Sexual Sin – The Lust of the Eye (Part 2)

Matthew 5: 30-32

Having taught on the true nature of sexual sin, why of all things does Jesus bring up divorce at this point. Well, this all really goes back to the Mosaic law as described in Deuteronomy chapter 24.  In that chapter along with other things it says that if a husband found some, and I’m quoting, “uncleanness” in his wife he could write her a bill of divorce. Now you can just imagine what the scribes did with that. The rabbis sat around and tried to figure out what that word “uncleanness” meant, and as you can also imagine that there were two points of view. 

One school of thought  that formed around a Rabbi named Shammi, said that this only refers to the act of adultery itself, as matter of fact one that followed him said “even if a wife is as mischievous as the wife of Ahab she cannot divorced except for adultery”.

The other school who was formed around the teaching of a Rabbi called Hillel, and he took the exact opposite POV. His followers said that a man could divorce his wife if she as much as spoiled his dinner by putting too much salt in his food. Other reason that was considered acceptable for divorce where r if she went in public with her head uncovered or was seen to talk with men in the streets. Also, if she spoke disrespectfully of her husband’s parents in his presence or was perceived to be troublesome or quarrelsome.

One rabbi even went so far as to say a man could divorce his wife if she no longer found favour in her husband’s sight, which often meant a man would divorce his wife if he found another woman, he considered to be more attractive.

So, what’s critical here is to understand that Jesus is addressing the subject of sexual sin, divorce, and adultery in a background where the law of Moses was being abused by many across 1st century Palestine.

People where in acting all sort of cheap divorces even one where a man would simply write a divorce statement out in front of 2 other men and the marriage was over.

Then Jesus comes along and says look at the text 

31 “You have heard it has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

(Matthew 5: 31-32)

What we’re really grappling with in this passage in one sense is the whole definition of adultery translated in the new King James version sexual immorality so let’s talk about this word for a second. In the Old translations it was called fornication, so I need to make a distinction between adultery and fornication. There’s an old standard definition that says adultery in the Bible is sexual immorality between 2 married people and fornication is sexual immorality between two single people. But that definition won’t float because there are passages where fornication is used of somebody who was married 

if you takedown a Greek dictionary which is called a lexicon and you just look up these words, they will tell you that the definition is that adultery is fornication that include one person who is married and the But fornication is actually the broader more general word that means any unlawful sexual activity. 

So, it could be between married people it could be between single people it could include any form of sexual activity forbidden in the Old Testament. 

So, Jesus is saying that the exception to allow divorce is any unlawful sexual activity. 

What people have done with this verse is just really interesting, Catholic churches taking this verse and concluded that there is no remarriage permitted in any circumstances except the death of the married partner.

In the Protestant churches have concluded that there are two grounds for divorce in the Bible one is sexual immorality based on this passage and in Matthew 19 the desertion of unsaved partner is added.

That is the historic position of the eastern orthodox churches and the Protestant churches that there’s only those are the only two grounds for divorce, it’s not my intent today to go into all the ramifications of divorce and how it affects Christian churches. Christian churches today are filled with people that have been divorced so let me just say one word and then come back and speak to the basic issue. 

Divorce is something that hurts people everybody who’s ever been through one will tell you that the people who suffer the most are the children.

the Old Testament says God hates it and also God forgives it. So, it’s not the unforgivable sin or the unpardonable sin that some say but you just need to recognize that that sin is forgivable but the standards of potential forgiveness are high and that we ought not negate that or lower the standard just to fit our culture or society.

God hates divorce and because of that God put the standard pretty high. I want to speak to that for a minute irrespective of our own personal experience. God put the standard high and he did it for a reason because he wants to protect marriage. I think he wants to protect marriage because that’s the foundation of society and if you destroy marriage and the home then the society around it is next.

Society begins in the home, and it begins in the heart that’s why I’m in the ministry and not a politician. I’m not opposed to being a politician and politicians can do some good things, but they can’t solve the ultimate problem that’s the deterioration of our society it’s in the heart of individual people as they trun away from God and it’s in the home where it all begins.

The Romans built their early society on the family, early after the establishment of Rome marriage was seen as a lifelong partnership. Prostitution was held in contempt so for the first 500 years of Rome’s existence there was not one report of a single case of divorce.

What happened next is the Romans conquered the Greeks militarily, but many historians would say that the Greeks conquered the Romans morally, so divorce became a common practice among the Romans.

Within a few generations they went form not having had a singe divorce for  500 years to one ancient Rome Roman author writing that a woman had eight husbands in five years. Sound like modern day Hollywood.

Their  attitude became so cynical that another well known Roman writer Roman wrote, marriage brings only two happy days the day when the husband first clasped his wife to his breast and the day, he lays her in the tomb.  The situation became so bad that special taxes were put against unmarried, and they were prohibited from receiving an inheritance. Many would say this attitude was the seed that eventually grew into the 

My point is God has set a high standard some of us have missed it that’s one thing but don’t tamper with the standard the standard protects the home, protects children, and ultimately protects society. And the history of Greece and Rome illustrate that.

All right let me try and sum up everything I’ve said so far and make some suggestions.

What Jesus is teaching in this passage is that before God spiritual adultery is not just an act but it’s an intentional coveting attitude with someone with whom you are not married. And except for sexual immorality remarriage after divorce is an act of adultery, the standard is high but the real issue in this passage throughout not just these verses but the whole of Jesus sermon is that righteousness real righteousness is an internal attitude not an external ac. It begins in the heart and works outward from there.

Bill Clinton did exactly what the Pharisees of old did, he defended his unfaithful was solely as an external act of sexual intercourse and that is simply wrong. 

I don’t think Jesus is teaching that the lust in the heart is as bad as the act but he is saying that they are both a sin and they’re both serious sins,and that’s his point.

If you think I’m wrong about this, then ask any married woman if she thinks Bill Clinton definition of adultery was correct. Enough said.

So having brought up the subject let me ask a question what does the Bible teach about helping us avoid not only temptation but also sexual immorality and I’m not just talking about just the external act I'm talking about the internal attitude. If it's as serious as Jesus says, then we need to know how to deal with this.

Let me give you 3 suggestions three concluding points I think I can draw from this passage. 

Here we go number one, you want a biblical solution to sexual immorality you ready for this. 

Marriage, getting married is one solution. In first Corinthians Chapter 7 Paul teaches it’s better to marry than to burn with sexual lust, and commend sexual activity within the bounds of Christian marriage. (read it). So, if you’ve got a problem Paul says get married to the right person and that will solve most of the problems.

Granted it doesn’t solve all the problems, but God solution for the problem of wanton sexual temptation  begins with get married. I’m not suggesting you go out and propose to the first man or woman you see that’s not exactly the idea but you get the point.

Number two, let me give you another biblical solution to solving sexual immorality, here it is. As a matter of fact first Corinthians chapter 6 verse 18 says.

Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body.

Second Timothy chapter 2 verse 22  says.

Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

Flee get out of there, in the strongest possible language, as Jesus said if you’re eye offends the pluck it out, if your hand offends you cut it off.

Get out of there, don’t look at the website, flee from it and if you still cant show self control then trash the computer. Does that sound radical, that’s the practical 21st century ramifications of pluck out your eye and cut off your hand.

Stop it, is that clear enough for you. I mean Jesus was pretty strong about this. This is the same advice for women as well, just don’t go there. I’m giving you the biblical solutions today not psychological excuses.

OK I know what some psychologists teach I’ve studied that in some detail I promise you, I taken the courses and  I've taught on aspects of metal illness from a biblical point of view and I’m just telling you that biblically Jesus says cut it off. What ever is leading you astray, cut it off.

I have a third suggestion. While all that I just said is true, there’s a third thing that needs to be said.  

What I’ve said so far is Jesus talks about getting married expressing you sexual desires within marriage and staying marriage in this passage. Jesus also talks about fleeing from sexual temptations that appear outside of the marriage, and cutting them off. 

But Jesus does something else in this passage and I think it’s at the heart of the issue. The heart of the issue is the heart of humanity. If you took the sermon on the mount and just studied, it is what would you naturally conclude.

Well listened to what Jesus has taught when he said, blessed are the poor in spirit. Do you remember us discussing that remember what I said Jesus said was talking about being in a place where you recognise you cannot do anything for yourself by yourself and that therefore that phrase is really talking about an utter dependence upon Go.

Take the next one, blessing are those who mourn you know the reason people engage in sexual immorality is because they want to.  

They do it because they think it will bring them pleasure that’s why when they get into the pig pen and when we realize we have got dirty we should return to the father and mourn for what we have done. 

Grieving knowing that we have offended the father, so it’s an internal attitude that is really critical here.

But then take what he said about those that hunger and thirst after righteousness, they shall be filled. Now hear me and hear me well from a biblical point of view this is the answer to this problem.

Instead of being filled with lust of the flesh you replace that with a deep mourning over your own personal sin, and a hunger and thirst after righteousness and dependence upon God.

So, I’m going to conclude with that the third thing go and replace that lust of the eye, with a hunger and a thirst after righteousness.

As a matter of fact, I’ve mentioned that second Timothy 2 says flee from it. But listen to the whole verse it says.

Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

(2 Timothy 2: 22)

So, if you want to understand what the scripture is teaching it is teaching the problem is in the heart and in order to solve this problem you have to replace the lust for sin with a love for the Lord.

You may struggle with that, especially if the habit is intrenched it may take some time. All of that is grant and in some way, I believe accepted by the Lord as long as you begin to make the effort. But ultimately that is the biblical solution.

You see the danger of an undisciplined thought life is it produces an immoral physical life. If we fill our minds with filthy thoughts, we will live a filthy life. 

Abort the thought before it gives birth to sin, nip it in the bud at that point go and get your nose in the book and say help me Lord I need to grieve this and I need for the spirit of God to give me a hunger and a thirst after righteousness instead.

You have got to replace one way of thinking with another. How do you stop thinking about one thing, simply by thinking about something else, its as simple as that, that is how God made us.

How do you solve the last problem of dwelling on sin you replace it by dwelling on something else.

There’s no doubt in my mind this is what the scripture teaches. If you walk around thinking about the bird that has landed in you head it going to build a nest there.

Nip it in the bud that left you quit thinking about that and replace that with thinking about the Lord. Can you replace the lust of the flesh with the love for the Lord, Jesus says, yes you can.