Job. Book of Job chapter 31. If you are using, of course this is right before the book of Psalms, if you're using a pew Bible, you'll find this on page 714. Page 714. Page 714. We'll be reading the first 12 verses of Job chapter 31 in your pew Bible page 714. This is the Word of God. I have made a covenant with my eyes Why then should I look upon a young woman? For what is the allotment of God from above in the inheritance of the Almighty from on high? Is it not destruction for the wicked and disaster for the workers of iniquity? Does he not see my ways and count all my steps? If I have walked with falsehood, or if my foot is hastened to deceit, let me be weighed on honest scales that God may know my integrity. If my step has turned from the way, or my heart walked after my eyes, or if any spot adheres to my hands, then let me sow and another eat. Yes, let my harvest be rooted out. If my heart has been enticed by a woman, or if I have lurked at my neighbor's door, then let my wife grind for another. and let others bow down over her. For that would be wickedness, yea, it would be iniquity deserving of judgment. For that would be a fire that consumes to destruction and would root out all my increase. And then on page 101, just one verse, Exodus 20 verse 14, which of course is the seventh commandment which we've been considering. Exodus 20 verse 14, thou shalt not commit adultery. Well, beloved congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ, we're continuing with the general theme of the seventh commandment, sexual purity. This is part two. Today, again, we consider with this theme the law requires the preservation of sexual purity. The law requires the preservation of sexual purity. As we mentioned last week, we are in the midst of a sexual revolution. in which traditional values have all but been abandoned. And a new attitude condones virtually any deviant sexual behavior. Things that could not have been imagined even 10 or 20 years ago seem to be the things that are being practiced and promoted in our society. In the midst of such confusion, it is good to know what to do. And we indeed have the word of God. We therefore have an absolute standard to measure sexual behavior and attitudes. And it is good then to be able to model what proper sexual expression looks like. Now last week, we considered two major points. First of all, the extent of the requirement, and we noted that, of course, it applies to ourselves, but it also impacts others as well. Because most sexual sins, or many of them at least, require two or more parties. And so the comprehensiveness, or the extent of it, it extends to ourselves and to others. And then secondly, the comprehensiveness of the requirement to, that is to say, to preserve sexual purity. The comprehensiveness meant that in our heart, and in our speech, and in our behavior, we are to keep this commandment. So in the heart, in the innermost part of our being, in our speech, speech that is not corrupt, speech that is edifying instead, that is building up rather than tearing down, and in behavior. And we particularly mentioned modesty in lifestyle and in dress. Modesty in lifestyle and in dress. Now today we look at the accomplishment of this requirement. We do so particularly by looking at Job chapter 31 verses 1 through 12. The accomplishment of this requirement and focusing first of all on the resolve from the heart. The resolve from the heart. Job 31 verse 1 I have made a covenant with my eyes. Why then should I look upon a young woman? So the eyes, of course, are an important gate into the soul. They're an important gate into the soul, the eye gate. We're reminded, of course, from this passage of what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount. Remember what Jesus said in Matthew chapter 5 verses 28 and 29? But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you, for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish than for your whole body to be cast into hell. We're also reminded of other passages. In 1 Peter, 1 Peter chapter 2. I may have the wrong passage here, just one second. 2 Peter, I'm sorry, 2 Peter chapter 2. Peter writes, verse 14, Peter writes, having eyes full of adultery, having eyes full of adultery, filled with adultery, and that cannot cease from sin, enticing unstable souls. They have a heart trained in covetous practices and are accursed children. Of course, we can also think of Achan, You remember Achan who saw the goods after the destruction of Jericho, all of which were supposed to be devoted to the Lord. He saw with his eyes. He coveted, therefore, those things in his heart. And of course, he himself was judged along with his family. Or as we sang earlier today, from Psalm 119 where David says, keep my eyes from vanity. And so the importance of the eyes. So what is Job saying here as he's pleading his case, if you will? He's saying, I have made a covenant with my eyes. So to make a covenant then, to cut, literally to cut a covenant, is to enter into a pledge with himself and with God. I have been utterly serious about this, I've made a vow, I have cut a covenant. And then the end of verse one, why then should I look upon a young woman? In other words, looking as if minding her, using the mind, it has that implication there of meditating on that, it's not just not just happen to see someone, but rather meditating on that, minding it. And so Job is saying, I have made a covenant with my eyes. Indeed, why then should I look upon a young woman? But we also see, in terms of this resolve from the heart, we also see the rationale for the resolve and the covenanting. Look at verses two and three of Job 31. For what is the allotment of God from above and the inheritance of the Almighty from on high? Is it not destruction for the wicked and disaster for the workers of iniquity? There is the threat of judgment. Verse four, does he not see my ways and count all my steps? God's omniscience. Children, can you see God? No, but he always sees me. Be careful. Little eyes, what you see. Be careful, little feet where you walk, and so forth. God's omniscience. In verses five through 12, we have the certainty of divine justice. Verse five. Notice the possibility of sinning here, if I have walked with falsehood, or if my foot has hastened to deceit. And this falsehood here, it's the notion of vanity or folly. The possibility of sinning, if I have done that, what's going to happen? Verse six, let me be weighed on honest scales that God may know my integrity. God weighs us in a balance. Verse seven, we see the false steps, the corrupt heart, the lustful eyes, and the blot clinging to any acts. If my step has turned from the way, or my heart walked after my eyes, that's interesting, isn't it? Or my heart walked after my eyes. You can just see your heart walking, right? You can just see the mind walking. after, yearning for, or if any spot adheres to my hands. What are the results then? Verse eight, lack of prosperity and posterity. Then let me sow and another eat. Yes, let my harvest be rooted out. Verse nine, notice the deceitfulness of lustful desires. If my heart has been enticed by a woman or if I have lurked at my neighbor's door, if that has happened, the deceitfulness of that. Then verse 10, what is the result? It is that one's own wife would be corrupted. Then let my wife grind for another and let others bow down over her. And then we see the destruction in verses 11 and 12. For that would be wickedness. Yes, it would be iniquity deserving of judgment. For that would be a fire that consumes to destruction and would root out all my increase. So we see then the resolve from the heart. I have made a covenant with my eyes. And there was all this rationale then that follows that. Well, that's the resolve. But let's look again at the exact accomplishment of this requirement, both internally and externally. First of all, internally, it is that of the fear of God. It is that of the fear of God, of living in the fear God in Proverbs chapter 5 in Proverbs chapter 5 starting in verse 18 let your fountain be blessed and rejoice with the wife of your youth as a loving dear and a graceful doe let her breast satisfy you at all times and always be enraptured or intoxicated with her love verse 24 why should you my son be enraptured by an immoral woman and be embraced in the arms of a seductress. The ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord and he ponders all his paths. God is the one who knows and sees all things. God is a God of holiness and one to be feared. And so internally then, in terms of accomplishing this requirement of sexual purity, it is the fear of God. Secondly, we could point to faith in Jesus Christ. This fear of God, this fear of God is what can drive a person to Christ. This fear of God is what can drive a person to the Lord Jesus. In Romans chapter 6, starting in verse 1, what shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not. How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried with him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of his death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of his resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him. that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin, for he who has died has been freed from sin. What's the answer? It is union with Christ by means of faith in him. Thirdly, internally, the application of the promises of cleansing the heart. the application of promises of cleansing of the heart. If you are Christ's, if you belong to Christ, then of course he must be both your Savior and your Lord. You don't get him as Savior without getting him as Lord. 2nd Corinthians 7 verse 1. Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. And so application of the promises with regard to cleansing of the heart. Fourthly, the help of the Holy Spirit. The help of the Holy Spirit. He is the one who works in our hearts and lives. Romans 8 verse 13, for if you live according to the flesh, you will die. But if by the spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. Verse 14, for as many as are led by the spirit of God, these are sons or children of God. And so the help of the Holy Spirit that we need. Fifthly, internally, frequent and fervent prayer. For it is the spirit, as Paul says here in Romans chapter 8, it is the spirit who stirs us up to pray. It is the spirit, later on in this chapter, verse 26, likewise the spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we want. But the Spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And so we pray then, for the help of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit himself giving us the grace to pray. And giving us the grace, therefore, to cry out to God, as in the words of Psalm 51, where David, in dealing with his own sin, says, wash me and cleanse me. Or Psalm 119, as we mentioned before. Verse 37, turn away my eyes from vanity. Oh God, turn away my eyes from vanity. I need help. Turn my eyes from this folly. Or as Jesus himself taught us to pray in Matthew 6, the Lord's Prayer, lead us not into temptation. And the final point here with regard to the internal is watchfulness over our hearts and spirits. Watchfulness over our hearts and spirits. To oppose uncleanness, in other words, we need to oppose uncleanness in the very first desires in the heart. We need to Oppose the rise the risings of it in the mind So that when you first start to detect these things You squash them you take care of them You watch over your heart and your spirit And whenever you feel tempted you cry out for help and you resolve I'm not going to go in that direction. Well then, what about externally? Well, watchfulness over our senses, which of course follows from the internal, does it not? Watchfulness over our eyes to turn them from lust. We've been looking at Job 31 verse 1, I've made a covenant with my eyes. but also over our ears, over our ears. Do you remember in Genesis chapter 39, do you remember, children, what happened with regard to Joseph? Verse 7 and following, it came to pass after these things that his master's wife cast longing eyes on Joseph and she said, lie with me. But he refused and said to his master's wife, look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand. There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? So here it wasn't the eye gate, it was the ear gate. But Joseph resisted that temptation. He was watching over what he was hearing, this attempt to seduce him by the master's wife. So watchfulness over our senses. Secondly, diligence in our callings. Diligence in our callings. Idle hands make for trouble. Therefore, keep busy. One's idle hands are the devil's workshop. And that is certainly true with regard to sexual matters. And then thirdly, externally, temperance in eating and drinking. Excessive eating and drinking will pamper the body. And drinking especially can excite the lusts. And therefore, temperance in eating and drinking. I have two points of application. The first is this. How are you doing with regard to keeping yourself pure? How are you doing? Now, no one ever said the Christian life is easy. Anyone who says that to you, run from that person. That's a false prophet. Do not hear that person. No one ever said the Christian life is easy. Being a follower of Jesus is a high and holy calling. We are to take up the cross and follow him. The bride of Christ is to be chaste and pure, dressed in white. And so we are to be dressed, as it were, in white, showing the purity. And so that needs to be our desire. And we need to see that worked out in our lives more and more. However, what's the problem? As we've been talking about justification in Sunday school, what's the problem? We have all sinned and come short of the glory of God. We have all failed in all of these matters and breaking every commandment We have failed. I mean, why do you think Jesus talked about this in the Sermon on the Mount? Because he knew what kind of temptation we would face. Why do you think David prayed, keep me away, keep my eyes from vanity? Because David recognized that temptation. and indeed he himself at one point succumbed to it. We have all failed and come short of God's glory in this matter. And so the challenge then, although I do challenge you, how are you doing? How am I doing? At the same time, although it's an important question, we need to live in the fear of God At the same time, we need to be reminded, this is the second point, that we rejoice in the fulfillment of this commandment by Christ. For my friends, he is the one who faced every temptation that we do, including sexual temptation, yet without sin. He is the one. who exhibited total and perfect covenant faithfulness to his father and to his bride, the church. Something which we cannot claim. He affirmed the essential dignity of men and women made in the image of God. He sought to save men and women from out of bondage to this sin. And isn't that what we read today in John chapter eight? Isn't that the point there? In John chapter eight? It of course was not merely, it was not merely the fact of teaching against hypocrisy, it certainly is that. But it's also where he said to the woman, woman, where are your accusers? He said, no man, Lord. What does he say? Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more. He sought to save men and women from out of bondage to this sin. Think of the Old Tester. Think of Rahab the harlot. Rahab the harlot, who of course becomes one of the ancestors of Christ. And so I conclude with this. Not only is he willing and able in general to save men and women, Jesus is able to save you too. He is the one who took upon himself your sin. He is the one who fulfilled all righteousness for you. And he sends his Holy Spirit who sanctifies you, gives you the grace of repentance. So trust in him. Trust in him. Learn of him. Amen. Will you please stand for prayer? And, Father, we confess that we are sinners. We have offended in thought, word and deed. We have been those who have ratified our corrupt nature. We have, Lord, carried out what we are already, and that is sinners. And so, Father, we do pray that thou wouldst indeed have mercy upon us. Lord, we need thee. We need the grace of the Holy Ghost. We need the grace of Christ. And so we pray, O God, cleanse us from our sin. Give us a love for thee, a love for thy word, a love for others. And enable us to live pure lives. as we rest upon Christ and his righteousness for our salvation. We pray in his name. Amen. Please turn now to Psalm 86, Selection A.