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November 22, 2021 3:00 am
There are many reasons why God tooted Mary but one of the main reasons was to prioritize the exclusive relationship between a husband and wife. So while our culture seems to tolerate adultery. Scripture clearly forbids today on Truth for Life Alastair big provides practical safeguards to help us keep God's seventh commandment offers a message of hope for those who continue in Exodus chapter 20 union in marriage is not to be intruded upon by anybody. It is not to be arbitrarily broken by anyone.
I don't care what Cosmopolitan says I don't care about people magazine trashed a lot of nice start reading your Bible if some of you young women read your Bibles as much as you read that hogwash you'd be a lot more fit for getting married and you are right now some of you men paid attention to the principles of the book of Proverbs rather than filling your head with junk you would be a lot more attractive to some of those young women as they try to make their way through ask for God's his way. It's not my prerogative to wake up in the morning and decided I'd like a new suit and by the way, I'd also like you love because after all, my suit is no longer giving me the feeling that I once had.
When I put it on. I used to like to put it on and made me feel good but now I don't feel good because it's fat where it should be thin or is thin where it should be fat or is pleaded where it should be uncompleted or is worn where it should be smooth and I don't feel good about her either because she's looking kinda warm. She looks a little fat where she should be thin little increased where she should be smooth little frayed where she wasn't before, but hey big guy anything she feels about your ugly mess. She just woke up thinking, hey, I'm lying next to Charles Atlas this is unbelievable. Got a real problem with our distended ego Stoneleigh so we get in our cars and we plug in our stereos and we listen to Elton John saying you mean everybody needs a part-time lot that sounds good.
Please part-time me. We don't need to go full-time to part-time would be fine. So the prevalent attitudes towards marriage and towards togetherness are so far removed from what the Bible says that to read the Bible as were doing the thing these issues out as we try to do now is so radical it's so radical. I am excited about how radical it isn't going to tell I'm excited about. I don't think we'll need to do very much. As Christians accept live in moral purity before you get married and live in marital fidelity afterwards that will be enough to market is out some of the weirdest people that ever walked the streets look at the seams in front of us. Look at the young woman as she says she spends on television and all of the confusion of our background and she says I never I never intended that I would give my child up for adoption into a homosexual quote family. This thing is so messed so what is the Bible say what the Bible says nobody says you shall not commit adultery, beginning the subject and the subject middle of the subject. The whole subject is not going to do this now.
Somebody needs to acknowledge that we don't of the power to fulfill this we sent out all the way going along because we look at the 10 Commandments there not a latter of which we claim to have this would be a chronicle of despair.
We already number seven but we broke every one of them getting here. Everyone on the latter last everything we try to go up again with all that were still on the ground floor maybe number six is seven down so now this letter is still probably can go anywhere with because it's not a latter of which we claim to have, and it is a mirror which choses ourselves we see ourselves what we see we see that we are more and more that we are lawbreakers.
Okay, if I cannot get to heaven by keeping the law that how the world can I ever get that namely that one to our pain to our punishment took our lawlessness on himself in order that we might be set free is the five of this message to the woman in adultery. Okay guys from the first stone with your sinless nobodies left and Jesus says I'm not going to throw stones at you either. So here's to you Mrs. Robinson.
Jesus loves you more than you can know you start what is right about but that's rights and is dusted off and in him him now to graduate his sick story multiplied millions of times to our shame, but the message to the adulterer is that Jesus loves you more than you can know the message to me in my am morality is that it will not be as a result of my ability to become more open to try and prop myself up into heaven that I will ever make it, but it will come as a result of my having to bow down and recognize that I'm a lawbreaker that I need Christ to this, then the spirit of God works in our lives to enable us to live in a way that would please the Heidelberg catechism was recorded before makes it really clear what it asked the question question 108 in the Heidelberg catechism. What does the seventh commandment teaches answer that all unchastity is condemned by God and that we should, therefore, detested from the heart. Since both are body and soul are a temple of the Holy Spirit. It is his will that we keep both pure and holy. Therefore, he forbids listen to this. He forbids all unchaste actions, gestures, words and thoughts, desires, and what ever may excite another person to them. That's what you call categorical is what you call comprehensive as what you call instruction without loopholes my kid's enemies.
It was a big deal about music that was someone who cares about how you know what is a matter of using scooters about the words why care about the words because if those words excite you to activity which contravenes the law of God or history. Why would you fill your mind with that which would turn you away from the truth. See when we commit adultery. There's a fine fold. I mentioned to in the committing adultery number one, we sin against God.
Number two, we sin against our bodies number three we sin against our partner number four we sin against our spouse and number five we sin against our partner stops.
In other words, we create huge chain reaction tragedy. Now when Jesus addressed this matter with the Pharisees who love their robes, and love their prayers and love their externals.
He wanted them to understand and you need to turn to Matthew chapter 5 that although they were technically okay. They were internally really messed up. Chapter 5 in verse 27 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's I may just apply that in 1 Obvious Way you read these dear Abby Collins, and the question keeps coming up which I which I hate to even mention from the pulpit, so I will try and be as oblique as I can, but basically the notion has to do with the place of fantasy within marriage is continually addressed in popular psychology and in the framework of popular immorality that actually it's a very helpful thing and it certainly is a very normal thing and it certainly not a harm full thing is helpful and harmful is normal just go ahead and enjoy yourself okay. What did Jesus say I want to tell you that if you look at a woman lustfully you're already committed adultery with her in your heart see voyeurism reduces our spouse to a mechanism for the fulfillment of our lust, Roger McGough, one of the Liverpool points in the 1960s penned a point called the act of love in the first verse goes like this.
The act of love lies somewhere between the belly and the mind. I lost the love some time ago now. I've only the act to grind my own bedroom darkness.
We endure the pantomime ships that go bang in the night on the ground in the sands of time and then the morning it's cornflakes and goodbye. Another Nick on the headboard another day wondering why the act of love lies somewhere between the belly and the mind. I lost the love some time ago now.
I've only the act grind. Do you know how many Christian marriages are living like that man who checked out on their wife's in every other way except their physical presence. Wife's who are ensuring a pantomime as a living single and hear a message like this concerning marriage and insight in their search of her devotion to it all because they do not know marriage is God intended it.
They do not know the joy is God for it. You don't know what it means and it cuts like a knife into their heart. This is pain.
You see that's why Jesus was so radical in his statements. He said listen, it would be better for you if you've got and I that's causing you to sin, to gouge it out and throw it away because it would be better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to send cut it off and throw it away is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell in Mark chapter 9 and verse 45. He says that if your foot causes you to send cut it off is better for you to enter life crippled and to have 2 feet and be thrown into hell is this, this is less cyst chilling, cozy. This is demanding is decisive. This is why the Puritans called the mortification of the flesh. It's something exceptionally practical loved ones. It's not a funny feeling in your tummy. It's not a wooziness is not something that comes as a result of singing Christian choruses time and time and time again, it's not. As a result of of of repeating things like a kind of mantra you can do all that you can be gifts, they can be coming out of your ears and you can be living in total sin. Five kids here this morning told a group of young people at your end zone from your face and look at your hands and answer this question, you have to answer a lot, just answer this question in your heart. Is there anything that I'm doing with my hands in private that if it was flashed up on the screen right now, so she how about your feet anywhere that your feet are going about your eyes.
What about the videos.
What about the magazines. What about the literature. What about that stuff.
Jesus is intensely practical, is an act of the well, it's not about a feeling that you get in the pit of your stomach. It's about doing things because the Bible said this, I must with the spirits. Hell, take the test. Now let me conclude by saying three things. Number one, don't fall into the trap, which will leave thinking leads to which concludes that there is no difference between mental and actual adultery. This I hear all the time. The equation goes like this well. I thought it so I guess I have done it, so I suppose I should just go ahead and do. Jesus said doing here you done so people say well I thought I must've done it. So I guess we just that is from the pit that is a devilish equation. He wants to drag you down to the Varian base of moral uselessness. There is a substantial difference between thinking about and committing adultery. There is no difference, says Jesus in terms of the punishment that he will meet out. Therefore, we cannot play fast and loose with things in our minds. However, there is a difference between what I think about what I actually do. We don't have time to go through it all, but let me tell you this number one adultery. The act of adultery breaks the marriage covenant adulterous thoughts do not.
Adultery provides grounds for divorce, adulterous thoughts do not. Adultery violates and defiles each other's bodies. It's mental counterpart does not. Adultery is the vehicle for sexually transmitted disease, whereas the mind does not transmit sexual disease second last thing I like to say is this, I want to wish you a word of warning to all of us who in both speaking and hearing this are tempted to believe that this is an unbelievable message for Mr. so-and-so who lived down the street of the guy who just left our church. It goes like this were just good friends said Jack. Who did he say that to me, send it to himself when he was driving in the car is driving the car and he was thinking about this girl who works with them. Her name is Thelma as he drove in the car and he thought about the only symptoms that were just good friends. I respect her firm mind. I like her as a business associate. There's nothing wrong with that. No, but eight months later Jack and Thelma were waking up together in the morning and Jack was no longer waiting up in the morning with his wife. Why, because Jack and Thelma were terrible moral reprobates. No, they were just like you and me. They were sitting in church eight months ago they were in charge a month ago there, nothing in their minds about being involved in cheating on their spouse months ago they were listening to messages like this taking notes and see how man but something went wrong.
Impossible you say it couldn't be. Listen. Be careful. That's what Jack in Falmouth.
What happened was simply this, because they believe they were invincible because they believe they were above that are beyond. It didn't put up any hedges around them to protect against the possibility of them falling into sin. It all started innocently enough, but then slowly imperceptibly gradually began to depend upon one another emotionally, they began to confide in one another with little secrets in private plans and shared ambitions began to justify their lunches together and extended lunches together the exchange physical touches which he said were brotherly and sisterly. They liked each other. They became special to each other they became enamored with each other and they gave themselves to one lead him who thinks he stands take heat less defaults have you planted hedges known about this. Jeff hedges do still go out for lunch is with your secretary and ask why say I have to I get fired get fire there to going to heaven filed and going to hell unfired. She came in she was upset I just went on the desk and I gave her a hug. I didn't mean to be hundred and four minutes after I started hugging William be sure you want if you don't ever hug her forcible don't linger.
Plan hedges build walls give me three Walt is going to say them.
I can expand wall number one practicing the presence of God reminding yourself all the time that Jesus is with you.
Whatever you are. Secondly, memorize the word of God fill your mind with Scripture. Psalm 119, nine and 11. Thirdly, stick with the people of God in large groups and worship in small groups and accountability. Finally, and we give you a word of encouragement. We started with John chapter 8, were going to finish with John chapter 8 and some of us are here this morning and fries.
This message is so painful. Some of us actually are probably here and we have decided that our past is actually unforgivable. We believe ourselves to send ourselves outside the love of God. We broken the seventh commandment so badly.
Maybe so continually, and we believe that were done, but I want to tell you Mr. and Mrs. Robinson that it's not so if you do truly and earnestly repent of your sentence if you do truly and earnestly cast yourself upon God's mercy, and upon his grace.
You may be forgiven.
You may be pardoned. You may be cleansed. You may be set free. But here the word which Jesus spoke to the woman as she went for the sake go and leave your life's unless you know that you are prepared to walk out of here this morning and never paid up the phone to him or her again then don't bank for six sick on the forgiveness of Christ being ministered to you for our first see is the evidence of our being forgiven. This is the word of God. We all need help and hope God provides for our marriage for every aspect of our lives been listening to Truth for Life with Alistair Begg message today is titled what God has joined together God's word is the only truth on which we can build our lives and that's why we've made it our mission here at Truth for Life to teach the Bible every day. On this program. We hope that as you listen, you're getting a deeper understanding of the Scriptures. The messages in this series on the 10 Commandments are giving us great insight and what it truly means to live life according to God's law and the instruction is certainly challenging but if you join us on a regular basis. You know, we don't skip the hard parts.
Alister often reminds us of what the apostle Paul teaches that all Scripture is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, if we aim to be students of God's word.
We need to study the whole Bible, and to learn from it regularly. The book were recommending today will be a great help to you in this regard to brand-new devotional by Alister. The title is not surprisingly Truth for Life 365 daily devotions. This is a hardcover book with daily devotions, drawn from Scripture. Each daily reading presents a short Bible passage followed by a page of Alister's commentary which provides the insights you come to value from his teaching as you look forward to a new year.
We hope you'll plan to use the Truth for Life devotional to help you commit to learning from God's word every day, you can request your copy when you donate to Truth for Life today, you'll find the book in the mobile app or you can donate and request the devotional online at truthforlife.org/donate and if your brother mail your donation along with your request for Alister's book Truth for Life 365 daily devotions. You can write to us at truth for the address is PO Box 39, 8000, Cleveland, Ohio, or ZIP Code is 44139. You could also pair your new devotional with a brand-new ESV study Bible available from truth for today ESV is the English standard translation. It's this version of the text that Alister uses to teach from the study Bible includes thousands of footnotes hundreds of maps, illustrations, architectural drawings, all of it provided so you can enhance your understanding of what you're reading comes with a black leather covered that's meant to hold up for a lifetime, and it can be purchased today for just $25 and the shipping is free if you'd like to view sample pages is a Truth for Life.org/features and if you already own the study suggest you take advantage of this low price and purchase the Bible as a gift. Again, you'll find it@truthforlife.org/features and when you add a donation, a checkup you're giving will go to support this daily program, making quality resources like this available to others at low at cost prices about Lapine. Thanks for starting your week with us, sure to join us tomorrow as Alister examines the eighth commandment short and to the point. So why do so many of us have such difficulty obeying the Bible teaching of Alistair Begg is furnished by Truth for Life where the Learning is for Living