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“Do not commit adultery” is another terse prohibition in the second half of the Ten Commandments. The ‘second tablet’ teaches us how to love our neighbor well. Like the legal expert who asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29), we are often inclined to look for loopholes in these commands. We might say, “I’m not stealing, I’m just borrowing,” or “I’m not coveting, I’m just admiring”. In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus does away with loophole thinking. He declares, “Everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart”. (Matthew 5:28) Being an expert in human psychology, Jesus knows that adultery takes place long before a physical act is committed.
The Seventh Commandment acknowledges the incredible power of human sexuality to create or destroy intimate human attachments. While violating the bond of marriage reflects the pinnacle of sexuality’s power to destroy, it is not the only way we break the Seventh Commandment. In an increasingly pornified culture with its false ideas about sexual freedom, this commandment invites us to rethink how we use our bodies and express our desires to create true human intimacy.
Yours for Christ,
Pastor Steve
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