God is guiding us out of the land of slavery into a place of freedom and love. This is what the 10 Commandments are for: They orient us to freedom, to fidelity.
Seventh Word
“You shall not commit adultery.” (Ex. 20:14)
Some say…
Some say this word is primarily about sex outside of marriage, about committing fornication. They claim it reminds us of the importance of our bodies and what we do with them.
And certainly this is true. We should not sin against our bodies by having sex outside of marriage (1 Cor. 6:15-18). Marriage is the coming together of two into one flesh (Gen. 2:24; Eph. 5: 31), and the physical union should be reserved for the relational and spiritual union that comes with marriage.
But what if…
But what if this word of life isn’t just a word about sex, but about steadfastness? Not about fornication, but about faithfulness?
The command to not commit adultery is more focused than a general command to not have sex outside of marriage. Adultery is what happens when one or both partner is already marriage to another person. Committing adultery is not just to have sex with someone, but with someone who is marriage, someone who has already promised their lives, their bodies, their futures, their resources to another.
The command against committing adultery is a call to faithfulness, a call to fidelity, to our family and to the families we live among. Promises have been made and promises need to be kept, because God is a God of his promises.
Word of Life: Fidelity
This word—orienting us to life and freedom—frees us from the chaos of lies, of wavering commitments, of broken promises. This word frees us for the God who always keeps his promises, the God who never breaks his word, the God who is steadfast and faithful.
God would never, ever break trust with his wife, with the church. Indeed, the church is called he bride of Christ (Eph. 5:32), and Christ would never pursue another.
Just as God would never violate his family vows so too we are called never to break the fidelity of our own families, or the families of another.
This isn’t just about what we do with our bodies, but about what we are saying about God. Are we telling the truth or lies about the God who is faithful?
How can we practice fidelity in our lives as marriage and as single people? How can we practice an active fidelity in our lives rather than just defend against fornication?