Sexual Attitudes

When we understand that being godly in not simply a matter of keeping the law, but about having a new spirit or attitude, we begin to understand that those laws only indicate what the attitudes should be, and are not themselves the ultimate measure of righteousness.   As we saw in the previous study, it is not good enough just to not kill someone, we need to have a different attitude, so that we don’t want to kill them.  The same is true in many other areas of life, as we shall see.

In Matthew 5:27-30, Jesus said, “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.  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.  And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, 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.” 

How many people look at an attractive person and fantasize about having a relationship with them, feeling very righteous because they would never act on their fantasy in real life.  Jesus said mentally they have committed adultery even though they haven’t done so physically.  It is only a small step from fantasy to the physical sin, and the world constantly places suggestive images in front of us, whether in advertising, in popular fashions, in jokes, in stories and in pictures.  Many people indulge in pornography, or other sexual sin in the belief they have to have sex, even quoting to Genesis 2:18, “And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone…” to justify their sin.   In reality, they are no different than the drug addict or alcoholic who tells himself he has to have another hit of their chosen chemical to be happy.   Jesus said if there is a part of your body you can’t control, it would be better to have them surgically removed than to face God’s judgment because you didn’t control it.   

Today, many people get a divorce in hopes they can find someone else who will be more satisfactory and easier to get along with.    In Matthew 5:31-32, Jesus warned, “It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.” 

While the Old Testament Law allowed a person to legally divorce their mate and Marry someone else, Jesus said that in reality they were still committing adultery, and that whoever married a divorced person was also committing adultery.   In Matthew 19:7-9 the Pharisees questioned why there was a difference between what Jesus taught and what the Law said.  “They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?

 He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.  And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.” 

God had never intended people to divorce and remarry.  Unfortunately people are often stubborn and selfish, and in order to enable them to get along in this life God allowed them to divorce.  Nevertheless they were still committing adultery if they remarried and their mate was not guilty of physical sexual sin.    Under the Old Testament law, anyone committing adultery was to be executed, so while the law might permit a person to remarry, they were still not meeting God’s standard.  As Jesus said, in Matthew 5:20, “…except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.”    Just keeping the law isn’t good enough.