The Seventh Commandment
George Stiekes
Thou shalt not commit Adultery Exodus 20:14
Adultery is a sin of immorality. Jesus took it a step further in Matthew 5:28. But I say unto you, That whosever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. Though our society has so misconstrued this matter, a lustful look upon a woman is the manifestation of a heart attitude that is definitely immoral (sinful). The commandment is most unwelcomed and much ignored in our sexual oriented society. It is still the Word of God and people will be held accountable for this sin. When this law was given, it carried with it the penalty of death (Leviticus 19:20) which reveals how serious it is to the Lord.
In our Wednesday evening Bible study, we looked at the prophecy of Nahum against Nineveh. There were many in Nineveh who felt that since they were not being met with God’s anger, that they were free to commit vicious sins against others. They did not realize that God is patient, giving many every opportunity to repent of their sin. Fifty years later, the prophecy was fulfilled in every detail. We must not ignore God’s Word. But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out (Numbers 32:23).
Since mankind has so freely broken this commandment, it has given a sense of freedom of sin and it seems as though the sky is the limit. There seems to be no sexual sin that man cannot freely perform. For example, the sin of homosexuality is not looked upon by man as a sin but as a right and anyone who would state differently is accused of discrimination. In that light, God must be guilty of discrimination, however, even with this sin, man will stand before God and give account.
Much more could be said here, but we should recognize that adultery always causes hurt – hearts that are broken, homes divided and it terribly complicates life. That is not something that God can bless. God expected a man and a woman to be faithful to one another picturing His faithfulness to us. He desires that our marriages reflect His faithfulness.
George Stiekes held successful pastorates in churches in Michigan and Washington among other places. He currently resides in North Carolina and blogs at Reverent Reflections. We recommend his ministry and republish his material by permission.