present yourselves as the perfect bride of the Lord. I pray in our Lord’s name that as unblemished brides of the Lamb, you’ll adorn yourselves as beautifully as you can and joyfully attend the Wedding Feast.
