The Destructive Power Of Adultery Series

The Destructive Power of Adultery

Exodus 20:14

Introduction:

If you are joining us for the first time today, we have been going through the Ten Commandments and looking at how they still apply today. Today, we come to the 7th Commandment, which is, “You shall not commit adultery.”

You know, human beings are sexual beings! Scientist tell us that our sex drive is virtually equal to our will to live. This is not a bad thing. We are this way because God made us this way. When God made man, His first command to mankind was for them to multiply. Now, we all know how human reproduction is carried out. Therefore, we find that God has made a man a sexual being. However, our sexuality has been corrupted by sin! God’s plan is for the sexual relationship to be between a husband and a wife only. Any other form of sexual expression, outside of that material relationship, is sinful! This is the very are addressed by this 7th Commandment.

When we think of adultery, we automatically think of man being unfaithful to his wife. Yet, this Commandment is far broader than just that. I personally believe that it encompasses the entire realm of human sexual experience. Any sexual expression outside the confines of the martial relationship is a sin against God!

Now, we would all have to admit that we live in a time when sexuality, and the expression of it, are rampant in our society. Sex is found on the television, in magazines, on billboards. You name it, in this society, sex sells and it seems to be what people like, because no one stands against it. If our society were somehow found by researchers from a distant time, they would without doubt agree that this is a society obsessed with sex!

When Jesus was on earth, He looked at His culture and labeled it, “an adulterous and sinful generation.” (Mark 8:38). If He were to speak to our day, what would he say about current day America? Some may ask, “Preacher is this material relevant today?” My answer would be, “Yes!” We live in a world where nearly 50% of all men say they have committed adultery that is just the number that will admit to it! Researchers estimate the nearly 2/3 of all married men will commit adultery before the age of 40. 41% of married women also say they are guilty of this sin. Is it relevant? “Yes!” Because the statistics are just as bad for the church! Christianity Today did a random sampling of 1000 subscribers and questioned them on the matter of adultery. 45% said they had acted inappropriately and 23% said they had committed adultery. It is relevant because it has a negative effect on our young people. 1/5 of youth lose their virginity before the age of 13! It is not wonder AIDs, sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies are on the increases. It can all be traced back to a lack of morality and standards at home! When children see their parents living immoral lives, it sends the message that sexual immorality is good and acceptable. Billy Graham, in a recent survey, found that 40% of youth in Bible believing, evangelical churches were sexually active. He also found that 60% of single adults in these churches were not only sexually active, but over half reported having multiple partners!

I want you to know today that God is still against adultery! He still hates it and is still punishing those who are guilty of it today. This morning, I would like for us to take a few minutes to study this sin called adultery and see that it is a sin not just against your spouse, but that it touches every area of your life.

Adultery is a very destructive sin; allow me to show you how. Adultery is a sin against:

I. Your Spouse

Adultery does incredible damage to one’s spouse!

A. When a man and woman marry, they become one flesh

• When one of the partners joins with a person outside of the marriage contract, they have broken that bond and have joined another – 1 Corinthians 6:16

B. Adultery says to the innocent spouse, “You weren’t good enough for me.”

• Adultery has the power to destroy the self esteem of the innocent victim.

C. Adultery destroys trust!

• The innocent spouse will have a hard time ever trusting the other spouse!

D. Perhaps this is why Jesus gave an escape clause in cases of sexual immorality in Matthew 19:3-9.

E. It simply comes down to this, your marriage must be “adultery proofed!”

• How is this done?

• By giving heed to the command given by Paul in 1 Corinthians 7:1-5.

“Now concerning the things about which you wrote, it is good for a man not to touch a woman. But because of immoralities, each man is to have his own wife, and each woman is to have her own husband. The husband must fulfill his duty to his wife and likewise also the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does; and likewise also the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Stop depriving one another, except by agreement for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self control.”