Introduction

Today, we have before us the potent themes of adultery and lust. These are very relevant subjects to address in any time, but they seem to have a special cutting edge in our visual age of television, movies, and the internet. Voyeurism has been elevated to a new level without compare in the pre-technological eras of the past. What the printed forms of pornography could not do, the new visual forms have done. Namely, they spread sexual perversion and distortion around the globe instantly putting the gratification of the lusts of the flesh literally at our fingertips.

Hearing what Jesus has to say about adultery and lust is important for holiness in the lives of those who seek to serve Him. We have His exposition of the seventh commandment here in the Sermon on the Mount (Mat. 5.27-32; our attention today is on vs. 27-28). What we have is the word of Jesus that stands in marked antithesis to the prevailing and pervasive sexual culture of our day. The passage unfolds in three sections (the depth, 27-28; the duty, 29-30, and the violation, 31-32 of the seventh commandment; these could be three points in one message or three separate messages). We will consider each separately beginning today with the depth of this commandment.

The outline will accent the negative cast conveyed by the "you shall not." We will discuss what this law forbids in two ways: it forbids adulterous acts and it forbids adulterous thoughts. As we consider these two things, we will work our way to the positive implications. What we will see is that both the negative and positive aspects of this command reveal its true depth (hence the title for this message).

1A. The seventh commandment forbids adulterous acts

It forbids all overt acts of adultery (v. 27, "you shall not commit adultery"). To understand what the seventh law forbids, we need a definition of adultery. Once we have that definition we can shift gears to what the prohibition intends to accomplish (i.e., the intention behind it) and then we can shift gears again to the levels of implication and encouragement.

1B. Definition

It is immediately evident that adultery has a marital context. Such is the commonplace usage of the term. When we hear about an adulterer, we intuitively know that the reference is to a married person. In this very explanation of adultery, Jesus shows us that it is inseparably tied to marriage (vs. 31-32, cf. "wife," "marries," in relation to the severing of a marriage by divorce). Thus, we get right to the core of this sin; it means breaking of the marriage covenant at the point of shared intimacy. Man and wife are physically one flesh since man was created first and the woman was taken from the man. The literal joining of body-to-body typifies this union, which represents the bond of marriage as a whole. The specialness of the marriage union in every respect stands out in the wonderful statement "They were both naked and not ashamed" (Gen. 2.25). It is important to note that when Adam and Eve become self-conscious about their nakedness the cause is sin (Gen.2.16-17; 3.6-7). Nakedness in marriage is not sin but a dimension of the marital union geared to a divinely given pleasure.

It is a simple fact that having sex between husband and wife is not just something enjoyable that married people do, it is something the Lord encourages, even commands (1 Cor 7.1-5). In 1 Corinthians 7, the command sets everything in a giving mode (v. 3). Neither party has power of their own body; it is for the other (v. 4). Nothing is oriented to taking; everything centers on giving. Thus, the husband should think of his body as belonging to his wife. Her needs must be his first consideration in comparison with his needs. He is to give to her what she needs and thus what belongs to her under her authority (his body belongs to her; he is to give himself to her in recognition of that fact). The same applies in reverse to the wife who is to consider her husband’s needs and thus what belongs to him under his authority (her body belongs to him; she is to give herself to him in recognition of that fact). The accent is on giving to the other in a give and take that considers the other’s needs first. Thus, the husband first looks at his duty to give and in that way, he makes it his concern that he lovingly promote his wife’s fullest pleasure. Likewise, the wife first looks at her duty to give and in that way, she makes it her concern that she lovingly promote her husband’s fullest pleasure.

Let me try to say this in another way to make the point as clearly as possible: the husband has authority over his wife’s body and she has authority over his body but neither asserts their rights. The husband has rights but he subordinates them to his wife. The wife has rights but she subordinates them to her husband. Therefore, the accent is "the husband should give to his wife" and likewise the wife should give to her husband (v. 3). This mutuality symbolizes their union in the totality of their lives. It is always tempered with the "no you, no you" meaning that "not what I want first but what you want first, not my good, comfort and happiness first but your good, comfort and happiness first."

If one violates the intimacy of marriage, he or she strikes at the core of the covenant of love that defines marriage. At the core, each seeks to promote the others’ well-being in body and soul. The key is self-control (1 Cor. 7.5 with 6.12-13). The sex drive is a strong one; one of the best defenses is a strong offense. A healthy mutuality that avoids sexual distance even for religious purposes prevents weakness and loss of control.

The husband’s body belongs to the wife and the wife’s body belongs to the husband. This is an exclusive covenant. Anything that breaks that exclusivity is sin.

Adultery is therefore any sexual violation of the marriage bond. It is any sexual deviation from the God-ordained institution of marriage. It is any illicit, illegitimate, or immoral sexual activity on the part of a married person.

It refers to sexual intercourse on the part of a married person, outside the bounds of his marriage, which is heterosexual, homosexual, or mono-sexual (as is the case with masturbation). A married person may commit these sins. Non-married persons may commit them as well but the reference point for defining these things as evils is marriage. It is the yardstick or measuring tape that defines the proper boundaries of sex. It is the plumb line, which checks to see if our sexual conduct is plumb, true, and "on the level." Thus, in a narrow sense when a married person commits any of these things the sin is that of adultery. Adultery also has a broader sense that accents the violation of marriage in principle by anyone (whether married or not). Definition is important let having a handle on a pot or pan on the stove to keep from getting burned.

2B. Intention

The marriage context associated with adultery suggests that this command has the purpose of guarding the sanctity and exclusiveness of the marital union. Therefore, this commandment forbids any kind of immorality that violates the sanctity and exclusiveness of marriage. It forbids any other sexual activity that goes against the Creator’s design for our sexual capacities within the marriage covenant between man and wife (cf. Rom 1 on design and its perversion by sin).

3B. Implication

The commandment against adultery implies the preservation of bodily purity with sex confined to marriage. The commandment against adultery 1) presupposes the Creator’s design for sex within marriage, and 2) it presupposes the fact that marriage is the framework for righteous sexual gratification. Therefore, this command forbids illicit sexual activity on the part of the unmarried as well. This command sanctifies the marriage institution and the proper function of human sexuality.

4B. Encouragement

It should be obvious that the "shall not" involves a hearty "shall." The seventh commandment tells us that marriage is good. It is wonderful, beautiful, God-given, and therefore a marvelous pleasure and a precious bond of intimacy. This law says that sex in proper boundaries is good, wonderful, beautiful, and God-given, a marvelous pleasure, and a precious bond of intimacy.

2A. The seventh commandment forbids adulterous thoughts

The Lord makes this emphasis in verse 28, "But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart."

1B. The contrast with the tradition

In the long standing view of the seventh commandment prevalent at the time of Christ (and in parallel ways prevalent today), the Pharisees stressed the overt acts of adultery. Our Lord’s contrast "but I say" does not do away with this stress but deepens it. Jesus reinforces the command against overt acts of adultery by specifying the attitude of heart that the Pharisees omitted from consideration. He specifies the fact that the command against adultery is a command against lascivious thoughts. Not only acts of the body but also lusts of the heart are included in the command.

As there is murder in the heart, likewise there is such a thing as adultery in the heart. The principle enunciated applies mutatis mutandis to women as well as to men. Simply put Play Girl voyeurism as well as Play Boy voyeurism is included in the sin of adultery.

2B. The positive implication

On the positive side of things, the depth of the command against adultery includes the principle of the preservation of marriage in the proper purity of our bodies and minds. The commandment reaches beyond the sinful fruit to its evil root. Sexual purity as a quality of righteousness is a matter of body and mind. A number of things follow from this.

1) Both touching and seeing contribute to righteous marital sexual activity

The Lord Jesus directs us back to the original creation of male, female, and the comment that they were both naked and not ashamed. What we want to stress is that there is a positive to looking at your spouse with the intent of stirring up sexual desire. We can state it like this. Looking at someone to stir up your passions commits the sin of adultery if that person is not your spouse. Likewise looking at your spouse to stir up your passions does just the opposite. It is not sin. It is holiness of mind and body that accords with the design of God for the pleasures of companionship between husband and wife. There is nothing wrong with seeing the nakedness of a spouse; the visual is part of the created design (cf. the gift of plant life "that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, Gen. 2.9).

2) Even if overt acts of adultery are not committed, the preoccupation of the mind with sinful lusts will distort the proper marriage union. Sexual love in marriage is as much a matter of mind as it is of body. Impure thoughts hamper the proper freedom of joyous sexual expression. This is simply to say that an impure thought life compromises God’s design for abundant joy and tender affection between a man and his wife. Again, we come to a very positive note. The seventh commandment structures and encourages the fullness of sexual joy that is rooted in pure hearts of love. Violation of the commandment destroys this fullness. Evil thoughts and adultery combine to defile a person according to our Lord:

And he said, "What comes out of a person is what defiles him. 21 For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person" (Mk. 7.20-23).

The kings and queens of voyeurism make a god of sexual pleasure. They are idolaters and they speak falsely when they present the Christian "puritan" ethic as saying sex is dirty, unnatural, or tainted. They pervert the clear teaching about moderation with respect to something wholesome. By analogy with our hunger drive, they are saying that the command against over-eating (against lingering too long at the table) is an old fashioned, prudish, Victorian ethic. We need to guard against these deceptive and captivating intrusions into the sanctity of marriage.

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, ¹⁰ nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor. 6:9-10).

Conclusion

1) Depth points to duty

The depth of the seventh commandment implies duties regarding sexual purity of both body and mind. There is encouragement to the fullness of pleasure provided by God in the union of husband and wife as literally one flesh. The visual experience of one another’s nakedness is a wholesome dimension of God-given sexual pleasure. There is nothing negative about seeing, touching, experiencing, and enjoying the wonders of sex (between husband and wife).

2) Duty leads to protection

Thus, both the physical contact and the visual experience have protection by this commandment. It protects the exclusiveness of the marriage covenant and cultivates deep affection between two people in a special bond of companionship for life. Obviously, then, any kind of sexual activity other than that experienced with husband or wife involves one in the sin of adultery. It includes the aspect of seeing the nakedness of another with the intent and result of stirring up sexual desire. All sensual stimulation that engages the body by touching or seeing (directly by touch or indirectly by thought) belongs within the confines of the marriage. This is a great wall of protection. It keeps intruders out and it advances happiness within.

3) The issue is Lordship

Submission to the Lordship of Christ involves a radical break with the past, "And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires" (Gal. 5:24). Now the Holy Spirit is present in your life countering the flesh (Gal. 5.17). That means that the Spirit counters your fallen sinful nature. There is a decisive break with the past and there is much to learn in the present. Thus, by grace you are to "be what you are" and work hard at living under the ownership and authority of Christ. The Christian husband’s body is not his own but the wife’s. The Christian wife’s body is not her own but the husband’s. Neither husband nor wife belong to themselves but both belong to Jesus Christ who purchased them body and soul with His own blood.

4) The promise is a taste of heaven

Trust Him, entrust yourself to the risen Lord Jesus, and work hard at preserving and promoting the true spirit and intent of the seventh commandment. In this way, you will find something wonderful and marvelous. Namely, the depth of this law points the way to righteous, holy, and God-honoring sex, pleasure, intimacy, affection, and companionship in a covenant of husband and wife that lasts a lifetime and that is truly a taste of heaven on earth.