II. What Should This Mean to You?
A. Don't entertain even the thought of adultery.
1. Matt 5:28 - But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
2. ILL: NUMMI Sign - "Don't even think about parking here!"
3. No matter how tough the situation at home, no matter how attractive the situation elsewhere - don't even entertain the thoughts!
B. Don't put yourself into vulnerable situations.
1. I Thess 5:22 - Avoid every kind of evil.
2. KJV = Abstain from all appearance of evil.
C. Don't let the marriage you have deteriorate.
1. Most often the temptation of adultery comes from when things are not right at home.
2. Put effort into keeping the spark in your marriage alive. Plan romance.
3. Work together. Play together. Enjoy one another's company.
4. Recall often what originally attracted you to one another.
Remember: God hates adultery so much that the Law of Moses demanded the death penalty whenever anyone was found doing it. God wants you to remain faithful to your mate always. Work out problems. Stick together!

II. What Should This Mean to You?
A. Don't entertain even the thought of adultery.
1. Matt 5:28 - But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
2. ILL: NUMMI Sign - "Don't even think about parking here!"
3. No matter how tough the situation at home, no matter how attractive the situation elsewhere - don't even entertain the thoughts!
B. Don't put yourself into vulnerable situations.
1. I Thess 5:22 - Avoid every kind of evil.
2. KJV = Abstain from all appearance of evil.
C. Don't let the marriage you have deteriorate.
Most often the temptation of adultery comes from when things are not right at home.
Put effort into keeping the spark in your marriage alive. Plan romance.
Work together. Play together. Enjoy one another's company.
Recall often what originally attracted you to one another.
Remember: God hates adultery so much that the Law of Moses demanded the death penalty whenever anyone was found doing it. God wants you to remain faithful to your mate always. Work out problems. Stick together!

The Ten Commandments - # 7
Honor Your Marriage Vows
Exodus 20:14
You shall not commit adultery.
I. What Did This Mean to Them?
A. Meaning of the word.
1. Adultery (נָאַף) = willful sexual intercourse with someone other than one's husband or wife.
a. Adultery is always committed by someone who is married.
b. If you are married & you step out on your spouse & have sex - you committed adultery!
2. It's related to Fornication = any sexual relationship outside the bonds of marriage.
a. Fornication can be committed by anyone, married or not, who has sex with anyone else, married or not, who isn't your spouse.
b. This includes pre-marriage sexual intercourse!
B. Punishment for adultery under the Old Testament Law.
1. Capitol punishment. Deut 22:22 - If a man is found sleeping with another man's wife, both the
man who slept with her and the woman must die. You must purge the evil from Israel.
2. Why was this punishment so severe?
a. God thinks more of your marriage than you do!
b. The union of you & your spouse makes you more complete than any of you could be alone.
c. The union of marriage provides an emotional security that affects your whole being. There's
an indescribable security in faithfulness to a monogamous relationship.
d. The union of marriage protects you from venereal diseases & AIDS.
e. There appears to be a spiritual, as well as a physical & emotional bond, in marriage.
When adultery breaks the marriage bond a spiritual connection is also broken.
f. Divorce is often the outcome when the marriage bond is broken. Mal 2:16 - "I hate
divorce", says the LORD God of Israel
C. The new dimension our Lord placed on it.
1. The divorce aspect. Matt 5:32 - But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.
2. The mental & emotional aspect. Matt 5:27-28 - You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
3. The forgiveness aspect. ILL: The Women Caught in Adultery (Jn 8:1-11).