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Davidand Kelly SchweitzerTaylor

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Hey y'all its PD! Jesus says two important things in John 10:10 but today I want to focus on the one where He says, "I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly.”

Do you see that? God wants you to become your best. Life is God’s gift to you. What you do with your life is your gift back to God. We are all born as originals, but sadly, we often die as copies. God wants to bring out the best in you. We're now in a season of talking about sins from A-Z and how to recognize them and overcome them. Sin lowers, lessens, and shrinks your life, but you can rise above that way of living. Never settle, because you can be better than you are. You can do all things through Christ, your source of strength. There is something mighty in you. So why live in defeat when Jesus has put victory in you? Why live in bondage when Jesus has put freedom in you? Why live in sin when Jesus has placed goodness in you? Why live in mediocrity when God has put greatness in you? You have not yet reached your highest capacity. Satan wants you to only give some of yourself to God. But in Revelation 3:16, God said, “So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.” In other words, God was saying, “I was displeased because you did not give me your best.” God has mind-blowing plans for your life and will stretch you beyond what you can imagine if you just give Him your best.

With that said, let's get more into the sin of adultery. Each day after my initial devotion post I will try to an expanded teaching beyond the devotion. This adultery one is a doozy y'all. It can do some big damage. I call it a tsunami sin. There are several tsunami sins of varying degrees. This one is a high-level tsunami sin because of the disaster and wreckage it leaves in its path.
Adultery is considered a sin according to the Bible due to its violation of God's intended design for marriage and the harm it causes to individuals, families, and society. In the Bible, adultery is consistently condemned as a serious offense with far-reaching consequences.

Here are several reasons why adultery is regarded as a sin:

1. Violates the Sanctity of Marriage: God designed marriage to be a sacred covenant between a man and a woman, as stated in Genesis 2:24, "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." Adultery violates this sacred union, betraying the trust and commitment inherent in marriage.

2. Breaks the Seventh Commandment: The Ten Commandments include the prohibition against adultery, as recorded in Exodus 20:14, "You shall not commit adultery." This commandment reflects God's moral standard and the importance of faithfulness and commitment within the marital relationship.

3. Causes Emotional and Spiritual Harm: Proverbs 6:32-33 highlights the devastating consequences of adultery, stating, "Whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding; he who does so destroys his own soul. Wounds and dishonor he will get, and his reproach will not be wiped away." Adultery inflicts deep emotional and spiritual wounds, damaging the individuals involved and often leading to long-lasting consequences.

4. Undermines Trust and Stability: Adultery undermines the trust and stability essential for a healthy marriage and family life. It can lead to broken relationships, shattered trust, and emotional trauma for all parties involved, including children and extended family members.

5. Contradicts God's Character: The Bible consistently portrays God as faithful and trustworthy. Adultery contradicts the faithful, covenant-keeping nature of God and distorts the image of Christ's love for the church, as depicted in the New Testament.

6. Leads to Social Consequences: Adultery can have broader societal effects, contributing to the breakdown of families, community disruption, and emotional distress. Its impact extends beyond the individuals directly involved, affecting the fabric of society. While the Bible unequivocally identifies adultery as a sin, it also offers hope and redemption for those who have been impacted by it. Through repentance, forgiveness, and the transforming power of God's grace, individuals can find healing and restoration, and marriages can be reconciled. The Bible's teachings on adultery ultimately reflect God's deep concern for the well-being of individuals, families, and society, as well as His desire for loving, faithful, and flourishing relationships.

If you want to prevent this from happening, you have to know why it is so damaging. It's all about trust. One of the most difficult things to overcome in a relationship is broken trust. One of the most important things you can do in your marriage is protect that trust. It's not beyond repair though. Divorce doesn't need to be the first choice. I know the pain is tremendous that is involved with this type of betrayal but there is hope in many cases. The Enemy would have you believe that if trust has been broken through infidelity, the marriage is over. That’s not always the case. Trust can potentially be restored if there is genuine repentance and willingness for both parties to cleave and hold fast to their marriage covenant. Marriage was never designed to compete with an affair.

The obvious solution is to not let this happen at all and therefore the next logical question is, then, "how do you fortify your marriage against infidelity and other threats?"

1. Forgive in all things. Forgiveness is a key ingredient of any marriage. In any situation, always work to find a way to forgive, repair and move forward together. Don’t leave things broken because one thing broken leads to more things broken. Usually, in my experience of counseling couples through this sin of adultery the act stems out of unresolved other areas of brokenness which led to feelings of insecurity and not feeling safe.

2. Declare your status. At the workplace and anywhere your spouse is not with you make it clear that you’re married. Don’t wait until someone tries to seduce you. Make it known from the start that you are married and not interested in other options.

3. Praise and don’t curse. People should hear you speak highly and kindly about your spouse. Never belittle your spouse in the presence of others, especially to members of the opposite sex. When you do, you open the door to disaster.

4. No secrets. There should be no secret phone calls, text messages, websites, videos or satellite channels. Secrets weaken the foundation of your marriage and erode trust.

5. Avoid bad company. Stay away from people who take adultery lightly. Strengthen your marriage by maintaining friendships with couples who have been married for many years. “He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed” is what Proverbs 13:20 reminds us.

6. Stay in church, bible studies, and Christian activities as much as possible. Be part of a local body and doing life together with other believers who can encourage you through difficult times. Learn from older couples who have weathered life’s storms together.

7. Guard your thoughts as King Solomon urges in Proverbs 4:23. Why? Well, he says it right after that, "for it determines the course of your life." Wives, I encourage you to value yourselves. Don’t look to other men to find significance. “The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish pulls it down with her hands” is what Prov. 14:1 says. Husbands, the same is true for you. Don’t go looking for praise and affirmation outside your home. Guard your thoughts and keep them set on things above.

8. Honor your vows. If you’ve fallen into sin, be quick to confess, repent and bring it before the Lord. If you cover your sin, God will uncover it. However, if you uncover it before God, He will cover it and bring restoration and healing.

If you’re lusting after someone who’s not yours, pull your eyes away immediately. “Take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ” is what Paul says about it in 2 Corinthians 10:5. Police your mind. Instead of filling it with fantasies from magazines, television or the Internet, fill it with God’s Word and memories of your best moments with your spouse. Work on strengthening your marriage bond. Decide to love even when you don’t feel like it, and your love will begin to blossom. Jesus said, “Anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart” in Matthew 5:28 which was in today's devotion I posted before this teaching. Why did Jesus say this? Because every lustful glance threatens your relationship. The less you desire your spouse the more you’ll look for reasons to justify your fantasies. And the saddest part is, you’ll never know how good your relationship could have been. If you have a problem with lust, find a pastor, a counselor or a friend (not of the opposite sex preferably) who can help you. Sometimes the difference between victory and defeat is spending a few minutes on the phone talking and praying with someone who understands. The question is, do you really want to do right? That is a heart matter you need to seriously explore.

Davidand Kelly SchweitzerTaylor

https://www.facebook.com/TGOBpastorandwifePDKT/