1. The sneaky form of ADULTERY

Just from the title, you might already be breathing a sigh of relief. After all, you haven’t had any affairs outside marriage, and you certainly don’t do porn.

But that’s not quite how Jesus describes it. Remember this verse:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” – Matthew 5:27-28

Ouch! Jesus sure has a way of hitting where it hurts. But He’s right, isn’t He?

Even looking lustfully at a woman (or a man) is already adultery, breaking #7 of the Ten Commandments given by God in the Old Testament:

“You shall not commit adultery.” – Exodus 20:14

This command is important! Remember Job, the world’s richest man, who was referenced by God as “blameless & upright”?

As it turns out, Job was not much different than any of us today – he knew our weak points, and listed sexual purity as his #1 principle for business & leadership success (see Job 31:1-4, 9-12; also see the Bible plan: “Top 5 Success Principles of Job”).

Like so many who have gone before, many Christians today still get tangled in this sin, don’t they? Worse yet, some of us still struggle with this sin, even after accepting the good news of Jesus as Lord and Savior:

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." – 1 John 1:9

Hallelujah! A clean slate!

But we must not only believe and confess, but also turn from our sinful ways because…

"If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left." – Hebrews 10:26

Tough teachings for such a sneaky sin as this, isn’t it? But as we shall see later in these readings, there are steps we can take, and there is HOPE.

Meanwhile, try to control your impulses and desires….