How would you react if you found your spouse lying with another man or woman? What emotions would arise? Anger? Hurt? Bitterness? I’m sure that just the thought of this happening enrages you. Did you ever stop to think about adultery of another kind – spiritual adultery? James (4:4) wrote: “Ye adulterers and adulteresses! Know ye not that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”
John wrote: “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world — the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life — is not of the Father, but is of the world.” (1 John 2:15,16)
The Word of God says that the true believer is married to Jesus. We are His bride, the wife of the Lamb. In fact, because of the cleansing power in the blood of Jesus, we are called chaste virgins. That’s good news!
Unfortunately, there are many like Demas within the body of Christ; that is, ‘in bed’ where they ought not to be. This is nothing less than spiritual adultery. God told ritual-keeping but God-forsaking Israel that they were “all adulterers”.
In the physical, material kingdom, “Whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding; he who does so destroys his own soul.” The same is true in the spiritual kingdom. The world system, its values, etc., is the whorish woman typified in Proverbs chapters 5; 6:20-35; and 7. The Christian is to avoid at all costs those worldly lusts. How sad it is to see believers embrace “strangers instead of her husband!”
Mark it well; when you begin to have a casual, ho-hum attitude towards Jesus and His Kingdom, the inevitable result of spiritual whoredom will settle in, and before long you’ll find yourself drifting. Forsaking fellowship, cold prayers, cold love, fault-finding speech, mockery at sin … all of this and more, is the result of leaving “your first love.”
Are you, my friend, living in a state of spiritual adultery today? Has the adulterous world system “chewed you up and spit you out”, so to speak? Are your eyes so “full of adultery” that you are crying for an ever-dangerous “sign” from above to reassure you of God’s love for you, not knowing that you could be setting yourself up for a fall?
The truth is, as told so clearly in the book of Hosea and demonstrated in John 8:1-11, that God is “ready to forgive and plenteous in mercy unto all those that call upon Him.” Yes, Jesus is both ready and willing to forgive. You can be cleansed of “all sin” and, as the result of “godly sorrow” return to joyful fellowship with the Lord.
If God is calling you today out of Egypt, refuse Him not. Stagger not at His promise of forgiveness through unbelief.
Return home, wayward saint; supper is ready!
