Proverbs 6
20 My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother:
21 Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck.
22 When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.
23 For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:
24 To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.
25 Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids.
26 For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adultress will hunt for the precious life.
27 Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?
28 Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?
29 So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.
30 Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry;
31 But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.
32 But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.
33 A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away.
34 For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.
35 He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.
(Scripture taken from the King James Version, 1987 printing. The KJV is public domain in the United States. To read this passage from The Message, go to www.biblegateway.com and do a passage lookup.)
The media seems to have given adultery a “good rap” in movies, novels, television programming, etc. At the very worst, they portray it as having potential dangerous consequences (think Fatal Attraction), but mostly, it is portrayed as just part of the fabric of our society these days. The Bible tells us that you can’t walk across hot coals without being burned and that adultery has similar consequences. The Bible says that those who commit adultery destroy their own souls.
Can adulterous behavior be forgiven? If a person is genuinely repentant and remorseful, I believe so. But think about a bad burn… it usually leaves a scar, doesn’t it? The wound may heal, but the mark is always there. It is much that way with adultery. The wound may heal, the relationship may seem to mend, and God will even forgive you if you are sincere in asking for forgiveness. But the scar may linger for a long, long time… possibly forever. If you have a scar on your body, seeing it probably reminds you of how it came to be. The scar of adultery may show up in different ways… a broken relationship, persons with hurt feelings, the loss of a friendship, a sadness when you think of certain people or experiences, to name a few. It’s pretty certain the memories attached to this scar won’t be happy.
So pay attention to this passage. And remember that adultery can take other forms, as you betray your friends, your co-workers, your family. When you look at a scar, think of the emotional scar that being unfaithful… in marriage or in life… can bring, and live your life above reproach.
©2007 Debbie Robus
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