Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Exodus 20:16: The Ninth Commandment


Of all of the Ten Commandments, the breaking of the ninth may be the most common and socially acceptable of them all.  It seems that any time a politician, athlete, celebrity, or average Joe is accused of anything, their knee-jerk reaction is to deny the accusation or to frame the story in such a way that they look as good as the possibly can.  But don’t we do the same?  Almost half of people who apply for jobs in this country do.  In a recent survey of nearly three million job applicants, “nearly 50 percent of American resumes contain one or more falsehoods.”[1]It seems that it is just assumed that breaking this commandment is not that big of a deal from time to time. 
As God’s people, however, we must remember that these commandments represent God’s moral standards for all people.  Whether breaking a commandment is culturally acceptable or not, we must agree with God when our culture is wrong.  In the ninth commandment, God commanded His people to speak truth with and about one another: “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor” (Exodus 20:16).  So whether culturally acceptable or not, God’s people must speak truth with and about one another. Let’s ask God for grace today in order to do so and then let’s consider what the ninth commandment requires of us as God’s people.  

I.              The Ninth Commandment Calls Us to be People Who Treasure Justice

Mark Rooker says “The original focus of this commandment pertained to the giving of false testimony in legal proceedings (see Exod 23:2).”[2] This understanding of the ninth commandment is expanded in a few other passages.  Consider Exodus 23:1-3: [23:1] “You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with a wicked man to be a malicious witness. [2] You shall not fall in with the many to do evil, nor shall you bear witness in a lawsuit, siding with the many, so as to pervert justice, [3] nor shall you be partial to a poor man in his lawsuit.  Deuteronomy 19:15-21 also highlights this understanding of the ninth commandment: [15] “A single witness shall not suffice against a person for any crime or for any wrong in connection with any offense that he has committed. Only on the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses shall a charge be established. [16] If a malicious witness arises to accuse a person of wrongdoing, [17] then both parties to the dispute shall appear before the LORD, before the priests and the judges who are in office in those days. [18] The judges shall inquire diligently, and if the witness is a false witness and has accused his brother falsely, [19] then you shall do to him as he had meant to do to his brother. So you shall purge the evil from your midst. [20] And the rest shall hear and fear, and shall never again commit any such evil among you. [21] Your eye shall not pity. It shall be life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
The point here is simply that God is just and God’s people are to reflect the just character of their Redeemer and Creator.  To bear false witness in a legal case, whether out of malice or in an effort to help someone you love, is to pervert justice.  Lying in legal matters is a threat to the whole justice system because without truth, there can be no justice.  The justice system is meant to protect those who have been wronged in some way, not to be abused and manipulated in order to cover up something or to wrong someone else. 
Imagine what a difference the truth would make in some of the racial cases we see on the news right now.  One of the problems in the Michael Brown shooting is simply that there are so many inconsistencies in the testimonies of eyewitnesses.  It wouldn’t solve the racial problem in our country, but imagine what a difference it would make if all the eyewitnesses simply told the truth. 
You may never find yourself in a legal proceeding where you have to give testimony, but if you do, remember the ninth commandment.  Resolve by God’s grace to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.  Tell the truth and leave the rest to God. 

II.            The Ninth Commandment Calls Us to be People of Integrity

The ninth commandment, however, does not just address telling the truth in legal matters.  This commandment also prohibits any false statement that may bring harm to any neighbor.  Remember that some of the Ten Commandments are categorical, meaning that they stand not just for the specific sin mentioned, but also for whole categories of sin.  The specific sin mentioned in these commands is simply the most extreme form of that sin.  So this commandment does not just call us to treasure justice, but to also be people of integrity. 
The rest of the Bible applies this commandment to other types of lying as well.  Of the seven things that Yahweh hates in Proverbs 6:16-19, lying makes the list more than once: [16] There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are an abomination to him: [17] haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, [18] a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, [19] a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers. (Proverbs 6:16-19 ESV) Proverbs 12:22 says, Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but those who act faithfully are his delight.” 
In the New Testament, Paul states that a mark of spiritual maturity is when we are “speaking the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15).  Later in the same chapter, where Paul is charging believers to live morally upright lives, he mentions the ninth commandment in this way: “Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.”  (Ephesians 4:25 ESV)
In this light, this commandment also condemns the lies we tell our neighbors over the fence and the rumors we whisper between the pews at church.[3]  Have you ever exaggerated or embellished a story?  Have you ever said something like, “I didn’t lie; I just didn’t tell them everything.”  Friend, a wise preacher once said that a half-truth is a whole lie. 
Gossip and slander is also a form of lying and a breach of this commandment.  Gossip is talking about people in a way that damages their reputation and involves much speculation.  Philip Ryken gives some helpful questions to consider for when we are tempted to gossip: Is what I am about to say true?  If so, does it really need to be said to this person in this conversation?  Would I put it this way if the person I’m talking about were here to listen?  He goes on to say that “Telling the truth means thinking and saying the best about people.”[4]
Another way we lie is when we act like we have it all together when we really don’t, or when we call our selves faithful Christians and then don’t live like it.  It’s called posing.  John addressed posers in 1 John 1:6: “If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.”  Instead of posing, lets come out into the open and rejoice that we are a bunch of liars that have been covered by Christ’s blood so that we can be transformed into people of integrity by His grace! 
Have you ever considered why we lie?  Jesus called the devil “the father of lies” and said that unbelievers lie because they belong to him (John 8:44).  Even Christians still struggle with this old nature on this side of heaven.  So one reason is because it is our nature to do so.  But there are more practical reasons.  Some people lie because of malice.  Some people lie because of pride.  Some people lie because of greed.  I know that in my own life, much of my lying has to do with insecurity and the fear of man.  I don’t want people to be disappointed with me so I frame a situation in order to paint myself in the best light.  Why are you tempted to lie? 
The bottom line once again is that God is truthful.  Titus 1:2 says that He cannot lie.  So in order to reflect God’s character to this world, we must be truthful as well.  We must be people of integrity. 

III.         The Ninth Commandment Calls Us to be People Who Love Our Neighbor

Finally, this commandment also calls us to be people who love our neighbor.  We’ve said this is true about all of the last six commandments, but notice how this commandment specifically states that when we break it; we are doing something “against” our neighbor (20:16).  Psalm 15 also makes this connection: [15:1] O LORD, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill? [2] He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart; [3] who does not slander with his tongue and does no evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his friend; [4] in whose eyes a vile person is despised, but who honors those who fear the LORD; who swears to his own hurt and does not change; [5] who does not put out his money at interest and does not take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved. (Psalm 15:1-5).  Remember that anytime we lie, whether in court or in church, someone suffers. 
Another reason it is important to think through this point is because there are some cases in Scripture we see people lying and yet not condemned.  The Hebrew midwives lied to protect children in Exodus 1:19.  Rahab lied to protect the two Israelite spies in Joshua 2:2-6.  Jonathan lied to protect David in 1 Samuel 20:27-29.  What I would first say about this instances is that even though their lying wasn’t condemned, it wasn’t condoned either.  These are situations where the lesser of two evils had to be chosen because love for one’s neighbor required that one withhold the truth.  If a soldier is captured during war, simply telling the truth when interrogated could result in great harm to his fellow soldiers or his country.  J.I. Packer says here that when the love that seeks our neighbor’s good prompts us to withhold truth that, if spoken, would bring him harm, the spirit of the ninth commandment is being observed.[5]  But again, you should see these as instances where the lesser of two evils is being chosen, not as an excuse to lie with good intentions.  These aren’t situations where someone is saving their own hide, but their neighbor’s.   
Don’t blow off this commandment like the rest of our culture does.  As we saw earlier, God hates lying.  When Revelation 21:8 mentions those who will burn in the lake of fire one day, it includes liars: “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”  And in case John’s readers didn’t get warning, he repeats in it Revelation 22:14-15: [14] Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. [15] Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
Only us liars who have our robes washed can enter heaven.  Thankfully, God has provided a way for us to have our lying hearts washed clean.  That way is to turn to Jesus, admit the truth to Him that we are liars and sinners who rightly deserve God’s wrath and to ask for His forgiveness in full surrender to Him as Lord and King of our lives.  That way is to trust what He has done on our behalf in His life and death to make us right with God.  Jesus, who never lied, was lied about and ultimately was falsely accused and crucified.  Jesus told the truth even when it lead to His own death so that we could be forgiven and changed.  Will you turn to Him today for salvation?  Will you repent of lying as His follower and beg Him for grace to be a person of integrity?  This is who you were meant to be and this is who you can be, but only by God’s grace and only by Christ’ blood.


[1] Philip Ryken, Written in Stone, 186
[2] Rooker, Mark (2010-04-29). The Ten Commandments (New American Commentary Studies in Bible and Theology) (Kindle Locations 4037-4038). B&H Publishing. Kindle Edition.
[3] Philip Ryken, Written in Stone, 189
[4] Ibid, 193
[5] J.I. Packer, Keeping the Ten Commandments, 98

Exodus 20:15: The Eighth Commandment


So far in the Ten Commandments, we have seen that there is always more than meets the eye.  These commands call for a deeper obedience than just what’s on the surface of the command.  The same thing is going to hold true for the eighth commandment, which prohibits stealing.  In the eighth commandment (Exodus 20:15), which reads, “You shall not steal,” God actually commanding His people to have a proper attitude towards money and possessions.  We learn here that as God’s people, we too must cultivate a proper attitude towards money and possessions.  I firmly believe the key to cultivating such an attitude is learning to treasure and trust Jesus Christ as we should and also learning to love our neighbor as we should.  Let’s pray for God to give us grace today to do so and then let’s consider just what this commandment is requiring of us as God’s people.   

I.              Understanding the Eighth Commandment

In order to understand just what this commandment is calling for, we first need to consider WHAT stealing is.  Stealing is taking what does not belong to us without another’s knowledge or consent.  What’s interesting is that “nearly 90 percent of evangelical Christians claim that they never break the eighth commandment,”[1]but if you just follow that simple definition through to its end, you will find that even the church today is a den of thieves!  First of all, in the United States today, property theft occurs in some form every three seconds.[2] But there are many ways in which we take things that belong to others. 
Moving boundary markers we forbidden in Scripture because it was considered taking someone else’s property (Deuteronomy 19:14; 27:17).  Using inaccurate weights and balances (what we would call overpricing) was also considered stealing in Scripture (Deuteronomy 25:13-16).  So was charging interest (Exodus 22:25).  But it is also stealing to borrow money and not pay it back.  When an employer doesn’t pay a fair day’s wages for an honest day’s labor (James 5:1-6), they are stealing from their employees.  But not putting in an honest day’s labor for a fair day’s wages is stealing your employer’s money and time.  Embezzlement is stealing.  Fraud can be stealing.  Kidnapping is stealing.  So is tax evasion.  Identity theft is stealing.  When we make bogus insurance claims or disability claims, we are stealing.  Whey we lie to the government about our income in order to get extra benefits, we are lying and stealing. This is part of what’s wrong with our country: we are a bunch of lazy thieves who would rather take from the government than work for a living!  When you illegally download music or movies, you are stealing.  Plagiarism is stealing.  Taking things from work that we are not authorized to is stealing.  Every helped yourself to items that are provided in a hotel room after staying there?  If you have, then you are a thief. 
One you may not have thought about is how we steal time from the Lord when we use the Lord’s day for something other than He has prescribed.  Chrysostom said not to share our wealth with the poor is theft from the poor.[3]  Also, in Malachi 3:8-10, God says that when we withhold tithes and offerings, we are robbing Him!  [8] Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. [9] You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me, the whole nation of you. [10] Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.
(Malachi 3:8-10 ESV) And these are just a handful of examples!  Luther rightly asked that if we were to hang all the thieves in the world, where would we find enough rope?[4] (Rockwell)
It is also important think through WHY we steal in order to understand what this commandment requires.  Why do people steal?  Stealing begins with coveting and greed.  In other words, it is desiring what does not belong to us that leads to taking what does not belong to us.  Coveting will be addressed in the tenth commandment, but for now consider this train of thought one-step further.  Why do we covet?   The reason we covet is because we are not content with what we have.  Stealing is the polar opposite of contentment with what God has provided.  In this light, the prohibition against stealing is also a charge to be content with what God has given to us.  God has ordained that men should earn their bread by the sweat of their brow, and with that portion which we thus honestly obtain, we must be satisfied.[5]
The final thing we need to consider in order understand what this commandment requires is HOW the rest of the Bible applies this commandment.  The rest of the Bible applies this commandment in a way that makes most all of us guilty of breaking it as well.  Listen to Paul’s words in Ephesians 4:28: “Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.”  Paul takes the eighth commandment to mean more than simply not taking what belongs to someone else.  According to Paul, this commandment seems to address one’s overall heart attitude towards money and possessions, and it calls us to be people who are hard working and generous.  This commandment then, is not just prohibiting stealing, but is calling for godly stewardship as well.  Godly stewardship is flows out of the understanding that God owns everything and that we are not owners of anything, but stewards (or managers) of what God has graced us with.  (Bridges)

II.            Keeping the Eighth Commandment  

Now that we have a better understanding of what the eighth commandment requires, how can we obey it?  First, we must TRUST and SUBMIT to Our God.  Philip Ryken points out that when we take what does not belong to us, we sin against God in two ways.[6]  For starters, every theft is a failure to trust in God’s provision.  It expresses a lack of faith that God has or that God can provide what we need.  Also, every theft is an assault upon God’s providence.  It also expresses a discontentment with how God has allotted things in His universe and it actually robs what God has provided for someone else.  We also add to this that every theft is also a failure to joy in God’s sufficiency.  We take because we don’t believe God is enough. 
Secondly, in order to keep this commandment, we must LOVE Our Neighbor.  Remember what Paul said in Romans 13:8-10, that love does no wrong to a neighbor: [8] Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. [9] For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” [10] Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. (Romans 13:8-10 ESV)
Martin Luther said we break the eighth commandment whenever we take advantage of our neighbor in any dealing that results in loss to them.[7]  Have you ever had something stolen from you?  How’d that make you feel?  That’s what we’re doing to our fellow man when we steal from them in any way. 
Because stealing is also a sin against our neighbor, repentance in this areal also involves restitution.  The Old Testament contains a threefold differentiation for the punishment of theft: (1) the death penalty is for kidnapping (Exod 21:16; Deut 24:7) and stealing of God’s property (Josh 7); (2) the punishment for the theft of livestock and valued goods is usually double the value (Exod 22:4[3],7[6],9[8]); (3) fourfold or fivefold replacement is demanded if cattle or sheep were slaughtered or sold (Exod 22:1[21:37]).[8]  In the New Testament, we see restitution as part of Zacchaeus’ repentance: “And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, ‘Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor.  And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold’” (Luke 19:8 ESV). 
In order to keep this commandment, we must trust and submit to our God, we must love our neighbor, but we must ultimately LOOK to Our Savior Jesus Christ.  We must look to Him first because He has kept this command for us.  Jesus never desired or took anything that belonged to someone else in thought, word, or deed.  The irony of that is the fact that the universe and everything in it belongs to Him in the first place!  The good news of the gospel is that Jesus’ humble obedience is credited to all those to repent of their sins and trust in Him. 
We must also look to Jesus because He has paid the penalty for all of our thievery and covetousness.  On Calvary’s hill, Jesus was crucified between two thieves.  Jesus was numbered with these criminals in fulfillment of Isaiah 53:12 and considered a thief so that we would not be.  You and I should have hung there.   I am the third thief, and so are you, but because Jesus loves thieves and robbers, He has taken our place and born the punishment for our sins.  We see Jesus’ great love for thieves displayed on that hill: [39] One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” [40] But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? [41] And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” [42] And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” [43] And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:39-43 ESV)
This thief was nailed to a cross and could only confess his sin and beg Jesus for mercy.  When he did so, Jesus pardoned Him and the very blood that this thief was watching gush out of the Son of God washed him clean of all his wickedness.  This is the love of Christ that is offered for you today.  Will you confess your sin and surrender to Him as well? 



[1] Philip Ryken, Written in Stone, 173
[2] Rooker, Mark (2010-04-29). The Ten Commandments (New American Commentary Studies in Bible and Theology) (Kindle Locations 3897-3898). B&H Publishing. Kindle Edition.
[3] Chrysostom, referenced by Philip Ryken, Written in Stone, 177
[4] Martin Luther, quoted by Philip Ryken, Written in Stone, 174
[5] A.W. Pink, The Ten Commandments, 48
[6] Philip Ryken, Written in Stone, 174
[7] Ibid, 172
[8] Rooker, Mark (2010-04-29). The Ten Commandments (New American Commentary Studies in Bible and Theology) (Kindle Locations 3873-3874). B&H Publishing. Kindle Edition.

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Exodus 20:14: The Seventh Commandment


Between the Thanksgiving holidays and having to think through Christmas songs for today, I felt a little strange preparing a sermon on the seventh commandment.  At first, a sermon series on the Ten Commandments does seem a little strange during the holiday season, but the more one learns about these commandments, the more it becomes clear that there is no season in which these commands are not relevant.  I can assure you that when people break the Ten Commandments we feel it during the holidays like we do at no other time.  There is no other time of year that a strained relationship with one’s family becomes so hard to bear.  If a loved one’s life has been taken, holidays can become the hardest season of the year.  And how many holidays has the nasty sin of adultery destroyed? 
Another reason that the seventh commandment is relevant any given Sunday is because our culture is one that is saturated with sexual immorality.  From the big screen to the church pew, sexual immorality seems to be culturally acceptable behavior.  In the seventh commandment (Exodus 20:14), which reads, “You shall not commit adultery,” God commanded His people to honor the sacredness of marriage and to be people of sexual purity.  This commandment charges us to paddle up stream in such a culture as ours.  If we are to be lights in midst of a crooked and perverse generation then we must be people who honor the sacredness of marriage and strive to be people of sexual purity.  My prayer today is that we would look to Jesus for grace to do so.  Consider with me today four things that the seventh commandment requires of us as God’s people. 

I.              The Seventh Commandment Calls Us to Honor Marriage

Just as the sixth commandment protected the sanctity of life, the seventh commandment protects the sanctity of marriage.  It is true that this commandment teaches us that sex is sacred, but sex is sacred because marriage is sacred.  There are many forms of sexual immorality found in Scripture, but adultery is the most horrific because it directly affects the marriage union.  It is a violation of the most sacred of all human relationships.
What is adultery?  Simply put, it is marital infidelity.  It is partaking in any illicit relationship that violates the marriage covenant.  If you are married, it is having an illicit relationship with someone that you are not married to.  If you are not married, it is having any such relationship with someone who is married. 
But there is more we need to say that is foundational to this commandment.  Adultery distorts God’s design for marriage.  God’s design for marriage is for one man and one woman to be bound to one another in covenant for one lifetime, and sex is only allowed within that covenant union (Genesis 2:18-25).  Sexual activity with anyone that you are not married to is not permissible by God’s design. 
Adultery also distorts God’s purpose for marriage.  God created marriage a picture of the covenant love between Jesus Christ and His bride, the church (Ephesians 5:22-33), and every marriage is supposed to display that. This is why adultery is used metaphorically in Old Testament to describe the unfaithfulness of God’s people when they break covenant with Him.  Adultery sends the wrong message the world because Jesus will never be unfaithful to His bride. 
In this light, this commandment also has a positive spin.  We are not just to avoid cheating on our spouse; we are also to be a husband/wife that pursues purity and is faithful to our spouse in thought, word, and deed (Matthew 5:27-32).  We are, by God’s grace, to embody the portrait of Christ and the church.  We are also to enjoy the gift of sex as well, because it is to be the glue that helps hold us together and a tool for battling temptation (1 Corinthians 7:1-5). 

II.            The Seventh Commandment Calls Us to Pursue Sexual Purity

As we’ve seen with the other commandments, God calls for something deeper in the seventh commandment than just what we read on the surface.  Many of the Ten Commandments are categorical.  In other words, they stand not just for the specific sin mentioned, but also for whole categories of sin.  We saw this last week with the sixth commandment, which covered everything from murder to hatred in someone’s heart towards his or her fellow man (Matthew 5:21-26; 1 John 3:15).  Likewise, this commandment is not just about adultery; it also prohibits sexual immorality in general.  Sexual immorality is any deviation from God’s design for sex in thought, word, or action (sex before marriage, adultery, looking at pornography, reading filthy romance novels (sex is not a spectator sport), masturbation (sex is not a solo sport either, it is for relationships), prostitution, rape, molestation, sexual harassment, inappropriate speech, immodest dress, etc.).  So if you violate the marriage covenant or if you deviate from how God created sex to be enjoyed, then you’ve broken this commandment. 
This is the way Jesus interpreted the seventh commandment, as a charge to honor marriage and to pursue sexual purity: [27] “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ [28] But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. [29] If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. [30] And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell. [31] “It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ [32] But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.” (Matthew 5:27-32) Jesus says that when we lust (sexually) after someone else (obviously, someone besides our wife), we have broken the seventh commandment.  This means that everything from lusting in one’s heart to committing the act with one’s body is covered in this commandment.  Also, when we remarry in cases where our divorce was not for Biblical reasons (sexual immorality and being abandoned by an unbeliever), we are breaking the seventh commandment. 
Listen to how far Paul expected believers to go in pursuing sexual purity:            [5:1] Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. [2] And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. [3] But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. [4] Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. [5] For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. [6] Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. [7] Therefore do not become partners with them; [8] for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light [9] (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), [10] and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. [11] Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. [12] For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. (Ephesians 5:1-12 ESV)
Jesus also tells us in this passage in Matthew to take drastic measures to battle sexual immorality.  At a minimum, this means you are going to have to set boundaries in this area.  It’s no secret that the entertainment industry exploits sexuality.  One author stated that the average American views sexual material more than ten thousand times a year, and by a ratio of ten to one, couples on television engage in sex outside of marriage.[1]  Smart phones and high speed Internet have only magnified the situation.  Today people who wouldn’t dream of walking into an adult store or going to see an X-rated film are viewing pornography at the click of a button. 
If you’re going to pursue sexual purity in this culture, you’re going to have to make a covenant with your eyes like Job did (Job 31:1).  It’s not legalism; it’s wisdom to do so.  Consider the warning about adultery in Proverbs 6:27-28: [27] Can a man carry fire next to his chest and his clothes not be burned? [28] Or can one walk on hot coals and his feet not be scorched?  Sexual immorality is not something to play with or to fight with; it’s something you run for your life from like Joseph did (Genesis 39:12). Jesus wasn’t exaggerating earlier: heaven and hell are at stake!!!  As John Owen said, you need to “be killing sin or it will be killing you.”[2] 

III.         The Seventh Commandment Calls Us to Love Our Neighbor

Perhaps you’ve never thought about sexual immorality this way before, but when you commit this sin, you are always sinning against someone else.  Paul made this point in 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8: [3] For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; [4] that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, [5] not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; [6] that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. [7] For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. [8] Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.”  When David committed adultery, his sin was ultimately against God, but is was not only against God.  It was a sin against his family.  It was a sin against Bathsheba.  It was a sin against Uriah. 
If you don’t think sexual sin affects others, just ask the victims of the broken families that have been left in its wake.  Ask the children whose mom or dad ran off with someone else.  Ask the woman whose husband is addicted to pornography, who oscillates between anger and insecurity.  Ask the young person who can’t seem to scrub hard enough in the shower to rub the filth they feel off of them. 
I think love for our neighbor should guide how we think through grey areas as well.  How should we dress?  We should dress in ways that will preserve our neighbor’s purity of thought and heart.  Proper modesty is not legalism, it’s they way a brother or sister seeks to love their neighbor and not be a stumbling block to them.  How far is too far?  That’s the wrong question.  The right question is, how can I love my neighbor by preserving their maximum joy?  Love wants their brother or sister in Christ to be right with God because that is where maximum joy is found.   

IV.          The Seventh Commandment Calls Us to Hope in the Gospel of Jesus Christ

Finally, the commandment, like the others, sends us condemned to the foot of Christ’s cross.  Hebrews 13:4, says, “Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.”  If we have unpacked the seventh commandment accurately today, then that last phrase should terrify us.  We are all sexually immoral and adulterous people.  As Voddie Bauchman said, to be sexually pure, we have to be stronger than Samson, wiser than Solomon, and godlier than David, and we are neither. 
The good news of the gospel is that God has sent us a stand in who was stronger, wiser, and godlier.  Jesus was the purest human being who every walked upon the earth, and He died to wash the sexually immoral clean and make their hearts pure.  Here too, Christ met the demands of the law, and now the only hope for fallen people like us is to turn to Christ in faith and repentance in order to have our adulterous hearts changed by the gospel.
[9] Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, [10] nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. [11] And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11 ESV)  If you will turn to Jesus today, you too can be washed, sanctified, and justified before God. 


[1] Philip Ryken, Written in Stone, 157
[2] Owen, John (2010-08-15). The Mortification Of Sin (p. 5). Kindle Edition