ADULTERY IN THE WHITE LIGHT OF GOD’S HOLY WORD.

Walk in the spirit, and you shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.’

Paul outlined the far-reaching, destructive works of the flesh,

They are adultery, fornication, uncleanness, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy murders, drunkenness, revels and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practise such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.’ These maladies form a carbuncle, full of numerous boils: a medical nightmare. Adultery heads the infamous list of spiritual infections; linked with idol worship and the overriding sorcery. (Galatians 5:19-21)

Oh, what a contrast with the following truth, The fruit of the Spirit is love ( pure, unsullied) joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, gentleness, self-control. (v22) God offers security in marriage to ‘those who are Christ’s and have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts. (v24 ) When self is enthroned, ruling passions and irresistible craving usurp the will, resulting in unfaithfulness.

Paul knew the secret, ’I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless, I live. Not I. Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. . (Galatians 2:20 ) Marriage must be kept pure!

The Bible clearly states, ‘You must be filled with the Spirit; not drunk with wine, in which is dissipation. ( Ephesians 5:18 ) This commands each believer in Christ Jesus, especially leaders in the Christian church. Are you controlled and stimulated by the Spirit of God or are you dominated by the surge of substance abuse or sexual indulgence? Reject television, VDC and internet pornography, which enslave the participants, rendering them sexually incapacitated and spiritually impoverished.

The marriage of Christ and the church is God’s glorious example of the union of husband and wife. ‘Wives submit to your own husband as to the Lord. So the husband is to his beloved as the Lord is to the church, His bride. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Saviour of the body.’ It is unthinkable that Christ should ever resign from His headship of His church; nor can a husband quit from the headship of his dear wife. Adultery destroys this holy oneness: and shatters marital harmony. It is not Christ-like.

Ephesians 5:25 is a royal command, to be obeyed. ’Husbands love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for it.’ The Greek word ‘agapeo’ is to love, to sacrificially cherish, to show a heavenly concern; to be compassionate, and to be willing to die for the cherished one. All this so that ‘The husband, Christ, might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish.’ Our Lord’s purifying His church is a pattern for every husband to follow for his wife. Sexual unfaithfulness wrecks God’s whole design for the perfect marriage.

God’s word presumed on the trustworthiness of husband and wife for each other.

’Husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. No one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. (vv28,29) God appointed the husband to meet the companionship and emotional needs of his wife, who alone can satisfy his longings for her. ‘He hates his own flesh when he unjustly robs his wife of attachment due to her. To cling to another woman in adultery and filch from his longing wife nourishment and cherishing is supreme evil.

You cannot teach this pure chapter when you are living in adultery.

God has judged, and will sentence the law-breaker, ’He recorded,’ ‘Marriage is honourable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers GOD will judge. ( Hebrews 13:4 ) God blessed marriage. Sleeping together as husband and wife is untainted; spiritually blessed; psychologically sound and medically healthy. Here the Judge of all the earth decrees that moral outlaws return to Him for forgiveness, pronouncing His solemn judgment on those practising fornication and adultery. Some teachers of the word vindicate themselves, thus opposing what GOD has called unholy. Rebellious teaching is impotent.

Do not claim that differences between married people are irreconcilable. This mischievous term was introduced in the most diabolical legislation in our nation’s history. Christ came to reconcile us to God by the blood of His cross: and to reconcile us to each other. (Ephesians 2:14 ) Paul emphatically showed, ‘All things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. ( 2 Corinthians 5:18 onwards )

‘God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself. And has committed unto us the ministry of reconciliation.’ For, ‘You are ambassadors for Christ, as God were pleading through us, be reconciled to God.’ Our Lord is the great Reconciler. If you teach otherwise, you deny the heart of the precious redemptive message of the Lord.

The closing chapters of the Revelation warn the morally wrong of their eternal separation from the Lord of love. ‘The cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. ‘ ( 21:8 )

Follow King David’s example. Bow to the holy One: ,weeping, confess your adultery. Repent. Claim the cleansing of the precious blood of the Lamb of God . Justly, compassionately, provide for and leave the partner, with whom you have grievously sinned. Accept the reconciling, healing work of your beloved Lord.

Return to the one to whom you vowed. ‘To love, honour, cherish, keep till death parts, and keeping yourself from all others, cleave you only to her (him ), as long as life shall last. Be reconciled to Christ and your first partner. His peace and joy will fill you. Your restored, holy life will again flow with His immeasurable benediction.