The seventh commandment says : "You shall not commit adultery". Exodus 20:14
Adultery is sexual relations in which at least one of the participants is married.
So if you are married and have sexual relations with someone not married...you have committed adultery.
If you are not married and have sexual relations with someone who is married...you have committed adultery.
According to Jesus in Matthew 5:31-32 a divorced person who has sexual relations or who remarries may be committing adultery. That is one of the reasons he said you should not divorce.
The old testament penalty for adultery was death...for both parties!
Fornication on the other hand happens between two unmarried people and the penalty was...marriage.
There are several other places where adultery is mentioned in the Bible.
Such as Proverbs 6:32-33 where it says : "But a man who commits adultery lacks judgment; whoever does so destroys himself. Blows and disgrace are his lot, and his shame will never be wiped away."
Jesus affirmed the commandment against adultery and also extended it when he said ""You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." Mathew 5:27-28
"Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral." Hebrews 13:4
Adulterers are also listed in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 as one of the types of people who would not inherit the kingdom of God.
Besides all that...with all the diseases out there these days it is very likely that you will end up with one of them. If you get a disease and give it to your spouse...that will most likely be the end of your marriage. If it is a deadly disease...then you could also be considered a murderer.
This is one temptation that should be resisted at all costs!
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Saturday, May 21, 2011
The Sixth Commandment
The sixth commandment says "You shall not murder." Exodus 20:13
There is a distinction made between intentional and accidental killings. It is only the intentional killing that calls for the death penalty. Exodus 21 says that being careless with something dangerous(a bull) that causes the death of a man calls for the death penalty.
Jesus also said in Mathew 5:21-26 that being angry is cause for judgment. He says to reconcile with your brother before making an offering to God. And to settle matters quickly if you are taken to court.
1John 3:15 Says that "Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him."
Jesus also said to love your enemies. Killing someone isn't very loving.
Pray for them. And let God take care of it. He can do a better job than we can.
There is a distinction made between intentional and accidental killings. It is only the intentional killing that calls for the death penalty. Exodus 21 says that being careless with something dangerous(a bull) that causes the death of a man calls for the death penalty.
Jesus also said in Mathew 5:21-26 that being angry is cause for judgment. He says to reconcile with your brother before making an offering to God. And to settle matters quickly if you are taken to court.
1John 3:15 Says that "Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him."
Jesus also said to love your enemies. Killing someone isn't very loving.
Pray for them. And let God take care of it. He can do a better job than we can.
Friday, May 13, 2011
The Fifth Commandment
"Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you." Exodus 20:12
"Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you , so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the Lord your God is giving you." Deuteronomy 5:16
This is the first commandment with a promise. The promise is that "it may go well with you in the land the Lord your God is giving you" and that you may live a long life. Both excellent promises. Most people would like to live a long time and have things go well with them. So there is some incentive for this one other than simply pleasing God.
How does one "honor" their parents though? It means to love, reverence, obey, and assist. This doesn't always mean to do everything the parent says because if they tell you to disobey God then you should not obey them. God still comes first.
This one is probably very hard for many people. Those with abusive parents especially. I was blessed with some really good parents myself so I don't really have much trouble with this one. Not that I know of offhand anyway...perhaps I should ask my mother. Her view might be different. Then again...I best be sure I'm ready to hear the truth first...
"Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you , so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the Lord your God is giving you." Deuteronomy 5:16
This is the first commandment with a promise. The promise is that "it may go well with you in the land the Lord your God is giving you" and that you may live a long life. Both excellent promises. Most people would like to live a long time and have things go well with them. So there is some incentive for this one other than simply pleasing God.
How does one "honor" their parents though? It means to love, reverence, obey, and assist. This doesn't always mean to do everything the parent says because if they tell you to disobey God then you should not obey them. God still comes first.
This one is probably very hard for many people. Those with abusive parents especially. I was blessed with some really good parents myself so I don't really have much trouble with this one. Not that I know of offhand anyway...perhaps I should ask my mother. Her view might be different. Then again...I best be sure I'm ready to hear the truth first...
Saturday, May 7, 2011
The Fourth Commandment
"Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy." Exodus 20:8-11
This means exactly what it says. You work for 6 days and rest on the 7th day. Not just you either it is for your entire household and anyone that works for you. It also says to keep it holy...so on that day you are supposed to be worshiping or doing "holy" things. This was to be a day of complete rest.
This was also the seventh day. Which is Saturday. These days people tend to forget that Sunday is actually the first day of the week. I'm not sure how much this really matters. If the spirit of the law is observed...the letter of the law may not be so important. These days the world makes it very difficult to observe the sabbath on Saturday. Then again maybe God wants us to make the effort?
Many people think that the Sabbath is no longer required. Jesus observed the Sabbath himself however as did his disciples. They just didn't always observe it the way the Jewish Authorities thought it should be observed. They did what the authorities considered "work" on the sabbath. Jesus said that the "sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath."
These days with all the rushing about and activities that folks are involved in a day of rest is even more important. Everyone needs rest once in awhile...mental and emotional, as well as physical. This is a day when the television and telephone should be turned off too. Just get away from the world. Rest. Remember God.
This means exactly what it says. You work for 6 days and rest on the 7th day. Not just you either it is for your entire household and anyone that works for you. It also says to keep it holy...so on that day you are supposed to be worshiping or doing "holy" things. This was to be a day of complete rest.
This was also the seventh day. Which is Saturday. These days people tend to forget that Sunday is actually the first day of the week. I'm not sure how much this really matters. If the spirit of the law is observed...the letter of the law may not be so important. These days the world makes it very difficult to observe the sabbath on Saturday. Then again maybe God wants us to make the effort?
Many people think that the Sabbath is no longer required. Jesus observed the Sabbath himself however as did his disciples. They just didn't always observe it the way the Jewish Authorities thought it should be observed. They did what the authorities considered "work" on the sabbath. Jesus said that the "sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath."
These days with all the rushing about and activities that folks are involved in a day of rest is even more important. Everyone needs rest once in awhile...mental and emotional, as well as physical. This is a day when the television and telephone should be turned off too. Just get away from the world. Rest. Remember God.
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