2 Reasons for the 7th Commandment

Exodus 20:14
I. INTRODUCTION
General Intro about the 10 Commandments
-We have been going through the 10 commandments in Exodus 20
-OT: And as we’ve said, 600+ summarized into 10. These commands can be divided into two:
a. Godward (1-4): no other gods, no worship of graven image, don’t use God’s name in vain, keeping the Sabbath
day holy dealing with man’s relationship with God
b. man-ward (6-10): Honor your parents, no murder, no adultery, no stealing, no false witness, no coveting 
dealing with man’s relationship with fellow men
*w/ a note sa covetousness which Jesus related it to idolatry (Col 3:5 1)
-NT: Jesus summarizes these into the Greatest Commandment Loving God and neighbor (Matt 22:34-40 2)
-He did this to clarify how the Law should be applied: not just external fulfillment but internal/heart convictions

-WARNING: Again, the biggest clarification The LAW CANNOT SAVE US, hindi tayo maliligtas sa pag-fulfill ng Law 
if we want to be saved through the LAW, the requirement is perfection (Gal 3:10 3)
-isabuhay mo ito perfectly from the moment you are born hanggang mamatay ka (impossible!)
-isa lang nakagawa nito si Jesus lang! (Matt 5:17-184; 2Cor 5:215  that’s why we put our trust, our faith in
HIM
-when we do, we are justified and His righteousness (yung perfect fulfillment Niya ng Law) ay imputed sa atin
(treated as if righteousness natin yung kay Christ by faith)
-God accepts us by virtue of this alien righteousness (from outside of us, from Jesus)
-this righteousness slowly becomes manifested in our lives through sanctification
-and it becomes full reality, perfected in us, in our glorification

-The LAW cannot save BUT it… a) reveals the Holiness of God and our sinfulness so that by grace we will seek a
Savior! b) reveals what pleases God and so direct believers how to truly love Him and c) restrains evil in the
world, God allowing the world to experience a measure of his justice | (Refer on sermon on the 3rd commandment)

General Outline
-Today we are going to study the 7 th Commandment, “You shall not commit adultery”
-this topic is discussed elsewhere in Scripture Leviticus 18:20 and Deut 22:22-24 (Laws related to sexual relations,
morality and marriage); and in the NT, by Jesus in Matthew 5:27-30 (Lust)
-We are going to look at the meaning of the commandment, which is not difficult to understand
-BUT, I want you to think about the REASONS behind the command, WHY DOES GOD PROHIBIT ADULTERY?  focus
of our message
-I’ll zoom in on two, based on the major discussions of the issue in the OT and NT
-The 7th Commandment exists for us to…
A. PRESERVE THE GIFT OF MARRIAGE
B. PURSUE PERSONAL HOLINESS

Prayer
-We will see the beauty of the gift of marriage and the urgency, the need to fight for personal holiness as we learn
about the 7th Commandment, the prohibition on adultery
-And that ultimately, we will not become spiritual adulterers, but we’ll remain faithful to God
1
Col 3:5 5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
2
Luke 10:27 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your
neighbor as yourself.”
3
For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book
of the Law, and do them.”
4
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you,
until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.
5
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
II. BODY
A. PRESERVE THE GIFT OF MARRIAGE
Proof: “You shall not commit adultery.”
YOU: originally pertained to the Israelites as God prepared them to testify that they are His people, separate
and holy from the world
-Remember they have just come out of Egypt from 400 years of slavery, and they’ve appropriated
several Egyptian practices (Lev 18:1-4) as they journey to the promised land, God prepared them to
testify about Him to the world through a different kind of personal, social, religious life the tenets of
which we find in the 10 Commandments

Problem: Is this exclusively for the Israelites? How do we know which of the Laws are binding to
Israelites only or to everyone? There are many ways, BUT one which I always go to is the NT. How did
Jesus or any of the NT writers treat the OT commands? (Nullified? As in the dietary laws by Jesus in Mk
7:19; Clarified? As in Sabbath by Jesus in Mk 2:27-28; Affirmed as binding? As in the issue of adultery
in Mat. 5:27-30)

ADULTERY: A simple dictionary definition “voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and a
person who is not his or her spouse.” (Gotquestions)
-isang kasal na tao will engage in sexual activity sa isang hindi niya asawa 7th command says NO!

Why would God prohibit this?

-Because God’s design for marriage is the exclusive union of one man and one woman under a sacred
covenant relationship with each other and with Him for life.
-God established this at creation in Gen 2:18;20-25 (read) and affirmed by Jesus, Himself, in Matt 19:4-5
(read); as such, marriage is of divine origin, so it must be ultimately regulated by God’s
commandments not by human laws [RSB]

Pero bakit one man and one woman for life?

a. He did so because this design in marriage is His appointed design for humanity to fill the earth
(Gen 1:28) [MSB] -for procreation
b. The blessing of marriage also flows to the children in a family. Children grow up, protected,
cared for and trained in the family by both the father and the mother (Col 3:20-21; Prov 22:6)
c. In addition, marriage becomes a means for the husband and the wife to provide mutual and
faithful love, support, encouragement, care as well as exclusive physical and spiritual union in
the most intimate level (Ephesians 5:21-33)
d. Ultimately, this scared covenant relationship is a reflection of Christ’s faithful love for the
church in Eph 5:25 (God’s people) as well as in God’s covenant relationship with Israel in the
OT (Is 54:4-6).

Point: We see that marriage is a sacred covenant for procreation, for the children in a family, for the
intimate bond between the husband and wife, a picture of Christ’s love for the Church/ God’s love for
His people.
-No wonder God prohibited adultery because the act breaks the scared covenant, promotes
unfaithfulness between husbands and wives, destroys families, hurts children, damages the
testimony of the church to the world, mars Christ’s image

Practice: So, how do we preserve the gift of marriage?

a. Straightforward answer from our passage for the married, do not commit adultery, remain faithful to
each other, to your marriage vows by God’s grace
b. In addition, nourish your marriage relationship. (Spend quality time with each other, always keep learning
about each other, be selfless and generous of your time, effort and love with each other)
c. Live out God’s wonderful design for husband and wife relationship in Ephesians 5:21-33
-Contrary to what most people remember from this passage, it actually promotes mutual submission.
 -if you read in the original language, the call to submit is in v. 21, “Submitting to one another out of
reverence for Christ… wives to your own husbands as to the Lord”  one another, in the succeeding
verses refers both to the husband and the wife In God’s design for the flourishing of marriages…
-the wife submits to her husband in the form of respect and trust towards his God-given role as head
of the family (the image is the church submitting to Christ as head)
-the husband submits to his wife by loving her as Christ loved the church (self-sacrificially as Christ
died for the church) and as he loves his own body putting his wife’s and the family’s welfare
before his own as leader he should do this guided by Scripture in love

Problem: I’m aware that the word submit has a negative connotation. And it has been used for many years to
the disadvantage of wives. BUT the word in the original is used in military settings with the main goal of
establishing order rather than designating superiority or inferiority “arrange under rank”
-similarly, God designed a certain order in the family with specific roles for it to function. BUT it is in no way
God’s purpose to institute this para ipakita na nakatataas or mas magaling or mas may value ang isa over
sa isa.
PICTURE: Sino bang nagsabi na inferior ang pagiging housewife (world)? That’s a very noble calling.
Tanungin ninyo ang mga lumaki na may full-time moms at you will be blessed sa kanilang testimony.
-of course, sino rin bang nagsabi na di ka pwedeng maging maayos na homemaker if may career ka?
-My mom had a full-time job pero she still prioritized us when we were growing up

-Submission is not equal to blind obedience. In family issues, discussion, haggling, processing and finding the
middle ground together (guided by the Bible), should exist
-The picture is not of an authoritarian husband na kung anong sinabi yun na masusunod. The picture is of
the husband leading the wife and the family in searching the Scriptures so that ultimately when the wife
yields or submits to him, it is not really the husband but God’s Word that reigns supreme
-if this design is applied, the marriage is strengthened and blessed by God

Practice: How about unmarried men and women (marami sa atin)?

-Let us take to heart God’s high view of marriage, of the husband-wife relationship, of family life; and let’s
adopt this high standard if we are looking to be married some day
-Let us not take romantic relationships lightly, remembering that if it will lead to marriage, it is going to be
a testimony of Christ’s love for the church!
-Being single doesn’t mean we will be unable to defile marriage because though we can’t commit physical
adultery, we should be on guard against other acts that mar marriage fornication (sex outside
marriage), self-gratification (self-sex), pornography, romantic relationship with unbelievers, emotional
dependence (on a romantic sense)… among others- more of these sa next point.

Restate: God prohibited adultery for us to preserve the gift of marriage.

B. PURSUE PERSONAL HOLINESS

Point: Jesus revealed that beyond the preservation of marriage, the seventh command also exists to promote
purity in our minds and in our hearts

Proof: How do we get this from our passage?

-We can validly do so because Jesus elaborated on the seventh commandment on His Sermon on the
Mount in Matthew 5:27-30 because we view the Scripture as one continuous revelation of God to
humanity vs. what theologians call ATOMISM, the view that the books of the Bible are independent and
even disjointed, at times contradictory

What is Jesus doing in Matthew 5?

-Starting in v. 17, Jesus moved the discussion to the Law, aiming to clarify several teachings and practices
developed by the Jewish religious teachers of His time
-Kaya nga paulit-ulit yung statement ni Jesus na, “You have heard that it was said…but I say to you…”
Inaayos ni Hesus ang mga maling katuruan tungkol sa mga utos ng Diyos
 -And in v. 27, He deals with a misconception about the 7 th commandment

Misconception on the 7th Commandment

-Ano ang misconception? Remember the definition of adultery: consensual sexual intercourse between a
married person and another who is not his/her spouse
-so long as no sexual contact, kahit na nagiging intimate na ang interaction nila, wala pa ring adultery
this is the sinful heart finding a way around God’s clear teaching (Romans 1:30)
-Ano ang solution ni Jesus?
-He clarified the intent of the Law—faithfulness, fidelity from the inside-out
-so the issue is not just the act of adultery, not just the sexual contact, but even adultery of the heart,
of the mind, of the emotions
-I say to you, “If you look at a man or a woman with lustful intent (“gazing for the purpose of arousing
illicit sexual desires” CSB), you already committed adultery in your heart.”

Why the high standard?

-In James 1:13-15, we read that one is tempted when he is lured by his own desires (in the heart)
temptation births sin ultimately death
-Jeremiah also gives a diagnosis of the heart (Jer 17:9)  The heart is deceitful…
PICTURE: The heart of the issue is the issue of the heart
-Even if you do not commit the literal physical act, the fact that you have conceived of and dwelt on
illicit sexual desires towards another who is not your spouse, you have already sinned in your
heart God sees it! No need to wait for the actual act before He declares it adultery.

Picture: How does this adultery of the heart happen today? Many ways…
1. Having impure, lustful thoughts towards another person (someone na kakilala mo or nakita mo lang sa
daan Picture: Piper- Difference bet admiration and lust?)
2. Because of the dawn of high-speed internet, one can also lust after people in cyberspace through
pornography, dating apps, even anonymous chat groups (truly, we invent ways of doing evil)
3. And a more subtle and seemingly innocent example would be unhealthy romantic emotional investment
(pwedeng sa ibang mga tao) or even mga kilig as a fan of artists, actors, icons etc.
-this could be innocent at first, pero if we are not careful, pwedeng ma-twist into heart adultery

Practice: How should we deal with this?

-Jesus uses very strong imagery in vv. 29-30
-if your right eye causes you to sin on this issue (heart adultery), tear it out and throw it away
-if your right hand causes you to sin on this issue, cut it off and throw it away
-There’s the image of radical amputation cutting off, removing anything that may cause us to commit
adultery of the heart, and setting up protection against them
Some practical tips
1. Romans 13:13-14 comes to mind we clothe ourselves in Christ Jesus & we don’t make provisions for
the flesh
-PICTURE: Fireproof to defeat porn, the protagonist destroyed his computer!
-ours may not be as radical as this, but we can add filters in our browsers or routers, or install
accountability apps on smartphones and laptops that will monitor our online activities
-if there are books, movies, materials that you’re still keeping, you have to discard, delete them!

2. 1 Corinthians 6:18 Flee sexual immorality!

-PICTURE: Joseph who was tempted by Potiphar’s wife chose to flee!
-avoid places, situations, people, circumstances that lead you to sin!  don’t flirt with temptation
-avoid being alone and idle so that you’ll not be tempted

3. 2 Tim 2:22 Don’t just flee from youthful passions, lusts, immorality but also pursue or run towards
righteousness, holiness
 -flee from evil and pursue good, pursue Jesus
-in addition to filters or accountability apps, we have to fill our minds with the glory of Jesus
-we have to enjoy Him as we read His Word, meditate on His beauty in our devotions, fellowships
and worships
-As we flee from unrighteousness, we must constantly fill the void they leave behind with truths
about God, the glory and the beauty of Jesus
-and we do all these with accountability people who are also concerned with personal holiness
people you can talk to in times of struggles, who can pray and encourage you to keep fighting

4. Psalm 119:9-11 Memorize Scripture and quote it to yourself in times of temptation to remind you of
God’s desire for righteousness and holiness; and to remind the devil that he has no power over you

Why all the trouble and radical steps?

-because this is a matter of eternal life or death
-because living in sexual immorality or adultery of the heart at wala kang pakialam dun (no remorse,
no sadness, regret nothing) is an indication that a person is not saved
-1 Cor 6:9-106
Ponder: Are you struggling in this area? Do you need help in personal purity? Do you need to practice radical
amputation? I pray that we can all be accountable to one another especially in these challenging areas. I
pray that you will seek help if you need one.
Restate: Why did God prohibit adultery? Because He desires Personal Holiness from all of us, especially that
adultery can happen even without the actual physical contact in the heart, in the mind because of lust

III. CONCLUSION
-Ang lawak ng naging discussion! But this is because the issue of adultery is not just an issue of sexual contact
between a married person and another who is not his/her spouse. It also entails lusting over others in your heart
and in your mind.
-So, God gave the seventh commandment so that:
a. We will preserve the gift of marriage (attacked by physical adultery)
b. We will pursue personal holiness (the issue of heart adultery)

-BUT ultimately when one engages in physical adultery and/or the heart adultery, he or she commits unfaithfulness
to God tama si Joseph sa Genesis 39:8-97
 This is akin to how the prophets of old described Israel’s adultery with God (Jeremiah 3:6-10) 8

PONDER: Friends! Be warned! Have you ever realized that you’re committing adultery against God when you engage
in physical and even heart adultery?
-As the prophets called Israel in the OT, I urge you to once again remember the Gospel! It is a call to
reconciliation with God! And by grace, He gave this to us when we believed! Why, then, would we allow sin
to draw us away from Him again?
-Sabi ng ani Paul sa issue ng sin and grace sa Romans 6:1-2.. 9
-I am confident that the God who began the good work in us will continue it until the day of Jesus! If you are a
Christian, He is working so that you will grow in righteousness.
-BUT if you are still not, heed also the warning No adulterer, no unrighteous will enter the Kingdom of God.
Believe in the Lord Jesus who can save you from spiritual adultery.

6
9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous[a] will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor
idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,[b] 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will
inherit the kingdom of God.
7
How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?”
8
that faithless one, Israel, how she went up on every high hill and under every green tree, and there played the whore?...Judah Because she took
her whoredom lightly, she polluted the land, committing adultery with stone and tree.
9
What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?