This Week’s Catechism – 6/2

Doctrinal Standard #70 & 72

• Q. What is the seventh commandment?
• A. The seventh commandment is: You shall not commit adultery.
• Q. What does the seventh commandment forbid?
• A. The seventh commandment forbids thinking, saying, or doing anything sexually impure.

Memory Verses

• “Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous” (Hebrews 13:4, ESV).

Scripture

• Study Passage: 1 Corinthians 5
• Support Passages: Genesis 2:23-24, 20:2-18, 34:5-7, 39:9; Leviticus 18, 20:10-26; Deuteronomy 22:22-27, 27:20-23; Proverbs 7:6-27; Romans 1:24-27
• Bible Story: 2 Samuel 11,12

Thoughts

• In the previous lesson, I quoted from C.I. Williamson’s book “The Westminster Shorter Catechism” that God has provided marriage as an appropriate means of controlling sexual desire. If this is true, than it is important for us to discuss whether or not the trend of delaying marriage has an effect on the sexual purity of our people. As our culture continues to promote and “normalize” sexual immorality and at the same time encourages us delay marriage until after earning a degree or starting a career it becomes very difficult for our youth to live a sexually pure heart, speech, and action. It is important to note that I’m not concluding that delaying marriage is the lone reason for our rampant sexual immorality nor am I saying that every Christian should be married before the age of twenty. But if we ignore this obvious correlation, don’t teach our children the biblical reasons for marriage, and fail to prepare them for marriage at a young age, we are setting them up for difficulties in their young adult life.
• It is very important that when we teach our children about sexual immorality and adultery that we don’t teach them simply in a moralistic way. We must not simply teach them what to do and what not to do we must also teach them why. We must teach them the doctrines behind the do’s and the don’ts so they have knowledge and conviction to make their decisions. Adultery is sinful because of the significance of marriage. God has established marriage as a symbol to illustrate he’s relationship with His people. So many times the people of God in the Old Testament were adulterous towards God. The people of God broke their relationship and walked away yet God remained faithful to His bride and restored the relationship. Much the same way our marriages here on earth are to mirror the relationship God has with his people. They are to remain faithful to one another. When the relationship has a rift they are to remain steadfast and repair the covenant as God did. In our Christian marriage we are called to mirror and proclaim the type of love that Christ has for his bride.

Discussion Questions

• What is the seventh commandment?
• What does the seventh commandment forbid?
• What are examples of being sexually impure?
• What are ways to avoid sinning in these ways?
• Why is marriage important? What does it represent?
• With the previous questions answered, why does God hate adultery?