Below are notes to a sermon preached Sunday evening, May 18, 2003, at Gospel Light Baptist Church, Albany, Georgia.
DISLOYALTY IN MARRIAGE; THE SEVENTH COMMANDMENT
By Michael D. O’Neal Pastor, Gospel Light Baptist Church Albany, Georgia
Scripture Reading: Exodus 20:12-17
Text: Exodus 20:14
Exodus 20:14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Introduction: The ten commandments deal with the basic issues between men and God and between men and men. The first two issues dealt with in the commandments to men toward MEN were 1. honor your parents and 2. do not kill (murder). This third one is basic, as well, and this third commandment of the final six is another one that is being almost totally disregarded as sinful by people today: THOU SHALT NOT COMMIT ADULTERY.
Many of our leaders commit adultery!
Many of our laws condone adultery!
Adultery is being permitted, promoted, protected, and performed in the White House, the court house, the church house, and if you aren’t careful, YOUR house!
This is the first occurrence of the word “adultery” in the 33 verses of the Bible in which it appears. The word “adulteries” is found in five other verses.
I. THE SIMPLICITY OF THE STATUTE
Exodus 20:14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Adultery is a breaking of the marriage contract. It is unfaithfulness or unlawful sex involving at least one person committed to or in marriage.
The SECOND time the word occurs in scripture helps identify the nature of the sin of adultery:
Leviticus 20:10 And the man that committeth adultery with another man’s wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.
The word is rooted in the idea of pollution, defilement, or corruption.
A. Don’t THINK about it (committing it with your heart and mind)
B. Don’t TALK about it (committing it with your mouth)
C. Don’t TRY it (committing it with your body)
II. THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE SUBJECT
Jeremiah 13:27 I have seen thine adulteries, and thy neighings, the lewdness of thy whoredom, and thine abominations on the hills in the fields. Woe unto thee, O Jerusalem! wilt thou not be made clean? when shall it once be?
It is so serious that under the Mosaic economy it was punishable by DEATH (see Lev. 20:10 above)!
A. Disobedience hurts the morality of a nation
B. Disobedience hurts a marriage
C. Disobedience hurts the ministry
D. Disobedience hurts the memory
III. THE STEPS OF THE SIN
Joshua 7:21 When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.
A. The wrong atmosphere
- 2 Samuel 11:1 And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem.
- David wasn’t where he was supposed to be.
B. The wrong attention
- 2 Samuel 11:2 And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king’s house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.
C. The wrong affection
- 2 Samuel 11:3 And David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?
- David was already married to Michal, Abigail, Ahinoam, Maacah, Haggith, Abital, Eglah, and maybe others!
- It was unlawful for him to want another woman at all to wife, and it was ESPECIALLY wrong for him to want ANOTHER man’s wife!
- This is a violation of the TENTH commandment.
D. The wrong action
- 2 Samuel 11:4 And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house.
E. The wrong assumption
- Proverbs 9:17 Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.
- The wrong assumption of David was that his sin could be covered up.
F. The wrong aftermath
- Bathsheba got pregnant from LUST, not love!
- This sin of David of adultery brought about deceit, murder, blasphemy among the Gentiles, and death and misery among his children.
IV. SAFEGUARDS FOR SEXUAL PURITY
Galatians 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
What does it mean to walk in the Spirit? Some of the obvious things involved in walking in the Spirit would be
- Prayer
- Soul-winning
- Bible reading
- Faithful church attendance
- Tithing and giving
- Striving for holiness
Additionally, with regard to adultery, here are some guidelines that might help:
A. Create a safe environment
- Romans 13:14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.
- Never be alone behind closed doors with someone of the opposite sex other than your spouse.
- Remember Joseph’s problem. No one else was in the house but Potiphar’s wife and him.
- Dating is not a safe environment. See my book, Dating is For Dummies; Courtship is For Christians.
B. Cover your eyes
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- Job 31:1 I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?
- Matthew 5:28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
C. Clean your HEART
- Matthew 15:19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: