The Ten Commandments are essentially a set of standards for the people
of God to conduct their lives. Whether we know it or not, these commandments
have such a rippling effect that they are mirrored in many constitutions of
many nations of the world today. They are a set of values that define the
people of God. So anyone who lives out this set of values will develop a
righteous and upright life. Basically, these commandments emphasize one thing –
esteem. They constitute the call to esteem God, His name, and the Sabbath,
which is the Lord’s Day. They also contain the call to esteem one’s parents, the
life of others, one’s marriage as well as to esteem the property and reputation
of others.
In
Deuteronomy 5:18 is the seventh commandment. It is a call to esteem one’s
marriage by not committing adultery. So it states, “You shall not commit
adultery.” Breaking this commandment will violate the sanctity of one’s
marriage. Adultery is simply defined as a sexual union one has with a
person who is not one’s spouse. God is calling for every husband or wife to
exercise complete faithfulness to one’s spouse. Sexual intimacy, a one-flesh
experience should only be enjoyed within the confine of a marriage between a
husband and his wife. God wants us to be faithful people even in marriage. To
have sexual relations with another person who is not one’s spouse will violate
faithfulness.
The
Lord Jesus in Matthew 5:27-30 took this call even further. He did not deal with
just the act of adultery but the intention of it. So He said, “…everyone who
looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her
in his heart. If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and
throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of
your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. If your
right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is
better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your
whole body to go into hell.”
Jesus
shows us in Matthew 5:27 that the best way to prevent adultery is to deal with
the intention. And intention always starts with the eye. So the first thing to
do is to guard what one sets one’s eyes upon. In hyperbolic language, Jesus is calling
for a radical discipline with the thing we set eyes on. Any unfaithful act in
marriage always begins with what one focuses one’s sight on. In our world
today, it is so easy for a person to indulge in anything that is pornographic. It
is readily available at the click of a finger or the pressing of a TV remote
control. Then from incessant ogling of those undesirable materials will come the follow-up
actions, if they are not immediately and swiftly dealt with.
The
seventh commandment tells us that there is only one place for sexual union and
that’s in the marriage. This commandment seeks to protect faithfulness
in marriage. The violation of this commandment has led to much of the
misery seen in the world today. Societies are teeming with problems such as
broken relationships, needless abortions, maladjusted children, the
proliferation of single parents, etc. All because of the violation of this call
to faithful and responsible sexual relationships. As we conclude, remember that
adultery is an irresponsible unfaithful act that always originates from one’s heart.
So be sure to guard our hearts with all diligence.
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