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Exodus 20:14; Matthew 5:27-30

Let me invite you to take your copy of God’s Word and turn with me to Exodus 20:14, and also to Matthew 5:27-30. For those of you that are visiting with us today, we’re in a series on the 10 Commandments, and this morning we’ve come to number seven.

Back in 1631, the producers of an edition of the King James Bible were fined 300 pounds by Archbishop Laud. It was a significant fine. Three hundred British pounds in 1631 is roughly equivalent to $65-70,000 US dollars today. At that time, it was probably equivalent to a lifetime’s earnings. And the reason for the fine was simple: the royal printers (Robert Barker and Martin Lucas – not related to our own Mike Barker and Garron Lukas) produced a copy of the KJV of the Bible, and inadvertently left out a word.

Now, when I read that, I thought, “Goodness gracious! That seems to be a fairly hefty fine. After all, I mean, think how many words there are in the Bible. I haven’t counted them, but there are a lot.” And you’re thinking, “It must have been an important word.” And indeed, it was. It was the third word in Exodus 20:14, thus rendering the commandment, “You shall commit adultery.” This error, along with a more egregious one in Deuteronomy 5:24, which I won’t discuss, is what ultimately led to their edition of the Bible being nicknamed the Wicked Bible.

As one might imagine, when the error was discovered the remaining order was cancelled and existing copies were destroyed. There are still 15 copies in existence today in museums and libraries in the UK, US, and Australia, not to mention a few in private collections around the world. If you happen to run across one of these editions, then you’ll be interested to know that they catch a fair day’s wage at auction. As recently as 2015, one of these Bibles was auctioned online for almost $100,000.

But alas, you haven’t come to discover the monetary value of rare Bibles, but rather the spiritual and moral value of possessing the inerrant and invariable Word of God. So, let’s consider these two sections of Scripture. Exodus 20:14 reads as follows: “You shall not commit adultery.” And just to round out the fullest expression and intention of the commandment we read this from Matthew 5:27-30: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.”

“Eternal Father, part of our worship is sitting under the teaching of Your Word and listening for the Holy Spirit’s voice. It’s no less a part of worship than singing or giving or praying. It’s where our minds, our bodies, and our hearts are still in Your presence. We’re open. We want You to speak. There are parts of this message that will apply to all of us, O Lord, and we pray that the Spirit would awaken us and convict us of sin, righteousness and judgment. That we might respond in faith to what You would have us do. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.”

Pauline Phillips, better known to you and me as Abigail Van Buren or simply Dear Abby, wrote her advice column for nearly 45 years before passing it on to her daughter, Jeanne Phillips. Jeanne, also bearing the mantle of Dear Abby once received the following letter:

“Dear Abby, I’m in love and I’m having an affair with two different women. I can’t marry them both. Please tell me what to do, but don’t give me any of that morality stuff.”

Abby’s answer was classic: “Dear sir, The only difference between humans and animals is morality. Please write to a veterinarian.”

Whether through personal experience or through the testimony of friends and family, we all know that adultery is a weed that grows in the garden of marriage. And today, as we consider this, I know that it’s going to hit close to home for some of you. Others might say, “I’m never going to fall into that. I have a great marriage. My spouse and I love each other, plus we’re too old to entertain that kind of thing.” To that, I say, “That’s great! If that’s the case, then just let his message be preventative maintenance.” But let me add this word of caution. Be careful… We’ve got to be on guard. Paul’s words to the Corinthians are informative, “Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12).

The 10 Commandments aren’t meant to be restrictive, as much as protective. I know it’s filled with a bunch of “thou shalt not’s”, and that leads some people to think that God is primarily negative and angry. In reality, God is for us. It’s God who created sex and instructed us to use it in a way that brings Him glory. So, these instructions are more about protection than they are restriction.

I have five things that I want us to see, this morning, and the first is this commandment is fashionable socially.

It’s Fashionable, Socially

Now, obviously this was a major problem or else it wouldn’t have made God’s top 10. God knew that men and women had a problem with this. It’s a popular sin. It’s fashionable, socially. And what I mean by that is this: Have you noticed how the entertainment industry rates movies and TV shows? When most of us were young, if a movie had themes of sexual promiscuity and nudity, then it received a ‘R’ rating. But today, and for quite some time (actually), those movies only receive a ‘PG-13’ rating, and it’s only the ones with extreme violence and some bad language that get the ‘R’ rating. And that’s because Hollywood thinks it’s fine. Sexual promiscuity is popular and fashionable, both before marriage and during marriage.

I saw a TV commercial, this week, advertising a revealing new interview between actor Will Smith and Oprah Winfrey where he opens up about his marriage to Jada Pinkett Smith. Listen to part of what he said, “We realized that it was a fantasy illusion that we could make each other happy… We agreed that she had to make herself happy and I had to make myself happy. Then we were going to present ourselves back to the relationship already happy – versus demanding that the other person fills our empty cup.”

Now, this shouldn’t surprise us too much because Jesus said that one of the marks of the last days is that it would resemble the days of Noah and the days of Sodom and Gomorrah. Both of those were times in which heterosexual and homosexual activity was rampant. Lots of promiscuity. So, it is today.

Researchers, James Patterson and Peter Kim, said that 49% of married Americans consider having an affair. They go on to say, “…but only 31% actually do.” In case you didn’t get that – that’s 1 in 3. Their study also included this quote, “Today, a majority of Americans (62%) think there’s nothing morally wrong with the affairs they’re having.” In fact, there are even alibi outfits – one of them is The Alibi Agency – that provide the perfect alibi if you’re considering an affair. Their services include sending invitations to events that you need to attend, making phone calls to your spouse confirming fake business meetings and seminars, even setting up fake relationships in order to maintain social standing.

And while we’d all like to believe it’s only a problem for “those” people, or “other” folks, it’s a genuine problem for the people of God too. In fact, that’s one of the arguments in favor of the reliability of the Bible. God wasn’t afraid to memorialize the moral failures of people like Samson or Absalom or David. So, adultery is fashionable socially.

It’s Formed, Inwardly

It’s more than an outward action. We normally think of sex as solely an outward expression, but it’s an inward attitude before it ever manifests itself externally. That’s why we also read from the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5. The heart is the soil where the weed grows before it’s ever an action.

In fact, if you still have your Bibles open, look at verse 28 “…everyone who looks…” In Greek, the word “looks” is a present participle. It’s an ongoing continual process. In other words, it’s not the glance, it’s the gaze. It’s not the unmistakable, unavoidable temptation of a man/woman entering the room or a scene on television. It’s not the first take, it’s the double-take. It’s the gazing and playing and imagining and fantasizing in one’s mind.

King David walked out of his palace bedroom one night to survey Jerusalem, and he got an eyeful. Not far away, down the slope, on top of a house was a woman named Bathsheba. Now, in all fairness, despite the fact that he should have been at war, there’s a sense in which David couldn’t help seeing her. But what David should’ve done was turn around and go back inside. Instead, he continued to gaze and entertain, and imagine, and ultimately, using his power and authority as king, he brought her into his bedroom and slept with her. It began in his heart.

That’s why it’s important to recall verses like Job 31:1, “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look with lust at a young woman” (NLT). Or 2 Corinthians 10:5, “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (NIV). Because the so-called sex experts will tell you that it’s okay to fantasize. It doesn’t hurt anybody. It’s all in your mind, and as long as it’s in your mind, then it’s just your own fantasy. It won’t hurt anybody. That’s a lie straight from the pit of hell. In fact, it’s the mind where the battle is won or lost.

Colossians 3:2 says, “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” And Romans 12:1-2 says, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” So, adultery begins in the mind. It’s fashionable socially, it’s formed inwardly, and third, it’s fatal relationally.

It’s Fatal, Relationally

Now, I know that the word “fatal” is a bit strong, but keep in mind that’s the punishment for adultery in the Old Testament. Stoning usually lead to death. Of course, there are many other consequences short of death that are included here. Adultery damages a person spiritually. You lose your peace, you lose your joy, you break fellowship with God. It might even mean something worse. If a person – over a prolonged period of time – without any repentance and no remorse whatsoever, follows that path, then no matter what they profess, they aren’t saved.

Adultery can damage a person physically. Sexually transmitted
diseases can wreak havoc on a human body over time – gonorrhea, syphilis, chlamydia, AIDS… In fact, king Solomon is trying to pass along wisdom and counsel to his son, trying to help him understand the realities of temptation, and listen to what he says in Proverbs 5:11, “…at the end of your life you groan, when your flesh and body are consumed.” And people think the Bible isn’t relevant for today.

Adultery can also damage you emotionally. There’s guilt associated with this. There’s anxiety that comes because of that guilt from all of the deceit. It hurts family and children and friends. Whatever trust there was is eroded. Everything you built and worked for is gone. So, it’s more than sex. It’s months/years of deception, betrayal, and lies.

There’s one more thing, and it should probably be at the beginning of the list, but it displeases God. In his confession in Psalm 51, David says, “Against You, Lord, You only, have I sinned and done this evil in Your sight.” Adultery is a form of idolatry. It’s putting self or sex before my loyalty to God.

I’ve always marveled at carpenters that are really good at their craft. It seems that they can put a nail in a stud with one stroke of the hammer. Sometimes, if they’re really good (and I’ve known one or two), they’ll move the hammer back and it’s as if they can steady the nail and move their hand away at the same time that the hammer is coming towards the nail – almost as if the nail is momentarily levitating.

If you ask them what’s the secret, they always say the same thing. “You’ll hit whatever you’re looking at.” So, always look at the nail. If you look at your thumb and forefinger, then you’ll hit them. Keep your eye on the nail. It’s a good principle for the Christian life, as well. If our eyes are on the Lord, if our worship is focused on Jesus, if our loyalty is supremely on God, then everything else will take its structure based upon that. Keep your eyes on Him.

So, it’s fashionable socially, it’s formed inwardly, it’s fatal relationally, fourth, it’s fixable presently.

It’s Fixable, Presently

Right now… This very moment… This very day… Jesus gives us part of the solution for the problem in Matthew 5? It’s only part of the solution, nevertheless it’s something that we can do to fix the situation.

Jesus says that we’re supposed to gouge our eyes out and cut off our hands. Now, certainly this is hyperbole. This is exaggeration for effect. We all know that this wasn’t intended to be understood and applied literally, because if it was then we’d have a much bigger problem than COVID-19 (trust me). What Jesus is saying is this: deal radically with sin! Martin Luther put it like this, “You can’t stop birds from flying around your head, but you can stop them from building a nest in your hair.”

Adultery is preventable. It’s fixable. And there are two ways: kill the weeds and cultivate the flowers. Kill the weeds and cultivate the flowers. There’s something that needs to be killed, something that needs to be severed, something that needs to be ended, because it’s taking you to the brink of disaster. The best biblical illustration of this is Joseph (in the Old Testament). He was eye-to-eye with a young wife who felt neglected by her husband. Mrs. Potiphar was very blatant. She grabbed Joseph and said, “Have sex with me. Go to bed with me. Lie with me.”

What did Joseph do? Well, I’ll tell you what he didn’t do. He didn’t say, “I’d like to witness to her. Mrs. Potiphar, do you know the 4 spiritual laws?” No, he ran out of the house. In fact, he left in such a hurry that he essentially ran out of the house naked. He left his coat in her hands. He killed it. He severed it. Some places, some things, internet sites, TV programs, mail order catalogs, movies. Don’t even go near the magazine rack in the store if it’s an issue. Hang out where the cotton balls are sold, or walk the frozen food aisle. Purchase and install monitoring software for your computers and phones.

Lastly, cultivate the flowers. If you’re married, then meet each other’s needs. Be the helpmate you were intended to be. Learn to gracefully grow old together. Appreciate one another. Love one another. Reaffirm your vows. Write each other poems. Go to concerts, try to enjoy each other’s hobbies. And yes, despite the deficiencies, don’t deprive one another sexually. Paul speaks rather candidly about withholding physical intimacy in 1 Corinthians 7, and wives, your refusal doesn’t always help and it’s not always your prerogative.

The last point this morning is perhaps the only point that some of you need to hear. It’s forgivable, ultimately.

It’s Forgivable, Ultimately

We need to be reminded of 1 John 1:9. You know it well, I’m sure. You might’ve even memorized it. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Yes, even from adultery. Contrary to some people’s understanding, this is not the unforgivable sin. Some will bristle and say, “But it’s still sin.” That’s right. It is sin, and that’s precisely why it’s forgivable. Sin is the reason that Jesus came to die on the cross of Calvary.

Perhaps you’re thinking of the story of the woman caught in adultery (in John 8). You know the scene. This woman is dragged in her lingerie (or less) into the midst of none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. The people say, “Hey, we gotta stone this lady. She’s committed adultery.” And Jesus said, “You’re right. The law of Moses does say that. Okay, fellas, step right up and take your best shot. Go ahead. Aim well. But before you do, let the one without sin be the first to throw.”

And you remember Jesus stoops down and begins writing in the sand, and scholars and laymen alike have speculated for millennia what, exactly, He was writing. Perhaps their names. Perhaps their own hidden sins. Perhaps a number – the number of sinless, perfect people in the crowd. Perhaps her name, so they would know she was a real person and not merely a means to their devious ends. Perhaps the date and time, so they would remember where they were when the Son of God revealed Himself in such a mighty way. Whatever it was, the reality of Jesus words got their attention and they all dropped their stones and left. And we’re left with this scantly clad woman trying to maintain any dignity that she had left and the perfect Son of God – the Lamb that takes away the sin of the world. And do you remember their final exchange? “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more” (John 8:10-11). Neither do I condemn you… Some of you need to receive that gift of grace this morning. Neither do I condemn you.

“Our God and our Father, this is obviously serious stuff. You knew it would be a problem for all of us. It’s in the top 10 list. We understand that it’s more than an action. It’s a seed that grows in the soil of the heart, and to follow it can be fatal, can damage us spiritually, emotionally, physically, with our family, our friends, and ultimately and primarily with You. Thank You, Jesus, for Your grace and mercy and forgiveness. Thank You for the cross, Lord. In Jesus’ name, amen.”