Exodus 20 14 and then Matthew 5 27 to 30. Exodus 20 14 listen now to the reading of God's Holy Word. You shall not commit adultery. And then turning to the New Testament Matthew chapter 5 verse 27 to 30. Once again listen to the reading of God's Holy Word. You have heard that it was said to those of old you shall not commit adultery. 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. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off 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. Let's seek the Lord's blessing on this, His holy word. O Gracious God and Heavenly Father, we do rejoice and give thanks for Your Word. We know it is our only infallible rule for faith and life, and as we come to these passages, as this commandment before us this morning, we pray that You would open our hearts and our minds to the understanding of Your Word by Your Spirit, and that as Your Word goes forth in the power of the Spirit, we pray that it would find within each of our hearts that rich, fertile soil that brings about great and abundant fruit for Your glory. We pray, Father, for your blessing upon your word. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen. Well, this morning we come to the seventh commandment in our study of the Ten Commandments. And some, when they read this particular commandment, they might say, oh, I never cheated on my spouse or my boyfriend or girlfriend or significant other, so I get a pass on this one. But we know that not only does the seventh commandment condemn a variety of actions and behavior, even beyond sexual sins, but it also reaches deep into the heart and exposes sins of thoughts and desires, even as we've seen with previous commandments. And so when we summarize the seventh commandment by stating that it calls us to pursue purity, it's not just pursuing purity in our marriages or in our bodies, but we're also to pursue and keep pure our hearts, our inner selves, our thoughts and words, as well as our actions. Indeed, as we seek to conform our lives to holiness and transform how we live, we can't merely focus on the outward actions and behaviors. We must deal with the heart, bring about a true heart transformation by the grace of God. This was really the great failure in many respects of the so-called purity movement that was popular, perhaps it still is, among Christians maybe 20 or so years ago. And the emphasis was only on outward conformity and seeking to preserve or keep pure one's body. And so it was all about don't touch, don't look, don't do this, don't do that. But there was little to no effort at seeking the transformation of the heart, which of course is the root of our thoughts, emotions, desires, will, and ultimately our words, and yes, our actions. Well, this then led to a disconnect between thoughts and actions, and though actions were kept in check, thoughts were running amok. And eventually that was what was in the heart became too much to be contained and began to overwhelm the actions. So what you had was a bunch of young people not only falling into sexual sin, but even being so burdened with guilt and shame that they didn't know how to properly repent and seek forgiveness and healing. And so instead they continued on a path leading to sin and destruction, some even making a wreckage of their faith because they were crushed under the weight of the pressure to be pure in body but neglecting the purity of the heart which Christ chiefly desires. And so this is why Jesus expounds on the seventh commandment in Matthew 5, not only pointing out the connection to the sins of the heart, but also using a very dramatic language here to demonstrate the destructive nature of the sins which the seventh commandment forbids. But before we get to what's condemned and required in this commandment, we first want to consider God's purpose and design for marriage and for human sexuality. And for this, we must go to the beginning. Back to the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth. We know that he created man from the dust of the earth. He also created woman from one of the ribs of the man. And when after Eve was created, we read in Genesis 2, Adam saying, This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. She shall be called woman because she was taken out of man. And then we have the summary statement from the Lord. Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife and they shall become one flesh. And so here we find the creation of the institution of marriage. The one flesh union between one man and one woman. This institution becomes a foundational building block then for the rest of society, including family, government, and even the church. Because from this first union came all of humanity. And it's because of this that the institution of marriage becomes then a prime target for Satan's assaults. And of course we know since the fall into sin, that human history has revealed this very thing. Because whenever God's purpose and design for marriage, as he originally designed it, is distorted or done away with, you begin to see a negative effect rippling throughout the rest of society. And therefore, preserving the institution of marriage as God first designed it becomes critical to every society and every age, including our own. But it's not just about preserving the purity of the marriage bed, as important as that is. It's also about pursuing purity in God's design and purpose for intimacy. You see, human sexuality isn't an evil to be shunned and suppressed. It's a good gift God gives to a husband and a wife who are united together in marriage. And we see this again even in the creation account. When Adam was first created, we read that there was not found a helper comparable to him. And then God said, it is not good that man should be alone. And so God created Eve for this very purpose, saying, Therefore man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And so here we see intimacy being divinely created between a man and a woman before the fall. This wasn't evil. In fact, in Genesis 2.25, after they were created, we read that they both were naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed. And then of course the whole creation account is concluded, then God sold everything that he had made and indeed it was very good. All that God had made, this institution of marriage, including the intimacy between a husband and wife is declared to be very good. But again, according to God's design, that good gift is placed within the boundaries of that institution of marriage relationship between the one man and one woman. And so this is God's design. And yet, as we know, after the fall, This was one of the first things that comes under attack and which now in our own day continues on in a variety of perverse ways. And so the seventh commandment then calls us to pursue the purity of God's design for marriage and for human sexuality. Now how is this done practically? Well, it's chiefly accomplished by building a strong, healthy marriage that respects the boundaries that God has put into place. And this includes protecting the marriage relationship against the sin of adultery. And again, we see this in Matthew 5, as Jesus begins by stating what had been first delivered in the Ten Commandments. You have heard that it was said to those of old, you shall not commit adultery. This is a direct quote from Deuteronomy 20, verse 14. Now strictly speaking, adultery is when one violates the one flesh union of marriage by having relations with someone who isn't their husband or wife. The foundation of marriage is that the two shall become one flesh. Adultery then corrupts this intimate union with the addition of a third party. Such a violation destroys the unity of marriage even at its most basic level. In fact, so significant was this violation that the punishment God prescribed in Israel for adultery was death of the guilty parties. Leviticus 20 verse 10, the man who commits adultery with another man's wife, he who commits adultery with his neighbor's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death. And the severity of judgment for this sin is even reinforced in the New Testament, Hebrews 13. Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled, but fornicators and adulterers God will judge. Friends, God doesn't take lightly the corruption of what he himself has graciously designed and given as a wonderful gift. But sin, we know, breeds sin. And it mutates and corrupts in a variety of other ways. And so the seventh commandment prohibiting adultery, we know then, is expanded as an umbrella under which all categories of sexual immorality and perversion fall. And what's helpful here is the Westminster Larger Catechism question and answer 139. It gives a lengthy description of some of these corruptions, or many of these corruptions. Saying this, the sins forbidden in the seventh commandment, besides the neglect of the duties required, are adultery, fornication, rape, incest, sodomy, and all unnatural lusts, all unclean imaginations, thoughts, purposes and affections, all corrupt or filthy communications or listening thereunto, wanton looks, impudent or light behavior, immodest apparel, prohibiting of lawful and dispensing with unlawful marriages, allowing, tolerating, keeping of stews, and resorting to them, entangling vows of single life, undue delay of marriage, having more wives or husbands than one at the same time, unjust divorce or desertion, idleness, gluttony, drunkenness, unchaste company, lascivious songs, books, pictures, dancing, stage plays, and all other provocations to, or acts of uncleanness, either in ourselves or others. That's a pretty long detailed list. And if you're wondering why stews are forbidden, I'm going to say it's not talking about soup. Stews was a name at the time when the confession, the catechism was written to speak of a brothel or a house of prostitution. And the stage plays of the time were much, were often bawdy and highly sexualized productions, much like we see being produced out of Hollywood even today. And so as you read through this list, it doesn't take long to realize that we see each and every one of these displayed, promoted, and even celebrated in our society and culture today. And here are just a few notables. Having more wives or husbands than one at the same time. That's polygamy. Now this corruption of God's design we see early on in Genesis 4 when Cain's second great-grandson Lamech took for himself two wives. Now in ancient times it was believed that a man could have any woman so long as she didn't belong to someone else. Well this corruption spread and was found even among the patriarchs of the Old Testament and of course among the kings. But we note that in every instance where a man had more than one wife, a great trouble ensued as it was a corruption of God's good design for marriage. And so that shows God's displeasure with that corruption. Another thing that we often see today is the dispensing with unlawful marriages, unjust divorce, or desertion. This is evident, of course, in rampant unbiblical divorces and then remarriages that abound in society and, of course, even in the church. An unbiblical divorce is when you're divorced for any other reason other than adultery and abandonment. They're the biblical exceptions for divorce. And so when parties of an unbiblical divorce marry someone, They compound their sin upon sin by not only separating what God has joined together, the two becoming one flesh, but they also commit adultery when they are with their new spouse. Well, then you have a fornication or more generally a sexual immorality. And this is a sin that can be committed even though someone isn't married. And most often it's used to refer to premarital sexual intimacy. But it can also include and refer to things like prostitution and incest, rape, sexual abuse, and the perverted treatment of animals. And of course, the great plague of pornography that's widely accessible and is a great stumbling block for many in our own day. And so these kinds of sins, the Apostle Paul is quite clear in Ephesians 5 when he says, but fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you as is fitting for saints or holy ones. Another sin that we see often today is sodomy and all unnatural lusts. This refers to homosexual behavior and desires. Now we know homosexual behavior is a sin just as adultery or fornication is a sin. There's also a sense where it also epitomizes really the vilest or the worst form of sexual sin because it corrupts the very natural created order that God had set in place. Paul refers to this in Romans 1. For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even the women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burning their lusts for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due." We know that this sin has made a great assault on our society in recent times, especially in the last 40 or so years. and has led to the push of the acceptance of a variety of other perversions and distortions that ultimately reject God and reject how He created all things. And so indeed, the corruption of sexual immorality is everywhere, and its destructive effects are clearly seen in the broken and shattered lives that are left in its wake. God has designed sexuality and sexual expression to be a good gift enjoyed in the one flesh union of one man and one woman in the covenant of marriage. Anything outside this is a violation of God's design and is therefore sinful. Because of its intent and design, sexuality outside of this boundary leaves deep scars and wounds that aren't easily healed. Friends, these are just the actions and behavior. We too often only focus on these kinds of deeds and consider that these are the key sins that we need to be concerned with when we talk about the seventh commandment. But we need to remember that deeds begin in the heart. Deeds begin with thoughts and desires. And they progress as a downward spiral that if goes unchecked will eventually then lead to deeds. And we see this even in the account of the fall and Genesis 3, because the same thing was at work where the thoughts and desires led way to action, sinful action. So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her and he ate. And so a seed of doubt and desire was planted by Satan. and it was entertained and it went unchecked by Eve and soon it overcame her and her thoughts became actions and she also led her husband to sin as well. We also see the same connection of thoughts and behavior in the teaching of Jesus here in Matthew 5. Jesus says, you have heard that it was said to those of old, you shall not commit adultery. But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. And so Jesus. here makes very clear that it's not just the act of adultery which violates the sanctity of God's design for marriage, but the lustful thoughts and desires that flow from the heart. And as the thoughts and the desires go unchecked, the actions will surely follow. And Jesus will later make this very explicit in Matthew 15 when he says, for out of the heart Precede evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witnesses, blasphemies. The thoughts lead to actions. Now it's true that the consequences of sinful actions are often greater than the consequences for thoughts and desires of the heart. But we need to remember that in God's sight, because we look at this, we need to look at things from how God would view them. From God's sight, before His most holy presence, the sinful thoughts and desires of the heart are just as worthy of His wrath and condemnation as are the actions that they lead to. And here, in Matthew 5, the one is guilty who looks at a woman to lust for her. Now it's important to note here what Jesus is and isn't saying. He's not saying that it's sinful to look at a woman. If this were the case, then every single man would be guilty of this sin every single day, several times a day. He'd have to walk around blindfolded if this were the case. But it's not. What Jesus is saying is that if a man looks at a woman with a heart filled with lust, that is, with the intent or desire to seduce her, with fantasizing thoughts about her, or covering her, or coveting her, then he is guilty of committing adultery in his heart. The violation of marriage is assumed here. that is a husband is guilty for lusting in his heart after a woman who isn't his wife. Note that Jesus also says more generally, whoever looks at a woman, not just the husband that looks at a woman, but whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Whoever then includes all men. whether they're married or not. And though it's not restated in feminine language, it's easily applicable to women as well, whether they're married or unmarried. And so, yes, women can also be swept away by the sin of lust, even as men can. And so, for this reason, the Apostle Paul charges believers, all believers, 1 Corinthians 6 verse 18, flee sexual immorality. And every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. And sexual immorality is damaging to your own body. It's damaging to the union between you and your spouse, and whether you're currently married or will be in the future, it's damaging. And if you're a Christian, Paul goes on to say here that it's also damaging to the Lord, because your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. And so, diseases and burdens of guilt, marital problems, drug abuse, alcoholism, sexual abuse, unplanned pregnancies, depression, suicide, and even murder through abortion are all severe consequences for sexual morality of all sorts, for men and for women. whether they're single or whether they're married. And so it's altogether wise and good then to heed Paul's counsel and flee sexual immorality. As Jesus now proceeds to charge that this expansion of sexual sin and the application of this advocate must be dealt with in a very radical way. Verse 29, Matthew 5, 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. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off 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. Now, Jesus' words here are quite alarming and graphic. Which is exactly what he intends. Because it's to show us just how destructive sexual morality can be that it involves such a radical and severe corrective measure. Now before we start plucking out our eyes and cutting off our hands, we need to realize that Jesus is speaking figuratively in order to drive home the severity of this sin. Jesus isn't advocating self-mutilation, but he is making a very strong point. Think for a moment of how important your eyes are. They're key to helping you see where you're going so you don't trip and you don't stumble through life. But Jesus is saying that sexual sin is so destructive that if one of those eyes gazes with lustful intent at another person causing you to sin, well it's far better for you to go through life with only one eye, or as the case may be, blind with no eyes, than to have your whole body with both eyes, suffer and consume by the eternal flames of hell. And the same is true for your hands. The right hand was considered to be the hand of honor. But if that honorable hand causes you to sin, again, it's far better for you to go through life with only one hand than endure an eternity of hell fire with your whole body intact. And so the point Jesus is making to us is clear. Cut out the sin. Or as Paul said, flee sexual immorality. Quickly turn your eyes away if your heart begins to entertain lustful desires and thoughts. Walk out of the movie that has sexually explicit scenes. Better yet, don't even go see it. Change the station away from the songs with sexually explicit lyrics. Stay away from pornographic books and magazines and websites. Don't put yourself in a situation where you're alone with a man or woman who's not your husband or wife. Keep appropriate boundaries on social media. Stay away from so-called friends who are going to lead you, tempt you, or encourage you to sin. Flee sexual immorality in the same way that Joseph fled from Potiphar's wife. Even though Potiphar's wife was wicked and deceitful in her actions, her heart, and her expressed desires, Joseph pursued purity. And even though it cost him his job and his freedom, He chose righteousness when he fled from her presence. Sexual sin destroys yourself, your body. It destroys marriages, it destroys families, it destroys churches, and it destroys even whole nations. So take radical measures to keep yourself from falling into its grip. Flee from it. But friends, If you do sin, and if you do happen to fall into the grip of sexual immorality, if you find yourself guilty of adultery in action or in the heart, if you struggle with sexual sins like lust, pornography, or any other form of sexual immorality, remember that there is hope and forgiveness available. in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul lays out this hope very clearly in 1 Corinthians 6 verses 9-11. He says, do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. Now that is harsh. He's basically saying these people aren't getting in. But praise the Lord, He doesn't stop there. He's not just saying, hey, if you committed these sins, you're done. You have no hope. No, He goes on to offer this great hope. He says, and such were some of you. The people that he's writing to, there in Corinth, they had these very same sins. They were these kind of wicked people, consumed by sexual morality and a variety of other sinful thoughts and desires and actions. They were condemned. They were not going to inherit the kingdom of God. That's how they were. And Paul continues further. And it's a strong word. It's saying, look, something very different is coming. But, you were washed. But, you were sanctified. But, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. What a great hope of washing and cleansing from sin that we have in Christ Jesus. We were this way, but we're no longer because of what Jesus Christ has done for us. And friends, you can secure this great hope by believing in the gospel. Believing in the gospel which calls you to repent and turn from your sin, to confess it to God, and seek His grace and mercy for forgiveness. Knowing that if you confess your sin, that He is faithful and just to forgive you of your sin, and that He will surely cleanse you from all unrighteousness. It's His promise. You can be assured and you can secure this hope each and every day, especially since we live in a culture that's so saturated with sexual temptations and immorality of various sorts all around. We can find hope for victory over temptation as you daily rest upon the grace of God so that you may flee sexual morality, flee temptation, whether you're single or whether you're married. And if you are married, then pray diligently for grace and strength to be true to your marriage vows and strive in partnership with your spouse to strengthen your marriage so that it might truly reflect the eternal bond of love between Christ and his bride, the church. And finally, brothers and sisters, as you seek purity in life and marriage, know that you and your spouse, if you're currently married or maybe if you will be in the future, you will be witnesses, even in your marriage, to a world that suffers greatly under the burden of sexual sin. And in seeking to pursue purity and keeping the marriage bed undefiled, others are going to see, and not only see the beauty, the stability, and the strength of God's perfect design for marriage and sexuality, but especially that they might see the hope that's in you. and the light of the gospel that shines through you and through your marriage. So that even they too would believe on Jesus. That they too would be washed and cleansed and freed once and for all from the burden of sexual sin. So that they then might join with us as we would give all glory, honor, and praise to God alone in our lives, in our marriages. Praise to the Lord God, all glory to Him. Amen. Let's pray. O gracious God and Heavenly Father, we do rejoice and give thanks for this important word and this commandment that you have given, this challenge to pursue purity, but not just in an outward manner, but that we would pursue purity, not just in our actions, but in our thoughts and our minds and our hearts that we might truly enjoy the blessings and the benefits that you have bestowed upon us, that you have given and provided in that institution of marriage between one man and one woman. And we look around and we see all sorts of corruptions of this institution in so-called marriages that are a mockery of your design, and how our nation has wickedly embraced these things. And so we pray, Father, that as we strive in Your grace to live pure and holy lives, to flee from sexual morality, We know we're going to stand out from the rest of the world that will be mocked and laughed at. But we pray that there would be those that we would be a witness to, that they would see the beauty of what you have designed, that they would see the glory of the one man, one woman, a union in marriage. and that they would see in us and in our marriages and our families and our relationships, that they would especially see Jesus, our precious Lord and Savior, who gave his life for us. Because we once were this way, enslaved to sin. But now in Christ, we are no longer And we pray that you would enable us by your grace to walk daily in the light of that grace, striving after holiness and purity, all to the praise of your glorious name. Father, we pray that you would impress these truths upon each of our hearts, drawing us all closer to yourself, that we would be these faithful witnesses here and throughout all the earth. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.