THOU SHALT NOT COMMIT ADULTERY
What does this mean?
We should fear and love God that we may lead a chaste and decent life in
word and in deed, and each love and honour his spouse.
This commandment has the distinct bearing on the marriage relationship between a man and a
woman. While the world today may have many and varied relaxed opinions on marriage, we as the
forgiven people of God will heed his advice. Since the advice of God is for a blessed, happy,
harmonious relationship between one man and one woman. While at times one may miserably fail in a
relationship with a spouse, yet this commandment or directive of God give one a marvellous goal for
which to aspire and achieve. By the way this archaic word ‘spouse’ according to my Concise English
Dictionary has as its root meaning a husband and wife. Nothing more, nothing less.
So what we are now considering is marriage – the relationship between a man and woman.
This has been a century’s old definition, which, however, some people today want to redefine
according to their misguided attitude as to what constitutes marriage. We are encouraged to keep
marriage in a pure relationship. As Christians we will desire, as in all things, to sanctify this holy estate
with the Word of God and prayer.
It was with interest that I read an article in the October 22 nd 2015 issue of the Herald Sun. In
bold print a headline for this particular article had:“SINFUL BIBLE UP FOR GRABS”
There is a rare 1631 edition of a Bible going to auction. The copy is tipped to fetch about
$30,000. It is only one of seven still in existence. You may believe that many a Christian collector of
old bibles would hasten to attend the auction and purchase this Bible. I do not believe that will
eventuate. I surmise that probably a proponent of liberalising and misinterpreting the concept of
marriage will aspire to purchase it.
You may ask why I state that. Well this particular edition would open the flood gates for
‘anything goes’ in marriage and indeed promotes promiscuity. Why? Well, there was a misprint in this
edition. One small word was omitted. It led to the financial ruination of the publisher. You see he had
omitted to print the word ‘not’ in relation to the Sixth Commandment. His edition read, ‘You shall
commit adultery’. It was an unfortunate omission, but yet has the stamp of approval by many, many
people today. Maybe we are to be included amongst that host of people who give tacit approval.
HOW OFTEN? AND HOW MANY?
How often have you committed adultery? With how many people? You may say that is a most
absurd question you are placing before us churchgoers. Sadly it is not a question I am posing. It is a
question God is posing.
Matthew 5:28 whoever looks at a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with
her already in his heart.
As men we may look at many women, or woman at men. We cannot avoid doing that as we
live each day here on earth among people. The question is how we look at them. Does, even in a
small notion, lust creep in and immoral thoughts occupy our minds and thinking? If so then that is
adultery. I remember that in my Seminary years one of our lecturers posed the question, “How many
people will be lining up in heaven to give God indication as to how often we broke this
commandment?” How might we rightly say ‘mea culpa’, I am guilty. God have mercy on me.
IN WORD AND IN DEED
We can do discredit to this commandment even if we have not been guilty of actual, physical
adultery. We have just noted our thought, but what about our words? How many jokes are told with
sexual innuendo? How much filthy talking goes on between people?
We need to be aware of inappropriate dressing. Fashion is good. There is the saying that
‘clothes makes the man’. Wearing old, tattered dirty clothes when one can dress neatly ought not to be
the goal of any person. There is also the saying ‘cleanliness next to godliness is great gain.’ Care in
how we dress is important. What is more important that we do not dress in order to seduce another
into immoral acts with us? I hope the saying ‘dressed to kill’ is not in connection with seduction.
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One needs to be wary of suggestive movements of the body. Body language can speak as
loudly as actual words. There is that lifelong challenge to live in the manner that is pleasing to God and
not in collusion with the sinful corrupt world.
FLEE AND AVOID OPPORTUNITIES FOR SINNING.
I like the words of the Hymn 266 in our hymn book.
God’s Word is our great heritage,
Our guide on life’s way,
And shall be ours forever;
In death ‘tis our stay.
To spread its light from age to age
Lord, while worlds endure,
Shall be our chief endeavour.
May we retain it pure
Throughout all generations.
How good it is to have as our Christian heritage the Word of God to guide during our journey
here on the earth! With respect to the Sixth Commandment these words will ring loud and clear in our
ears as we seek to live life in a Christ-like manner.
Proverbs 1:10 my son, if sinners entice you, do not consent.
1 Corinthians 6:19 Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, which is in
you, which you have of God and you are not your own.
Many will be the temptations we may face, but even more is the help, guidance and protection
God will give to us in those moments. He is not far from us for we are reminded by St Paul who wrote
to the Corinthians; ‘our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.’ How good it is to receive the
Sacrament of Holy Communion, where we are linked in a real and positive way with Jesus our Saviour.
We do not need to reach out to God, but rather fully recognise he is right there with us in all of our
moments of temptation. Allow God and his Word guide, help and strengthen you.
LUTHER’S EXPLANATION
It is rather interesting that as Luther explains each commandment, this commandment is
different to the others. The other nine have both thoughts of prohibition and encouragement to act in a
manner pleasing to God. Here in the Sixth Commandment Luther proffers no prohibitions but only
encouragement.
He mentions leading chaste and decent lives in word and deed and for each to love and
honour his spouse. He is fully aware that marriage is a life-long union, instituted by God, for the
welfare of the couple, i.e. a man and a woman. Let us research this concept as we view Genesis 2:1824.
V 18 it is not good for a man to live alone. I will make a suitable companion for him.
He had created Adam and given him life. There was yet still something missing for Adam. He
had no companion. It is interesting that God initially made companions for Adam in the same manner
as He made Adam. He ‘took soil from the ground and formed the animals and birds’.
v.20 He made animals .. but there were none suitable.
Though it is nice to have pets, and they can be wonderful companions, yet their
companionship is totally different to the true needs of a person. God’s act of creation had not yet been
completed in creating true companionship for people.
v.21 caused a deep sleep and took man’s ribs.
v.22 formed woman from the rib.
There is a certain oneness in marriage. Adam and Eve shared in common flesh. There was a
uniqueness in their being. Though different in physical attributes according to their sex they were not
different in their existence. They had common or similar flesh. There was a oneness with them; neither
superior to the other. However they complemented each other. Together they formed a wonderful
identity. Adam had a companion. Eve had a companion.
v.23 at last here is one of my own kind.
The companions Adam was given in verse twenty were nothing compared to his companion
Eve. She was not a bird which flew in the air, or a fish which swam in the sea, or an animal that walked
on the earth. Eve was in all manner like unto Adam.
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v.23 bone from my bone, and flesh from my flesh.
What a glorious unity is created in marriage, when a man and a woman are linked together in
holy matrimony. You can understand why a marriage between a man and woman is to be held in high
esteem. God in his wisdom has given to us this directive about marriage. May all couples allow God to
guide and direct their union!
v.24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united with his wife, and
they become one flesh.
There is an innate desire in people, as they grow in years, to leave their family home. There
they have encountered warmth and love from their parents, but there comes the time to leave that
family nest and create one of their own with their partner for life. This is natural and beneficial. How
blessed is such a union.
Of this marital union Jesus has these comments.
Mark 10:6-9 But in the beginning, at the time of creation, ‘God made them male and
female,’ as the Scripture says. And for this reason a man will leave his father and mother and
unite with his wife and the two will become one.’ So they are no longer two, but one. Man must
not separate, then, what God has joined together.
I found it interesting as I read this passage from Genesis the comments that God sought a
suitable companion for Adam. The selection was ultimately Eve, the concept of one man and one
woman. They were to become one flesh. This raises the question of same sex ‘marriages’. They can
never fulfil the requirements God has for marriage.
MARRIAGE
Unlike much of the thinking of his day, which saw marriage only as a means of procreation and
no more, Luther agreed that marriage was for the creation of children, but was much more. It was for a
mutual enjoyable relationship of a man and woman in body, mind and spirit.
Marriage is to be a lifelong union between one man and one woman. In the 1960’s human
relationship was denigrating into what was termed ‘free love’. That meant that people could flit from
one person to another, like a bee going from flower to flower, however without any concern or
responsibility to the person with whom they had physical relationship. “If it makes me feel good why
should I bother how it affects the other person?” However from God we have the modelling of human
relationships in marriage.
1 Corinthians 7:2 every man should have his own wife and every woman her own
husband.
In marriage there needs to be mutual understanding and feelings towards the partner. One
should not think of their wants alone but consider the needs of their partner.
1 Corinthians 7:3 a man should fulfil his duty as a husband, and a wife fulfil her duty as
a wife, and each should satisfy the other’s needs.
ALLOW GOD
As we consider marriage we ought to let God’s directives guide us. In our society we are
bombarded with many variant concepts of marriage and what it is to be. The world may suggest that
adultery is OK. They critically say, You Christians are such straight laced, narrow minded, bigoted
people with your attitude on marriage”. This is nothing new. There has and always will be, people who
would seduce us to lower or even dispense with the noble concept of marriage between a man and
woman. In such circumstances the example of Joseph is salutary, when Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce
him.
Genesis 39:9 how then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God.
Rather than allowing our minds to dwell on illicit love, let us resolve to lead a chaste and
decent life in word and deed. Turn to God and seek his help to live truly noble lives.
Psalm 51:10 create in me a clean heart O God.
These are the words of David in his anguish of having sinned and committed adultery with
Bathsheba. God surely had forgiven David. Knowing this forgiveness David no longer wished to walk
in that path of unrighteousness. When one senses and rightly understands God’s forgiveness, one is
moved to now walk in the ways of God.
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EPHESIANS 5:21-33
It is in this passage of Scripture we have good guidelines on how people are to live in
marriage. Sadly it has often been interpreted by some according to their whimsical follies. I know of
one man who indeed did adhere to verse twenty two when it came to his wife.
v.22 wives, submit to your husbands.
You know when you take the ‘text’ out of context, you always come up with a con. How he
tried to con his wife into slave-like submission. Again he honed in on
v.23 for a husband has authority over his wife.
The Greek word here for ‘submission’ does not allow for one to lord it over another and make
demands. It has the more wonderful concept that those in authority will seek with all their might to
serve and help those who would submit to them. It speaks of service not slavery.
Sadly this man, with disregard for the Scripture, never looked at what followed. Yes, a
husband has authority over his wife as Christ has authority over the church. However Christ also loved
the church even as a husband is to love his wife.
v.25 Husbands love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave his life for it.
A husband will not make demands of his wife, since he ought to be too busy giving his life for
her. This has serious implications for all husbands. How many husbands make legitimate sacrifices?
That is, doing acts of holiness towards their wives. In the marriage relationship they are to be
Christlike.
Mark 10:45 For the Son of Man did not come to be served; but he to serve and give his
life to redeem many people.
When husbands and wives ponder on their relationship it ought to be one of giving and serving
each other as they think on the verse which is to preface all relationships.
Ephesians 5:21 Submit yourselves to one another because of your reverence for Christ.
CIVIL CELEBRANT OR MINISTER OF RELIGION
The trend today is to move away from Church rites for a marriage to that of civil celebrants, or
Registry Office. This should not cause us too much concern for in his day Luther stressed that
marriage was a civil occasion. Today in Australia, marriages are civil moments. As a Pastor conducting
a marriage service, I am acting in the capacity of a Civil Servant. There are certain requirements by
law I must heed. If I do not, I can be liable for a substantial fine or a term in prison. Appropriate
documents have to be filled out and forwarded to the State Office. I even have a civil licence number in
order to perform a marriage. However, I must state that I have conducted the service in accordance
with the rights of the Lutheran Church of Australia.
Legally, whether conducted by a civil celebrant or minister of religion, both orders are
legitimate. In an odd way, the Government even recognises relationships where two people choose to
cohabit. A ‘de facto’ relationship after twelve months has the same difficulties in separation as does a
marriage through divorce.
However, while marriages may be initially civil ceremonies, there is one definite asset for
Christians to come into the presence of God during their marriage ceremony. They are fully aware that
God instituted holy matrimony and so they come to seek his blessing upon their relationship. As they
seek the blessing, so they too are pledging to live their lives in that blessing. The challenge is now to
live and honour their partner.
Lord Jesus, who didst consecrate
And thankfully adore thee.
With thine own grace the marriage state.
Lead them, shield them
Bless those who kneel before thee;
Through temptation to salvation
And joined together by thy love,
By thy Spirit; may they heavenly bliss inherit.
O may they true and faithful prove,
Remember we are not saved BY works BUT FOR works – that is Christlike living.
Written and spoken by Pastor Don Heyne, 6 December 2015 at St Pauls Lutheran Church Grovedale
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