Do Not Commit Adultery

 The Ten Commandments were given to the Israelites so they could know how to honor God and live in a thriving society.  The first four commandments mostly dealt with the vertical relationship with God and the last six primary deal with the horizontal, one another, relationships.

"You shall not commit adultery." Exodus 20:14

This command is sandwiched betwixt  not murdering and not stealing, and therefore should be met with as much weight in our minds as those two commandments.  Yahweh is serious about His people not committing adultery.

What is adultery?  Adultery, by definition, is voluntary sexual interactions between two people that are not married to one another when at least one of the parties is married to another.  The Bible has much to say about fornication (any sex outside of the bounds of marriage) but we will stick to simply adultery in this post.

Fidelity is something we have attempted to avoid for generations and have not learned a single lesson about.  In the Old Testament we read stories of polygamous men.  Some may say that the Bible condones polygamy, but it doesn't.  In every story about a polygamous family we see friction and in-fighting amongst the husband and his wives, the wives amongst themselves and even murder amongst the children.  Polygamy didn't and doesn't work.  Now the term is of choice is polyamory, meaning multiple sexual relationships at once though not necessarily amongst married people.  Books like The Ethical Slut have popularized this.  I have had a youth at church talk about how his girlfriend claimed she was polyamorous (I said that's a fancy word for cheater).  I read that Willow Smith, the 20 year old daughter of Will and Jada Pinkett Smith, recently came out as polyamorous.  She claimed this consensual non-monogamy was a way to prevent the sting and lying that comes from infidelity in monogamy.  My point is, there is nothing new under the sun and the same old garbage won't work even under a fun, new name.

God calls those who wish to enter a sexual relationship into a committed, one man with one woman, marriage until death parts the spouses.  

I believe one of the main reasons God does this is because healthy, committed marriages are good for society.  They are the bedrock of good families which are the bedrock of good communities.

So, how do we not break this commandment.  If our urges since the entrance of sin into the world seemingly compel us to all desire to cheat, how are we to keep the 7th Commandment?  I won't offer an exhaustive list, but I will give a few ways.

1) Take Every Thought Captive   

The battles won by the body are usually first won by the mind.  Take your thoughts captive (2 Corinthians 10:5) and put them under the Word of God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  No person commits consensual adultery without deciding first in their mind to do the deed.  You may say one could have sex with a married person without knowing, but obviously even that person would have first decided to not put themselves under the Word of God.  

"You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away.  It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into Hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into Hell." Matthew 5:27-30

Jesus turned the heat up on this commandment.  He tells us that sin germinates in the mind, even if the sin plant blooms elsewhere.  

This battle is hard.  I will not lie to you; I lose this battle sometimes, but I/we must fight it.  We must fight it with a total war.  We don't flirt with this kind of sin, we either cut things out that tempt us to sin or we lose.

2) Spend Our Sexual Energy on Our Spouse

At the risk of making my in-laws blush, I say spending my sexual energy on my spouse is a wonderful infidelity protection.  I lack no good thing sexually in my marriage despite what Satan may try to say.  Sexual energy doesn't all have to be "sex" but anything you would feel guilty doing and thinking with and about another can be spent instead on your spouse.  

God created our urges in this department.  The demon Screwtape (The Screwtape Letters) said to his evil nephew that: "Never forget that when we are dealing with any pleasure in its healthy and normal and satisfying form, we are, in a sense, on the Enemy's (God's) ground... He (God) made pleasure: all our research so far has not enabled us to produce one.  All we can do is encourage the humans to take pleasures which our Enemy (God) has produced, at times, or in ways, or in degrees, which He (God) has forbidden."

Here's good news: God made sex to be experienced and enjoyed between husband and wife.  Satan lies and tells us that this pleasure is best experienced in many ways other than the best, but God made it and knows best.  Therefore, enjoy His good gift as much as you and your spouse can agree to enjoy it together.  

3) Hold On & Trust God

But what if it's not easy?  What if my wife's sexual needs and mine don't come close to aligning?  What if my marriage is in a hard place and my opposite sex friend seems like a refuge?  What if the world says fidelity is for losers?  What if there is no outlet for my sexuality?  What if my marriage feels like it's crumbling?  What if I don't find any joy in keeping this commandment?

Hold on and trust God.

There is no commandment in Scripture that isn't for God's glory and our good.  Even when we can't see it from our perspective we have to trust that God knows the best ways to use His gifts.  Even when culture tries to neuter sin and make it seem tame.  Even when celebrities and "experts" apply copious lipstick on the pig, it's still a pig.  Even when the good gift is advertised as lame and lacking, we have to trust that Father knows best.  There will be reward for keeping the 7th Commandment.

"Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral." Hebrews 13:4

Honor God and honor your marriage and every marriage and keep the marriage bed pure today. 

Why Are We So Violent?

 "You shall not murder." 
-Exodus 20:13

Why do we have such a hard time with this commandment?

You may say, "I've never killed someone."  But read the news, turn on the radio, watch the TV, scroll Twitter... we're surrounded by murder.  We are a violent people.

The FBI recently put law enforcement nationwide on notice about increasing crime in the coming weeks.  Why?  Because as the temperatures increase the crime, and violent crime, increases.  Because after COVID-19 restrictions ease we will begin to see even more violent crime.  Murders in Los Angeles alone are up 30% from last year simply because people are out and about again.

Take just one example: a police officer recently shot a 16-year old foster child who was in the process of attempting to stab another girl.  There's all sorts of questions that need to be answered from this tragic situation, but the primary one in my mind is this: Why are we so violent?

"You shall not murder."

It's not difficult to see why Yahweh had this law make the top ten.  Murder puts the murderer in the place of God in taking a life.  Murder snuffs out a life that was knit in the womb by God Himself.  Murder keeps us from living together without fear.  Murder destroys families, communities and the very perpetrators of the vile crime.

Yet we are so violent.  We murder all types of people at all stages of human development.  Why can't we get this seemingly simple commandment down?

"You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgement.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgement. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,' is answerable to the Sanhedrin.  But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of Hell." -Matthew 5:21-22

Part of the reason we're violent may be that we have access to tools of violence so readily.  But Jesus says the heart of the problem is the heart.  

We kill because we hate and stoke up anger for sport.  Our culture lives to hate.  Our past time is no longer baseball; it is shouting one another down.  Turn on cable news for a moment and you will see it.  Listen to new talk radio and you will hear it.  Even watch people debating sports and you will sense it.  

Vilification sells even more than sex these days.  

I'll venture to guess that no one reading this has ever literally murdered someone else.  I'll also bet a lot of money that according to Jesus' standard you're in danger of the fire of Hell.  I know that if I have not spoken or typed "You fool!" then I have thought it on a nearly daily basis.

The tree of murder sprouts from the seeds of anger and resentment.  Since this is the case, how do we snuff out murder seeds before we break this serious commandment?

"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar.  First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift." -Matthew 5:23-24

The answer is radical reconciliation.  

If you wrong your brother or if he wrongs you, rectify it.  When Jesus spoke these words he was in Capernaum and the temple was in Jerusalem.  What Jesus was saying was that if you were in Jerusalem and remembered an issue with your brother in Capernaum you should go back and reconcile and then come back to Jerusalem.  This is huge!  It takes about eight days to walk this round trip.  Jesus is telling us that reconciliation is hard work and it is worth it, even if it causes you to not present an offering to God in a timely manner.  Reconciliation with each other is greater than the sacrifice of an animal or the giving of money.

Our society is violent.  How do we fix this?  How do we follow the 7th Commandment?  We don't murder, we don't plant the seeds of murder and when these vile seeds are planted we uproot them through radical reconciliation.  You know, saying radical things like, "I'm sorry.  I was wrong."

Do not murder, in thought or in deed, and do the work of reconciliation today.

Honor Your Parents to Maximize Joy

 All of the 10 Commandments maximize the joy of the entire community.  Show me a community of people that follow all ten and I will show you a thriving, joyful community.  I'm betting I won't see a community like this until I reach Heaven's shore.  Sin kills joy; God's commandments are designed to give us full joy.  The 5th commandment is no different.

"Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you."  Exodus 20:12

Commandments one through four primarily deal with our vertical relationship with God.  Commandments five through ten primarily concern relationships within the community.  And following one, two, three and four certainly helps enable us to do five, six, seven, eight, nine and ten with gusto (read Psalm 119 if you aren't sure about the gusto part).

So, why should we follow Commandment #5?  How does it increase the joy of our community?

1) Strong Families are a Foundation of a Thriving Community.

How was this wandering group of Hebrews to become a thriving nation that persists in the Promised Land?  Answer: honoring their father and mother.  Yahweh gave them the secret sauce for having a long-lasting civilization and it was families in which the children, even grown children, honored their parents.  In societies in which parents are not honored the old are discarded, the young are wild and grow to become insufficient adults, and those in the middle are driven to give up.  In societies where parents aren't honored eventually no one is honored.  Think back to the key phrase in the chaotic book of Judges: "...everyone did what was right in their own eyes."

Some of you are thinking through the exceptions to the rule, but we know that this commandment is foundational to good communities.  Yes, we know that the Apostle Paul has to remind fathers not to provoke their children to wrath in response to this command (Ephesians 6:4), but honor usually begets honor in the family which begets communities that seek to outdo one another in giving honor (Romans 12:10).

2) Parents Can Enjoy Parenting.

Kids, do you want to know a secret?  I will tell you what I have told the youth group and my own teen:  

In the game of life parents enjoy being their kids' cheerleader far more than their referee.  

This isn't to say that parents never will set boundaries.  I'm saying that once boundaries are set it is a tremendous killjoy to have to repeat and repeat and repeat and repeat and repeat and repeat and repeat and repeat where the boundaries are.  It is a pain in the butt to be the enforcer.  "This hurts me more than it hurts you" makes so much sense to me now.  I hate being the heavy.  I love cheering for my kids when they do all the many things that are permitted in our family, rather than punishing for the few things that aren't.  

Anger, resentment, frustration and the like are contagious.  Have you ever had two phones call each other, put them on speakerphone and then place them next to each other?  The feedback loop is awful.  Anger, resentment, frustration and the like can create a feedback loop from Hell in the family and in the community.  Joyous honoring and cheering for one another can create a Heavenly feedback loop in our families and community.

Children, imagine how nice your life would be if you lived in a home like this.

3) God Knows Best.

Perhaps you have tried to honor your parents and you aren't feeling any joy.  Maybe you have a truly dysfunctional, crummy parent.  Unfortunately, in our broken world there are times you have to honor your Heavenly Father and trust that there will be fruit from the seemingly fruitless obedience to commands like this.  

I wish I didn't know parents that don't deserve very much, if any, honor; but I do.

When we come across those parents that aren't worthy of honor; when we come across those moments when our own normally good parents aren't worthy of honor, what do we do?  We honor them anyway.  We must never forget that our Heavenly Father really does knows best.  We can never forget that we were shown immense honor and grace while we were still dishonorable rebels fighting against a Perfect Father.  When we failed at honoring our parents, Jesus honored His Dad enough to follow through when His Father's plan included His being killed as a sacrifice for us.

Discover the joy of following the 5th Commandment today. 

Remember the Sabbath

 Iowa midwest values don't often directly fly in the face of one of the 10 Commandments, unless you're talking about #4.  We are bad a Sabbaths.  Outside of Fareway (if you don't get the reference, you're not from Iowa) we pride ourselves not taking a break, let alone a whole day.  

I'm bad at this, too.  I pride myself on the number of hours worked and the volume of games I broadcast.  I am bad at saying "no" to various obligations.  I'm not good at keeping the Sabbath and that makes me a sinner in this regard.

"Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.  Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God.  On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates.  For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but He rested on the seventh day.  Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy."  Exodus 20:8-11

In a culture of taking pride in hours and days worked and in a culture of go, go, go, run, run, run; why should we Sabbath?  I'm preaching this to myself.  Why should I Sabbath?

1) I Am Finite.

The Sabbath reminds me that I am not infinite.  I have an end and I reach it if I do not rest.  Taking a Sabbath is a recognition that I need it.  If I don't recognize that I need it my health, mental and physical, will remind me.  God gave me the Sabbath to rest.

2) I Need to Remember That God Takes Care of Me.

Too often I work as though my existence depends upon it.  I work hard, not only because I enjoy it, but also because I think I am self-reliant.  Do you remember the story of the manna in the desert?  God rained down bread from heaven for the people of Israel.  For five days they gathered enough just for that day, but on the sixth day they gathered enough for two.  On the Sabbath they were not to gather manna. 

"Nevertheless, some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather it, but they found none.  Then the LORD said to Moses, 'How long will you refuse to keep my commands and instructions?  Bear in mind that the LORD has given you the Sabbath; that is why on the sixth day He gives you bread for two days.  Everyone is to stay where he is on the seventh day; no one is to go out.'  So the people rested on the seventh day." Exodus 16:27-30

There are times when I ignore the Sabbath in order to be more productive, only to realize, like the Israelites, that my Sabbath work is in vain.  God takes care of me through my efforts and in my rest.  There are times I don't Sabbath because I think other people need me too much.  Remembering the Sabbath reminds me that I am not God for myself or for other people.  God can take care of them much better than I can.

3) The Sabbath is Holy.

I am called to pray without ceasing, always rejoice and always give thanks to God (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).  Every single day I should rejoice and be glad in that day (Psalm 118:24).  But I know that Sundays are different.  I know that my time with the gathered local church is special.  God knew this, too.  The Sabbath is a holy (set apart) day unto the Lord.

4) The Sabbath is Made for Me.  

In Mark 2:27 Jesus said, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath."  This passage has much to say and one thing it says is the Sabbath was designed by God for me, for us.  I can treat the Sabbath as a burden or a blessing.  Jesus says it is a blessing.  

This most recent Sunday I thought of this blessing.  We all went to church and enjoyed worship and conversations with friends.  We came home and took a good nap.  Then we went out and had our first fire in the new backyard fire pit before supper.  As the kids ran around playing and we sat by the fire I felt blessed.  That one day made the work of the week worth it.  That one day is lodged in my mind as a good memory.  It charged me.

5) God Told Me to Remember the Sabbath.

This one really should be enough, if I'm obedient.  Father knows best.

I'm bad at Sabbathing.  I need to get better at this.  I need to take time to take time.  Join me in trying to Sabbath better this week.  

Remember the Sabbath today.

Don't Misuse His Name

 I would rather people use the "F-word" than say the name of Jesus Christ as a curse word.  It is like nails on a chalkboard to me, especially when they use it in a way that brings other people down.  

I was taught growing up to not use the Lord's name in vain.  No OMG and no JC's were to come out my mouth, but is that the extent of the third commandment?

"You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses His name." Exodus 20:7

The King James Version, which I grew up learning this verse in, says, "Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain."  What does it mean to take the name of the LORD in vain?  What does it look like to misuse the name of Yahweh?

First, I do think it means not using it to curse others.  I don't think it should be used as an umm, as so many OMGers use it.  The way my parents, and your parents likely taught it, is solid.  But does it mean more?

I see my God's name misused in so many ways.  Rather than using His name to bless Him or bless others it is used to further our own agenda.  We see this every single November.  Team Donkey and Team Elephant use God's name to court voters.  Neither party and hardly any individual power seeker is excited to submit to God's Name but they are more than happy to woo Christian voting blocks with strategic utilization of Bible verses and God mentions.  Marketing executives throw enough God talk in to sell their product.  Bands that have ceased to believe in Jesus keep up the charade for the sake of the business until they can no longer stomach it.

I also misuse Christ's name.  I bear His name.  I proudly wear the name of Christ as a "Christ"ian.  Christian means "little Christ", yet I do not love my neighbor well and I enjoy the very sin for which He died.  When we fail to live changed lives we "are slandering the noble name of Him to whom we belong" (James 2:7).  Will we be perfect? No.  But when we show no interest in or effort toward bearing the Name well we bring dishonor on the most honorable name.  We must strive to live a life worthy of our calling (Ephesians 4:1) or we misuse His name.

God's name is not a joke.  His name is not a curse.  Jesus' name is not a tool to secure votes or a sale.  God's name is not to be held like an insurance policy, but rather as a high calling.  

We must repent of using His name in vain.  "...for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses His name."  Beware!  But thanks be to God that the One He sent wore the name in a most glorious way.  Jesus didn't bring shame to God's name but instead succeeded so well in using God's name that Jesus has now been given the name above every name (Philippians 2:9).

Use God's name well.  Be like Jesus and crucify the pursuit of your great name and pursue the fame of His.  If we can do this, we can keep the third commandment well.  And when we fail, and we will, we must lean on the work of Jesus to cover our sin.

Don't use the LORD's name in vain today.