So open your Bibles to Exodus 20. We're going to be looking at a lot of different passages today, so be ready to flip around and help read. We're going to be moving around quite a bit in the scriptures. Let me just read verse 14, and then we'll pray, and then we'll get started. So Exodus 20, verse 14, it's a very short commandment. You shall not commit adultery. Five words in the English. It's only two words in the Hebrew. You shall not commit adultery. So that's what we're going to think about and all its various implications over the next couple weeks. Why don't we pray. Randy, would you, sorry, caught you in a cough. Phil Jones, would you pray for us? Amen. Okay, I'm going to read, so Exodus 20, 7th commandment, verse 14, you shall not commit adultery. Let me read the Shorter Catechism's statement on this. Shorter Catechism, questions 70 through 72. So Shorter Catechism question 70 says, which is the 7th commandment? The 7th commandment is, thou shalt not commit adultery. 71, what is required in the 7th commandment? The 7th commandment requireth the preservation of our own and our neighbor's chastity in heart, speech, and behavior. Question 72, what is forbidden in the seventh commandment? The seventh commandment forbiddeth all unchaste thoughts, words, and actions. And so we are in the realm of purity of life, sexual purity specifically, of thought, of word, of activity. So thou shalt not commit adultery. And this covers a lot of ground, as do all of the commandments. And this is the broad order we're going to go today. Some of these we'll just make a statement on, but we're going to begin by looking at the background. to the 7th commandment. The 7th commandment presupposes the institution of marriage. So the prohibition against adultery assumes and presupposes the divine institution of the marriage ordinance. We're going to go back and look at the original institution of marriage in Genesis 1 and 2. We'll think about what is the purpose of marriage, etc. And then with that background in place, we'll look at the meaning proper, the meaning itself. What does it mean when the commandment says, you shall not commit adultery? Well, and then we'll look at what Jesus says in Matthew 5, the lust of the heart. And then we'll look at, OK, what's the positive angle? Every commandment has both a positive and a negative. A commandment says don't do this. It implies do this. And if it says do this, then it implies also don't do that. Then we'll just take a couple moments and think about the society in which we live. Does it promote the seventh commandment or not? And that's a pretty easy question. Obviously not. And then we'll look at the issue, we had children running around, so then we'll look at the issue for a few minutes of pornography. And then if we have time, I'm just gonna highlight what I think are some of the key passages. that we can turn to. Ephesians 5, I think, is a great passage to go to in dealing with sexual immorality, et cetera. It's a great passage to meditate on, to study, to reflect on as we seek to grow in holiness in these areas. That's where we're going to go. Hopefully, we'll have time to cover all that. I guess I turn back to Genesis 1 and 2. I just want to look at the original institution of marriage back in Genesis 1 and 2. So Genesis 1, remember the creation account, the Lord speaks and it is. Genesis 1, 26, the highlight of the creation account is the creation on the sixth day of man and woman in his image. Genesis 1, 26, then God said, let us make man in our image after our likeness and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, birds of the heavens, over the livestock, over all the earth, over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God. He created him male and female. He created them, in verse 28, and God blessed them. And God said to them, be fruitful and multiply. So already there you have the idea of procreation, of male and female producing offspring, producing a seed. be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth, subdue it, etc, etc. So there's what we call the dominion mandate, the cultural mandate, have dominion and be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth. Genesis chapter 2 verse 18 through 25 is the institution of marriage proper. Whenever I do marriage counseling, this is the first passage. we go to. This is a good place to go. Go to the beginning. This is where God gives the bride, gives Eve to Adam. So I'm going to read this and make a few comments. Genesis 2, 18 through 25. Okay, so just follow along with me and we'll make a few little points. Then the Lord God said, it is not good that the man should be alone. Let's stop there. What already out of the gate is significant about that phrase? It is not good that the man should be alone. Right, first time he said not good. When you read the original creation account, every day is punctuated by, and God saw this and it was good. God saw this and it was good. Culminating in Genesis 1.31, God saw everything you made and behold, it was very good. So everything's great, great, great. And then you get to Genesis 2, which zeroes in on the six-day man and woman. Something is not good, and that should shock us. That should give us pause. It is not good that the man should be alone. I will make him a helper fit for him. So he's going to make a helper, a helpmate, fit for him, suitable to him, that fits him, that they fit together. And then verses 19 and 20 seems a little out of place at first, at least. It's not. It's driving home an important point, but it seems a little odd. So look at verse 19. Now out of the ground the Lord God had formed every beast of the field, every bird of the heavens, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. Whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all livestock, and to the birds of the heavens, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam, there was not found a helper fit for him." So you have this. It's not good that man's alone. I'm going to make a helper suitable to him. And then you have this scene where Adam is kind of sitting there, and the Lord brings all these animals, and Adam names them. And you're thinking, How does that fit? What's going on here? But the point is to drive home that none of those animals were suitable to him. You know, you can't have a a relationship, you know, a close personal relationship with an animal. We just got a new animal, I'm sure you all heard from our children. She's awesome, I love her to death, but it's not a helpmate suitable for me. So that's what's being underscored, is that nothing else was suitable to be Adam's, you know, to fit with Adam. So it's underscoring that need, basically. So then verse 21, and note how God is He is the author. God is the great subject. He is the one who is doing all of this. He is in the subject position. So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man. And while Adam slept, took one of his ribs, et cetera, verse 22, the rib the Lord God had taken from the man, he, God, made into a woman and brought her to the man. So the Lord caused the sleep, the Lord made her. It's a beautiful word there, to make. It's the idea of the potter and the clay. So the potter perfectly, beautifully crafting that rib into the perfect creation, into woman. It's a really, it's a beautiful picture. And he brought her to the man. And this is kind of the first wedding ceremony. So the picture is God kind of ushering Eve, you know, like you see in a wedding ceremony, ushering Eve down to Adam. And how does Adam respond? Well, he sings. He praises. The first words out of man's mouth in all the Bible is singing. Poetry. It's a song. At last, emphatic in the original, at last, bone of my bones, flesh of my flesh, she shall be called woman because she was taken out of man. Then verse 24 is kind of an editorial comment. Moses is inserting a little editorial comment here, break from the narrative. Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife and they shall become one flesh. So there's this one flesh union, and the one flesh union is more than simply sexual union. It's not less than that, for it absolutely includes that, but it's much more than that. It's complete oneness, emotionally, mentally, a complete oneness there between the husband and the wife. In verse 25, the man and his wife were both naked, and were not ashamed. There was complete truthfulness there. There was nothing about which they should be ashamed. There in verse 25. So there you have the original institution of marriage. As I said, marriage is the context in which husband and wife find sexual pleasure and sexual fulfillment as well. Proverbs chapter 5. Let me just read you a few verses from Proverbs 5. Proverbs 5 verses 15 through 19. Drink water from, and this is in the context of warnings against adultery. So he says, my son, don't follow the adulterous woman. Don't follow her seductive words, her temptations. Rather, drink water from your own cistern, flowing water from your own well. Should your springs be scattered abroad, streams of water in the streets, let them be for yourself alone and not for strangers with you. Let your fountain be blessed and rejoice in the wife of your youth, a lovely dear, a graceful doe. Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight to be intoxicated always in her love. Why should you be intoxicated, my son, with a forbidden woman and embrace the bosom of an adulteress? So man and woman together, a oneness there that includes this physical, sexual intimacy and activity. 1 Corinthians 6.16, when Paul is warning the Corinthians against adultery, Paul quotes from Genesis 2. So just a few other verses. So again, the seventh commandment presupposes the institution of marriage, and this is also important. It presupposes that marriage is a covenant. That's an important point, that marriage biblically is a covenant. So what's a covenant in biblical language? Well, lots of ways to define a covenant. One way It's a binding agreement between two persons. A covenant is a binding oath or agreement between two parties with obligations, blessings, and cursings. A binding agreement between two parties that includes obligations, blessings, and cursings. And the Bible presents marriage as a covenant. And thus, it's proper for a marriage to take place in public with vows and oaths given to be publicly ratified, if you will. Malachi 2, I'm going to read it for time's sake. Malachi 2, 14 through 16 is a classic passage on marriage where it's explicitly called you know, a covenant. Malachi 2, 14 through 16. And biblically speaking, the normal way, there are exceptions to this, the normal way that the marriage covenant is annulled or is broken, terminated, is what? What's the normal way? Is what? Well, the normal way, the Not the exceptions. Death. Right. Death is the normal way in Scripture that that marriage covenant is terminated, is ended. That's clear. Romans 7, 2 and 3. Let me just read you this. Romans 7, 2 and 3. This is a fascinating passage. Paul's actually talking about the law, but he uses the marriage covenant to illustrate the believer's relationship to the law. Listen to what he says. So there you go, pretty clear. The marriage covenant is normally broken, terminated, when one of the spouse dies. So we have a marriage instituted back in the garden, Genesis 1 and 2. It's a covenant. The ending of that covenant is normally death. Okay, what's the purpose of marriage? What is the divine purpose of marriage? Why did God give us marriage? And there's a few purposes. Any thoughts out of three or four that the Protestant church has typically outlined? Abby? Right, for companionship. Right, for companionship. What else? A covenant. Okay, that's good. I like that. Yeah, a covenant of companionship. Mm-hmm. What else? Yep, yep. For evangelistic purposes. Uh-huh. It's the primary means that the Lord, you know, um, Steve? Yep, yep. To raise up godly offspring, stable unit for society. Carol or Melissa? Melissa. Very good. Yep. It gives a picture of the relationship between Christ and his church. Paul makes that clear in Ephesians 5. What else? Yep. Uh-huh. Yep. Lena? Yep. Proceed of holiness, protection. You have the most fundamental building block for society. Yep. And for children. For children. We're not Roman Catholic. Roman Catholics say that is the only primary purpose of marriage. That is one, not the only one, but that is certainly one. So all these are right. So if we were to boil it down, maybe we could boil it down to four. The raising of godly children, companionship, relationship between Christ and His church is also the only context God has given for sexual fulfillment is between... You want to say it out loud? Okay, I'll say it out loud. Okay. That's great. I like that. That's funny. So yeah. Let me say it out loud. is the only only contact that's that will drive us to the seventh commandment is the only context the Lord has given us for sexual fulfillment yep David or Steve yeah mm-hmm right if you have yeah David yep Yes. Right, exactly. That's what I've been looking for. Yeah, exactly. Uh-huh. Yep, yep. It's like, finally, it's not a giraffe, or it's not a dog, or it's not a camel, or something. Yeah, exactly. It's like, woo, yeah. Exactly. Very good, yeah. So given the divine institution of marriage, the covenantal nature of marriage, the purposes of marriage, therefore, or that is why the violation of that is taken so seriously. Because of what it is, is why the sinful violation of that is such a big deal. It is taken so seriously. in Scripture for all of those reasons we've listed. Think, for example, of the relationship between Christ and the church. So when adultery is committed, what is that reflecting about Christ and his relationship to his church? And so, obviously, negatively. It's a negative reflection on Christ and his relationship to his church. And so that's why it's such a big deal. That's why it's such an important you know, issue. Okay, what does it mean? What's the meaning of the Seventh Commandment? Well, the Seventh Commandment strictly forbids married individuals from having sexual relationships with anyone other than their respective spouses. It's marital infidelity, the violation of the marriage covenant. So the primary purpose of this commandment is for the maintenance and the protection of marriage. Again, the seventh commandment protects marriage. Adultery violates the marriage covenant. Look at Proverbs 6, 25 through 27. Hundreds of places we could go. Interestingly, the Proverbs has a lot to say about adultery, especially the first half of Proverbs. There are entire chapters warning against adultery. So Proverbs 6, look at verses 25 through 27. Do not desire her beauty in your heart. Do not let her capture you with her eyelashes. For the price of a prostitute is only a loaf of bread. But a married woman hunts down a precious life. Man carry fire next to his chest and his clothes not be burned. Can one walk on hot coals and his feet not be scorched? So is he who goes in to his neighbor's wife. None who touches her will go unpunished. And there's lots of other passages we could look at. So, the narrow meaning is this forbidding of married individuals from sexual relationships outside of their respective spouses. But, broadly speaking, it covers so much more. When we look at how the Bible itself applies and expounds on and expands upon the seventh commandment. It covers so much more. Philip Ryken, in his commentary, says this, homosexual activity is ruled out because the biblical pattern calls for sex to be shared only between a husband and a wife. Also forbidden is any forms of sexual violence, including rape, pedophilia, incest, any other form of sexual abuse. In short, The seventh commandment forbids any sexual activity that violates the covenant of marriage, period. Any sexual activity that violates the covenant of marriage, period. Marriage covenant is the only proper context for sexual activity. There are no exceptions, no loopholes, period. John Currid, his commentary says this, this commandment is not only designed to condemn adultery, but judges all forms of sexual impurity. It is the exemplar or paradigm, the standard to be applied to all types of sexual relationships. And so when the, for example, when the Mosaic law, when Leviticus expounds and expands on the seventh commandment, it includes a whole host of other kinds of sexual sin. So homosexuality, for example, which we'll look at next week in more detail, Leviticus 18.22, incest, Leviticus 18.6-18, bestiality, Exodus 22.19, what you know, fornication. Exodus 22, 16, and 17. So the seventh commandment not only forbids adultery in the narrow sense, but forbids any kind of extramarital sexual activity. Extra meaning outside of the marriage covenant. Premarital, is included in extramarital, any kind of extramarital sexual activity is prohibited and forbidden according to the seventh commandment. The law's demand is for appropriate sexual behavior in every area. Okay, so is everybody clear? Everybody clear on that? Fairly straightforward. Okay, here's a question. What we've just talked about in some of the verses we referenced are dealing with behaviors, activities, you know, things we do with our bodies. Is that the only thing that's covered in the seventh commandment? No. Why not? Where do we go to learn more? I see some mumbling. Don't mumble. Speak up. Joe? New Testament? The Attitudes. Very good. Sermon on the Mount. Jesus. Matthew chapter 5. So Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount expounds much of the Ten Commandments for us. So turn over to Matthew 5. This is, we're down here now, this is Lust of the Heart. Matthew 5. So we can't simply think to ourselves, you know, I haven't done any of that. You know, yes, you know, I'm free when it comes to the Seventh Commandment. Well, not so much. Matthew chapter 5. Look at verse 27 and 28, what it says. You have heard that it was said you shall not commit adultery. Okay, we just covered that. But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. And then we'll come back to verses 29 and 30 in just a few moments. So here Jesus is interpreting the law, the seventh commandment, as not only a prohibition against the external act, the physical act, but also the heart attitude behind the act, the heart attitude that leads to the act. You know, the sin is born in the mind and in the heart, and it manifests itself in the actual physical act. So Jesus interprets this law as a statute that condemns the inward lust. The physical act is a mere outworking of the tainted spiritual condition of the heart. Dr. Curd says the body may commit the act, but the heart gives it birth. Okay, so let's pause there. This includes a lot. This includes a lot. The lust of the heart includes a lot. mental obviously mental fantasizing about others who are not Your spouse we can break and violate the seventh commandment by suggestive comments by Sexual jokes sexual language lots of things that that are very acceptable in our society are clear violations of the seventh commandment. Turn over to Ephesians 5. Ephesians 5, and we'll spend more time in this in a few minutes. Ephesians 5 verses 3 and 4. Ephesians 5 verses 3 and 4. But sexual immorality, that sexual immorality is like the umbrella term. So sexual immorality is like, and this is the Greek word, porneia. Sexual immorality is the general term. It's translated often sexual immorality. I think the old King James translates it fornication. It's the broad term that includes any sexual activity outside the marriage covenant. Underneath that are all the specifics. Incest, homosexuality, all the various things are included underneath that broad umbrella term. So Ephesians 5, 3, but sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness, nor foolish talk, nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. Now filthiness, foolish talk, crude joking can include a lot of things. I think a good argument can be made that given the overall context of Ephesians 5, Paul has sexual angle in view here. You know, filthy talk, foolish talk, crude joking, which include a lot of things. I think a good case could be made that he's really, he's thinking Seventh Commandment kind of stuff. You know, crude sexual talk, crude sexual speech, et cetera. So Ephesians 5, again, is a big chapter when it comes to these issues. So multiple ways we can violate the Seventh Commandment, not only in our activities, but in our minds, in our words. Yep, Carol? Sure. Right. Yeah, that's true. Yeah, that's true. Yeah, I mean, that's yeah, I would agree with that. Yeah. Okay, so, but the Seventh Commandment, we've been talking about, you know, the negative, what it says, thou shalt not, you know, commit adultery, all that's included in that. But as we've talked about, in each commandment, there's also a positive angle, a positive side of this. And so the positive angle would be that we are called to maintain the sanctity of the marriage union. to cherish chastity, to honor the marriage bed. Hebrews 13.4, look up Hebrews 13.4, for example. Hebrews 13.4. Hebrews 13.4 says, let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral, there's the broad umbrella word, and adulterers. So this commandment is a call for husbands and wives to nurture their love for one another, to protect their love for each other emotionally, spiritually, sexually, et cetera. So there's a very good positive call to all of us as well. One other interesting point is when you go back and look at the old, the mosaic how Leviticus expands on the seventh commandment. What's interesting there is many of the practices that the Bible is condemning and forbidding were practices that were very common in all the surrounding pagan nations. And so Israel is called to be distinct. So Christians, Israel, the church, is called to have a distinct, holy, sexual ethic. that separates us or that distinguishes us from the world, from the world, you know, from the broader sinful fallen world. And as, you know, that is getting more and more and more evident as each week and each month and each, you know, court decision comes down. But just as Israel was called to maintain, and God took this very seriously. I mean, we could go to all various passages where Numbers 25, for example, when Israel would commit sexual impurity with the surrounding nations, the Lord takes that very, very seriously. So just as Israel was called to be distinct in lots of areas, one important area was in their sexual ethics, so also the church. We are called to be distinct and unique in our sexual ethic as well. Sexual purity is one of the marks of holiness and of being set apart. Okay, let's just pause right there. This is an easy, this is kind of a, this is a soft curveball, you know, right down, right down the middle. How our society, how does our society What is our society's, you know, kind of view on these issues? Seventh Commandment, et cetera. Do they promote Christian sexual ethic? Do they militate against it? And again, this is 75 mile an hour fastball right down the middle of the plate. So it's a pretty easy one. Do whatever floats your boat. Yeah, whatever floats your boat. Exactly. Whatever you want, go and do it. Jonathan? Whatever makes you happy. Whatever makes you feel good. Uh-huh. Yep. What else, Steve? Yep. Yep. Yep. Yep. Yep. Yep. Yeah, yeah, I mean, it is a lot, yeah, in this. Making the clear society, yeah. Betty? Speak up. Yeah. Right. Right. Right. Right. Yep. Right. Right. Yep. Yep. Carl and Carol. Yep, yep. Yeah, so it's all, it's personal fulfillment, personal autonomy. Consent seems to be the, you know, so long as individuals consent, then, you know, everything else, you know, whatever goes. Do I, yeah, so, yeah, exactly. So, you know, think about, you know, just the, oh, Carol, did you have something? Uh-huh. Hold on. Yep, go ahead. Yep. Yep. Oh, yeah. Yep. Yeah. Yeah. So, you know, just the college campuses. You know, the hookup culture in which we live, you know, just the casual sex on TV, aggressive promotion of homosexuality, you know, the Burger Phil Hodges, you know, disaster of a decision a year ago, two years ago, whenever that was. And this is interesting. This is some statistics I came across. With all the encounters and innuendos, the average American views sexual material more than 10,000 times a year. And by a ratio of more than 10 to 1, the couplings on television involve sex outside of marriage. This is because, as one TV producer put it, and this is from Philip Reichen's book, married or celibate characters are not as much fun. So there you go. Also, the pornography industry, etc., etc., sex is used to sell, even softcore pornography advertising industry. Consider the consequences of that. Sin does not deliver what it promises. It does not deliver what it promises. It promises fun, promises fulfillment in what it delivers, death, it delivers pain, delivers divorce, disease, sexual abuse of children, it delivers misery. It does not promise what it delivers, it delivers misery. Okay, so A couple passages, if you want to do some interesting studies and comparisons and contrasts. 2 Samuel 11. in Genesis 39 are fascinating chapters to study in contrast to one another. 2 Samuel 11 is David and Bathsheba. David's sitting with Bathsheba. Remember the story? The author of the book makes it clear that this was the season when kings were supposed to be out at war. David, for whatever reason, was not out with his men. He was at home taking a stroll on his This balcony looks down, and lo and behold, there's Bathsheba bathing naked. David gazes on her, and it's a progressive kind of verb. So he gazes, and he continues to gaze. that the seeds are born and he commands his servant, isn't that Bathsheba? And he says, yes, Bathsheba, Uriah's wife. And he says, well, go bring her to me. And we know what happened. David commits adultery, 2 Samuel 11. Contrast that with Genesis 39, which is Joseph's encounter with Potiphar's wife in Genesis 39. If you remember that story, Joseph has now risen to one of the prominent positions in Egypt. Potiphar's wife. likely very attractive, comes on to Joseph, says, you know, sleep with me, lie with me. And it says she does this day after day after day. Don't miss, don't miss that little phrase. That phrase is, that's a kicker. It's not just like one time. Day after day after day, she comes on to him. And what does Joseph say? How can I do this and sin against my God. How can I do this, commit this sexual activity and sin against my God?" And the last part of that story is she comes on to him again, she grabs his belt or whatever, and he flees. He runs. He says, I'm out. I'm out of here. Knowing that probably Bad things are going to happen because of that. And so he flees. Think of what Paul says. Flee sexual immorality. There's two things we're told to flee from in Scripture, idolatry and sexual immorality. And so Joseph does that very thing. He flees. He literally runs, runs away. Flee from sexual immorality. So a fascinating study in contrast here. Same year 11, Genesis 39, I think would be a very good payoff to really spend some time studying it and thinking through those passages. Okay, one last issue I just want to bring up, and that's the issue of pornography. We can't really cover the Seventh Commandment and not, you know, mention pornography. The pornography industry is destroying lives, marriages, churches, ministries. Not a week goes by almost when I read another article of marriage, a church that is destroyed by pornography. It is real, it is deadly, and it is very dangerous. Let me give you just a few, let me just give you, if you yourself are struggling, pornography or you're ministering to someone. Here, I'm going to give you some resources first. The best book I would recommend is a book called Finally Free. It's by a guy named Heath Lambert. He's a biblical counselor out of Southern Seminary. Excellent. He is excellent. Very good book. Finally Free. And then another article called Seven Seven Reasons to Stop... Seven Reasons to Stop Looking at Pornography Right Now by a guy named Tim Challies. And so those are two resources I would strongly encourage you to get a hold of so you can help minister to someone. No doubt there are some in our own church who are struggling with pornography is very real, it is deadly, it is dangerous, and we need to pray for each other and support and encourage one another. It's not just men either, men and women. It's getting actually closer to even in the various statistics. So let me just read a couple verses and then we'll wrap up. Remember what Jesus says in Matthew 5. I'm going to read two verses. Matthew 5, When Jesus talks about the lust of the heart, Matthew 5, 27, 28, and then pick it up in verse 29. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. Jesus takes sexual immorality very seriously. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out. and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body goes into hell." So Jesus takes this very seriously. And this commandment is not just for married folks as well. Married and single. we were all called to the same purity, holiness, sexual, biblical ethic. And lastly, Terminator Ephesians 5. Yes. OK. We definitely do not take it literally. Yes. So do not. Yes, do not go gouge out your eye. Yeah, Jesus will often speak using metaphors. You know, that was a common way, common Jewish way to talk, using metaphors. And so Jesus is using a metaphor to describe the aggressive lengths that we ought to go to put sin to death in our life. That he's using striking metaphors violent almost kind of language to describe how awful and how seriously we ought to fight against the own sin in our life. So he's using a metaphor. Good question though. Okay, so Ephesians 5. Let me just Here's another homework assignment. Ephesians 5, 1 through 20. A great passage to study, to meditate on, to pray over as we, all of us, battle sexual immorality in our own hearts. and lives. Verses 1 and 2 give the foundation, therefore be imitators of God as beloved children and walk in love. So there's the command. We're called to walk in love. Imitate God, walk in love. There's the imperative, the indicative, as Christ has loved us. And then he gave himself for us as a fragrant offering. So as Christ loved us and gave himself as a fragrant offering, reference to the cross there. So we are called to walk in love. And then Paul expounds on what does that mean to walk in love? What means a lot of things to walk in love. But here, Paul is talking about walking in love in the area of sexual purity and sexual holiness. Look at verse three. But sexual immorality and all purity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Then we've already covered this. No filthiness, foolish talk, crude joking, which are out of place. But look at this phrase. But instead, let there be thanksgiving. Paul could have said all kinds of things. He said, but instead, let there be hope. He could have said, but instead, let there be rejoicing. Why does he say, but instead, let there be thanksgiving? I mean, the whole things he could have said, and that would have made sense to us. Why does he say, but instead let there be thanksgiving? Yeah, Abby, and then Lee. Abby, go ahead. Yeah. Yeah. Or not. Yeah. Right. Yeah. Yeah. Lena? Absolutely. Yep. Uh huh. Yeah, because it's very interesting up in verse. Three verse three, he talks about covetousness, you know, at the root of much sexual immorality is coveting, covetousness, wanting what we do not have, wanting what the Lord has not properly given to us is impossible to be thankful and be engaging in sexual immorality at the same time. It's impossible. In fact, Dr. Lambert, in one of his lectures, Barbara, I'll come to you, says when you when we face those temptations, stop immediately and start. Praying about what we're thankful for. Now, when we face those various temptations, stop and say, Lord, I'm thankful for X, Y, Z, one, two, three, because you cannot in your heart. Be. Engaging in thankfulness to the Lord and at the same time, sexual immorality, we can't do that. So be thankful. It's a great kind of first wave defense against that onslaught. Yeah, Barbara? Yeah, good. Yep. Yeah. Yeah, it's good. I like that. Then he goes on verse 5 for you may be sure of this and everyone who is sexually immoral who is covetousness Or has no inheritance and so he says this is serious stuff There has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God let no one deceive you with empty words For because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience So don't be deceived that this is not a big deal. Don't be deceived that I mean, just let it slide. It's okay. Don't be deceived. Don't be deceived by our sinful heart and what the world tells us. Therefore, verse 7, do not become partakers with them, for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light. So always a reminder, you are light. That's who you used to be. Live in light of who you now are. You are now light. Walk in the light as children of light. They're in verse 8. Walk as children of light. Verse 10. And try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. Expose that sin to the light of scripture. Expose it to the light of God's word. And if this is a struggle, share it with someone. Share it with a trusted friend, a mentor, an elder. That is also included in exposing to the light. Exposing it to the light of God's word, the church, et cetera. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness. Expose them. And he goes on, it is shameful to speak of the things But when anything is exposed by that light, it becomes visible. In verse 15 and 16, we'll wrap up. We have time. Look carefully how you walk, not as unwise, but as wise, making the best use of the time because the days are evil. Do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is and do not get drunk with wine, but be filled with the Spirit. Be filled with the Spirit. And then he gives four things of what it means to be filled with the Spirit. Four parallel words. Addressing one another in Psalms, singing, giving thanks, and submitting to one another. Dr. Lambert also says, when we face temptation, sing. Because you cannot sing, be singing, and be indulging in sexual sin. And it's a very practical thing. Sing. Sing a hymn. And these are all things of the church, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, giving thanks, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ, addressing one another. This is the church. And so we are called to be involved in the church and walking together in love as children of light. So a great passage. And we could go a lot, spend a lot more time in Ephesians 5. It's a great place to start. thinking through this, praying through this as we seek to be faithful to the seventh commandment. Okay, I'm going to stop there for time's sake. Next week we're going to zero in on one, like we did for the sixth commandment. We took a couple of little kind of detours. We're going to do that next week and look at the issue of homosexuality, So called gay marriage, etc. And we'll look at all that next week. So let me close this in prayer. Will Thompson, would you pray for us as we close? Amen. Thank you.