MEMORISE:
Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: Colossians 3:5
READ: Matthew 5:27-29
27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:
28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
MESSAGE
Today’s Bible reading reveals a unique characteristic of the New Covenant taught by the Lord Jesus Christ. Under the old covenant of the Mosaic Law, a person could not be accused of sexual immorality, such as fornication or adultery, unless he or she was caught in the act by at least two or three weaknesses. This was the strong basis on which the scribes and Pharisees called for the execution of the woman caught in the sin adultery in John 8:2-11. John 8:4-5 says:
“They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?”
Those who follow the Lord’s teaching with an open heart will understand His answer to this question posed by the scribes and Pharisees. Indeed, Jesus came not to condemn but to redeem those under the yoke of sin. Nevertheless, His standard says that one can be guilty of sexual immorality even without sleeping with someone other than his or her spouse. In fact, according to Jesus, one need not be caught in the act of immorality before being declared guilty of it. By the lord’s standard, what is referred to in common parlance as “mere looking” is enough to be adjudged to have committed sexual immorality! This is food for thought for us in the Body of Christ today. When we promote the lust of the eyes by allowing immoral dressing in the church, we are actually exposing members of the Body of Christ to sexual immorality, even when they don’t engage in the act physically. A member of the choir dressed seductively to lead praise and worship will definitely leave the congregation worse off than before they came to church. This is not a question of legalism but following divine principles established by the Lord Himself.
The sin of sexual immorality and perversion is prevalent in the world we live in today because of the ease of access to the virtual world of the internet, where pornography is common place. Nowadays, people can have a voice or video chat with a member of the opposite sex a world away, committing all manner of immorality with them. In the world today, we even have the perversion called sex dolls of various makes and models meant to further promote a terrible kind of self-delusion. In a nutshell, Satan and his agents have devised various ways of luring people into sexual immorality without having any contact with a real human being. As children of God living in this perilous times, we must not become victims of these evil. As instructed by our Lord in Matthew 5:29, we must be ready to give it all it takes to mortify our bodies to sexual immorality. You need to “pluck out your eye”, represented by internet websites, TV programmes and social and social gatherings that make you susceptible to sexual immorality internally. May God honor your sincere efforts by giving you strength of character in your inner man in Jesus’ Name.
ACTION POINT:
Pluck out the eye of sexual immorality by cutting off links to things and people who make you vulnerable to it.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 2 Samuel 15-16 Ezekiel 41:12-26
AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE
HYMN 2: OH JESUS I HAVE PROMISED
1. O Jesus, I have promised
To serve Thee to the end;
Be Thou forever near me,
My Master and my Friend;
I shall not fear the battle
If Thou art by my side,
Nor wander from the pathway
If Thou wilt be my Guide.
2. Oh, let me feel Thee near me;
The world is ever near;
I see the sights that dazzle,
The tempting sounds I hear;
My foes are ever near me,
Around me and within;
But, Jesus, draw Thou nearer,
And shield my soul from sin.
3. Oh, let me hear Thee speaking,
In accents clear and still,
Above the storms of passion,
The murmurs of self-will;
Oh, speak to reassure me,
To hasten, or control;
Oh, speak, and make me listen,
Thou Guardian of my soul.
4. O Jesus, Thou hast promised
To all who follow Thee
That where Thou art in glory
There shall Thy servant be;
And Jesus, I have promised
To serve Thee to the end;
Oh, give me grace to follow,
My Master and my Friend.
5. Oh, let me see Thy footmarks,
And in them plant mine own;
My hope to follow duly
Is in Thy strength alone.
Oh, guide me, call me, draw me,
Uphold me to the end;
And then to rest receive me,
My Savior and my Friend.
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