LIVING IN ADULTERY
The words of Jesus teach that a person who
marries (enters a relationship with) someone else commits adultery. Since the
relationship is an ongoing process, we can understand that we continue in it.
If we continue in something, it can be said that we are living in something. If
we abide in the truth, then it can be said that we live our lives according to
the truth. If one was to be in a relationship which Jesus called adultery, and
if that relationship continues, then it is a continuing relationship that bears
the name adultrous marriage.
Adultery can be a one time sin, or it can
be a lifetime sin. All this depends on the circumstances. If a person in
weakness falls into temptation and violates the marriage relationship, then
they have committed adultery. This is a sin that can be forgiven by God and
must of necessity be forgiven by the innocent party. If that person were to
continue in the sinful relationship, then they are guilty of living in
adultery. The original spouse would have just cause to put away or divorce the
unfaithful spouse.
The Greek word is very simple:
3431. moicheuo, moy-khyoo'-o; from G3432; to commit adultery:--commit adultery.
3429. moichao, moy-khah'-o; from G3432; (mid.) to commit adultery:--commit
adultery.
I have noticed in my greek programs that this word is always used twice when speaking of commit adultery. It seems to mean that you cannot separate the "commit" from "adultery". To live in adultery means you are committing adultery.
The sex act has nothing to do with adultery if you are married to another person. It is the marriage that is wrong, not just the sex act. The committing of the sexual act does not end the marriage. It is ended when the innocent party puts away the guilty party.
And since Jesus said that whoever marries a
party that has been put away, commits adultery, then we can understand that if
this guilty party remarries, they are causing both themselves and their new
spouses to live in adultery.
Galatians 5:19 (KJV)
Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery,
fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Under the Mosaic law, adultery was not allowed at all. If you were married, you
were married for as long as your spouse was alive. To violate this marriage law
was to bring dire consequences upon those who did this.
Leviticus 20:10 (KJV)
And the man that committeth adultery with another man's wife, even he that
committeth adultery with his neighbour's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress
shall surely be put to death.
Some people think that as long as nobody sees them, then they have gotten away
with a crime. That is why most crimes happen at night.
Job 24:15 (KJV)
The eye also of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, saying, No eye shall
see me: and disguiseth his face.
1 Corinthians 6:9 (KJV)
Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not
deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate,
nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
Adulterers are classified as unrighteous. Those who live in adultery cannot
inherit the kingdom of God. That means that they are going to Hell. Since we
are concerned for the souls of mankind, we must teach them the things necessary
for their salvation. We must speak the truth. They have the choice of serving
God or remaining unrighteous. Those living in adultery will not enter heaven.
If they have been taught a false doctrine that approves of their lifestyle,
they still will not enter heaven. We must expose sin. We must teach people the
error of their ways, so that they will change and turn to serve God. It is not
our intent to make people miserable because of their past actions, it is our
intent to allow people access to the truth which is able to save their
souls.
James 4:4 (KJV)
Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is
enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy
of God.
We become enemies of God when we make
friends with the world. We do this when we accept the standards of the world
over the standards that God has given us. The denominational world has given us
many doctrines. All of these doctrines will send people to Hell. When people
are living in adultery, they are aligning themselves with the world and not
God. In a sense, they become enemies of God. This is because they are
rebellious and they continue to sin. God will remove the sacrifice if the sin
is not repented of and removed (Heb 10:26).
Paul described the condition of the person who married another while the first
spouse lives.
Romans 7:3 (KJV)
So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall
be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law;
so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.
The Greek word for adulteress:
3428. moichalis, moy-khal-is'; a prol. form of the fem. of G3432; an adulteress
(lit. or fig.):--adulteress (-ous, -y).
This describes not only the relationship, but the person involved in this
relationship. This word is the feminine of the word that gives us the term
adulterer for the male gender.
In Heb 13:4 the phrase "adulterers" is not gender specific. It
applies to either a man or a woman in an adulterous relationship.
Go to the next section Unsound
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