God's Blueprint

Southeast Christian Church

Mar 8, 2022

In Matthew 5 verse 27 and 28, we read that Jesus says, “You have heard that it was said that you shall not commit adultery, but I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Jesus would have been speaking to an audience of Jewish men at this time. And he's quoting from some of the 10 commandments in the Old Testament, and Jesus is showing people how there's a mismatch between how they've understood those commandments and what those commandments really mean.

These men listening would have known this commandment likely by heart. And the vast majority of the men Jesus was speaking to would have been thinking, “I've not cheated on my wife. I've not messed around on anyone else's marriage. When it comes to this commandment, I'm actually feeling pretty good.”

But the purpose of the 10 commandments was never to give us an opportunity to prove ourselves. That's not what the 10 commandments were given for. They weren't given by God so that we could all show God how great we are at living up to his standards. Instead, Jesus is saying the real purpose of the 10 commandments, the real purpose of God's law, was to show our natural incapacity to live as God designed us to. The whole point of those laws was to show us the only basis on which we could have a relationship with God would be the basis of his forgiveness and of his mercy and grace.

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Janie Dunn March 30, 2022 7:38 PM

I am so thankful for a church and pastors that speak, teach and encourage God’s TRUTH. No compromise and no watering down of God’s Word or The Gospel of Jesus Christ. Truth spoken in love.

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