Who Is an Adulterer? Part 2 B

Job said in Job 31 I made a covenant with my eyes.

Why then should I think upon a maid you know is covenant was not to look, you better make a covenant with your eyes you'll recognize thought. His father allowed his eyes privilege and are $73,000 from her church. How did she explain her actions while she told the police, Satan had a big part in the theft well while Satan's attempt or he wants people to do wrong. Can we really blame him for our evil deeds.

Consider that today on grace to you as John MacArthur looks at who is ultimately responsible for our sin and how we can be delivered from a depraved heart. John's current study is titled the sinfulness of sin. If you have your Bibles turn to the book of Matthew. And here's John MacArthur, Matthew chapter 5 verses 27 through 30.

Let me read them as you follow even heard that it was said, thou shalt not commit adultery but I sent you, that whosoever look at on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart, and if thy right eye offend the pluck it out and cast it from the for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

And if thy right hand offend the cut it off and cast it from the for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

Obviously, our Lord is talking here about soon but see how he gets at it with the illustration of adultery in verse 27, three points, the deed, the desire and the deliverance is very simple, very clear. First of all, the deed you have heard that it was said, thou shalt not commit adultery phrased by them of old as in all the older manuscripts. It certainly fitting that it's there in a sense, because it used elsewhere in the same section, but better manuscript, leave it out so well omitted.

You have heard that it was said, thou shalt not commit adultery. Now that's the deed God's law said, thou shalt not commit adultery. Exodus chapter 20 verse 14 Deuteronomy where you have do her own Armas. The second law it's repeated in 518. Neither shalt thou commit adultery is very clear. The Bible leaves absolutely no question about this particular sin, the deed is condemned is an evil deed is in heinous crime to commit adultery is a vile, evil, wretched manifestation of a vile heart and the Bible is very clear about in Leviticus 18 and Leviticus 20.

The penalty could be death. A very serious crime, ending in death for the one who committed it.

So we see the deed condemned by God. Now you'll notice that in our passage in Matthew, it was the leaders of the rabbinic tradition that said, thou shalt not commit adultery. They were right. They were wrong. We are implying that all we are only saying they never went Florida.

They were right.

It was evil, God did say don't do it.

It was a serious crime still in the let me talk for a moment about the word itself.

The word adultery is a very simple word the root means this unlawful intercourse with the spouse of someone else. That's basically the technical meaning physical sexual relationship with somebody else's spouse must Bible scholar see it not only as a command not to engage in sexual activity with somebody else's spouse, but see it in a general sense, because the word is also used in a general way and some other sources.

For example, in some places the word means to seduce or violate a woman that's very general married or unmarried woman. Other places it is translated to commit harlotry so that generally the word has been used to speak of any kind of illicit intercourse at all and anything is illicit outside the bond of marriage. So primarily.

It refers to a sexual relationship that violates a marriage but I believe it can. The spirit of it extends farther to include any kind of illicit sexual behavior and I think the wideness of it is indicated and what our Lord says in verse 28 where he says that anybody who looks on any woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart and the woman he speaks of here. He doesn't say whether she's married or not. It's so broad that anybody who lust after any woman has committed adultery in his heart, so the Lord is using the term in the broadest possible manner anybody in any woman only tell you people. This is a sin that really way is really waves the banner today. It's as if we just completely turn our back on this somebody I read Proverbs 5, six and seven before they ever engage in this Proverbs, five, six and seven just speak so pointedly to the devastation caused by the sin of sexual adultery or fornication is a sin for fools. Witness David and the results witness Shechem who defiled Diane was later slaughtered. Witness Absalom who defiled others in the sexual sins and wound up being hanged in a tree.

It is a sin for fools. The Bible says you take fire into your bosom, fornicators and adulterers Hebrews 13, for God will judge the New Testament reiterates with finality and firmness. This prohibition first Corinthians chapter 6 condemns it. Second Peter chapter 2 condemns it. Revelation chapter 2 condemns it the end of the book of Revelation says it fornicators and adulterers won't even enter into God's kingdom. It is a serious heinous file crime sexual immorality today in any day is just as violent, just as heinous, just as evil as it was then, and I don't care if you're engaged. I don't care if you're going together. I don't care if you believe you love each other.

I don't care whatever it is, apart from the bond of monogamous marriage an active sexual relationship is a heinous crime and we need to say it like that in our day because people don't believe that. So the deed. But Jesus isn't finished with the deed.

He wants to talk about the desire in verse 28. This is what he says but I say unto you, in other words, you went as far as you went but you never went far enough you stop with the externals I say to you, whosoever anybody looking on any woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart. Now this is a fascinating verse.

There's much I want you to see the Lord forces the self-righteous to the fact that they're not holy.

The Pharisees are saying we don't do that we don't commit that soon Jesus drives them right down to their hearts as if Psalm 6618 became a reality. If I regard iniquity in my what heart the Lord will not hear me. God is always examining the sin of the heart is the internal that breaks the relationship so it is that Jesus says I am concerned about what's on the inside but look at the terms but I it's emphatic to go is there the pronoun is there because he is saying I am the new authority you had your authority to rabbinic tradition. Sometimes it was true to Moses. Sometimes it was not. In this case it was true to Moses, but nonetheless he is referring to the rabbinic tradition you had that, but I am a new authority and by the way he said this in such an authoritative way that when he was finished with the sermon they were shocked because he spoke with such authority. I say that class V anybody whosoever will present participle is in the process of continuing to look at what continuous action bubble continued state you see idea. It is of the inadvertent accidental glance that's not what our Lord is talking about is the purposeful repeated lustful looking isn't the involuntary glance at all is that which is purposeful and by the way, assured interesting thing about this verse listen to what he says whoever looks on a woman to lust after her notice of this.

He doesn't say commits adultery. No say that whoever looks on a woman to lust after her commits adultery.

Now he says whoever looks on a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery in his heart. Why, because it is the vile adulterous heart that results in the want to look you see the sin is already happened in the heart. The adultery is conceived and thus the look is prompted. That's why you may find in this life that someone passes into your gaze involuntarily and appears as a temptation from Satan or maybe even trying to attract attention and an involuntary glance means you just resisted turn away what when you latch on and you cultivate and you pursue the desire is because your lustful adulterous heart has been seeking an object, and you fulfill the fantasy, it's already there in your heart knows the word lust is very helpful to see the Greek here, whoever looks on a woman to lust and it uses a Greek form for you Greek students crosstalk with the infinitive. Anytime you see that it means a purpose with the purpose of lasting. In other words, it isn't an involuntary glance, it is a purposeful one. The heart is filled with adultery, wanting to find an object to which to attach the fantasy, it's when you you're looking for the woman to lust after one year you you go to the film because you know when you get there you will see what you desire in your heart to see that which will meet your lust. It's when you go around the dial on the television to find the thing that panders your lust when you seek the object.

It's the purpose so it would read this way emphatically, I say to you that whoever continues looking on a woman for the purpose of lusting gives evidence of already committing adultery in his heart continued look is the manifestation of the vile heart and soul what Jesus is saying is this, it's the heart that's the problem. And also if you just said whoever looks on a woman to lust after her is committing adultery, somebody would've said will you not just monumental business and there she came in and and she was very attractive and and so for the sauna and it just kinda happened. That is what the Lord is talking about. He's saying if that happens, it's because already in your heart is a vile lusting adulterous attitude. So you see it's the heart that is the problem is the heart that has to be transformed.

That's what he saying it's out of the heart proceeds evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornication he is condemning looking at a woman as an object to gratify an adulterous heart. We just had this temptation to illicit sexual desire is not sin, temptation, Satan may tempt you. Satan may draw something into tempt the sin comes in what you do with if you entertain the temptation. If you maintain the temptation. If you pander those evil thoughts that it becomes the sin Stier says he who experiences at a first glance, this desire and then instead of turning away and withdrawing from sin continues to look in order to retain and increase the desire commits the sin, it's when it's pander it. Second Samuel chapter 11 David is walking on his roof and he looks over here is Bathsheba innocently enough, perhaps, never dreaming that she could be seen from the king's porch.

Perhaps feeling very safe.

There is bathing in David's. Instead of turning away and going back to where he should be continues to look and looked and looked until his adulterous heart brings forth adultery and lust and it ultimately ended both in the act in the murder of her husband. Somebody has said so a thought and reap an act so enact and reap a habit. So I have and reap a character so a character and reap destiny and it all starts when you sow a thought, Ellis, the Bible says to the pure all things are pure, but to the one his heart is defiled, he will defile everything you look at something beautiful and make it something ugly. That's because his heart is defile.

That's why there's pornography. People that's why we have dirty books, dirty magazines, dirty movies, dirty music, dirty television shows dirty jokes, dirty stories, dirty words. That's why we have all of that kinda stuff because the heart of man is so evil and man finds things to panders adulterous heart Jesus is saying if you've ever done that, you know the depths of sin, you know that only a transformation of the inside to make a difference. Arthur pink writing.

Years ago, said by clear and necessary implication Christ here also forbade the using of any other of our senses and members to stir up lust if lustful looking is so grievous to sin than those who dress and expose themselves with desires to be looked at and lusted after.

As Jezebel who painted her face tired her head and looked out of the window are not less, but perhaps more guilty in this matter. It is not only too often the case that men sin, but women tempt them so to do, how great then must be the guilt of the great majority of the modern Mrs. who deliberately seek to arouse the sexual passions of our young men and how much greater still is the guilt of most of their mothers for allowing them to become lascivious temp versus those both ways and I think our Lord here is talking about a man lusting after a woman in his illustration buddies. Assuming that goes the other way that women also lust after men. Both are wrong and creating the last. By the way you dress. No actually sometimes fear when summer comes because of the impropriety of people in the way they dress because I don't think it assists the worship of the Lord and I'm always concerned about that and I hope your prayerful about it.

No wonder Job said in Job 31 I made a covenant with my eyes.

I made a covenant with my eyes. Why then should I think upon a maid. You know what his covenant was not to look not to. You better make a covenant with your eyes, Job went on to save my step path turned out of the way and mine heart walked after my eyes and any blot health clung to my hands, then let me so and let another eat. In other words, if I break the covenant with my eyes let me start what he say Job recognized the thought his father to the deed, and that if he allowed his eyes the privilege they would pander his adulterous heart.

Psalm one 1937 says turn. It's a prayer to the Lord turn my eyes away from beholding vanity.

So what our Lord is saying is that the heart has to be dealt with as the heart is the issue that's the thrust number love it if you're if you're a believer in Jesus Christ. You have a new heart but all of the flesh sinfulness that still there raises its ugly head. Doesn't Satan comes to tempt. I hope you made a covenant with your eyes. You have the resource for victory Jesus is saying to these Pharisees.

Your problem is too deep for your self-righteousness to handle. Then he goes a step further.

This is the final point will hurry to a conclusion and that is the deliverance how to get out of the situation from the deed to the desire to the deliverance look at this. This is really fascinating.

If you're right, I offend you, pluck it out and cast it from you for its profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, not the whole body should be cast into hell if thy right hand offend the cut it off and cast it from the Fords profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell when you first read that you say will that's absolutely incongruous. If you saying the issue is the heart what she sent.

Pluck out the eye for don't blind people last you better believe it. If you plucked out your right I had a lustful heart your left Idlewild making up time for your loss right.

The point is Jesus is not saying that there is a physical remedy for a heart problem that would undermine the this is what you say to do it. You the right guy in the right arm in the right leg were symbols of the best facility that a man had the right was always symbolic of the better of the two and he is simply saying there is nothing too precious to eliminate from your life. If it going to cause your heart to be pandered in its adulterous desires. 47 Matthew chapter 18 verse seven will end of the world because of offenses. It must needs be that offenses come, but woe to that man by whom the offense is, if thy hand offend the cut it off, cast it from the it's better for thee to enter into life, Lehman maimed that having two hands to be cast into everlasting fire. If thine eye offend the pluck it out casted from the it's better to enter into life with one eye, rather than two eyes and be cast into hell fire all is really saying is that anything that causes a man to remain in his season, and a pen or the adulterous heart and the evil heart should be eliminated if it is the most precious thing you have people come as a well I'm leaving my wife wife well because I found the wherein Lilo. She means everything to me done for get rid of pandering your last condemning your soul. So Jesus calls for immediate action.

He diagnoses the problem and says, pluck it out, cut off whatever is in your life, whatever it is, whatever it is that feeds that heart of lust. Whatever it is that feeds that adulterous lot get rid of it. You go to with theater and you want something it does. I don't go get rid of. If you have that problem with the television get rid of it. If you read things like that. Get rid of them if you got magazines lying around with pictures like that from the trash burden get rid of. He is not really talking about the physical.

We know that he knows of cutting off your right hand is going to change in adulterous heart plucking out your right eye is going to change in adulterous heart what he is saying is take the most precious thing you have your right arm your right eye if need be and get rid of it. If it stands in the way if it brings you to sin was the word offend just briefly verse 29 offend verse 30 offend scandal on the Greek use of a trap. In fact, literally a big stick in a trap in a trap that stick a bait stick and Leanne would come grab the bait of the bait stick and the trap would close whatever it is in your life that causes these vile evil thoughts get rid of others.

This is a kind of a subtlety in this whole thing. The estimates could these scribes and Pharisees get rid of these problems could the fact the matter is they couldn't Jesus again is giving them an impossible standard of frustration to stomach them say we try we can't. The Lord said, boy, you're better off to have no line and no harm, then to going to hell you say with the lizard better my tail that my life and they're going to say that we can we we can get this deliverance and so they're going to come to the desperation of saying we must have somebody do it for us must have a new heart, new life and that is precisely what the Lord offers you're listening to John MacArthur, Chancellor of the Masters University in seminary's current study here on grace to you is titled the sinfulness of sin.

John you know there's a strategy that's popular for dealing with temptation and sin.

Accountability groups maybe you had some experience with this John for Christians who are serious about fighting sin, mortifying sin in their own lives. Finding support from others in that fight might seem to be a good strategy. Were your thoughts about this. The Bible does say confess your faults one to another in the book of James. You know if the if any of us is overwhelmed by sin.

We go to the elders and the elders can pray for us and that can bring us the communion with God that we desperately need. God hears and answers that prayer that can be part of rescuing us from sinful conditions, but I don't think accountability groups.

I don't think that that is necessarily or at all the primary place where sin is going to be honestly dealt with.

You play any game you want to play at that level. Sin has to be basically one in the heart. It has to be one in side of every believer are you know you can keep things from anybody.

You can keep things from your spouse, you can keep things from your children.

You can keep things from your friends you can you can let out only what you choose to let out and and maybe sometimes you seem like a more noble person if you will reveal some sins but but very likely most people are going to cover themselves at some point with something that's too deep and too disturbing.

So I think that you can't expect any external relationship to be the key to victory in your Christian life victory over sin have to win the battle on the inside because James says sin conceives in the heart and sin then produces lust and lust when it's brought forth produces sin, and sin produces death, but all start singing inside. So what mechanism has God given us individually on the inside to help us in that battle. The answer is conscience conscience and that is why I wrote the book the vanishing conscience and it if you don't have an active conscience you your your battles going to be much more difficult. So the conscience is activated by a true understanding of the law of God and the truth of God. If I if I'm in the word of God. My conscience is constantly being informed by the will of God the honor and glory of God and the developing my love for God that then activates my conscience when it moves in the direction of sin, because I'm about to be about to be indicted by my conscience. So when active conscience is the first weapon against sin and it becomes only as active as your understanding of the revelation of God which he has revealed his will and his holy desires for the believer. Thanks John, that is a very helpful answer, and friend. If you want to keep your conscience strong and make sure that it's being informed by God's word pick up the book, John mentioned the vanishing conscience.

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Get in touch today. Our number here 855 grace or go to our website Jide TY.org the vanishing conscience will show you how sin silences the conscience and how to overcome those sins and keep your conscience working right again.

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