"You Shall Not Commit Adultery" (Conclusion)
[Editor’s Note: This article concludes the study of adultery which was first published in Biblical Ethics, edited by Terry Hightower for the 1992 Shenandoah Lectures, pages 262-281. This book has been out of print for decades but is still one of the best.]
A fourth key to keeping faithful is communication. Sometimes human beings are not as perceptive as they should be. “Why didn’t you tell me you felt that way?” is a sad phrase to hear when adultery has marred a marriage. Now is the time for each mate to tell the other what complaints exist, averting unnecessary misery.
We should not allow ourselves (fifth) to be distracted by the flattery and attention of another. Proverbs 6:24 warns against “the flattering tongue of a seductress.” This pitfall was characterized by the 1964 hit song by Jay and the Americans in which a woman makes the following pitch to her victim:
“Come a little bit closer;
You’re my kind of man,
so big and so strong.
Come a little bit closer;
I’m all alone—
and the night is so long.”
There is a special feeling of excitement that is generated by flattering words. Our egos like to think that we are attractive or appealing to someone—especially if that idea hasn’t been communicated at home. Remember that “a flattering mouth works ruin” (Pr. 26:28).
Sixth, we cannot afford to be idle, as David was. If he had gone forth with the other kings to battle, he could have saved many years of heartbreak. When a person can’t sleep, it affords an opportunity to read a good book—maybe even The Good Book. Immoral thoughts cannot be entertained. Everyone should avoid being put into a position fraught with compromise.
The last time anyone checked, there were still souls lost in sin, needing to be saved. There are also churches that need building up. Seven lifetimes would prove insufficient to do everything each of us needs to accomplish in order to build up the kingdom of God. Idleness springs from a restless heart and a lackluster imagination.
The seventh suggestion is to pray that God will help each of us to be faithful to our husband or wife. We should pray for the strength to withstand every temptation; our ultimate goal (though we may at times weaken a bit) is to maintain the sexual integrity of our marriages.
WORKS CITED
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Dobson, James. Straight Talk to Men and Their Wives. Waco, TX: Word Books, 1982.
Holland, Thomas. “The Unfinished Restoration.” Restoration Then and Now. Ed. M.H. Tucker. Knoxville, TN: East Tennessee School of Preaching and Missions, 1983.
Jackson, Wayne. “What is Moicheia?” Gospel Advocate Aug. 1991: 26-27.
Landers, Ann. Journal Star. 31 July 1991:A-1+.
Paterson, Karen. “Young Girls.” USA Today 29 July 1991: 2.
Shelley, Marshall, ed. “How Common is Pastoral Indiscretion?” Leadership 9:1 (1988): 12, 16.
Spence, H.D.M., and Jospeh S. Exell, eds. The Pulpit Commentary. 1961 ed.
“Syphilis Rate at 4-Decade High.” Journal Star. 17 May 1991: A-2.
Warren, Thomas B. ed. Your Marriage Can Be Great. Jonesboro, AR: National Christian Press, 1978.
Watson, Thomas. The Ten Commandments. Carlisle, PA: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1965.