Adultery

Rajan was an officer in a bank. He became a Christian when he was studying in the college and the change in his life was dramatic and wonderful. He started involving in the students ministry, and in his Church activities. Many people appreciated his commitment and sacrificial involvement. He was very intelligent and a hard worker. So it was not a problem for him to get a job in the bank after his studies. 

He married a beautiful girl working in a college, and they had a happy married life. The Lord blessed his family life and he had two intelligent children. As a family he was involved in the ministry, and many people considered their family as an ideal one. But he had one weakness. The failure to discipline himself in the area of sex. He never controlled his relationship with women and he mixed with them freely. The Lord continued to speak to him to be watchful in this area. But he neglected the warning and never took serious steps to change himself.

There was a young lady who was also involved in the ministry. He appreciated her activities. He was attracted by her and looked forward, to be involved in the ministry along with her. This ‘soft corner’ soon became a ‘secret affair’. The Lord continued to warn him and he substituted his ministry for obedience. He thought that it can be very easily covered from others, and it will not affect his family life. But when his secret affair was revealed to others, his family members – his wife and children – left him. He was shocked. He lost his ministry and his witness. 

What were the consequences of Rajan’s fall? He had destroyed his family. His wife and children were forced to bear the awful scars and pain. He lost his reputation and his ministry. He had degraded his witness by becoming a laughing stock and a bad example to others. He had sold his Christian witness and body for cheap sex. He had also despised the cross of Jesus Christ. He was forced to live a life of seclusion with the lady. He felt sorry for his mistakes but it never led him into repentance.

In the Bible there are two references to a married life in the Ten Commandments. They are, “You shall not commit adultery” Ex 20:14 and “You shall not covet your neighbour’s wife” Ex 20:17. Covetousness leads to adultery and adultery is having sexual relationship outside marriage which includes prostitution and fornication. The punishment for adultery in Israel is death, “The man who commits adultery with other man’s wife, he who commits adultery with his neighbour’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress, shall surely be put to death” Lev 20:10.

The Hebrew word used for adultery in the Old Testament is ‘naap’ and it is the intercourse with or by a married or engaged woman. It is forbidden by God and the penalty is death Lev 20:10. The Greek word used for adultery is ‘moicheia’ and the New Testament teaches that those who commit adultery will be judged and excluded from the eternal kingdom Heb 13:4, Rev 21:8.

The Hebrew word used for fornication or prostitution is ‘zanah’ and like adultery it is also forbidden by God Lev 19:29. The Greek word used for prostitution is ‘porneia’. The New Testament teaches how to deal with individuals who fall into such sin (I Cor 5:1-12). Let us see the teaching of Bible on the effect of adultery.

1. It excludes one from the kingdom of God: “Do you not know that the unrighteousness will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God” I Cor 6:9, 10.
2. It excludes one from the Christian fellowship: “It is actually reported that there is sexual immortality among you, and such sexual immortality as is not even named among the Gentiles that a man has his father’s wife! In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus” I Cor 5:1, 4&5.
3. It brings God’s judgement: “Marriage is honourable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge” Heb 13:4.
4. It leads to hell: “But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death” Rev 21:8.
5. It leads to divorce: Jesus said “And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immortality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery” Matt 19:9.
6. It leads to death: “For her house leads down to death, and her paths to the dead; none who go to her return, nor do they regain the paths of life” Prov 2:18, 19.
7. It makes one poor: “Whoever loves wisdom makes his father rejoice, but a companion of harlots wastes his wealth” Prov 29:3.