“You shall not commit adultery.”
Exodus 20:14
Again Jesus addresses not just outward obedience, but the state of the heart when teaching about the seventh commandment. He tells us that to want to do something forbidden is as bad as doing it. Physical intimacy, a sacred union blessed in the context of marriage, existed before sin ever came into the world. The sin of adultery, then, violates that relationship as much as God’s holy standard.
God blessed marriage at creation and sanctifies it by comparing it to our relationship with Him. To break God’s holy law is to wish we had a different God, one who is more tolerant or more generous with miracles. In the same way, to desire someone other than our spouse is to wish our spouse were different: more attractive, more understanding, more accomplished. Your spouse has been created in God’s image. Who are you to value him/her less than Jesus does?
None of us is perfect. But our God is, and by His Spirit, we are becoming so. Let’s love our spouses faithfully and joyfully, for in doing so we show our love for the Lord.
God blessed marriage at creation and sanctifies it by comparing it to our relationship with Him. To break God’s holy law is to wish we had a different God, one who is more tolerant or more generous with miracles. In the same way, to desire someone other than our spouse is to wish our spouse were different: more attractive, more understanding, more accomplished. Your spouse has been created in God’s image. Who are you to value him/her less than Jesus does?
None of us is perfect. But our God is, and by His Spirit, we are becoming so. Let’s love our spouses faithfully and joyfully, for in doing so we show our love for the Lord.
Scripture Focus
Matthew 5:27-28
Insight
“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” (Ephesians 5:25)
Bible In A Year
- Jeremiah 3-4
- Psalm 105
- Romans 1-2
