Commit Adultry?

[Edwin]

Matthew 5:27; "Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: 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. 29; And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. 30; And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of they members should persish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell."

Generally speaking I don't think people take commiting sin serious enough. The penalty for sin is death. The soul that sinneth shall surely die. Jesus died for the sinner, and He sets the sinner free, forgiving him of his sins. Jesus forgave the woman caught in adultery, and told her neither do I condemn thee, go and sin no more, after asking her about her accusors.

Are we to pluck our eye out and throw it away? Are we to cut our hand off and through it away. Jesus said it is better than we lose one of our members, such as our eye or our hand than to end up in hell with our entire body. In this context Jesus is talking about adultery. I think His reference to the eye is a reference to looking at what we should not be looking at. It is better not to look at it and go to heaven than to look at it and end up in hell. The hand represents doing something, and it is better not to have our hand help us commit sin, than to use our hand to commit sin and end up in hell. Jesus said that if a person looks on a woman and lusts after her, he has already commited adultery with her in his heart, and he has commited the sin for real in God's sight. This is what the Psalmist David did. He was a man after God's own heart because of his attitude and readiness to repent, but David looked at a woman who was taking a bath. It was not wrong that he saw her in that state, but it was wrong that he kept looking until he plotted to have that woman as his own to the extent that he commited murder to get her. He repented and was very sorry. He kept the woman as his wife, and what would be the purpose of losing her, because the deed had already been commited. David paid a dear price. He lost the child born from that lustful act. Then God's judgement was pronounced upon David in that God said that the sword would never depart from David's household. God did bless David inspite of that, but David still had to pay for that sin that he commited. If we could talk with David, no doubt he would tell us that he wished a million times that he would have lived a life that was free from sin. What do you think about this analogy?

[eric]

[Edwin]

Yes, Eric, our thought life is very important. I've heard it described that we can't keep the birds from flying over our heads, but we can keep them from landing and building nests in our hair. You are right in that after people dwell on thoughts long enough eventually they will act on them. Put on the mind of Christ is very good. If we do that we will be in good shape. One person said once, "Would Jesus like what I am think, what I am looking at, what I am listening to, and where I am going?" That would answer our questions about should I or should I not do this, look at this, hear this, go there.

[crisipicada]

Yes, Eric, our thought life is very important. I've heard it described that we can't keep the birds from flying over our heads, but we can keep them from landing and building nests in our hair. You are right in that after people dwell on thoughts long enough eventually they will act on them. Put on the mind of Christ is very good. If we do that we will be in good shape. One person said once, "Would Jesus like what I am think, what I am looking at, what I am listening to, and where I am going?" That would answer our questions about should I or should I not do this, look at this, hear this, go there.

All are sinners, and I am not an exception either. We have pasts in life that we regret why we have done that. But despite of our past, God is a forgiving God. He cleanses us from all our sins and make us white as snow. That is a wonderful thing happen to us Christians. So, we do not need to judge people with their pasts. God is a forgiving God, so we must forgive, too. Forgive people and forgive ourselves too. Our sins already wash away and make it clean and clear as clear water. We are renewed and make new. All things are past away, behold, all things become new. Therefore, whatever your past would be, do not make it as a hindrance to live a happy life in the future. God is a God of many chances. Let us give our life a try to be happy in the Lord.

[Edwin]

You are correct, Crisi, All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. We are all sinners, and not one is the exception to that except for Jesus. Yes, God does forgive, and he forgets, and he puts our sin away as far as the East is from the West, and He remembers our sins no more against us. When we have God to forgive us, He cleanses us, and we are washed white as snow. God does give us many chances and He keeps working with us. We should not allow the devil to beat us up with our past sins that God has forgiven us of. As Crisi said, "Be happy in the Lord!"

[DavidM]

Hello, everyone. This certainly is one of those passages that everyone seems to have memorized without even trying and is used so often to condemn. It is not the looking that is the sin, it's the intent of the heart. As a man it can be impossible to separate the two without direct intervention from the Spirit. I do not believe this is something Jesus taught to get us to beat ourselves up over. My reading of Matthew 5 - 7 is that Jesus is teaching the Jews and us just how impossible it is for man to be saved by keeping the law. He ends the entire sermon with a call to escape hell and follow him.

And what about the woman that Jesus told to sin no more? Do you think he was being facetious? Isaiah 55:11 tells us "so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." Do you think Jesus realized that what he asked her to do was physically impossible for her? The answer is obvious that he is God and knows. Romans 7 teaches that you will not be free of sin while in this body. Even being led by the Spirit as in Romans 8, you can fall back. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that you shouldn't try to not sin, but rather enter into God's rest and rest from your own labors (Heb 4) and rely on the Spirit to hold us up (Rom 14:4).

I'm sure David would wish he could live without sin, but if it were possible then Jesus would not have had to die for him. I think David would tell me what joy it is for those whose sins are forgiven! (Psalm 32)

Anyways, first post. I'm not trying to come across as a know it all. Just chiming in, rather. It's a topic near and dear to me.

[Edwin]

DavidM, we are glad to see you here, and we are glad that you are posting, and keep posting. We are to confess our sin and find forgiveness with the Lord. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrightesness. We walk in the light, as He is in the light. God does not want us to live under condemnation, but he wants to free us from that through forgivenss and cleansing. I am thankful that Jesus died for our sins! I am thankful that Jesus rose again, and because He lives, we live also!

[crisipicada]

Yes, Eric, our thought life is very important. I've heard it described that we can't keep the birds from flying over our heads, but we can keep them from landing and building nests in our hair. You are right in that after people dwell on thoughts long enough eventually they will act on them. Put on the mind of Christ is very good. If we do that we will be in good shape. One person said once, "Would Jesus like what I am think, what I am looking at, what I am listening to, and where I am going?" That would answer our questions about should I or should I not do this, look at this, hear this, go there.

All are sinners, and I am not an exception either. We have pasts in life that we regret why we have done that. But despite of our past, God is a forgiving God. He cleanses us from all our sins and make us white as snow. That is a wonderful thing happen to us Christians. So, we do not need to judge people with their pasts. God is a forgiving God, so we must forgive, too. Forgive people and forgive ourselves too. Our sins already wash away and make it clean and clear as clear water. We are renewed and make new. All things are past away, behold, all things become new. Therefore, whatever your past would be, do not make it as a hindrance to live a happy life in the future. God is a God of many chances. Let us give our life a try to be happy in the Lord.

Remember, He makes us clean as white as snow and forget the past and make us new. We might not be able to forgive ourselves, but He forgives us and forget those past sins as long as we repent. That is the goodness of our Heavenly Father!

[Edwin]

Yes, Crisi, some people have a difficult time with forgiveness. Some cannot/will not forgive others, but Jesus tells us that unless we forgive we will not be forgiven. It is difficult sometimes to forgive, but we must. Sometimes it is very difficult to forgive ourselves. We need to forgive ourselves and accept the sacrifice that Jesus made for us so that our sins will be taken away. After we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins. God cleanses us of our sins, and He also casts our sins in the sea of His forgetfullness, never to remember our sins against us no more. That is wonderful the mercy and the grace of God!

[m&m]

Well, I observed that those who commit adultery are not satisfied with their wife or husband. Instead of working on relationship, they try to argue it and point mistake to their wife or husband. Well even you look at the woman, the man already commit adultery when he lust on the woman.