Profound Mystery: Marriage Lessons From Ephesiansনমুনা

Jealous God

There are few things as damaging as infidelity. It has destroyed marriages. It has caused parents to lose their children, pastors to lose their churches, and politicians to lose their jobs. While not impossible to recover from, the road back is long and painful. 

As serious as it is, Paul’s statement in Ephesians 5:5-6 makes it clear that the consequences of sexual immorality are greater than we might think. He says those who are sexually immoral will not inherit the Kingdom of God. That is serious language. In our post-sexual revolution age, it may be hard to believe that God would actually deny us heaven because of a little sexual indiscretion, yet Paul makes it clear that He would: “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.”

Sexual immorality is serious to God and more complex than we might think. 

Those who are willing to risk everything in sexual sin can do so only after they have elevated the object of their desire higher than everything else–their spouse, their children, their careers, even God. In essence, their sexual desire becomes their idol, their god. This is why infidelity is so dangerous. 

God is a jealous God. He doesn’t want any desire to be elevated above our desire for Him. 

When Eve saw the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden, she “… saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise …” (Genesis 3:6). She wanted it so badly that she didn’t care about the consequences. In that moment, fruit became more important to her than her husband, her relationship with God, and even her very life. 

Instead of taking her desires to God and letting Him fill them, she tried to fulfill her desires herself. We do the same thing all the time.  

Most affairs aren’t birthed out of a physical desire, but out of a longing for appreciation, respect, acceptance, or the desire to be pursued. Instead of taking these desires to God, we look for ways to satisfy them ourselves. The good news is that God can satisfy all of these longings if we let Him. He also has granted us a pure and holy outlet for sexual fulfillment within marriage. 

If you feel temptation beginning to brew inside you, recognize it as an idol attempting to be born, and bring it to God in prayer.

Pray: Lord, I know Your Word says that You are a jealous God. Examine my heart and help me to find my satisfaction in You alone. Help me to eradicate any idol that seeks to take Your place in my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

For more help on this topic listen to, “Growing Affair-Proof Hedges” on FamilyLifeToday.com.