Remember that Jesus' ministry on earth was to the Jews and He was expounding the law of Moses. The Pharisees thought that they could be saved by keeping the Law and Jesus was showing them that it was impossible (everyone who looks at a woman ...).
We are now under the New Covenant and we are not saved by keeping the Law. We can't commit adultery, however, because 1 COR 6:9 states:
Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with men,
If I look at a woman with lust, but resist the temptation, am I an adulterer?
Firstly I would say that I agree that Jesus ministry was to the Jews.
With regards to the law of Moses, I do not know what you understand to be the law of Moses.
Secondly I would say do not be deceived because we can commit adultery along with the rest of the stuff that Paul said that those who do will not inherit the kingdom of God, like being greedy, although the NKJV uses the word covetous.
Given our concourse on this I have given some thought and some research concerning this.
The word lust in Matthew 5:28
Definition: I long for, covet, lust after, set the heart upon.
With regards to adultery
Definition: I commit adultery (of a man with a married woman, but also of a married man).
From my understanding this does seem to indicate the physical act.
Although if memory serves me it doesn't always relate to physical act.
It can be something different.
We can commit spiritual adultery.
I'm think Israel did this.
I can't think how to put that at this moment.
So my thoughts are (and open to correction)
If lust means to covet that basically means to want, to set ones heart upon something that is not theirs.
Exodus 20:17
17 “You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's.”
We also see
Exodus 20:14
14 “You shall not commit adultery.
Yet the word adultery not only means the physical act but also means to apostasize and idolatrous worship.
So to me Jesus is not dealing with physical but the heart, what is in the heart.
Even if you do not do it yet covet it and continue to do say it's the same as doing so.
So Paul says the covetous will not inherit the kingdom of God.
They may not necessarily follow it through, the physical act, so does it mean the spiritual act, what's in the heart maybe.
And it's the heart that God looks at.
So I would say that if you/we clock a thought but reject it straight away then we have not committed adultery.
However we need to be very careful.
To think that its ok to do so and continue to do so is to covet.
If it so it's in our hearts and what is in the heart will manifest, not necessarily physically with someone else.
We can't hide behind its ok I only thought about this woman one, this one once.
It can lead us further, further into the world of porn.
Jesus also said
Matthew 5:21-26
Murder Begins in the Heart
21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire. 23 Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison. 26 Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny.
He is taking it to a deeper level, the heart level.
People I hope I make some sense.
He is calling us beyond the physical and into the spiritual, what's in our hearts.
He wants to deal with the heart so it does not manifest in the flesh.
But if it does there is Forgiveness and healing and restoration.
If that's our hearts desire then he will work in our hearts.
Just like he did with David, who should have been put to death.
Think about his path to adultery.
2 Samuel 11:2-5
2 Then it happened one evening that David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king's house. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold. 3 So David sent and inquired about the woman. And someone said, “Is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?” 4 Then David sent messengers, and took her; and she came to him, and he lay with her, for she was cleansed from her impurity; and she returned to her house. 5 And the woman conceived; so she sent and told David, and said, “I am with child.”
We know the rest of the story.
As said open to correction.
Bill
