Exodus 20:14 “You shall not commit adultery.”
The Hebrew language defined adultery as a willful violation of the marriage contract by either party through sexual intercourse with a third party. Jesus raised the bar, referring to His original intent at creation. When Jesus talked about adultery, it carried a death penalty, though that was not enforced.
Principle: Be true to your spouse and beware of sexual temptations at work.
Men and women – if you are not getting the kind of attention and affection that you feel you deserve at home, it is common to seek it with someone at work. Honor your wedding vows by avoiding intimacy with the opposite sex at work. Such relationships are very real, very tempting and very common. They are also very wrong and very destructive.
Women – forty-two percent of working women surveyed admitted to having an affair. Extramarital relationships, both adulterous and nonsexual, can destroy marriages. Why are women so vulnerable? 1. They are spending the best hours of their day at work. 2. They can be the target of gender role assumptions. 3. Professional intimacy can arise in intense or creative settings. 4. They are most commonly holding down two full-time jobs — one at work and one at home, which can leave them emotionally weary.
Men — society has been more forgiving of men than women in this standard. Add to male factors all the same factors that apply to women above.
All – the “new normal” of media influence says that adultery is not a violation of God’s commandments but is actually “desirable and good.” Media crossed that line in movies and television a long time ago. For example, Swingtown, a 2008 series from CBS, is about wife swapping sells the lie that office affairs make for stronger marriages. Friends who do not swap spouses are depicted as uptight and neurotic.
Recognize the personal, family, and vocational costs of extramarital affairs. If you are in such a relationship, stop it, repent, seek cleansing from God, seek counseling, pray, sever the relationship, likely go find a new job, and recommit to God and spouse.
Discussion:
1. Have you ever been tempted in adultery?
2. In what ways is adultery easier than ever before?
3. What steps can you take to insulate yourself from this temptation?
