• Adultery is a reality the bible recognises – e.g. King David (2 Samuel 11)
• It's regarded as a serious wrong – unlike today's permissive acceptance of this
• It's a breach of faith – so serious the death penalty is prescribed in Leviticus 20v10
• "Marriage should be honoured by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral." (Hebrews 13v4)

Divorce makes God sad & angry

• "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. Has not the LORD made them one? In flesh and spirit they are his. And why one? Because he was seeking godly offspring. So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith with the wife of your youth. "I hate divorce," says the LORD God of Israel…" (Malachi 2v14-16)

Adultery the only grounds for divorce mentioned by Jesus as acceptable

• "It has been said, `Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.' But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery." (Matthew 5v31-32)
• This shows how serious a sin it is.

Other areas of sexual temptation

• The bible rejects these as contrary to nature & God's will
• Homosexuality & lesbianism – Romans 1v26-27; Jude v7
• Fornication (=sex outside marriage) – Galatians 5v19; Ephesians 5v5; Colossians 3v5
• "Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God." (1 Corinthians 6v9-10)

Prostitution as an explanation of why sex outside marriage is wrong

• "Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Should I therefore take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Do you not know that whoever is united to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For it is said, “The two shall be one flesh.” But anyone united to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. Shun fornication! Every sin that a person commits is outside the body; but the fornicator sins against the body itself. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body." (1 Corinthians 6:15v20)
• We become "one flesh" with someone with whom we have sex, but God says such union should be restricted to marriage, where it's accompanied with commitment for life.

Lust interpreted by Jesus as adultery too

• "You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." (Matthew 5v27)
• "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what make a man 'unclean'…" (Matthew 15v19-20)
• We need God to cleanse & renew our hearts (= our innermost being & character), which he can do by the work of his Holy Spirit within us.

Jesus forgives an adulteress

• "The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" " (John 8v3-5)
• "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin." (John 8v11)
• We might wonder what had happened to the man committing adultery!! which perhaps illustrates the unfair way in which women have often been treated in this area.
• No sin is beyond Jesus' forgiveness, but we must repent (= act to change)
• Perhaps sexual sin is less offensive to God than some other sins, which we might feel are more 'acceptable', such as pride, hypocrisy, to judge by the way Jesus condemned these!? Certainly we must beware of "throwing the first stone" as Jesus put it in this story, or of seeing sexual sin as "worse" than other sin. Remember we all need forgiveness.

Adultery is in the bible a picture of unfaithfulness to God

• "When the LORD began to speak through Hosea, the LORD said to him, "Go, take to yourself an adulterous wife and children of unfaithfulness, because the land is guilty of the vilest adultery in departing from the LORD." " (Hosea 1v2)
• Adultery is also an image of compromise with the world in Revelation, because it's being unfaithful to God. (Revelation 2v22; 17v2; 18v3, 9)
• Do we see unfaithfulness to God & compromise with wrong as sin?

Questions.

• 1. What do you make of these different areas of sexual activity?
• 2. How different is the bible's view of these to the views of contemporary society?
• 3. How would you explain the biblical view of sexual sin to someone who asked you?
• 4. How can we support one another against the pressure of society in some places today to sleep with people outside marriage?
• 5. Why is the image of adultery as a picture of unfaithfulness to God so powerful in biblical thought?
• 6. In what ways are you tempted to compromise with the world or to be unfaithful to God?
• 7. How can we experience the change of heart which Jesus says is needed (Matthew 15v19)?
• 8. Are there any areas where you should seek counsel from others about your behaviour?
• 9. Adultery is more easily "measured" than sins such as pride or hypocrisy, and therefore more easily condemned. What evidence is there that Jesus viewed any sin as more serious than others? Which & why if so?
• 10. Are there circumstances in which divorce is better than staying married?
• 11. How can we support those whose marriages are in trouble, and those going through divorce?
• 12. Are you guilty of condemning others for sin this area whilst you sin in others?
• 13. If we have sinned in this area, how can we receive God's forgiveness & be set free from guilt? Remember that no sin is beyond God's forgiveness & healing.