MATTIE'S CHRISTIAN PAGES
ADULTERY RAPES THE SOUL
ADULTERY AND ITS EFFECT ON THE HUMAN SOUL
There are many sins that effect the soul and therefore our marriages; but adultery is the worse. It (a. kills faith in the other partner, without which we cannot believe them and their motives; (b. wounds the ego and the soul in such a way as to take many, many months to heal, if ever; (c. breaks fellowship, without which there can be no peace and harmony in the home; (d. steals hope, without which, one can not go on and is in danger of self-destruction (e. and destroys the bond upon which the marriage is built, the covenant of "forsaking all others and keeping oneself only for the other," thus effectively causing the marriage to die "on the vine."
Adultery, in homes that have been built upon love and hope and peace and mutual care can be forgiven and later overcome; but in most cases this is not the case. Usually it occurs toward the start of a marriage before all of these things can take place. If we have faith that it will not be repeated, then there is some hope that forgiveness and restoration can be accomplished; but without faith that it will not be repeated, hope fades and dies and without hope, the marriage is irreparably damaged. This is why the Lord said in Matt 5:28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. (KJV)
Men have a hard time with this verse. They are so used to thinking about women all of the time, after the flesh and as they are trained by their peers and the attitude of society, that it only seems natural for them to continue, even after they are saved and even "filled with the Holy Ghost." Abstaining from sex, outside of marriage, is so foreign to them that it seems not even to compute in their logic systems unless they have been trained in a Christian home and have already instituted these beliefs into their lives as a child. They, many times, do not see that they should change. They do not seem to connect that it involves their wives as well as their own thoughts and emotions. They seem to think that "What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her," failing to recognize that sooner or later it will all come out. Even if it doesn’t, they may not be able to live with the guilt after a while, as they try to live for God and he begins to show them their waywardness and sins. We seen to need forgiveness from our spouse as well as from God for the wounds and distress to be healed and for us to feel clean and renewed. We, many times, fail to understand that in confessing our sins to our spouse, it will relieve our guilt but; it may do irreparable harm to them and put them now in the pain and guilt that we had suffered.
There are many examples in the body; but one comes instantly to mind, that of Jimmy Swaggart. He loved God and worked for him in a national ministry and many people were blessed by it; but he lusted after women in his heart which led him into actions, which finally brought shame and hurt not only to his family and himself; but also to the ministry. For, if we continue in sin, it is sure to be "found out." He was forgiven by his family but his ministry was hurt so badly that it was almost totally lost.
Sin of any kind, makes us a slave to it and its master as taught by Jesus in John 8:33-36
They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. (KJV) (emphasis: the author) We can and should be free from all the thoughts and acts of our fleshly natures "in Christ, " for from these verses we find that he has set us free!
The Jews had a tough time with this verse, as they felt that they were serving God always, even when they were doing these things, for they were keeping the letter of the law, even if not the intent. They were offended when he called them slaves to the devil and their own lusts, even as many in the Body feel today. They couldn’t understand that we are servants of God and must have our thoughts and actions on Godly things and pursuits and not on the earthly ones. Jesus tried to teach them that to be God’s children meant living above the natural instincts of man and living in the spirit, with its attention on heavenly things and doing the will of the Father even as he did.
This doesn’t mean that we are not to have our own wife to satisfy our physical needs and to bring us comfort and pleasure and to bear children, as we strive to be like him in pro-creation and the rearing of our young, for Jesus tells us in Matt 19:3-12: 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. (KJV) (emphasis: the author) Jesus qualified this statement when he said "except for fornication" for fornication destroys the unity of the marriage and the home by killing the trust and love of that home and almost universally making continuing with the marriage unthinkable.
Jesus said that the Jews were serving their "father" and not God, for he said in John 8:44-47: Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God. (KJV) (emphasis: the author) He also said they have no excuse for they know the scriptures. John 9:41 Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth. (KJV) (emphasis: the author) And in James 4:16-17 But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. (KJV) (emphasis: the author)
The same applies to the Body as well as to these Jews. We have no excuse when we continue to hold on to the old ways of evil and their sins and refuse to come to that place of total surrender to God which I call "conversion" where we surrender our will, our lives, our hopes and dreams, and all that we have and are to him and dedicate ourselves to doing the "will of the Father in Heaven" even as Jesus did. There is no longer any time or interest in "doing the works of the flesh" as we try to walk daily in his love and grace and leadership of the Holy Spirit.
When Jesus said in Matt 19:3-12: 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. They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away? He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery. His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry. But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given. For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it. (KJV) (emphasis: the author) that we were not to divorce except for the sin of fornication, then the disciples said, it was better not to marry, and sometimes we feel the same. Yet the Lord knew all the consequenses of the sin of adultery and fornication. This was spoken under the law to men but "in Christ" there is neither male nor female so the same applies to the women of the church. The only scriptural reason for divorce is fornication which leads to adultry, in the heart, if not in the physical act.
We are to live our lives above that of "natural man" as Jesus said that we could when we have the "Spirit of Truth" abiding with us, John 16:7-15: Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you. (KJV) (emphasis: the author)
Paul, in Romans, also tells us: Rom 1:21-32: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. (KJV) (emphasis: the author)
Yet, we in the Body must be careful not to judge others and their actions as we cannot see their hearts. That is why God says, "Judge not lest ye be judged"--Luke 6:37: Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: (KJV) (emphasis: the author)
Paul, in Roamans, also tells us, Rom 2:1-29: Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; Who will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: For there is no respect of persons with God. For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;) In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel. Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, And knowest his will, and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed out of the law; And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law. Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God? For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written. For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision. Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision? And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfil the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law? For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God. (KJV) (emphasis: the author)
Marriage is sacred but can be and is destroyed by our sins and unforgiveness, especially that of fornication and adultery. When this occurs, then and only then, did Jesus gave us the ability to find relief in divorce. Many in the Body do not concur, for they feel that they must honor their words and they should, as long as there is no irreparable damage to the person and his soul; but this is the words of the Lord to his church: "Live in Peace and Love and Trust as much as you can in all things but above all you are to Live for Me and do My will. If this involves separation or divorce, follow Me!"
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