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Word from Scotland
by Sandy Shaw
In our last study I dealt with the serious issue of debt, which can suddenly become a very real issue facing many in December, but another danger is that of ‘adultery’.
December witnesses more instances of adultery that any other single month, and the ‘office party’ or ‘works outing’ is so often the scene of the sin.
If you are a Pastor or Teacher or Bible Class Leader be prepared to speak about these practical matters which our people face almost daily.
This Commandment, “You shall not commit adultery” may just prevent someone from much heartache (as well as deep embarrassment) as we teach people what God has said in His Word.
A few years ago the recipe for a successful ‘office party’, broadcast on a serious BBC radio programme, was ‘Booze, booze and more booze’.
The commandment is unambiguous. Some may challenge you saying, “Surely this warning from God is unenlightened and outdated?” Perish the thought! Consider the havoc wreaked by illicit relationships. Our throw away society has reached the point of discarding the importance of personal relationships, and the deep psychological cost of betrayal, rejection, infidelity and abandonment is staggeringly high.
You will have heard it said, “Nobody is going to tell me how I should live my personal life. It does not matter what I do, as long as nobody gets hurt!”
But people do get hurt.
Apart from the plethora of diseases going around, consider the damage done to children who are quick to understand that something has been destroyed. The family is presently under enormous and massive attack on various fronts.
Jesus made it clear that from the very beginning God intended marriage to be monogamous permanent relationship, until we are separated by death. We read of this in Matthew Chapter 19 and Mark Chapter 10 and Luke Chapter 16. it is interesting how Jesus goes back to the record of Creation to formulate His authoritative teaching on marriage. Genesis Chapters 1,2 were no problem to Jesus, so why should they be a problem to us?
Society suffers when we lose the vision which God gave for marriage. God takes no pleasure in watching man suffer as a result of his sinful behaviour. He is even willing to help us turn our lives around and repent and obey Him and His Word.
One day a woman, caught in the act of adultery, was brought before Jesus. He did not condone the sin, but neither did He condemn her , simply saying, “Go and sin no more”.
Why did they not bring the man too?
We need to teach our people what God has said in His Word regarding various moral matters, and we need to share God’s plans and ways for the welfare and well-being of society.
Alexander 'Sandy' Shaw is pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship in Nairn, Scotland. Nairn is 17 miles east of Inverness - on the Moray Firth Coast - not far from the Loch Ness Monster!
Gifted as a Biblical teacher, Sandy is firmly committed to making sure that his teachings are firmly grounded in the Word.
Sandy has a weekly radio talk which can be heard via the Internet on Saturday at 11:40am, New Orleans time, at wsho.com.
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