Adultery and divorce, faithfulness and honesty Right relationships Adultery and divorce, faithfulness and honesty Matthew 5:27-32

But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

“You can’t stop a bird from flying over your head, but you can stop that bird from building a nest in your hair.” Martin Luther

Flee from sexual immorality Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. 1Cor 6:18  It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honourable, not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. 1Thess 4:3-6

So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. 1Cor 10:12,13 By Diliff - CC BY-SA 2.5, Wikimedia Commons

“Haven’t you read,’ he replied, ‘that at the beginning the Creator “made them male and female,” and said, “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh”? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” Matt 19:4-6

‘Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.’ Luke 16:18

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church – for we are members of his body.  … Each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. Eph 5:25-33 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church – for we are members of his body.  … Each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. Eph 5:25-33

Coming up next week: oaths, eyes and enemies Marriage is good Adultery is bad Lust is “adultery in the heart” Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect (Matt 5:48) Blessed are the poor in spirit (Matt 5:3) Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (Matt 5:6) Coming up next week: oaths, eyes and enemies