February 15, 2023

In Matthew 5:27-32, Jesus references the 7th Commandment and directs his teaching towards two prevailing issues of the day: unrepentant lust and casual or cavalier divorce. Simply put, faithfulness to the 7th Commandment is not a mere matter of not looking or not getting divorced; biblical faithfulness is rarely a matter of behavior adjustment only. Instead, the Gospel promises us transformed hearts which produce godly affections consistent with the radical salvation we have in Jesus. In 2 Corinthians 5, Paul starts a discussion about justification at a very compelling point: “From now on… we regard no one according to the flesh…” If you look back at verses 14-15 two things become clear: the truth of our guilt is made clear at the crucifixion, our justifications for sin look absurd when seen under the shadow of the cross. Christians live within and underneath the controlling love of Jesus, and so, ought to see each other as those for whom God the Father sent his Son to die. From that vantage it becomes increasingly difficult to use others to serve our own pleasure. 

  Christ has died so the people to whom we are attracted might be raised to new life in Christ - how can we please ourselves by imagining them engaging in sin through our lust? Christ has died so that our spouses might be raised to new life in Him - how can we discard them lightly? It is important to note, Christ’s teaching here applies to active parties: those who indulge in lust, and those who seek divorce apart from the grounds provided in Scripture. The victims of these sins are not guilty of the things done against them. That said, if you dress or behave to seduce the people around you to sin, you need to repent. We all know how our hearts feel when we do this. Likewise, if you whittle away at the fabric of your marriage through antagonism or deliberate withholding of affection, food, or shelter. We all know when we are withholding good things from those we ought to love. Christ died for us so that we might be raised in Him - let us honor the LORD in our relationships!