Adultery: Not just a sin of the flesh

Adultery:
Not Just a Sin of the Flesh



Exodus 20:14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.


Mentioned several times not only in the Old Testament but in the New Testament as well it is often connected with the physical aspect. Christ used this commandment in His discourse with the rich young ruler and Paul mentions it several times in his epistles yet there is another aspect of adultery that is often passed over. We rarely hear it being preached from the pulpit because I believe it hits too close to home for many of us; not only those in the pews but those behind the pulpit as well. God spoke of this aspect of adultery several times in the Old Testament to describe the children of Israel and given the condition of the church today it is time we start using the term about ourselves.

Jer. 3:7 And I said after she had done all these things, Turn thou unto me. But she returned not. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it.
Jer. 3:8 And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.
Jer. 3:9 And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks.

Jer. 5:7 How shall I pardon thee for this? thy children have forsaken me, and sworn by them that are no gods: when I had fed them to the full, they then committed adultery, and assembled themselves by troops in the harlots' houses.
Jer. 5:8 They were as fed horses in the morning: every one neighed after his neighbor's wife.
Jer. 5:9 Shall I not visit for these things? saith the LORD: and shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?
Jer. 5:10 Go ye up upon her walls, and destroy; but make not a full end: take away her battlements; for they are not the LORD'S.

The concept that I am speaking of is one of spiritual adultery. In the promise that God had made to Abraham, He made Israel His chosen people and after the resurrection the promise was extended to the rest of the world because of Israel's refusal to acknowledge Christ as the Messiah.

Rom 11:17 And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;
Rom 11:18 Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.
Rom 11:19 Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in.
Rom 11:20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:
Rom 11:21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.
Rom 11:22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.

The warning is posted here in regards to our position with Christ. Peter tells us in 1 Peter chapter 2.

1Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
1Peter 2:10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
1Peter 2:11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

When we look at the scripture, both Old Testament and New, and compare the actions of the children of Israel and then see what God says to us in the New Testament we should see that He has not changed His mind in regards to our actions and behaviors regarding Him. John tells us in Revelations that we the church, are going to be presented to Christ as a bride, spotless and without blemish. While we know that we can have forgiveness for sin and be seen as spotless to the Father through the blood of His Son the Lord Jesus Christ how can we thereby justify our continual whoring after the flesh? If we are to be new creatures in Him, how can we still refuse to live for Him or is it that we merely said a prayer as a security blanket; having no intentions of leaving our sinful lifestyle that we continue to hold so dear to our hearts.

As I have been stuck in the book of Jeremiah over the last several days; I have felt the heartbreak of this prophet as he gives the words of God to the children of Israel because I feel that same heartbreak over the church today. As I read through much of his book I have seen the comparisons jump out at me regarding the church today.

Jer. 5:1 Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth; and I will pardon it.
Jer. 5:2 And though they say, The LORD liveth; surely they swear falsely.
Jer. 5:3 O LORD, are not thine eyes upon the truth? thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return.
Jer. 5:4 Therefore I said, Surely these are poor; they are foolish: for they know not the way of the LORD, nor the judgment of their God.

Look specifically at verse 3 of chapter 5 and then consider verse 4 and tell me that you do not see this today in our congregations. I have heard my pastor preach his heart out and could feel the presence of the Holy Spirit in the pew where I was sitting. I have had tears running down my face and have looked around to see many sitting there stone faced. In the last three weeks we have had four salvations and baptisms' and still there were no tears. As I shared these thoughts with my pastor, I shared a story I had heard on the radio regarding a prodigal daughter who left home at 18. Her parents didn't hear from her for six years yet every night her mom would leave the porch light on for her and every Christmas she would set a tree up on the porch just as she had done while her daughter was growing up. Finally after six years her daughter came home. She said, "Mom, I was so embarrassed that I could not come home but every couple of nights I would drive down our street. Every house would be dark except ours and at Christmas I would see the tree on the porch and know it was for me." Even now as I retell this story I still have tears just as I did when I shared it with the pastor and I asked him; why? Why are we not seeing the tears fall from the faces of those in the congregation? Why are we not seeing hearts being broken and contrite to the point that there is true repentance? As I researched information for the ministry that God is leading us into; which is working with troubled youth I came across an article regarding teenage prostitution. In this article the detective is telling how he has girls that he is arresting who are only 13 and 14 years old. One girl who was arrested due to an add on Craig's list was 14 at the time and had been doing it since she was 11 years old. She claimed that she did it because she wanted to feel loved. If that is not breaking your heart then you need to look again at Jeremiah 5:3, because I believe that you have played the harlot so long that your face is as a rock and the only way it is going to break is if the Holy Spirit gets a hold of you and you surrender to the will of the Lord Jesus Christ, yet I wonder if it may be too late for many of you out there. I wonder if God has not already turned you over to your delusions because He had called and called and you wouldn't answer.

Isa. 66:4 I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not.

For many it may already be too late but there are some of you still out there that have the opportunity to repent. You have trusted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior yet you have chosen the relationship with the world over your relationship with Him. You have chosen to commit adultery with the things of the world rather than be presented to Him without spot or blemish. You may be having an affair with your job instead of spending quality time with Christ. You may be sleeping with your money instead of laying your head on His shoulder at night. It could be that new car or the new house that has taken His place. It could be that you are like Abraham was with Isaac, putting your child before Christ. It could be the music you listen to or the shows that you watch or the lust in your heart for the things of the world. You may not want to let go because you are enjoying the things of the world too much and if you surrender to Him then you have to give those things up and you feel it is just not worth it. Remember what Paul said in Romans.

Rom 11:21 For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.

Rom 11:22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.

We are promised goodness if we continue in His goodness, otherwise we will be cut off. This is not saying that you can lose your salvation because we are promised that no one can pluck us out of His hand, but what it is saying is that if there is a chance that you are not His child, you can lose your opportunity. Even worse than that is that there is a chance that your child can be cut off because of their hard heart. Your spiritual adultery will carry a greater impact on the lifestyle your child will decide to live. If all Christ is to you is a Sunday morning service then you can bet the chances that your child will even go to church when they are older diminishes. I have spoken and debated with many who went to church when they were young and now claim to be devout atheist because they did not see Christ in the daily lives of their parents.

Jer. 4:22 For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are silly children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.

So, what's it going to be? Is today the day that you break the habit of adultery or is it going to continue to be business as usual for you? God is patiently waiting for you. He is longsuffering but there will come a time just as there did for Israel when He will say enough and that time could be today for you or it could be tomorrow.

Jer 5:21 Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not:
Jer 5:22 Fear ye not me? saith the LORD: will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it?
Jer 5:23 But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they are revolted and gone.


Jer 6:11 Therefore I am full of the fury of the LORD; I am weary with holding in: I will pour it out upon the children abroad, and upon the assembly of young men together: for even the husband with the wife shall be taken, the aged with him that is full of days.
Jer 6:12 And their houses shall be turned unto others, with their fields and wives together: for I will stretch out my hand upon the inhabitants of the land, saith the LORD.
Jer 6:13 For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.

He is calling for us to return to Him. The time will soon come when He will return in His glory but He is waiting for you first. Will you make the right decision?

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or comments. I am praying for each and every one of you out there and I pray that God has touched someone's life today through this message. It was not what I had written in my notes. I know it was changed for a reason and there is one of you who was supposed to read this.

SFT
9/29/08