Wednesday: Protecting What’s Precious
One of the greatest examples of God’s love for humanity can be found in human
Image © Lars Justinen from GoodSalt.com
sexuality. It is truly a wonderful gift from God. Yet, as with all the gifts that we have been given, it doesn’t come unconditionally. That is, it’s not something we can just do with as we please. God has set some rules. Indeed, He is very clear: sexual activity is to be between a husband and wife, male and female, and only in the context of marriage. Anything outside of that is sin.
Read Matthew 5:27-30. Look at how seriously Jesus takes the issues with which He is dealing here. What is, ultimately, at stake?
However much we like to focus (and rightly so) on all the grace and forgiveness that Jesus bestows upon sinners, we can’t forget the high standards of morality that He lived and preached. It’s hard to imagine how Jesus could have expressed more strongly the warning against sexual immorality as revealed in these few verses. Plucking out your eye? Cutting off your hand? If this is what it takes to be pure, then it’s worth it; otherwise you are in danger of losing your eternal life.
“If all who profess to obey the law of God were free from iniquity, my soul would be delivered; but they are not. Even some who profess to keep all the commandments of God are guilty of the sin of adultery. What can I say to arouse their benumbed sensibilities? Moral principle, strictly carried out, becomes the only safeguard of the soul.”-Ellen G. White,Counsels on Health, pp. 621, 622.
However strong Jesus’ warning is here, we must not forget the story about the woman caught in the act of adultery(John 8:1-11). How do we strike the right balance between the upholding of the standards that Jesus talked about in the above verses, while at the same time showing grace and compassion to those who fall, as revealed in this story?
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@Tanisha- hi!
Incase u struggling with whether the verse is literal or not ... I believe the verse is literal and can be figurative, for the sin(lust) that Christ is talking about here He has put it in its literal from... To me this is just to show how serious sexual immorality is... Figurative in the sense that if a brother cause you to sin cut him off your life since cutting him literally would mean breaking the commandments.
God bless.
Many families have been broken today because of infidelity.
This has led to domestic violence or otherwise! My advice to those who are married is to maintain the sanctity of marriage. Play the role of husband and wife respectively! Enjoy every moment you have sex with your lovely wife or husband as if its your first time!
While it is true that marriages are broken by infidelity, it does not hold that marriages must be broken when infidelity occurs. Too many couples decide that when he or she has had an affair then they have a biblical precedent for getting divorced. Can I suggest that is not the best solution?
While the realization that your spouse has been unfaithful to you is painful, it does not need to be the end of the marriage. I have a number of friends and indeed family members who have gone through this experience but through forgiveness, patience, and a willingness to work together have rebuilt their relationship. Some of my most treasured memories are of a close friend and her husband. The husband became enmeshed in an affair but the affair was exposed. The husband lost his job, and was disfellowshipped from the church. His wife supported him during this ordeal. 12 months later he was rebaptised into the same church he was disfellowshipped from. The pair of them rebuilt their marriage. Much of this occurred in the public eye and it was well known what happened and how the couple chose to forgive and rebuild. I know of others too who have been through similar experiences. What has been torn apart can be rebuilt with God's help.
Can someone please explain matthew 5:27-30?
The text is very clear that you do not have to get into the act itself to be sinning, but thinking about it with that man or woman is sin already. It is better not to think about it and even to watch or see something that is dirty or not wholesome that better to pluck out your eye. One will say, or how can that be...with human eyes and human mind, it might or will difficult since we have animal propensities, but it will take the mighty power of GOD to give you the power to overcome. We need to be showered by the Holy Spirit daily so we can overcome the temptation. That is why the apostle Paul said, "for me to live is Christ...." we need to die daily and for Christ to live in us. I hope it helps. Only through the mighty power of the mighty GOD.
My understanding of Matthew 5:27 - 30 is, it is known that men in general are visual and some men cannot control their thought process. A man would see a young woman whether he knows her or not and just because she looks good, or her clothing could be tight fitted, showing her form and that man looks at her and immediately, sexual thoughts enters his mind and he begins to dwell on those thoughts where he begins to see himself in sexual confrontation with that person, he has committed fornication with that woman. So, it is better for a man who knows that he has this problem to not spend time looking at women for too long. Our weaknesses are known by the Devil and he would bring things into our minds when we spend time looking in the wrong direction. Stifle that feeling, pray that God would give you the strength to overcome such custom. My brother and I were talking one day about this subject and I told him that, when I see a young lady that is appealing in her features, I would give God the glory for her beauty and to keep my mind pure I would say, it is just flesh and that works for me so, Jesus wants us to have pure thoughts at all times and not to entertain these devilish thoughts.
though we are weak but we should not get worried about adultery. God is ever with us.
I think Jesus here is trying to tell us that its better to stop sinning because its hard and difficult to remove each and every part of our body that causes us to sin, if we are to remove every part of our body that causes us to sin surely we can see that all body parts would be gone and after all our body parts are gone,one cannot say i have got a body..so better not sin because we risk loosing our body