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7th Commandment
Exodus 20:14 “You shall not commit adultery”.
Matthew 5:27-30.
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
Notes on the text

Matthew 5:27-30
• Adultery – moicheuō – 1) to commit adultery
o 1a) to be an adulterer
o 1b) to commit adultery with, have unlawful intercourse with another’s wife
o 1c) of the wife: to suffer adultery, be debauched
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Why do you suppose that Jesus “clarified” the 7th Commandment this way? Why was it necessary to ‘expound’ or ‘expand upon’ the 7th Commandment?

Albert Barnes “Notes on the Bible”: It is probable that the Pharisees had explained this commandment, as they had the sixth, as extending only to the external act; and that they regarded evil thoughts and a wanton imagination as of little consequence, or as not forbidden by the law. Our Saviour assures them that the commandment did not regard the external act merely, but the secrets of the heart, and the movements of the eye. He declares that they who indulge a wanton desire, that they who look on a woman to increase their lust, have already, in the sight of God, violated the commandment, and committed adultery in the heart.

OK, speaking of “imagination”, who is the best example in the Bible where his “imagination” led to big time problems & eventual adultery?
• David.. whose deep and awful crime fully shows the danger of indulging in
evil desires, and in the roving of a wanton eye.

Matthew Henry is quoted as saying “The eye is both the inlet and outlet of a great deal of wickedness”
Someone read for me:
Genesis 39:7 Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, 7 and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me!”

Judge 16:1 One day Samson went to Gaza, where he saw a prostitute. He went in to spend the night with her.

2 Samuel 11:2 2 One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful

Job 31:1 “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl.

Now, let’s move from the imagination to the “eye” and “hand” discussion. …..Obviously here Jesus does not want us to mutilate the body, so what is he doing here?
• Showing the importance of how the eye can lead you to eternal damnation.

When Jesus talks about plucking out the eye, some commentators discuss the IMPORTANCE of preaching “hell and damnation” (BY THE WAY, WHAT DO I MEAN BY PREACHING HELL AND DAMNATION?)…..what are your thoughts about this?
(Discuss how people feel about the Lord, bible thumping preachers/evangelist).

Matthew Henry Complete commentary on the Bible: Note,
• [1.] It is not unbecoming a minister of the gospel to preach of hell and damnation; nay, he must do it, for Christ himself did it; and we are unfaithful to our trust, if we give not warning of the wrath to come.
• [2.] There are some sins from which we need to be saved with fear, particularly fleshly lusts, which are such natural brute beasts as cannot be checked, but by being frightened; cannot be kept from a forbidden tree, but by cherubim, with a flaming sword.
• [3.] When we are tempted to think it hard to deny ourselves, and to crucify fleshly lusts, we ought to consider how much harder it will be to lie for ever in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone; those do not know or do not believe what hell is, that will rather venture their eternal ruin in those flames, than deny themselves the gratification of a base and brutish lust.
o QUESTION: Do you think that the secular world really thinks or really believes in “Hell” and “Hellfire”…. Eternity of pain and suffering?
o QUESTION: Do you think that Christians really think about it?
• [4.] In hell there will be torments for the body; the whole body will be cast into hell, and there will be torment in every part of it; so that if we have a care of our own bodies, we shall possess them in sanctification and honour, and not in the lusts of uncleanness.
• [5.] Even those duties that are most unpleasant to flesh and blood, are profitable for us; and our Master requires nothing from us but what he knows to be for our advantage.

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DISCUSS: Does this commandment also include flirting?

Basic Christianity, John Stott: This commandment has a far wider application than just to unfaithfulness in marriage.
• It includes any sort of sex outside the marriage relationship for which it was designed.
• It includes flirting .
• It also includes all sexual perversions, for although men and women are not responsible for a perverted instinct, they are for its indulgence.
• It includes selfish demands within wedlock. …. ????
• It includes the deliberate reading of pornographic literature and giving in to impure fantasies.

Jesus made this clear when he said “everyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
Just as to entertain murderous thoughts in the heart is to commit murder, so to entertain adulterous thoughts in the heart is to commit adultery. This commandment in fact embraces every abuse of a sacred and beautiful gift of God.

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QUESTIONS:
• Where are “most” marriages performed? (Answer: In Church).
• For marriages inside a church, the marriage ceremony is almost always performed by “whom”? (Answer: Preacher).
• Why do you think that “marriage” is such a sacred union to God? Why did God demand all the rules and regulations about “marriage”?
From “The Uncompromised Word of God” web site:
• Marriage is primarily designed so that a man and woman become one flesh. God said in Genesis 2:24,25
“Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.”
Genesis pointedly explains the creation of the help mate for Adam that would be one with Adam. The explanation in Genesis 2:21-23 says,
“And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; and the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.”
This explains that the creation of woman from man demands their union. They were created from the same flesh to be the same flesh.
When the Pharisees asked our Lord a controversial question on divorce, He not only quoted what He had said in Genesis, but, added commentary on the law and the provision of divorce. First consider His answer. He starts by defining marriage from His Word in Genesis. In Matthew 19:3-6, we read
“The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, ‘Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?’ And he answered and said unto them,
‘Have ye not read, that He which made them at the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh’. Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh.’ What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.’ ”
So, first Jesus answers with the Word given in Genesis 2:25. He defines marriage from the Word. As Jesus is God, and is named as “The Word” in John 1:1, His explanation and interpretation of the Word given in the Old Testament is the ABSOLUTE basis for our understanding and interpretation of the Old Testament and law anywhere He explains it or quotes it. Therefore, marriage is defined by God as union of a man and a woman. The statement of “They shall be one flesh” is established as the statement made by God and not a second statement by Adam. Jesus, the Christ, quotes “and they shall be one flesh” as the very statement of God and not man.

From “bibletruths.net”
God is the author of marriage (a couple joined for life in a special spiritual and physical relationship). God said, “it is not good that the man should be alone…” (Gen. 2: 18). It is a common fact that man is a social being. His life is enhanced and increased by having a proper companion. God then said, “…I will make an help meet for him.” The Hebrew word translated “help meet” suggests a counter-part.
God made woman for man. It has been remarked that God made Eve, not Steve for Adam. The woman was created for man! (Gen. 2: 18-22, 23). The apostle Paul later wrote, “Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man” (I Cor. 11: 9). “…Man is not of the woman,” he further argues to illustrate man’s headship, “but the woman of the man” (vs. 8). Man is in “the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man” (vs. 7). Since God made woman for man, she is ideally suited both emotionally, anatomically, and psychologically to meet the needs of man.
The exclusivity of marriage. “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother…,” God says regarding the priority of marriage (Gen. 2: 24). A son/parent relationship is wonderful and demanding, but the marriage relationship is more demanding! Marriage, as ordained by God, involves one man and one woman. Eve, not multiple women, was made for Adam (Gen. 2). “They twain (two) shall be one flesh,” Jesus later said (Matt. 19: 5). The play and emphasis is on the numerical “two” and “one.” Marriage is monogamous and God was not pleased with polygamy, practiced subsequent to Genesis 2).
What constitutes marriage which is joined by God. The Bible speaks of God being “witness between thee and the wife of thy youth.” Also, “…the wife of thy covenant” (Mal. 2: 14).
Mal 2:14 (NIV) You ask, “Why?” It is because the LORD is acting as the witness between you and the wife of your youth, because you have broken faith with her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant.
One commentator wrote regarding Bible marriages: “The actual marriage seems to have been accompanied by certain solemn promises and blessings (The Pulpit Commentary, vol. 14, on Malachi 2: 14). The totality of the teaching of the Bible shows what we call the “exchanging of vows.” I stress this facet of marriage to say there is a manifest difference between marriage and just living together in fornication.
We are taught to obey civil laws when they do not collide with God’s laws, as such (Rom. 13: 1-7, Acts 5: 29). As a rule, all counties, States, and municipalities have laws relative to marriage – issuance of marriage license, filing of license, etc. Such civil practice is good because it creates order, intent, and record.
The purpose of marriage. The ideal marriage is both physical and spiritual. “…To avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and every woman have her own husband,” the Bible says (I Cor. 7: 2). The conjugal aspects of marriage are clearly and unashamedly taught (I Cor. 7: 3-6, Heb. 13: 4).
Marriage is also for the producing and education of children (Gen. 1: 28). Paul wrote of the woman, “notwithstanding she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with sobriety” (I Tim. 2: 15).
Many are conversant with the physical considerations of marriage – the conjugal, children, etc. – but not enough are aware of the spiritual. The biblically ideal marriage involves an acknowledgment of God and his word at the beginning and throughout the marriage. Men and women entering marriage should be as compatible as possible. Moreover, spiritual compatibility should be a requisite. In short, both should be Christians (I Pet. 3: 7, see also Eph. 5: 22-33). Many conflicts and problems occur because neither or just one is a Christian (Acts 26: 28). The expression “one flesh” I am convinced refers to more than the sexual. While they remain two entities, they unite in purpose. The spiritual is also seen concerning the nurturing of children. Children are to be brought “up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Eph. 6: 4). Children are also to “obey your parents in the Lord…” (vs. 1).
Headship in marriage. All relationships must have structure in order to properly function, marriage is no exception. The truth stated in the Bible is the husband is the head, the wife is to be in subjection, and the children are to obey their parents in the Lord (Eph. 5: 22-6: 4). The too common American family is in direct opposition to God’s teaching regarding marriage. Marriage is not a democracy with all ruling, including the children! Alas, many men lack leadership abilities. They are growing up in homes where biblical headship is not practiced – even members of the Lord’s church. More and more preachers and elders (role models) do not rule their own houses (I Tim. 3: 4, 5, Tit. 1: 6). In the case of elders, some local churches have become mutually ruled! (See Hebrews 13: 17.)
The longevity of marriage. God ordained marriage is manifestly permanent (Gen. 1, 2). In alluding to and reinstating the original marriage law, Jesus said: “…what therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder” (Matt. 19: 6). “For the woman which hath a husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth…,” Paul wrote (Rom. 7: 2). The only exception or contingency to the continuance of the marriage bond, other than death, is adultery. The innocent mate may elect to sever the marriage bond (his tie) based on the fornication of their mate (Matt. 5: 32, 19: 9).
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From http://infidelityfacts.com/infidelity-statistics.html

Below are compiled statistics on infidelity and marriage:
Percentage of marriages that end in divorce in America: 53%
Percentage of “arranged marriages” (where parents pick their sons or daughters spouses) that end in divorce: 3%
Hmmmmm. Why 53 voluntary, and 3% arranged?
Medical field(s) with the highest divorce rate: psychiatrists and marriage counselors
Why?
Percentage of marriages where one or both spouses admit to infidelity, either physical or emotional: 41%
Percentage of men who admit to committing infidelity in any relationship they’ve had: 57%
Percentage of women who admit to committing infidelity in any relationship they’ve had: 54%
Percentage of men and women who admit to having an affair with a co-worker: 36%
Percentage of men and women who admit to infidelity on business trips: 36%
Percentage of men and women who admit to infidelity (emotional or physical) with a brother-in-law or sister-in-law: 17%
Average length of an affair: 2 years
Percentage of marriages that last after an affair has been admitted to or discovered: 31%
Percentage of men who say they would have an affair if they knew they would never get caught: 74%
Percentage of women who say they would have an affair if they knew they would never get caught: 68%

Ask: If you do research on infidelity, what reasons do you think you will find on “why” men cheat:
Why Men Cheat

Statistically speaking, men cheat for a single primary reason: sex.
Many men experience the natural urge to “spread their seed”.
Now to be sure, in the case of marriages or committed relationships, there is far more than just biology at work. Many men report a loss of sexual desire for their wives after children are born…or even after witnessing their wives give birth. Their wives, to them, no longer appear as sex objects, but rather maternal figures.
Another widely reported cause is the breakdown of fun or spontaneity in the relationship. For example, to men in long-term relationships sex will become routine or mechanical. Not an adventure as it once was, but simply as a means to an end. And so they seek that adventure, that adrenaline rush, with another woman (or women).
Yet another cause is more biology related…the need to conquer. Think ego. It’s reported that many men will seek sex outside of a relationship simply to see if they can do it. To see if they can convince a woman they are attracted to…to sleep with them. It’s the “notch in the belt” phenomenon that while frowned upon in America, is surprisingly widely accepted in many parts of the world.

Ask: If you do research on infidelity, what reasons do you think you will find on “why” women cheat:
Why Women Cheat

Statistically, women don’t cheat for the sake of sex. It’s of secondary concern for them. The #1 reason why they cheat is for an emotional connection. And this is particularly true of women over the age of 30.
In more than a few instances, women won’t even cheat physically. They will carry on emotional affairs…where they’ll fall in love and experience emotional intimacy with a men, while never taking it to the physical level. It’s these type of affairs that can continue on for years, without ever being detected, and often leaving a wake of destruction in their path.
Studies have found that in long-term relationships, women, whether they work outside of the house or not, often find themselves “shut out” emotionally. Over 70% of women are still the primary caregivers for their children while also being the cook and the maid…whether or not they have a full or part-time job. This leaves them precious little time for themselves to foster a woman’s natural urge to grow emotionally. An urge typical ignored by men whose primary interest is physical contact.
Thus the longing for a man who can “see who they really are” begins. And in the weeks, months or even years that follow, they will usually find such a man – or think they’ve found one. An interesting point to takeaway of this female need for an “emotional bond” : affairs initiated by women generally last 3 times long than those initiated by men.
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© Bill Mitchell, 7-Day Detective 2005
Since 1971 William F. Mitchell, Jr. has documented the activities of those who commit adultery. As an investigator proving thousands of adultery, Mr. Mitchell has compiled these statistics:

About Marriages and Divorce:
• 50-70 percent of all American marriages end in divorce.
• Within the last decade, incidents of adultery have risen to this alarming rate of 50-70 percent in America.

About the Adulterers:
• 100 percent of adulterers violate the trust they shared and enjoyed with their spouse.
• 10-20 percent of spouse’s cheating begins as Internet affairs in chat rooms or at game websites.
• 75 percent of adulterers are middle-class wage earners.
• 1-5 percent of adulterers are pastors or clergy.
• 90 percent of clergy divide churches and cause spiritual upheaval within their sphere of influence. Many congregants become skeptical, bitter and resentful.
• 60-70 percent of adultery victims are women.
• 30-40 percent of adultery victims are men. This number has increased dramatically over the past decade and a half, due in part to the increased presence of women in the workplace.
• 10-15 percent of female victims are between the ages of 20-25 years old.
• 50-75 percent of female victims are between the ages of 25-50 years old.
• 1-2 percent of female victims are married more than 25 years to the same spouse.
• 10-20 percent of adultery victims claim to be Christians, and the cheating spouse usually is a regular attendant of church or religious activities.
• 15-20 percent are repeat offenders.
• 99.9 percent deny they are having an affair and hide the truth! The exception is when they confess without being forced into it.
• 70-80 percent who willing confess to infidelity recovery and enjoy a stronger marriage in time.

About the Affair:• 50-75 percent of extramarital affairs take place with someone from the workplace.
• 70-80 percent of the time, extramarital activity lasts six months to a year but not longer.
• 20-25 percent of adulterers frequent motels or hotels.
• 75 percent of sexual activity occurs in a residence, apartment, or office location.
• 80-85 percent of domestic relations investigations reveal evidence of adultery when one spouse questions the other’s devotion and loyalty.
• 30-50 percent of affairs involve alcohol during their indiscretions.
• 50 percent of extramarital affairs take place under cover of darkness or in the shadow of the night.
• 50-65 percent of extramarital affairs occur on weekends.
• 10-15 percent of marriages survive affairs after professional or non-professional (clergy) counseling where the act of forgiveness occurs.
• 10-25 percent of spouses having affairs bring financial ruin to their marital home.
• 10 percent of affairs result in physical abuse with their spouse at some stage of the affair.
• 100 percent of extramarital affairs take their toll on biological and stepchildren.
Don’t make any sudden moves!
Confronting your partner too soon will only help him or her hide their tracks and go deeper into denial and hiding. Author Bill Mitchell, a licensed private investigator, has helped thousands of individuals successfully find out if their partners are cheating and catch them! Use his smart, proven steps to immediately take charge of your situation and your life.
Do your relationship this one favor…before things go any further
If you’re living with the pain of not knowing, it’s OK to do something about it. You at least owe it to yourself to know what you could do. Written in a friendly, caring style, this book is first and foremost about caring for yourself and doing what’s right for you.

© Bill Mitchell, 7-Day Detective
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Message
Sunday’s sermon will include the following main points:
1. Cultural Considerations – how sinful man corrupts the sexual relationship
2. Scriptural Considerations – what God has revealed about sex and adultery
3. Pragmatic Considerations – the damage caused by adultery
Spiritual Preparation – Bible Reading for Families
Pray daily that you would be faithful to God in worship of Him alone and in your relationships with others.
Consider fasting from one meal this week.
Read every day: Romans 1:16-17; 2 Peter 1:1-12; Psalm 6
HAVE SOMEONE READ THIS ENTIRE SCRIPTURE
Read every day Romans 1:16-17
New International Version (NIV)
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last,[a] just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”[b]
ASK: HOW DOES THIS HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE 7TH COMMANDMENT?
HAVE SOMEONE READ THIS ENTIRE SCRIPTURE: Read every day 2 Peter 1:1-12
1 Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours:
2 Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
Confirming One’s Calling and Election
3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.
10 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, 11 and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Prophecy of Scripture
12 So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have.

AFTER THIS SCRIPTURE IS READ, DISCUSS HOW THIS RELATES TO THE 7TH COMMANDMENT. ALSO, VERSE 12, WHERE IT TALKS ABOUT “REMIND YOU OF THESE THINGS”, ASK HOW WOULD CHURCH, ABF, SMALL GROUPS, OR DAILY BIBLE READING AND PRAYER BENEFIT.

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