“You have heard that it was said by them of old time, You shall not commit adultery: But I say to you, That whosoever looks on a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart.” MATTHEW 5:27,28Today we will look at the Seventh Commandment and what it means in light of New Testament revelation: “You shall not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14).
The Bible said that the Messiah would magnify the Law and make it honorable (Isaiah 42:21).
The Pharisees had dishonored the Law by teaching that God required only an outward show of piety. However, Jesus explained that God judges even the thought-life. He said, “You have heard that it was said by them of old time, You shall not commit adultery: But I say to you, that whosoever looks on a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart” (Matthew 5:27,28). In doing so He touched the apple of the eye of humanity. Men live for and will die because of lust. For them it is life’s greatest pleasure, and they would rather be damned than let it go. If salvation were the work of man, no one would be saved. The evangelistic endeavor would be hopeless. But thank God it is He who gives us repentance leading us to the knowledge of the truth (2 Timothy 2:25). It is God who brings us to our senses and shows us the end of our transgressions. This Commandment is perhaps the most powerful of the mighty cannons of God and therefore must be used often to awaken sinners to their plight. Realize that when you give yourself to lust, you are committing adultery (Matthew 5:27,28). Grasp the serious nature of your sin. Jesus said that it would be better for you to be blind and go to heaven than for your eye to cause you to sin and end up in hell (Matthew 5:29). Those who profess to be Christians yet drool over pornographic material evidently lack the fear of God (Proverbs 16:6). Cultivate the fear of the Lord by reading Proverbs 2:1–5. Think of where lust led King David. He opened himself to many other sins, including murder, and brought misery and shame to his family name. Read Psalm 51 and make it your own prayer.
Memorize James 1:14,15 and 1 Corinthians 10:13. Follow Jesus’ example (Matthew 4:3–11) and quote the Word of God when you are tempted (see Ephesians 6:12–20). Make no provision for your flesh (Romans 13:14; 1 Peter 2:11). Get rid of every access to pornographic material—the Internet, printed literature, TV, videos, and movies. Stop feeding the fire. Instead, guard your heart with all diligence (Proverbs 4:23). Don’t let the demonic realm have access to your thought-life. If you give yourself to it, you will become its slave (Romans 6:16).
This devotion was excerpted from The School of Biblical Evangelism, chapter 11, beginning on page 76.
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