“Adulterers
and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with
God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy
of God. Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, ‘The Spirit who dwells
in us yearns jealously’?” – James 4:4-5
I referenced this verse in the devotion yesterday. Sometimes we speed right past words in verses thinking that they don’t apply to us. Adultery is one of them. That is because we think of adultery in the natural context and not the spiritual. I looked up the “current” natural definition of adultery.
“Adultery, sexual relations between a married person and someone other than the spouse. Written or customary prohibitions or taboos against adultery constitute part of the marriage code of virtually every society.”
Jesus said that you don’t need to have a physical relationship with another person to be guilty of adultery.
“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” – Matthew 5:27-28
Sin is birthed by the lust of our flesh and consummated in our hearts. The physical act is merely a reflection of a sinful heart. So what does adultery between two people who are in a covenant relationship have to do with our relationship with God? I will tell you what I think.
You know that “You shall not commit adultery” is one of the ten commandments. So it must be important. We typically think of that commandment in terms our relationship with others. The first two commandments have to do with our devotion to God. No other gods in our lives. Nothing that would cause us to be unfaithful in that relationship. Jesus said the greatest commandment was to love God with every fiber of our being. (Matthew 22:37) That does not allow for devotions that would be in conflict.
We commit adultery in our heart when we embrace our culture when it is clearly in conflict with the Word of God. When we answer Satan’s question, “Did God really say?” with “No He didn’t”, when He did. We very often commit adultery in our relationship with God in our hearts. When we trust something other then God more than God. When we are devoted to something else.
The temptation to be unfaithful toward God and His precepts is always knocking at the door of our hearts. Being tempted is not sin. Yielding to the temptation – even if it is just in your heart is sin. Does sound extreme to you? It is extreme. So extreme that God sent His Son to save us from it. He sent His Spirit and gave us the Word of Truth to help us resist the temptation. Adultery toward God is a problem among the Saints. That is why we are cautioned about it in the Bible. That is why the Spirit prompted me to encourage you to be careful and to be faithful.
I referenced this verse in the devotion yesterday. Sometimes we speed right past words in verses thinking that they don’t apply to us. Adultery is one of them. That is because we think of adultery in the natural context and not the spiritual. I looked up the “current” natural definition of adultery.
“Adultery, sexual relations between a married person and someone other than the spouse. Written or customary prohibitions or taboos against adultery constitute part of the marriage code of virtually every society.”
Jesus said that you don’t need to have a physical relationship with another person to be guilty of adultery.
“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” – Matthew 5:27-28
Sin is birthed by the lust of our flesh and consummated in our hearts. The physical act is merely a reflection of a sinful heart. So what does adultery between two people who are in a covenant relationship have to do with our relationship with God? I will tell you what I think.
You know that “You shall not commit adultery” is one of the ten commandments. So it must be important. We typically think of that commandment in terms our relationship with others. The first two commandments have to do with our devotion to God. No other gods in our lives. Nothing that would cause us to be unfaithful in that relationship. Jesus said the greatest commandment was to love God with every fiber of our being. (Matthew 22:37) That does not allow for devotions that would be in conflict.
We commit adultery in our heart when we embrace our culture when it is clearly in conflict with the Word of God. When we answer Satan’s question, “Did God really say?” with “No He didn’t”, when He did. We very often commit adultery in our relationship with God in our hearts. When we trust something other then God more than God. When we are devoted to something else.
The temptation to be unfaithful toward God and His precepts is always knocking at the door of our hearts. Being tempted is not sin. Yielding to the temptation – even if it is just in your heart is sin. Does sound extreme to you? It is extreme. So extreme that God sent His Son to save us from it. He sent His Spirit and gave us the Word of Truth to help us resist the temptation. Adultery toward God is a problem among the Saints. That is why we are cautioned about it in the Bible. That is why the Spirit prompted me to encourage you to be careful and to be faithful.
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