Q. What is the seventh of the Ten Commandments?
A. The seventh of the Ten Commandments is, “You shall not
commit adultery.”
When we first hear the seventh commandment some might feel
off the hook—“I’m not even married. I
can’t commit adultery.”
Others might proudly say, “I would never cheat on my
spouse!”
But while adultery is defined as sexual misconduct inside of
marriage (as opposed to fornication, which is misconduct outside of marriage), Jesus took this command a step further. Just
as He equated hatred with murder, He also equated adultery with lust.
"You
have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that
everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed
adultery with her in his heart.”
(Matthew
5:27-28)
Before we pat ourselves on the back because we have never cheated in
marriage, we need to examine our own thought life. Jesus said that every
intentional lustful thought is the same thing as the physical act of adultery.
Some guys will look at images of women who have had so many plastic
surgeries they could have been made by Mattel. Some women will watch a chick
flick and fantasize about the character who dances with his girlfriend on the
street in the pouring rain. Both are fake; both lead to unrealistic
expectations that can never be fulfilled.
We should not commit adultery, whether the physical act or the secret
thought. Like Job, we need to make a covenant with our eyes and not look or
think with lust.
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