MID-WEEK BIBLE STUDY
March 10, 2010
Text: Matthew 5:27-30
Series Title
THE COMMANDMENTS OF CHRIST
Bible Study Lesson
COMMANDMENT #7 – DO NOT LUST
by Pastor Norman S. Lao
Introduction
Commandment #1 – REPENT
Commandment #2 – FOLLOW ME
Commandment #3 – REJOICE
Commandment #4 – LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE
Commandment #5 – HONOR GOD’S LAW
Commandment #6 – BE RECONCILED
Tonight we are going to cover the SEVENTH Command of Christ found in Matthew 5:29,30 which is DO NOT LUST.
Matthew 5:27-30
27 "You have heard that it was said, `Do not commit adultery.' 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell. “
I. Understanding the Command
There is a world of difference in the UNDERSTANDING of the Old Testament (OT) and the New Testament (NT) with regards to the command NOT TO COMMIT ADULTERY. I must remind you that we are in the New Testament!
In the Old Testament you have to consumate the act to transgress the commandment. In the New Testament you transgress the commandment by just lusting (without actually committing adultery) with a woman/man.
Let’s define some words to help us understand the import of the commandment.
ADULTERY - extramarital sex: voluntary sexual relations between a married person and somebody other than his or her spouse. In other words, a married man/woman who has a sexual relationship outside of that marriage commits adultery. (Note: Those who have multiple wives – like Muslims and other peoples of other cultures – are not committing adultery because they have sexual relationships with their own wives.)
In the NT, Jesus raised the standard much higher and introduced a new concept: Adultery of the Heart, HEART ADULTERY. In other words, you don’t have to act on it to commit it. By lusting after someone you can commit adultery (or fornication for singles) with him/her already.
LUST - sexual desire: the strong physical desire to have sex with somebody, usually without associated feelings of love or affection. (More on this below.)
It looks like Jesus has put the same weight on ADULTERY BY ACTION and ADULTERY BY DESIRE.
Scripture is totally against adultery
A. It is the seventh of the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20 (Decalogue). Exodus 20:14.
B. Leviticus 20:10 provides the death penalty to adulterers.
C. According to Proverbs 6:32, adultery is self-destructive.
D. In the New Testament the term “Sexual Immorality” and “Immorality” includes adultery (besides fornication, lesbianism, homosexuality, bisexuality, sodomy, etc., etc.).
E. Hebrews 13:4 states that God will judge the adulterer.
F. Christians are commanded not to associate even with Christians who are know to be adulterers (1 Corinthians 5:9)
G. Revelation 21:8 has a list of people who are going to be thrown into the lake of fire and sexually immoral people are one of them.
II. Some Questions*
1. Why do men lust?
"Men are hard-wired so that the body of an average woman attracts them. Males seek out females in the great majority of societies, and how a woman appears is usually what first attracts a man and encourages him to risk rejection to develop a relationship. Attraction is completely normal. What isn’t normal is for a woman not to attract a man. Generally, the more distinctively female a woman is, the greater her attractive power, and the more distinctively male a man looks, the greater his attractiveness. Looking by itself isn’t lusting, but continuing to look can lead to lust."
Some men are more attracted to women than are others. Women are also visually attracted to men to a greater or lesser degree, so this isn’t exclusively a male problem, but probably more men due to a more visual imagination, than do women. Some studies show that males score higher than females in visual spatial tests, for example. So whereas gossip may be more tempting for women, lust is more tempting for men, generally.
2. So if attraction is natural and God made us the way we are, what’s the problem?
Selfishness is also natural, but isn’t right. Eating is natural, but gluttony is a sin. Appreciation is natural, but lust is a sin. Likewise, sin transforms attraction into lust. Lust (epithumia= “desire, passionate longing”- New American Standard Concordance Greek Dictionary, sv. #1939) is attraction which is out of control, and does not come from God, but from the flesh and the world (1 John 2:16).
a. Many young men who confess they lust think it’s a minor, almost natural condition--a fact of life. But Jesus’ teaching should shock. Not only is lust unnatural, but it is worse than deadly—without repentance it will literally put you in hell. Jesus told us that lustful looking is the same in God’s estimate as going to bed with the woman, which is adultery (v. 28). He warns adulterers (those married who have sex outside of marriage) and fornicators (generally the unmarried having sex) that they will be punished in the lake of fire, apart from repentance and faith in Christ (1 Corinthians 6:9-10, 18).
b. A lot of films coming out of Hollywood provoke people to sexual immorality (example: Sex and the City, Californication, etc.) Many American movies have scenes of sexual promiscuity or worse. Rap music often debases women as objects of scorn and as playthings. Pornography flourishes on the Internet, and provocative magazine covers are visible at almost every checkout counter. Lust supports and is in turn enflamed by many such enterprises.
c. Lust desires the woman sexually, sometimes suddenly. Tenderness in married love is twisted into selfish exploitation of the woman, which leaves her used, possibly pregnant, and possibly with a sexually transmitted disease.
d. Sexual sin by a Christian is particularly offensive to God because it involves our body, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 3:16), not an instrument of sin. It’s also idolatry, because we put more value upon a female (or male) body (creation) than we do upon God (Creator).
3. Steps toward adultery (using King David and Bathsheba from 2 Samuel 11):
a. It begins with a look. (David SAW Bathsheba bathing.)
b. The look is entertained and turns to lust.
c. A deadly step: interest. (David inquired after the woman. Who is she?)
d. Power or influence is used to support the lust.
e. Proximity (David had the woman brought to him). Joseph fled Potiphar’s wife, but David brought Uriah’s wife close to himself.
f. Justification of the situation. There is no doubt that a battle was raging in the mind and heart of King David before the consummation of adultery. A wrong situation becomes right through
justification.
g. A willing partner. Even though David was a King, Bathsheba could have refused, resisted or rebuked him. We don’t find any evidence or indication of any of these from Bathsheba’s side. It is safe to assume that Bathsheba was a willing partner in crime here. Adultery does not happen with only one – it takes two to tango, as they say.
h. Consummation. David slept with Bathsheba and in due time she became pregnant.
i. Judgment. God always judges sin; if not now, then later.
How to avoid lust/adultery
- If you’re unmarried and cannot control yourself, marry (1 Corinthians 7:9).
- However, marriage obviously doesn’t solve the problem of illicit sexual relations or there would be no adultery.
- Don’t let a woman capture you with her eyes (Proverbs 6:25) and avoid the home of the loose woman (Proverbs 7:7-27).
- If necessary, simply flee, as Joseph did when a woman tried to seduce him (Genesis 39:12). “Flee immorality” (1 Corinthians 6:18).
- Christians who fall into adultery are those who usually become negligent in their personal devotional life causing them to lose their fear and love for God.
- Before committing yourself to adultery ask yourself if you are willing to pay the price of destroying your name, hurting the person you married, having your kids live with the stigma of an unfaithful father (or mother), eternal consequences. Is adultery really worth all these?
- Always be clear-minded. Avoid things that might interfere with right thinking, like intoxicating drinks and drugs which may remove inhibitions.
- A joyful marriage—including rejoicing in each other sexually—is perhaps the best antidote. Keep yourself in good physical shape and look as good as God has made you to be. Date your wife and keep variety in your sexual love. Talk about your spouse all the time.
Conclusion
Adultery is destructive both in the physical and spiritual aspects of one’s life. Adultery causes great pain to the husband/wife, destroys marriages, devastates children and closes the door of heaven to those who practice it.
DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY – DO NOT LUST!
God bless you!
__________
*This section was taken from a material written by Jim Sutherland (http://www.rmni.org/teaching-resources/commands-of-christ/7th:-do-not-lust.html)
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