There is a debate about whether committing the physical sin of adultery is the exact same thing as committing the sin of adultery in your heart. This teaching will examine the scriptures surrounding this issue. The intent of this article is to serve as a general guide and simply discuss what the Bible states regarding the sin of adultery vs. adultery in the heart.
There are possibly thousands of different situations between married couples that would require godly counsel and Spirit-led direction. I can’t possibly know every circumstance or situation and, therefore, cannot speak directly to every situation. All the facts and details of a specific situation must be taken into account before proper judgment can be applied. This article is to serve as a base of understanding regarding this subject that the Holy Spirit can expound on for certain individuals as needed. May the Lord grant wisdom and understanding regarding how He desires to address different people with different circumstances.
Jesus Addresses the Internal
“Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. (Matthew 5:27-28 KVJ)
The original 10 commandments simply commanded not to commit the external or physical sin of adultery. They never addressed internal heart issues or sin in one’s imagination and thoughts. Jesus pointed to the internal issues and thus expanded the commandments. Jesus’ made it clear that the eternal Godhead’s primary concern is our inward state. Sin originates from within and can spread and manifest in external ways when it is fully grown. Jesus was showing us that we have to address the internal and not only focus on the external issues that the law mainly dealt with.
“And He said, “What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man.” (Mark 7:20-23 NKJV).
It’s obvious that sins like murder, fornication, and adultery are in the hearts of men. These sins are evil and they actually defile the person. When we get born again, Jesus expects us to abide in His grace to overcome these sin issues in our hearts. If we really desire to be free, Jesus will set us free. Oftentimes, it is a process of journeying with Him until one’s heart is completely set free from these wicked things. Repentance, godly sorrow, humility, and grief over our sin are the key attitudes that release the grace of God to overcome sin.
We can never overcome sin in our own strength. Only Christ in us can overcome the wickedness of our fallen nature. Oftentimes, believers need to get delivered from demons before they can overcome sin. Demons attach themselves to a person's soul, which can make it nearly impossible to stand against the evil in one’s heart. Once deliverance occurs, we must address the heart issues so that we can be healed and free of defilement.
“Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.” (James 1:15 NKJV)
When our hearts meditate on evil desire, conception of sin takes place in our hearts. It then gives birth to sin when it has grown enough. Defilement begins in our hearts.
The good news is that Jesus lives in those who are born from above and will cleanse and transform our hearts if we seek Him and allow Him to do so. Sanctification is a process, and it is a journey that we must take if we desire to be near the Lord for eternity and see Him.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:8)
Those who do not allow the Lord to purify them while in these earthly bodies will not see the Lord (be near Him) in the kingdom of heaven.
The Lord Judges Differently
The Lord judges believers fairly and differently depending on where they are with Him in the journey. For example, the Lord has a much lower requirement for a believer who has only been saved for two years than He does for someone who has been saved for 20 years. The Lord will have a much higher standard of holiness and purity for the one who has been saved for 20 years. There are many other factors that the Lord uses to judge, but this is one of the main ones.
Certain Sins are Worse
“If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that. All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death.” (1 John 5:16-17 NKJV)
There are worse sins that lead to eternal spiritual death, and there are lessor sins that do not lead to eternal death (meaning the person committing the lessor sins will still be accepted into eternal life). The Old Testament demonstrates that more severe sins, like murder, were punishable by death. Other sins were not punishable by death, which indicated a difference in the severity of the sin. The Lord judges the severity of a sin based upon its wickedness and how much damage that sin does. This is very important for us to keep in mind as we proceed.
Change in the Law
”It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: but I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.“ (Matthew 5:31-32 KJV)
With this statement, Jesus changed the punishment for committing adultery or fornication, which defiles the marriage bed. Under the Old Covenant, a person who committed adultery was to be put to death (Leviticus 20:10). Jesus changed the physical punishment for the sin from death to divorce. This is also demonstrated when He showed mercy to the woman caught in the act of adultery and did not permit her to be stoned to death (John 8:1-11). It’s important we understand that the authorization of divorce is a righteous judgment afforded to the spouse against whom the sin of adultery has been committed.
The Greek word used for fornication (which is translated properly by the KJV) is “porneia.” Both Strong and Thayer translate this Greek word to mean “fornication, adultery, harlotry, and illicit sexual intercourse, homosexuality, lesbianism, intercourse with close relatives, and intercourse with animals.” Certain versions of the Bible translate porneia as “sexual immorality.” This is a mistranslation, as the Greek word does not technically mean that. Of course, fornication would be considered sexual immorality, but we must adhere to the exact meaning of the word in order to be accurate and properly interpret the meaning of scripture.
This Greek word was created with the language around 1400 BC. It would be safe to say that there was no pornography (as we know it today) during that time period. Our word “pornography” may have been created based on the Greek word, but the actual Greek word “porneia” does not mean pornography. There is a difference. 2,000 years ago, when Jesus used this Greek word to communicate to us, it meant fornication.
Fornication is defined as “voluntary sexual intercourse between two unmarried persons or two persons not married to each other.” Therefore, it’s clear that Jesus is saying divorce is authorized if one spouse chooses to engage in physical sexual intercourse with another person who is either married or unmarried.
Inward Sin vs. Outward Sin
The question remains: is Jesus saying that having a sinful thought in your mind is the exact same thing as committing the physical act of adultery? The answer to this question matters significantly. If having a sinful thought is the exact same thing as committing the physical act, divorce is authorized in cases of sinful thinking. If this is the case, then believers should be taught this spiritual truth by leadership, as it would be unrighteous for leadership to keep spiritual truths from believers. Leadship would be at fault for not publicly addressing this issue in a very clear way that all believers could understand.
Also, if believers are authorized to divorce their spouse based on the fact that their spouse had a sinful thought, divorce would rise dramatically in the church and leave a tremendous number of families and children in desolation. The consequences of this reasoning and teaching are large-scale, so we must examine this very carefully in order to get it right. In order to get to the truth, we must first examine some of the Greek words Jesus used in His teaching.
"You have heard it was said, 'You must not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman so as to have an evil desire for her at once has already committed adultery with her in his heart, (Matthew 5:27-28 Williams)
The Williams translation does a better job with this particular verse than most other translations do. The Greek word used for “looks” also means “to see, behold, or to look at.” That word does not mean “to think, meditate, ponder, or imagine.” The word is translated properly.
The Greek word used for “evil desire” is “epithumeō.” It actually means “to set the heart upon, to long for, to covet, to turn upon a thing, to desire, lust (after).” This Greek word is best translated as “to covet.” Covet means “to desire wrongfully, inordinately, or without due regard for the rights of others.”
If Jesus meant to use the word "lust,” then He would have used a specific Greek word for lust that is found in James 1:14. James discusses the lust from the heart that entices one to sin in this verse. The Greek word used in this passage is “epithumia.” This word means “desire, craving, longing, desire for what is forbidden, and to lust.” However, Jesus was not speaking of lust (necessarily), but He was actually making reference to a different commandment.
”Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.“ (Exodus 20:17 KJV)
Jesus was saying, “Whoever sees another woman (other than his wife) and covets her (desires her wrongfully) for himself, has committed an internal sin of adultery (in his heart). Jesus is not even describing sexual thoughts, actions, or imaginations that could take place in a person’s mind. Jesus is not discussing the use of pornography. He is only saying that if you covet another woman other than your wife, you are committing adultery in your heart.
We must accurately translate this passage to understand what Jesus is really saying. If you covet another person other than your spouse, you commit adultery in your heart. Obviously, imagining lustful actions with someone other than your spouse would be considered committing adultery in your heart, but we are focusing on what Jesus actually said for a reason. Jesus was basically pointing out the fact that one can commit the inward sin of adultery rather easily if you allow your mind to wonder and don’t bring it under the control of the Holy Spirit.
Most Christians only view this scripture as if Jesus is only speaking about lustful thoughts or looking at pornography. However, Jesus is saying you actually commit adultery in the heart by doing much less than having lustful thoughts. You commit that sin by simply wanting, desiring, or coveting someone other than your spouse, which is an evil desire. This sin does not have to be sexual in nature; it is simply committed by wanting someone other than your spouse. If a man covets another woman, he is essentially betraying his wife and the marriage covenant in his heart.
That goes for women as well. If a woman has desired to be married to another man or thought about what it would be like to be married to a celebrity, she has committed adultery in her heart. If a woman has seen how another woman’s husband treats his wife with love and thought, “I wish I was married to him or a man like that,” then that woman coveted and committed adultery in her heart. If a woman coveted a different husband who was more spiritual or a minister, she would have committed spiritual adultery. If a woman allowed her mind to wonder while reading a romance novel or watching a “love story” on TV, then she may have committed adultery in her heart.
So is coveting another person in your heart the exact same thing as committing the physical act of adultery with another person? I do not believe the Lord is saying this at all. I believe He is exposing the fallen nature of our hearts so we will see our inward condition, repent, and be forgiven. He wants us to understand what sin is and have our hearts purified. Then we abide in His grace until our minds are renewed and brought under the control of the Holy Spirit.
Penalty for Adultery
If committing adultery in one’s heart was exactly the same as committing the physical act, then the judgment and penalty would be the exact same. Divorce would be authorized and completely justified. I do not believe this is accurate or the will of the Lord. The Lord doesn’t want more divorce in order to fix the evil problem of internal sin, as external solutions do not fix internal problems. Only the internal God can fix internal problems. More divorce in the church would only destroy families and children, which would tear apart the church. Satan desires to dismantle the family and church; the Lord does not.
Obviously, Jesus is not okay with us having inward sin or committing adultery in the heart. That is why He is exposing it. But His answer is repentance, the cross of Christ putting to death our sin nature, healing the heart, purifying and cleaning, and complete restoration. Jesus wants to release His grace to forgive us and empower us to live holy before Him. Just as He said to the woman caught in the physical act of adultery, “Go your way and sin no more.” An encounter with the Lord’s mercy should empower us, by grace, to overcome sin. We must allow the goodness of God to lead us to repentance. Misusing God’s grace and continuing in unrepentant sin is damaging and dangerous.
Two Becoming One Flesh
”The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?” And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”“ (Matthew 19:3-6 NKJV)
The religious leaders were looking for any excuse they wanted to divorce their spouses. Jesus’ answer to them is very interesting. He states that when two people are married, they become one flesh. This is both physical and spiritual, but it can only happen when two people enter into a physical union before the Lord. My point in saying this is that you actually need two physical people to become one flesh. A man cannot become one flesh with another woman by thinking about her or by looking at an image of a woman.
I am not suggesting it’s alright for a man to look at the image of someone other than his wife in a lustful way. That would be wickedness. I am simply pointing out that a man cannot become one flesh with someone other than his spouse unless he has illicit physical relations with that woman.
”Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body” (1 Corinthians 6:15-18 KJV)
If a man commits fornication and engages in the physical act of adultery, he is becoming one flesh with another woman other than his wife. This is incredibly destructive to his wife and the Lord’s design for marriage. It pollutes and destroys the Lord's design and His prophetic picture of Christ and His bride, which is supposed to be demonstrated through the marriage covenant. Most marriages cannot last after a man becomes one flesh with another woman, or a woman becomes one flesh with another man. That is why Jesus permitted divorce in these situations.
The fact that a man cannot become one flesh with another woman by having a thought about her or looking at an image reveals a definite difference between committing adultery in the heart and engaging in the physical act. A man will definitely worship a demon and open his body up to demons by looking at pornography, but he is not coming together with a physical woman. Committing adultery in the heart is sin and can be very evil, but it is not the same severity of sin as committing the physical act. The man who has only committed the sin in his heart is still only one flesh with his wife. The man who has committed the sin in the natural is now one flesh with multiple women.
The Damage of Adultery
The damage of the physical act of adultery far exceeds the damage of committing adultery in your heart. This is another major indicator that shows Jesus was not actually saying that committing adultery in the heart is the exact same thing as the physical act.
The sin of adultery in the heart can be very damaging and hurtful to a marriage. There is no question about this, and my intention is not to minimize a sin. My intent is only to show a distinction and that the Lord judges each level of sin differently and fairly based on the person and the circumstances.
If a person commits an inward sin of adultery in their heart, it can deeply hurt their spouse, and obviously all inward sin destroys the person who is sinning. However, if a man commits the physical sin of adultery, the collateral damage is multiplied. All of a sudden, potentially two entire families are involved. Instead of damaging himself and his spouse, the man has most likely destroyed his own family and another family (or a single woman’s future family). The woman who he committed adultery with will be one flesh with him, and her husband and children will suffer tremendously.
The catastrophic effects of the physical act of adultery prove that it is a more severe sin and therefore not the exact same thing as adultery of the heart. The Lord’s judgment on the physical act of adultery will be more severe.
”Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.“ (Hebrews 13:4 KJV)
The Righteous Judge
The Lord is a righteous Judge and therefore has a standard for His judgments. All 10 commandments must be judged equally and fairly. For example, the Lord is not going to issue an external judgment for committing adultery in one’s heart and then not render an external judgment for committing murder in one’s heart. If that were the case, he would be an unjust judge.
If there is an external judgment for committing adultery in your heart, like divorce, then there must be an external judgment for committing murder in your heart. The Lord is not going to give someone a “pass” regarding murder in the heart and yet render a judgment, such as divorce, for the one who has committed adultery in their heart.
If a man or woman can be divorced for committing adultery in their heart, then someone should be imprisoned for committing murder in their heart. But we know this is not the case. Hopefully, we can see how this line of reasoning actually puts us back under the law and nullifies the grace of God. This line of reasoning goes something like, “If you have a thought of killing someone, you are judged and condemned already. If you have a thought of covetousness towards another person, then you are judged and condemned, and your spouse now has a legal right to divorce you.”
As much as the Lord has imparted me with His burden to stand for holiness and righteousness, I do not see His grace in this reasoning at all. If we don’t have the gospel of grace, then we don’t have the gospel at all. Jesus does expect us to progress in sanctification and be free of practicing sin, but being perfected is a process that is impossible without grace, mercy, and forgiveness. If people think the Lord is condemning them and issuing a physical judgment every time they have a sinful thought, it will crush them and hinder them from advancing spiritually. That is dangerous.
Obviously, if a believer is engaging in unrepentant adultery of the heart or any other internal sin of the heart, the Lord will bring judgment, discipline, and correction to that person through whatever means He chooses (Hebrews 12:5–11). Inward sins of the heart are not acceptable sins. The Lord knows how to judge and deal with us if we refuse to listen to Him. No believer is going to “get away” with unrepentant hidden sin, as the Lord will not allow it.
”My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.“ (I John 2:1-2 NKJV)
The physical act of adultery must face the consequences of divorce because a physical sin requires physical judgment. Just as when a person murders someone, they go to prison or even face the death penalty. If someone has a thought of committing murder, the Lord is not desiring to imprison that person in a natural cell. He wants to set that person free from the prison of their darkened mind. Jesus’ wants to release light, grace, and truth so that the person may repent of his inward sin and allow the healing of their heart to take place so the person is walking in righteousness. Jesus releases grace so that inward transformation can take place.
Is the physical sin of committing murder the exact same thing as having a murderous thought? I certainly do not believe the Lord thinks this. A person could be so mad and enraged that they had a quick thought of killing someone in their heart. Then they quickly repent of thinking that way and ask God to remove that evil from their heart. Did the person commit the act in the physical world? They certainly did not.
If a man committed murder, then he would destroy someone’s life (and possibly send them to eternal suffering in Hell), the lives of that person’s family, and his own life. The sin of actually murdering someone is far worse than thinking about it in your mind. Murder and adultery are both part of the 10 commandments and have to be viewed in the same light. If someone believes committing adultery in the heart is the same as the physical act, then they also have to believe that a murderous thought is the same as actually murdering someone.
Giving Further Justification for Sin
If church leaders are actually going to teach that committing adultery in one’s heart is the same as engaging in the physical act, then it could open the door to further sin and lawlessness. An unrepentant believer may simply justify that since internal and external sins are the same and there isn’t any difference (and that since they can supposedly be divorced by their spouse because of an internal sin), they might as well go commit the physical act too. If there is no difference in the sins, then why wouldn’t someone just go and engage in the physical act? This is how people think when their hearts are twisted in sin.
If someone is imaging raping someone in their mind, but they are taught that committing the physical sin of rape is actually equivalent to the imaginary sin, they may justify in their sinful heart that they might as well go head and rape a person since the sin isn't any different from the thought sin they have been engaging in. If the sin had stayed inward, they would have had more time to repent and be free of it. Once the sin goes outward and is played out, other people’s lives are completely destroyed, and the offender is in a much worse position (spiritually and legally).
If a woman was forced to choose between someone having thoughts about raping her and someone actually performing the act of rape on her, what do you think she would choose? Would the woman say, "Well, it really doesn’t matter because thinking about rape and the physical act are both the same?” I hope we can see there is a big difference, and there certainly is a difference for the woman in this scenario. Outward sin destroys and traumatizes the lives of many more people.
Do we see how this reasoning and teaching can be dangerous? Those who teach these things could actually cause deeper and more widespread sin in the body of Christ. They could actually push people to move into darker and more damaging sins. Sometimes, in the Lord’s grace and mercy, He gives believers years to repent of a certain sin. And the only reason a believer doesn’t progress into a more severe sin is because they know it is far more damaging and the consequences are more severe. But when we teach that inward and outward sins are equal, more believers will drift deeper into sin.
The Lord knows what He is doing, giving younger believers grace and time to repent. We make a really bad Holy Spirit. Many believers will turn to the Lord in repentance if we don’t push them into deeper sins through our teachings.
Spiritual Language
"You have heard it was said, 'You must not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman so as to have an evil desire for her at once has already committed adultery with her in his heart, So if your right eye causes you to do wrong, pluck it out of your way; for it is better to have one part of your body suffer loss than to have your whole body go down to the pit. And if your right hand causes you to do wrong, cut it off and put it out of your way, for it is better to have one part of your body suffer loss than to have your whole body go down to the pit. (Matthew 7:27-30 Williams)
Some believe that Jesus is literally telling us to cut out our eyes if they are causing us to sin. I do not believe this. I believe Jesus is expressing how serious internal sin is and that it can keep us from entering eternal life. Therefore, we must take every step necessary to remove that sin from our lives so we do not end up in Hell. This means we remove whatever is enticing us to sin and then have the Lord fix our internal issue so that we do not sin.
I do not believe Jesus is giving external solutions for internal problems. Internal sin is a heart issue, so cutting off your hand to fix an internal issue is not the solution. The sin and the desire to commit sin would still be in your heart. One who struggles with stealing might cut their hand off to keep themselves from sinning, only to find the desire to steal is still in their heart. Cutting off the hand did nothing for the internal issue. The same could be true of committing adultery in one’s heart. One could pluck their eyes out but still be able to visualize a woman in their imagination and sin in their heart. Our hearts are what must change for us to be free from sin, not our external bodies.
“Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.” (John 6:53-56 NKJV)
Jesus used spiritual language in the above verses. He did not mean that the people He was preaching to should literally drink His blood and eat His flesh, yet many thought He was saying that and walked away from Him. We need to get understanding from the Holy Spirit so we know when Jesus is speaking literally or spiritually regarding an issue.
Jesus gives us more clarification in Matthew 18 regarding “a body part” being cut off from the body. In this context, we can see that Jesus is speaking about the body of Christ. He is clearly describing people who are “stumbling blocks” and causing others to sin. Anyone causing other believers to sin should be cut off from the church so they do not infect or corrupt the church. Paul demonstrated this in 1 Corinthians chapter 5, when he commanded that the unrepentant believer be excommunicated. If a body part of the body of Christ is tempting others to sin, that part should be cut off in order to save the rest of the body.
“But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes! If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire.” (Matthew 18:6-9 NKJV)
Apostles Teaching
I have not found in scripture where the apostles taught the believers in the first century church that committing adultery in the heart is the exact same sin as committing the physical act of adultery. This would have surely been an issue or a topic of confusion in the early church that the apostles would have needed to explain or clarify, yet it seems rather silent in the New Testament scriptures.
The apostles did make it a priority to tell the new gentile believers to stay away from fornication (Acts 15:20). The apostles clearly thought that the physical acts of adultery and formication were wicked sins (along with many other sins) that were internal works of our old flesh nature. Our old flesh nature must be put to death by carrying our crosses, or these sins will keep us from inheriting the kingdom of God.
“Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.“ (Galatians 5:19-21 NKJV)
Grace for Repentance
There is a false grace doctrine in the church that teaches believers they can continue to sin and simply keep asking Jesus for forgiveness. False grace is forgiveness without repentance. This is a demonic doctrine that is destroying much of the church. It is pushing believers further into bondage and demonic oppression.
With that said, the Lord is merciful, giving young believers grace and time to repent of their sinful lifestyles. It took me four years (2004-2008) to get deliverance and freedom from the bondage of practicing sin. I did want to be set free of sin and was grieved because of my sin. During those four years, the Lord did not give up on me. He fed me like a little lamb until the time came when I was delivered and set free. I was the fig tree in the following parable:
“He also spoke this parable: “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?’ But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.” (Luke 13:6-9 NKJV)
If the Lord hadn’t given me one more year to produce a tiny bit of fruit, then I wouldn’t be here today. I have experienced the grace and mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ. I remember when a pastor completely wrote me off as a hopeless cause, but Jesus saw what that pastor would not see and showed me grace and mercy until I repented of sin. A gospel without grace is not the gospel at all. Jesus did die for our sins, and He does give us time to seek His grace, which actually empowers us to repent. I would never have been able to repent without His grace and His empowerment.
Obviously, we can refuse to repent when the Lord gives us grace to do so. Many refuse because they love their sin more than the Lord. This is where a believer transitions from grace into false grace. When a believer despises God’s true grace with false grace, it is a very serious thing, and they are in danger of their conscious being seared. When a believer's conscious is completely seared, they will not hear the Holy Spirit any more and could easily fall away from the faith.
”To the pure [in heart and conscience] all things are pure, but to the defiled and corrupt and unbelieving nothing is pure; their very minds and consciences are defiled and polluted. They profess to know God [to recognize, perceive, and be acquainted with Him], but deny and disown and renounce Him by what they do; they are detestable and loathsome, unbelieving and disobedient and disloyal and rebellious, and [they are] unfit and worthless for good work (deed or enterprise) of any kind.“ (Titus 1:15-16 AMPC)
”For if we go on deliberately and willingly sinning after once acquiring the knowledge of the Truth, there is no longer any sacrifice left to atone for [our] sins [no further offering to which to look forward]. [There is nothing left for us then] but a kind of awful and fearful prospect and expectation of divine judgment and the fury of burning wrath and indignation which will consume those who put themselves in opposition [to God]. [Isa. 26:11.] Any person who has violated and [thus] rejected and set at naught the Law of Moses is put to death without pity or mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. [Deut. 17:2-6.] How much worse (sterner and heavier) punishment do you suppose he will be judged to deserve who has spurned and [thus] trampled underfoot the Son of God, and who has considered the covenant blood by which he was consecrated common and unhallowed, thus profaning it and insulting and outraging the [Holy] Spirit [Who imparts] grace (the unmerited favor and blessing of God)? [Exod. 24:8.]“ (Hebrews 10:26-29 AMPC)
Adultery in Leadership
Over the last decade, we have witnessed a pastor in Tennessee get divorced from his wife and then quickly marry his secretary, who happened to be his wife’s best friend at the time. We have also seen a prophet in Alabama suddenly divorced from his wife and remarry a younger prophetic woman who is actively engaged with him in ministry. No explanation was given to the body of Christ at all by this prophet. If someone is a leader and has a national public ministry, then an explanation must be given, or the minister shouldn’t be in ministry. The body of Christ has the right to know if adulterers who disregard God's word are ministering to them.
”but I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.“ (Matthew 5:32 KJV)
“Now to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord: A wife is not to depart from her husband. But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife.” (1 Corinthians 7:10-11 NKJV)
If a minister and his wife divorced for a reason other than fornication or adultery, then that minister has committed adultery, for he has separated what God has joined together. Then, if the minister marries another woman, they are both committing adultery. How then can these ministers be leaders in the body of Christ if they are not obeying the Lord and His word? The standards for leaders are higher than for believers because they are to be examples to the body of Christ. How can the body of Christ tolerate and receive the ministry of adulterers?
Christ intends to manifest Himself as the Head through the leader to the body of Christ. If the defilement of adultery is coming forth from leadership to the body, then the head is out of order. If the head is presented as out of order, then the body will surely be out of order. Sin and adultery in church leadership will open up the body of Christ to sin, divorce, and adultery. Leadership must be in proper order if the body is to be in order. Defilement spreads from the head to the body.
As long as national leaders with influence and authority fail to address adulterous leaders in the body of Christ; sexual immorality, fornication, and adultery will spread and prevail throughout the body of Christ. Senior leaders may preach against sexual immorality and pornography, all while ignoring adulterous leadership that has continued on in ministry like nothing ever happened. So because senior leaders are silent regarding adulterous leadership, their own authority to address sin in the body is diminishing.
Senior national leaders need to get their “leadership house” in order if they desire to be effective in the body of Christ and the church to be healthy. National leaders must not be partial to other leaders like a “good-ole-boys club.” Rmaining silent on sin among leadership is nothing more than a religious system where the leaders who hold all the power and influence just protect other leaders and maintain the status quo. Leaders must publicly rebuke other leaders who sin with impartiality, or they are not fit to remain in leadership themselves.
“Those who are sinning rebuke in the presence of all, that the rest also may fear. I charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect angels that you observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing with partiality.” (1 Timothy 5:20-21 NKJV)
If national leaders won’t fulfill the above scripture regarding national adulterous leaders, then they will not have authority on a national level anymore, and the Lord will give that authority to other leaders He is raising up who will watch over His church nationally. Paul demonstrated how a true apostle handled the lesser sin of a national leader. Peter was behaving as a hypocrite, and Paul rebuked him publicly.
“Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy.” (Galatians 2:11-13)
Peter’s sin wasn’t near as severe as committing adultery, and Paul took a stand before the national church. I am very sure that if Peter and his wife had gotten divorced and then Peter was suddenly married to a young prophetic woman, Paul would have issued a much sterner rebuke. Paul wouldn’t have let an adulterous sin by Peter simply fade away and be forgotten by not addressing it. But Paul was a real apostle, not a pretend one or a “wannabe." He wasn't looking to protect his own ministry, speaking engagements, image, or book deals. Paul was not living for how other leaders viewed him, but for how the Lord viewed him.
The pretenders aren’t going to “rock the boat” in the church. So adultery in leadership will continue to be ignored, and because it is ignored, it will be allowed. When some believers see leaders who committed adultery still ministering without any consequences, it will give them all the justification they need to stay bound in sexual immorality of all kinds. Many believers like to gather around adulterous leaders because it helps them justify their own sin. Change must start from the top, and the body of Christ must actually want righteous leaders. The church must refuse to support or attend the ministries of unrighteous and adulterous leaders.
Living by the Spirit
We overcome sin by focusing on the Lord, His eternal heavenly kingdom, and His righteous word. When we focus on the things of the Spirit, we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to overcome our sin nature. If we spend most of our time focusing on carnal or worldly things, then we only feed our lower nature, which is prone to sin.
“I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:1-18, 24-25 NKJV)
”Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.“ (Romans 8:12-14 NKJV)
True sons of God are those who pursue the Holy Spirit. When you pursue His presence, His nearness, and His word; He will put to death the lower nature that entices us to sin. When we focus on the Spirit, we are led by Him away from sin and to Christ. The mature sons of God are those who abide in the Spirit and thus receive power to put to death the deeds of the lower carnal sinful nature (the flesh).
”There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.“ (Romans 8:1-6 NKJV)
Those believers who walk according to the lower nature of the flesh will come under condemnation. Giving in to the lower flesh nature will bring forth sin and death. Only those who yield to the Spirit will walk in life and overcome their sin nature. Those who constantly abide in Jesus will not practice sin or be trapped in the unrepentant sins of the lower nature. One of the main purposes Jesus appeared was to destory our sinful works, which are a result of us yielding our lower carnal nature to the devil.
”Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.“ (I John 3:4–9, NKJV)
Those who mainly focus on the things their lower nature desires will fill their souls with darkness. Those who mainly focus on the King (including His will and purpose) will fill their souls with His light. When we walk in His light, He will keep us from fulfilling the lusts of the flesh and catering to our lower sinful nature.
”Your eye is the lamp of your body; when your eye (your conscience) is sound and fulfilling its office, your whole body is full of light; but when it is not sound and is not fulfilling its office, your body is full of darkness. Be careful, therefore, that the light that is in you is not darkness. If then your entire body is illuminated, having no part dark, it will be wholly bright [with light], as when a lamp with its bright rays gives you light.“ (Luke 11:34-36 AMPC)
Controlling Your Thoughts
Pray for the Lord to give you the mind of Christ. Ask the Holy Spirit to bring your mind under His control. Many times, a demon will put a sinful thought in your mind to see if you will meditate on it in your heart and commit inward sin. If you have a sinful thought, quickly rebuke that thought in the name of Jesus. Then repent of that thought and ask for the Lord to purify your mind. Continue to do this as often as you need to and resist the enemy. Once the enemy sees that you are not giving up and that he cannot cause you to embrace evil thoughts and sin, he will leave.
Be subject therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7 WEB)
-Ty Unruh (April 2024)
