Text: 1 Corinthians 6:9-11
Aim: to warn against the destructive sin of adultery.
Thesis: Adulterers go to hell because adultery undermines society, marriage, and character.
Introduction:
I am ashamed to admit this, but I am such a cultural illiterate. You see, I don’t watch Entertainment Tonight, so I’m not up to the minute on all the latest gossip. Hollywood couples are uncoupling so fast and re-coupling so often that I simply cannot keep up. And to make matters worse, even thought I never purchase a copy of People or Us or the National Enquirer I can’t help glancing at the magazine covers while I’m waiting in the checkout line at the supermarket, so consequently I learn just enough to stay confused.
For example, I know that Brad left his wife Jennifer but it wasn’t for Angelina, then somehow it was for Angelina, then Brad and Angelina were going to get married but instead they had a baby, but first they adopted some kids together, which I didn’t think you could do if you weren’t married, but maybe its ok because I believe she had already adopted the kids, but not with Billy Bob, the guy from Arkansas to whom she was married before (and nobody could ever tell what she saw in him) but that wasn’t a problem because she had already left him when she adopted the kids. I think.
And I’m pretty sure that Tom left his first wife Nicole for Katie, but I seem to remember there was a Spanish girlfriend in there somewhere that he was madly in love with, so maybe it wasn’t for Katie, but then, now that I think about it, Nicole wasn’t his first wife, I think she was his second, but I can’t remember Tom’s first wife, and anyway now Nicole is marrying a country music singer (only he’s not from Texas, he’s from Australia, of all places) and then Tom and Katie had a baby, only they aren’t married yet – I don’t think – and really about the only thing I can keep straight is that Tom jumped on a couch on the Oprah show, or the Today show, or maybe it was the Tonight show, but anyway he’s with Katie now, except it isn’t Katie Couric because she’s going to the other network, anyway.
I’m not sure exactly when adultery became a spectator sport – but I do know that it has been within my lifetime, because over the years I have seen infidelity go from being stigmatized to romanticized, from tolerated to celebrated. Today we live in a culture of casual and conscience-free carnality. Countless movies have romanticized “affairs”; woman’s magazines like Elle and Harper’s Bazaar actually recommend infidelity as a way of “asserting your femininity”; there is even a new line of greeting cards designed for extramarital relationships.
The morals of American society have become so low, and the moral backbone of American churches is so lacking, that right here in the Bible belt, in little old El Dorado, a man can desert his family, take another man’s wife, shack up together, and as soon as their divorce from their first partners is final, the two lovebirds can get married and a week later you’ll see them on television singing in the choir, while the church members all around them pretend nothing happened.
As a preacher I have a sacred obligation to speak truth, even if it is unpopular. Because I am commissioned to preach “the whole counsel of God,” I dare not become tongue-tied or remain silent on an area where Scripture speaks so clearly. So, because in our society even churches are confused when it comes to matters of marriage and morality, this sermon will necessarily be uncommonly direct and simple. If we are true to God’s Word, I need to explain something that you won’t hear in many churches any more: An extramarital relationship isn’t some glamorous “affair” – it is adultery, and adultery is a sin that will damn your soul. Let me plain, as plain as Scripture: ADULTERERS GO TO HELL.
o “Do you not know that the wicked will NOT inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor ADULTERERS …..will inherit the kingdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10)
o “But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the SEXUALLY IMMORAL, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars – their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death” (Revelation 21:8).
This is not only an unpopular doctrine today – in our morally confused culture, it is an almost incomprehensible one. After all, people think, how could it possibly be wrong to “follow your heart”? And, if the person you are romantically entangled with is already married to someone else, or if you are the one who is married and you’re hiding a relationship from your mate, well, that’s just an inconvenient complication.
So this morning we will go back to the Bible, back to the basics of morality, and ask: WHY DOES GOD SAY ADULTERERS WILL BE CONDEMNED? The Bible provides ample illustration of the uniquely destructive nature of this sin:
Body:
I. Adultery undermines the foundation of society.
The foundation of Jewish society was the Ten Commandments given by God to Moses on Mt. Sinai. The Seventh of those commandments is:
o Exodus 20:14 “You shall not commit ADULTERY”
When Ted Turner, the brash billionaire founder of Turner Broadcasting, contemptuously dismissed the Ten Commandments as “outmoded,” he specifically disparaged the Seventh, complaining, “If you’re only going to have ten rules, I don’t know if adultery ought to be one of them.” Well, he simply said out loud what a lot of other people clearly believe!
But in fact, this sin is not only included, it is the only one alluded to twice in the 10 Commandments! Listen to the Tenth: “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet YOUR NEIGHBOR’S WIFE, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or his donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor” (Exodus 20:17).
Some have asserted that the Tenth Commandment is demeaning to women – that it places a wife in the category of the man’s possessions – but their objection misses the point. The focus is not on the woman at all – nor on the house, servants, or the animals. The emphasis of the Tenth Commandment is on the greedy, grasping spirit of the person doing the coveting – the focus is on the individual who nurtures an illegitimate desire for what belongs to someone else.
For example, I drive a little Buick Regal. I don’t know why anyone would desire my car, but suppose you did. If you wanted a Buick Regal, no problem – go down to the dealership and shop all you want. If you’ve got the money, honey, he’s got the car.
But if you want MY Buick Regal, whether it is for sale or not, if you desire it enough to steal it away from me, that’s a different matter.
In the same way, if you’re single and you see an attractive candidate of the opposite sex, and they’re single, by all means – try your luck! Strike up a conversation; ask for a phone number; take them out; see what develops. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
But if that other person has a wedding ring on their finger, if you know they have a marriage partner at home, God’s Word says they’re “off-limits.” No matter how handsome he is, or what a sweet smile she gives you, or how much they make your heart flutter – they’re not on the market, so go shopping someplace else! Likewise, if YOU’RE married, it’s time to stop shopping! I’ve even come up with a little ditty to help you remember this principle:
“You can flirt and tease as much as you please,
While you’re still looking around,
But after you date, and you’ve picked out your mate,
You’d better learn to settle down.” – Dan Williams
Adulterers go to hell because no society can be stable if no relationship can ever be trusted to be permanent.
II. Adultery undermines the foundation of marriage.
o Hebrews 13:4 “MARRIAGE should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the ADULTERER and all the sexually immoral”
Researchers tell us that, contrary to popular opinion, the majority of divorces are not between “high conflict” couples. Why, then, are so marriages breaking up? In many, if not most divorces today, a third party is involved.
As a marriage counselor I can tell you there is a dramatic difference between the dynamics of normal marital problems and those of a marriage when an extramarital relationship is present. An adulterous attraction to a third party interferes with the normal adjustments and interactions of marriage: when a philandering husband has his eye on another woman, all of his minor grievances against his wife seem magnified; when a gold-digging young wife captures the attention of some wealthy old fool, all of a sudden her husband’s aggravating habits seem unbearable. And most of all, the motivation to work on problems, to find solutions to marital difficulties, evaporates when one of the partners is under the intoxicating influence of romantic infatuation. That’s why Jesus warns:
o Matthew 19:9 “Any man who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits ADULTERY”
Adulterers go to hell because they break up marriages, and marriage is a sacred covenant before God.
III. Adultery undermines the foundation of the home.
PLEASE TURN to Malachi (last book of your Old Testament), Chapter 2.
Churches today are making a serious theological error when they adopt a morally neutral, “hands-off,” “we don’t want to take sides” attitude toward the dissolution of a marriage where infidelity is involved.
Verse 16 “I hate divorce, says the Lord Almighty.”
Some are quick to say “But he doesn’t hate the divorced and we shouldn’t be judgmental!” And that’s true. God always hates the sin, not the sinner. Lest you are a guest with us today and think this is one of those churches that are indiscriminately harsh or judgmental, you should know that this congregation is a place of grace for the innocent victims of divorce – we routinely offer “Divorce Recovery” groups and I am thankful for those who offer that ministry. But friends, adulterers don’t need “divorce recovery” – God’s Word says they need “divorce repentance”!
To properly apply this verse we must put it in context: why does God express such a strong emotion about divorce? Because it breaks up homes, casts aside women, mistreats the powerless. Go back to Verse 14:
o “The Lord is acting as the witness between you and THE WIFE OF YOUR YOUTH (i.e., your first wife), because you have broken faith with her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant.”
All throughout the Bible, God takes sides, and He is always on the side of the INNOCENT victims of sin. In fact, in the next chapter God even volunteers to appear in court to be a witness for the prosecution! TURN to Chapter 3. In verse 5 the Lord declares:
o “I will come near to you for judgment. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, ADULTERERS and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive aliens of justice, but do not fear me,” says the Lord.”
Do you want to get on God’s “bad side”? Then go out and cheat a widow –take advantage of the weak and the powerless – or break up a home and leave little children without a daddy or a mommy present – and you’ll find out in a hurry how judgmental Jehovah God can be! No church and no Christian must ever take the side of an adulterer against the innocent victims whose lives have been shattered by the selfish sin.
Adulterers go to hell because they break up the home, and the home is ordained by God.
IV. Adultery undermines the foundation of a person’s character.
In just one short verse God sketches a vivid picture of the amorality of someone who is willing to ignore the most basic building blocks of character.
o “This is the way of an ADULTERESS: She eats and wipes her mouth and says, ‘I’ve done nothing wrong’.” (Proverbs 30:20)
By its very nature adultery desensitizes individuals to such essential concepts as HONESTY, INTEGRITY, and certainly HOLINESS! Adultery is first and foremost a dishonest practice that indicates a lack of integrity.
o “Men do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his hunger when he is starving. Yet if he is caught, he must pay sevenfold, though it costs him all the wealth of his house. But a man who commits adultery lacks judgment; whoever does so destroys himself. Blows and disgrace are his lot, and his shame will never be wiped away.” (Proverbs 6:30-33)
Even in this “liberated” age, when anything goes, people may tolerate an adulterer, but they aren’t going to respect him. And for good reason: if someone will not keep his word in the sacred and intimate bond on earth, if an individual will lie to the person closest to him, what reason does an outsider have for trusting him?
Marriage is intended by God to provide a lot of things: companionship, nurture of children, social stability, purity. But maintaining a healthy marriage also provides something we don’t always think about: maturity. Working through problems – honoring your commitments – learning how to be unselfish – all of these are essential to building a strong character.
The dynamics of adultery are exactly the opposite of what God requires of his people, so much so that “adultery” is the metaphor most often used in the prophets to describe the exasperating tendency of Israel to fall out of covenant love with God! Adulterers go to hell because they are FAITHLESS.
About the only good thing that can be said about cheating is that it has sure inspired a lot of country music hits! Well, here’s a song I heard on the radio just last week that deserves its popularity. Clay Walker sings:
I got a good friend who’s got a good life
He’s got two pretty children and a real nice wife
Yet he never seems quite satisfied
I said I know what’s on your mind
But you better think about it before you cross that line
The grass ain’t always greener on the other side
Then what
What you gonna do
When the new wears off and the old shines through
It ain’t really love and it’s ain’t really lust
And you ain’t anybody anyone’s gonna trust
Then what
Where you gonna turn
When you can’t turn back for the bridges you’ve burned
It don’t mean that you got to take that leap
When you’re standin’ on the brink
Before you jump you gotta step back and think
There’s a price for every promise you don’t keep
But do what you want, do what you wish
It’s your life but remember this
There’s bound to be some consequences
For sneakin’ under, crossin’ certain fences
Then what
What you gonna do
When the new wears off and the old shines through
It ain’t really love and it’s ain’t really lust
And you ain’t anybody anyone’s gonna trust
Then what
Conclusion:
If you are contemplating marriage, then you need to understand three things:
a. It is a sacred covenant;
b. Marriage is a permanent relationship;
c. The opposite of infidelity is not “gritting your teeth and staying miserable for the rest of your life” – it is learning how to be good to your mate – solve your problems – grow up and grow close and grow old together.
If you are married and are considering an affair – I urge you to think twice about the consequences of your actions. Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount that adultery begins in the heart. Check your own attitude, because so often that’s where the solution to marital problems begins. Friends, the grass isn’t greener on the other side of the fence – its greener where you fertilize it!
If you are already entrapped in an emotional or physical relationship with a third party, GET OUT! Get help in straightening out your life – ask God’s help to straighten out your heart. Make things right at home, and make them right with the Lord. Then, with his grace start over again.
The Bible clearly says adulterers go to hell. But they don’t have to end up in torment. If they truly repent, God provides a second chance!
1 Corinthians 6:9-11 “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor ADULTERERS…will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you WERE. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”
Dan Williams