Title: Repent of Spiritual Adultery
Contents
Repent of Spiritual Adultery
Is it impossible to be born as a human and live in love with only one man or one woman for the rest of your life?
Is God's commandment "You shall not commit adultery" really difficult to keep?
Is it difficult to be born as a human and live to serve only God?
Is it really difficult to keep God's first commandment, "You shall have no other gods besides me"?
Today we read a part of the first part (2:1-3:5) of the 12 sermons (Jeremiah 2-25) that warn of judgment on Judah. The topic of this section is “The Rebuke of Judas for Spiritual Adultery”.
The biblical life of faith is not simply a life of moral virtuousness. It is at the core of a relationship of trust and love with a personal God. So, God compared the relationship between God and the people of Israel to that of a husband and wife.
(Isa 54:5) For your Maker is your husband, and his name is the LORD of hosts; your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel, and he will be called the God of all the earth.
We keep the Ten Commandments, not because we conscientiously think that they are right, but because we love the God who loves us. It would be difficult to recognize the necessity of commandments 1-4, which are commandments about God among the Ten Commandments, if we only think from a conscientious level.
This generation has become truly strange.
Husbands and wives do not attach importance to maintaining chastity toward each other.
How many husbands cheat on their wives or wives who cheat on their wives without their knowledge?
It is common for people to think that they should not cheat on themselves even if they cheat on them.
There is also a makpapa. I'm cheating on you and you're cheating on me too! But let's not end the couple's relationship.
If this is enough, you can't really say that they are a couple.
Why don't you know that married love is about satisfying each other in innocence?
By the way
If we look at today's text, we can see that Judas is not just a cheating wife, but a harlot who is cheating in public. She (Judas) regards the commandments of God as a yoke and bondage, and actively forsakes them (v. 20). Then, in order to worship Baal, she commits the sin of prostitution by bowing down under every high mountain and under every green tree to worship Baal. (verse 20)
Furthermore, they speak as if they had not committed adultery. Even if God forbids the way of fornication, they say that the words of God are futile and say, “I loved foreign gods, so I will follow them” (25b).
God says that Judah was a pure seed vine, but now he is a branch of a foreign vine.(21) He also declares that their sins are sins that cannot be washed away with lye or soap.(22) He said they are like wild donkeys in their heat. (23-24)
God warns that the leaders of the nation are being put to shame because of this sin of idolatry. And in times of tribulation, the leaders of the nation rise up and say to God, ‘Save us,’ but God warns us that He will not respond.(26-28)
What is idolatry today? There are many things, but here is an important point for us to consider. This is what Baal worship is.
1) There is a meaning of the image of God.
2) It has the meaning of deifying material abundance.
3) It is meant to deify sexual pleasure.
4) Ultimately, it is the deification of human desires.
The central motive of idolatry, which is spiritual adultery, is worldly greed. It is to love money more than God. Money is the means by which the world's pleasures are brought to us. Therefore, to love the pleasures of the world more than God is spiritual adultery.
1 John 2:15-17 says:
15 Do not be preoccupied with this wicked world and all that it pertains to. If you love these things, you are showing that you do not truly love God.
I'm not saying don't touch and don't own things in the world. It means don't lose your mind there. Those who love the things of the world will suffer a loss of heart when they are deprived of them.
There cannot be anything you love more than God.
(Example of me) First-age car Pride.
(Example of Abraham) He loved Isaac more than God.
Everything must be taken from God. Everything must be in moderation. If God says no, you have to put it down. Otherwise, you become an idol.
16 Because these worldly things and these evil desires do not come from God. The lust for sexuality, the desire to buy anything that stands out, or the desire to boast of wealth or status, all come from this evil world.
17 This world will pass away, and this evil desire will pass away with it. But those who always do the will of God will live forever.
- Everything in the world is not evil in itself, but when it is idolized, it becomes an enemy of God. God is a jealous and jealous God.
James 4:1-4 says:
1. Where do quarrels and strife among you come from? Does it not come from your lusts that are fighting among your members?
2 You desire, and you do not obtain; you murder and desire, and you desire, but do not obtain; and you quarrel and fight, but do not obtain, because you do not ask.
Things in this world are finite and you must compete or fight to get them. You can't get it and you can't get it that way. If Christians need to possess anything, they must ask God for it.
3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly to spend it on your lusts.
But if you ask and do not receive, it is because of greed that clings to it more than God.
God knows whether we will be drawn to it and turn away from Him.
4 You adulterer men and adulterous women, do you not know that to be friends with the world is to be enmity with God? Therefore, whoever wants to be a friend of the world is an enemy of God.
To love money is to love the world. God knows we need money. But the moment we become greedy for money, we lose our ability to manage it.
Those who love God do not seek the glory and pleasures of the world.
In order not to be greedy for things in the world, we must know the value of God.
When Satan tempts Jesus, he shows the glory of the world and promises to give him all these things if he bows down to him. But Jesus was resolutely defeated.
8 And the devil took him to the highest mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms under the heavens and their glory
9 He said, "All these things I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.
10 Then Jesus said to him, “Go away, Satan, for it is written, Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.”
If you are looking for something else while worshiping God, that is idolatry.
According to the Constitution, General Zachary Taylor, the 12th president of the United States, was supposed to be inaugurated on March 4, 1849, but refused to take office because that day was a Sunday, so Senator Acheson assumed the duties of president 24 hours a day. This is because the holy water on Sunday was a command from God that took precedence over the presidential inauguration.
British 100m world record holder Eric Liddel at the 1924 Paris Olympics in Paris gave up the race when the 100m race was held on a Sunday. Then God exalted him. Another runner in the 400m race suddenly became unable to run and he ran instead. He had never run a 400m race before, but by the power of God, he won the gold medal with a new record of 47.6 seconds. He became a missionary and lived a life of obedience in China until his death in 1945. Perhaps his reward in heaven cannot even be compared to an Olympic gold medal.
It is only God who gives us all things abundantly, both spiritually and physically, so that we may enjoy it.
If we share what we have with our neighbors by loving God, our love for God is proven to that extent.
(Matthew 22:37-40)
37 Jesus said to them, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” 38 This is the first and greatest commandment, 39 and the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. 40 These two commandments were the whole law. and of the prophets.