The Sixth Commandment

Rev. John Fleischmann

Reformation 500: The Small Catechism of Martin Luther • Sermon • Submitted 7 years ago

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Exodus 20:14 ESV

“You shall not commit adultery.

1 Corinthians 6:18–20 ESV

Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

The Small Catechism:

You shall not commit adultery. What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we lead a sexually pure and decent life in what we say and do, and husband and wife love and honor each other.

Introduction

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Adam was out really late one night. When he got home, Eve slammed him against the wall and began to frisk him like a police officer. “Eve, what are you doing?” “Counting ribs!”

Next to our relationship with God the Father through Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit, the FAMILY is the most important creation of God. For it is in and through the family that we receive life, it is in through the family that God cares for us and nurtures us in our physical lives, and it is in the family where we are raised, and now raise our children in the fear and the love of God.

Sociologically speaking, it is the family that is the building block of society. Destroy the family and society falls apart. It doesn’t take much to see that this is most certainly true today.

The sixth commandment is given by God to protect and preserve this most holy creation of His.

Of course, enter sin. Sin destroys the family. Sin causes people to abandon their families. Because of sin there is the temptation to have an emotional or physical relationship with someone not our spouse. Sin causes us to see sexuality as an end, not a means. And in each case the family comes under serious attack. God gives the sixth commandment to us to keep this from happening. To God, the family is most important.

Something very simple has become very confusing and complex to the world that sees no problem with broken vows, sexual gratification with anyone we choose, with some of its poison even entering into the Church. It is a mess in the world and the Church. So that’s the word we’ll use for our outline today: MESS: MARRIAGE is God’s Gift; God’s EXHORTATION to holy living; Sins against this Commandment, and finally the SAVIOR who rescues us, forgives us even if we have been guilty of sins against this commandment and He sends His Holy Spirit so that we might live holy lives to God in our bodies and in our families.

Marriage

Marriage is the creation and gift from God. In the Garden of Eden, the Scripture records thus:

Genesis 2:21–25 ESV

So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.

The Scriptures refer to this gift.

In The Lord says

Genesis 1:27 ESV

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

‎ זָכָ֥ר וּנְקֵבָ֖ה ( WTT)

The image of God is in the coming together of man and woman. Not apart.

In this passage God shows that Eve is also a partaker of the divine image and shares with man in the rule over everything lest one thinks that her role is less than that of man.

Male and Female. Without both in union, there is no image of God.

This unity, this coming together as one flesh, reflects the image and glory of God, and it is a creative union. As God created Adam and Eve, so now He uses them to continue life on earth through procreation.

God has both established and sanctified marriage and has promised to bless therein all who love and trust in him and who seek to give him their faithful worship and service, for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul, likewise speaks about Marriage in

Ephesians 5:20–33 ESV

giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

Here Paul, calling husbands and wives to submit to one another, uses earthly marriage as an illustration of Christ and His relationship to His Bride, the Church.

He calls each to die to self and live for the other. Wives honor and respect their husbands above their own needs. Husbands give themselves up, literally die to themselves to put their wives first in everything. This, by the way is the key to a strong marriage. Those outside of Christ live for themselves. Christians die to themselves, living first to Christ and then for their spouse. Sacrifice is what it is all about.

There is something deeper here. And that is marriage reflects a deep Christology. The Church submits to Christ in everything. Jesus puts the church first by dying for her,

Ephesians 5:26–27 ESV

that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.

Ephesians

Anything that would reorder marriage necessarily negates what the Lord is telling us about this. So views of marriage outside of the Scriptural definition attack both Creation and Christology. Theologically, these things always seem to get lost in the discussions of today, even within the Church.

Marriage is the Creation and wonderful gift of God that we have been given.

God Exhorts us to Holiness of Living

We all know people who live in various life-styles “out there”. We are not here to talk about that today, nor are we here to judge anyone, or take up the socio/sexual issues of the day. Bible Class is where we take up those issues so we can delve deeply into them.

Today, this text speaks to us individually. We are not talking about the other guy or gal, or their relationship, whatever it might be. We are here to talk about you. God calls you to be holy and pure. It is to you that God says these words:

1 Corinthians 6:18–20 ESV

God calls you to holiness. You belong to God. You were purchased with a price— that precious blood of Jesus, shed on Calvary’s cross for you. We live for Him, not ourselves now. This is why Paul reminds us “You are not your own”. We are marked in Baptism with the Cross. And that mark never goes away. The Lord loves you so very much and knows the struggles we endure.

This is nothing new, of course. Remember the Roman Empire? It is no more, it fell, never to be heard from again because of this exact same mindset and these exact practices. Strange that this is not taught in history classes anymore. One has to ask why?

I’ll keep this G-Rated. God created sexuality as a part of His gift of Marriage. It has a strong drive in our lives. And God gave that to us so that we might rejoice in our spouses, and He gave it so that life continues to be procreated.

Contrary to the world that takes that urge and seeks to fulfill it in many different ways, God gives to His children the fruit of the spirit of patience, and self-control. It really is possible to be abstinent until marriage. And it is not “unnatural” as the accusation goes. Rather, it is holy.

You belong to God. You were purchased with a price— that precious blood of Jesus, shed on Calvary’s cross for you. We live for Him, not ourselves now. This is why Paul reminds us “You are not your own”. We are marked in Baptism with the Cross. And that mark never goes away. The Lord loves you so very much and knows the struggles we endure.

Sins against this Commandment

As much as we are the Lord’s, we stumble and fall at times in this walk called life. Sin has corrupted God’s holy plan even for us.

So maybe our marriage failed and we became separated or divorced.

Maybe we were abandoned by a spouse, or a mother or a father, and left all alone, and the family was destroyed.

Maybe we haven’t spoken with our siblings for a very long time because of longstanding anger.

Maybe we click on a website that we really shouldn’t be visiting. Did you know that 50 percent of all men engage in pornography? And that’s Christian men— for those outside of Christ the numbers are even higher.

Maybe we are in a relationship with someone other than our spouse, even if it is just an emotional one.

Maybe we lust after someone we see who is scantily clothed.

Maybe we struggle with attractions to members of the same sex.

Maybe we enjoy a good dirty joke every once in a while.

Maybe we tell a dirty joke.

Maybe we men expect our wives to bow to our every wish.

Maybe women become overbearing toward their husbands.

Maybe we’ve had an affair in the past and it doesn’t haunt us.

Maybe, whatever??

All of these things break God’s commandment that is meant to protect you and your spouse and your family.

We have a SAVIOR

While we never speak about it, remember that Jesus was tempted in every way yet without sinning. Being a man, this surely was one area of temptation He endured and overcame. We take refuge in Him and His Grace!

Beloved, there is no sin too great for God to forgive. Even sexual sins. Even broken marriages. Even promiscuity and imitating the world in this very private area of our lives. Take it to the Lord in prayer. Confess it. And know that the Lord forgives you, for He loves you so very much.

Jesus died for you. Jesus died for that sin. And Jesus restores you perfectly and totally to Himself.

These types of sins tend to bring more of a feeling of shame and guilt than any other sins. They are sins against our own bodies. But Jesus broke them at the Cross.

Do you know what the Greek word for forgiveness is?

ἄφεσιν ( BGT)

Do you know what else that Greek word means?

RELEASE from captivity.

This Savior Jesus has taken all of your sin away. Today is a fresh start. He sends the Holy Spirit so that we can love God and live according to His calling. It is the Spirit who empowers us to glorify God with our bodies. What a wonderful way to live!

You shall not commit adultery.

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Holy Lord, You instituted marriage in Eden and by Your Word You uphold and protect this blessed union of man and woman in one flesh. Cause us to honor marriage and put away from us all sinful thoughts, words, and deeds which would dishonor and distort the gift of marriage. Bless all married couples with faithfulness. Hear the prayers of all who seek a godly spouse, and give to us all purity and decency in all things, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

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