Participants:
Series Code: AU
Program Code: AU000127S
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00:01 - I'm sure some of you probably remember this,
00:02 but once upon a time there was this internet company 00:06 that told people that cheating on your spouse 00:08 is a good thing. 00:10 And today we're going to explore the damage they did, 00:12 and I'll show you why they were completely wrong. 00:17 [slow-paced country music] 00:37 I don't know if you experienced the same kind 00:38 of disappointment I felt back in the '90s 00:41 when I realized that somebody had actually created 00:44 a web-based service that helped people cheat 00:47 on their spouses on purpose. 00:49 And in theory, they promised you would never get caught. 00:54 I mean, don't get me wrong, 00:55 I live in the real world just like you do, 00:57 and I have a pretty good grasp 00:58 on how bad human behavior can be. 01:01 So it takes a lot to surprise me, 01:03 but this just felt like a brand new low. 01:06 Now, if you're struggling to remember, 01:09 and a part of me hopes that you're struggling 01:11 to remember this, you've never actually heard of it, 01:13 but if you're struggling to remember, 01:15 it was the website ashleymadison.com, 01:18 and at one point it had well over 30 million users. 01:22 And I guess that's the disappointing part. 01:24 There was a massive client base 01:26 for a really despicable service. 01:29 I mean, sometimes we have to explore gray zones 01:32 on this show. 01:33 We have to ask ourselves where the boundary 01:35 between right and wrong is. 01:37 But in this case, 01:39 we have some really clear black and white issues. 01:42 I mean, their ad campaign practically screamed 01:45 the word slimy. 01:46 They were telling people, 01:47 life is short, have an affair. 01:50 That was their slogan. 01:52 And the idea behind this business 01:54 was that people who cheat on their husband or wife 01:56 with a coworker almost always get caught. 02:00 Something happens that exposes their infidelity. 02:03 But this service, they said, 02:05 that's gonna protect you. 02:06 You won't get caught. 02:08 And for a certain Mr. Darren J. Morgenstern, 02:11 the risk of getting caught 02:13 seemed like a business opportunity to him. 02:16 Now to make things even worse, 02:17 at least from where I sit, 02:19 the whole operation was born in the country 02:21 of my birth up in Canada, 02:24 which means that the squeaky clean reputation 02:26 that Canadians have had over the years 02:28 got something of a black eye, 02:30 although I can assure you, 02:31 having grown up in that country, 02:32 well, it's also populated by sinful human beings. 02:36 I guess I was just even more disappointed 02:39 that it was us who created this website. 02:42 Now, back in the day, the CEO, 02:44 a certain Noel Biderman, 02:46 if I'm pronouncing that correctly, 02:48 he insisted that all he was really doing 02:51 was providing an online service. 02:53 And he had the gall to suggest 02:56 that having an affair can be good for your marriage. 03:00 In a 2009 interview with the "LA Times", 03:02 he suggested, and I quote, 03:04 that Ashley Madison "preserves more marriages 03:07 than we break up. 03:09 Some people say it promotes promiscuity," 03:11 he said, "but if you don't do it, 03:13 you get behavior that's way more harmful to society. 03:16 Infidelity has been around a lot longer 03:19 than Ashley Madison." 03:21 Now that's an example of very bad thinking. 03:25 And if you've been watching this show 03:27 for any length of time, 03:28 I'm sure you know I'm gonna challenge it. 03:30 But first, maybe let's finish unpacking 03:33 this unbelievably low point in modern civilization. 03:36 The article in the "LA Times" explained 03:38 that Mr. Biderman didn't think that their commercials 03:41 were gonna convince anybody to have an affair. 03:45 "It's a decision they've come to already," he said. 03:47 "All I'm saying is don't do it in the workplace 03:50 where it could result in someone losing their job, 03:53 don't go to a single dating service 03:55 and lie about your status, 03:56 don't hire a prostitute. 03:58 Given that affairs are going to happen no matter what, 04:01 maybe we should see Ashley Madison as a safe alternative." 04:06 Well, pardon my sarcasm, 04:07 but, oh, how very noble. 04:09 I mean, in that case, 04:10 maybe I've been wrong about these guys. 04:12 Maybe they're a benefit to humanity 04:14 and a perfectly ethical service designed 04:16 to promote the very high and noble character 04:19 of their clients. 04:20 I mean, here they are, 04:21 these poor, poor people. 04:23 They don't have an ethical way to cheat on their spouses, 04:25 so along comes Ashley Madison to help 'em preserve 04:28 their incredibly high moral standards. 04:31 Come on, man, give me a break. 04:34 There appears to be no limit to the ability of human beings 04:37 to justify disgusting behavior, 04:40 especially if there's money involved. 04:42 The way these people talked about it, 04:44 you'd almost think these cheaters 04:45 were actually doing their spouses a favor 04:48 by breaking their marriage vows. 04:50 And I know I'm being snarky today, 04:52 but if there's one thing that should be obvious 04:54 to absolutely everybody, 04:56 it's that the covenant of marriage is supposed to be sacred. 05:01 Now, I know, we've had more than half a century 05:04 of notable people suggesting that marriage 05:06 is nothing but some kind of oppressive relic 05:09 from a bygone age. 05:11 But maybe it's time to be honest 05:12 about the social carnage we've suffered 05:15 in the wake of the sexual revolution 05:17 and the seemingly incessant attack 05:19 on the institution of the family. 05:22 I like what Trish McDermott said, 05:24 one of the founders of Match.com, 05:26 a more ethical dating service. 05:28 She said this about the business model of Ashley Madison, 05:31 and you'll find it in a "Time Magazine" article from 2009. 05:35 "This is a business," she said, 05:37 "built on the back of broken hearts, 05:39 ruined marriages and damaged families. 05:42 It's in the business of rebranding infidelity, 05:45 making it not only monetizable, 05:47 but adding a modicum of normalcy to it. 05:50 Ashley Madison is making bad choices, 05:53 broken promises and faithlessness 05:56 look like something trendy and hip 05:57 and fun to talk about at a cocktail party." 06:01 Now, I don't really know anything about Ms. McDermott, 06:05 but kudos to you, Trish, 06:06 for calling this exactly what it is. 06:09 The institution of marriage has been 06:11 in enough trouble since the '60, 06:13 and it surely doesn't need the help of seedy characters 06:16 who want to make a buck by straining marriage even further. 06:20 I can assure you there's nothing glamorous 06:23 about destroying homes and families. 06:26 And here's the really telling thing. 06:28 Apparently, when Mr. Biderman was asked 06:30 if he would mind if his wife used the site, 06:34 he told a reporter, "Oh, I'd be devastated." 06:38 Well, no kidding, you think so? 06:40 Now just in case some of you think I've got my head 06:42 in the sand and I don't really care 06:44 about the millions of people who are hurting 06:46 because they live in troubled marriages, 06:48 believe me, I know that. 06:49 Marriage can be challenging. 06:51 That's always been the case. 06:54 Now fortunately, personally, 06:56 I managed to hit the marriage jackpot. 06:58 I couldn't be happier with the girl I met and married. 07:02 But as a minister, 07:03 I've got to tell you, 07:04 I might be more familiar with the heartache of infidelity 07:07 than a lot of other people, 07:08 because, well, I'm the person you call 07:10 when your marriage falls apart, 07:12 or when you discover that your spouse is cheating. 07:15 In fact, I'm guessing I've heard more horror stories 07:18 than just about anybody outside 07:20 of an actual marriage counselor. 07:22 And some of the stories I've heard 07:24 have actually kept me awake at night 07:26 because of the sheer cruelty 07:28 that some people have had to go through. 07:31 So yeah, I'm well aware that many people 07:33 have not found marital bliss. 07:36 But I also know that cheating on your spouse is never, 07:41 ever the solution. 07:43 To put it in hyper simplistic terms, 07:45 two wrongs never make a right. 07:48 So, let me admit that when 07:50 the Ashley Madison agency suffered a hacker attack 07:53 in July of 2015, 07:55 I did experience a degree of Schadenfreude. 07:58 You know, that feeling of joy you get 08:00 when you see somebody else's misfortune? 08:02 It's not always a good thing, 08:04 but in this case, I felt it, 08:06 and I'm okay with that. 08:07 The hacker stole all the customers' information, 08:10 names, addresses, profile information, 08:13 along with details about their preferences, 08:16 and they threatened to post it all on the internet 08:19 if the company didn't shut down for good. 08:23 And I know some of you are thinking, 08:24 should you really be enjoying the misfortune of others? 08:27 Well, in this case, 08:28 I'll just admit it, I did. 08:29 And I can't help but be reminded of 08:31 that old biblical statement that says, 08:33 "Be sure your sin will find you out." 08:37 And as one notable psychologist recently stated, 08:40 nobody really gets away with anything ever, 08:44 at least not psychologically speaking. 08:46 It's going to catch up to you. 08:49 All right, it's time for a really quick break, 08:50 but as soon as we come back, 08:52 I'm going to explore a very important question. 08:55 What exactly is wrong with adultery? 08:58 Did the 10 Commandments get this right? 09:00 I'll be right back after this. 09:06 - [Announcer] Here at the Voice of Prophecy, 09:07 we're committed to creating top quality programming 09:10 for the whole family, 09:11 like our audio adventure series, "Discovery Mountain." 09:14 "Discovery Mountain" is a Bible-based program 09:17 for kids of all ages and backgrounds. 09:19 Your family will enjoy the faith-building stories 09:22 from this small mountain summer camp and town. 09:25 With 24 seasonal episodes every year 09:27 and fresh content every week, 09:29 there's always a new adventure just on the horizon. 09:35 - All right, we're back from the break, 09:37 and if you're just tuning in, 09:39 I've been talking about Ashley Madison, 09:41 an internet service designed to help people cheat 09:44 on their spouses. 09:46 You'd think that after the company's data 09:48 was compromised by hackers in 2015, 09:51 the company would just die a judicious death. 09:54 But sadly, that's not what happened. 09:56 From what I understand, 09:57 it's still operating from its headquarters in Canada. 10:00 And if you can believe what it says on Wikipedia, 10:03 they now have more than 60 million customers 10:07 in 53 countries. 10:09 Now, unbelievably, they used to offer 10:12 a rock-solid guarantee: 10:14 if you didn't find somebody to cheat with, 10:17 you got your money back. 10:19 And maybe they actually did that, 10:20 but let me tell you what they'll never, ever do for you. 10:23 They will never give back your dignity, 10:25 and they sure aren't gonna come and help you fix 10:27 the damage you did to your family 10:29 or mitigate the shame you heaped on your spouse. 10:33 Now, from what I understand, 10:34 that guarantee disappeared in 2016, 10:37 so now you're completely on your own, 10:39 which that was gonna be the case anyway. 10:43 Now let's navigate away from the slimeballs who did this 10:46 and talk about why it's wrong generally speaking. 10:50 I'm just optimistic enough to believe 10:52 that most people still believe that cheating is wrong. 10:56 And if you've got a religious background, 10:58 you're probably gonna call it sin. 11:00 And I'd have to agree with that assessment 11:02 because the Bible clearly states that sin is lawlessness, 11:06 or in the language of the old King James: 11:08 Sin is the transgression of the law. 11:12 In other words, one of the key definitions for sin 11:15 is the breaking of God's moral law. 11:18 And as you likely know, 11:19 the sin of adultery gets pretty high billing 11:22 in the second table of the 10 Commandments. 11:25 But why exactly is it wrong? 11:28 Today we live in a world where many people seem to believe 11:31 that if your passions drive you to do something, 11:34 you should probably just do it. 11:35 And I've even seen people suggest 11:37 that if you don't cave into your base animal instincts, 11:41 you might actually be causing yourself 11:42 a bit of psychological harm. 11:45 Their argument kinda runs like this: 11:47 your passions are a natural part of who you are, 11:50 so you should probably just give into them. 11:53 Now, I've mentioned this on other episodes, 11:55 but I think we can probably thank Dr. Freud 11:57 for some of that thinking, 11:59 as well as Dr. Wilhelm Reich, 12:01 one of the chief philosophical architects 12:04 of the sexual revolution of the 1960s. 12:07 And I guess if you approach the subject of human nature 12:09 from a purely materialistic point of view, 12:13 from the position that human beings emerged 12:15 in the universe by accident, 12:18 there is no God, 12:19 well, then I guess you could argue they were right. 12:22 Just follow your passions. 12:25 But if you're gonna do that, 12:26 then where exactly will you draw the moral line? 12:29 I mean, just think about this. 12:31 There are days when you lose your temper, 12:34 and your animal passions tell you to do unspeakable things 12:37 when somebody's making you mad, 12:39 and history has pointed out, 12:41 that would include murdering the person who's angering you. 12:45 That's the reason that a lot of places 12:47 have instituted cooling-off periods for people who buy guns. 12:51 You might be able to buy the gun today, 12:54 but you're gonna have to wait before you can pick it up. 12:56 Why? 12:58 Well, I guess they're trying to be sure 12:59 you're not buying that gun in an act of passion. 13:02 I mean, maybe you just found out that your husband's 13:04 using Ashley Madison, 13:06 and you're really, really, really mad. 13:08 And if you actually had a gun 13:10 at the very moment of discovery, 13:12 the odds are pretty good you might just shoot him. 13:15 You see, you don't always want to just follow 13:17 your animal passions, 13:19 it leads to disaster. 13:21 And I think most of us can agree 13:22 that nobody wants to live in a world 13:24 where your passions get decoupled from your gift for reason. 13:30 If all of your neighbors believe 13:31 that if they want something they should just take it, 13:34 I think you'd be tempted to move out of town. 13:37 We have laws that try to curb our animal appetites. 13:41 Now if I'm really honest about it, 13:43 it kind of feels to me like we're drifting toward a point 13:45 where things like reason and discourse 13:47 are becoming our last consideration, 13:50 and our first thought when we want something 13:52 is to just demand it, 13:54 to say it's our right, 13:55 even up to the point of riots or property damage. 13:58 But that's probably another topic for another day. 14:00 So let's get back to the matter at hand, 14:03 and that's the commandment against adultery. 14:06 A lotta years ago now, 14:08 I was getting a haircut at this place in LA, 14:10 where the gal who was cutting my hair 14:12 discovered I'm a minister. 14:14 So she suddenly started to share her ideas 14:16 about human sexuality. 14:17 It was kind of uncomfortable. 14:20 "The fact that a man remains fertile 14:21 well into his golden years," she said, 14:23 "seems like proof that men are naturally supposed 14:26 to be sleeping with as many women as possible." 14:29 Now, of course, when somebody's got their scissors 14:32 in your hair, you wanna respond as tactfully as possible. 14:35 "Well, I don't believe that for a moment," I said. 14:38 And I know that a lot of people think 14:39 you're somehow depriving yourself 14:41 if you don't live by your passions, 14:43 but personally, I've got to tell you, 14:45 the opposite is the truth. 14:48 "When you're sleeping around," I told her, 14:49 "you're depriving yourself of spectacular, 14:52 because there's no way that a one-night stand 14:55 or a casual fling can compete with the gift 14:57 of a lifetime of intimacy with just one person." 15:01 And I really meant that. 15:03 What God designed in the institution of marriage 15:05 is meant to enhance your human life. 15:08 Now again, I know that some of you have been hurt. 15:10 I'm not gonna deny that that happens. 15:13 And I know that some of you have never found a person 15:15 you'd like to spend the rest of your life with. 15:16 And I'm not suggesting even for a moment 15:19 that you have to get married to have an authentic life. 15:22 I mean, Paul himself said he had no desire 15:25 to get married again, 15:26 and it's really hard to argue 15:28 that Paul was not living his best possible life. 15:31 But he also said that most people can't do that. 15:34 And to be honest, I'm not sure that I could. 15:36 Celibate for life. I doubt it. 15:39 So let me read what he said, 15:40 and you'll find this in 1 Corinthians 7. 15:43 "To the unmarried and the widows I say 15:45 that it is good for them to remain single, as I am. 15:48 But if they cannot exercise self-control, 15:50 they should marry, 15:51 for it is better to marry than to burn with passion." 15:55 Then Paul goes on to explain that if you're married, 15:57 you should do what you can to preserve that marriage. 16:00 And sometimes, that does fail, 16:03 but it's what you should try to do. 16:06 And of course, we still have to answer the question, 16:08 does the 7th commandment, 16:09 the one that prohibits adultery, 16:10 still make sense in our 21st-century context? 16:13 The answer is an unqualified yes. 16:17 The reason it's still important stems 16:19 from the very character of God himself. 16:22 The 10 Commandments, it's not just a list of rules, 16:24 it's a portrait of God himself, 16:26 a transcript of his character. 16:29 So for example, when God says, "You shall not kill," 16:33 he's telling you that he values life. 16:35 And as the very source of life, 16:37 he owns it all. 16:38 He's not just saying "you shall not kill;" 16:40 he's also saying I want you to value life the way that I do. 16:45 So with that in mind, 16:46 what can we learn about God from the 7th commandment? 16:49 Well, right out of the gate, 16:50 we know that God deeply values relationships, 16:53 and he wants us to conduct our relationships 16:56 the way that he conducts his. 16:59 When God says in the book of Hebrews, 17:00 "I will never leave you nor forsake you," 17:02 he really means it. 17:04 You can bank on it he's going to keep his word. 17:07 And honestly, that's some of the best news 17:09 you'll ever find in the Bible. 17:11 In fact, just listen to this statement from Paul 17:13 in the 8th chapter of Romans. 17:15 "For I am sure," Paul writes, 17:17 "that neither death nor life, 17:18 nor angels nor rulers, 17:20 nor things present nor things to come, 17:22 nor powers, nor height nor depth, 17:24 nor anything else in all creation 17:27 will be able to separate us from the love of God 17:30 in Christ Jesus our Lord." 17:33 Now you tell me you wouldn't value 17:34 that kind of commitment from just about anybody. 17:37 And in the 7th commandment, 17:39 God is telling us that he expects us to be like him. 17:44 If you enter into a covenant relationship, 17:46 your word should be as reliable as the universe itself, 17:49 and the institution of marriage offers you a chance 17:53 to show the character of God through you to the whole world. 17:57 But if you play loose with that covenant, 17:59 what you're doing is misrepresenting the character of God, 18:02 the one who made us. 18:04 The Bible teaches that you were made in God's image, 18:06 but if you're a cheater, 18:07 your behavior lies about what God is like. 18:11 But there's more to it than that, 18:12 so hang tight, and I'll be right back after this. 18:19 - [Announcer] Life can throw a lot at us. 18:22 Sometimes we don't have all the answers, 18:25 but that's where the Bible comes in. 18:28 It's our guide to a more fulfilling life. 18:31 Here at the Voice of Prophecy, 18:32 we've created the Discover Bible guides 18:34 to be your guide to the Bible. 18:36 They're designed to be simple, easy to use, 18:38 and provide answers to many of life's toughest questions, 18:42 and they're absolutely free. 18:44 So jump online now or give us a call 18:46 and start your journey of discovery. 18:49 - Back in the book of Genesis, 18:50 there's this famous statement, 18:52 and you've probably heard it, 18:53 that says, "You and I were made in the image of God." 18:57 Now here's what it actually says in Genesis 1:26: 19:02 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, 19:05 after our likeness. 19:06 And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea 19:08 and over the birds of the heavens 19:10 and over the livestock and over all the earth 19:13 and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." 19:16 So God created man in his own image, 19:18 in the image of God he created him; 19:20 male and female he created them. 19:24 Now, I hope you caught that, 19:25 because this is really important. 19:27 The book of Genesis says that men and women 19:29 were both created in the image of God. 19:33 And then in the next chapter, 19:34 down in Genesis 2:24, 19:36 it tells us that a husband and wife become one flesh. 19:40 It's such an important idea that Jesus repeated it 19:44 when he was being challenged by the Pharisees 19:46 over the issue of divorce. 19:48 You'll find this passage in Matthew 19. 19:52 It says: And Pharisees came up to him 19:54 and tested him by asking, 19:55 "Is it lawful to divorce one's wife for any cause?" 19:59 He answered, "Have you not read that he who created them 20:02 from the beginning made them male and female, 20:04 and said, 'Therefore a man shall leave his father 20:07 and his mother and hold fast to his wife, 20:09 and the two shall become one flesh'? 20:12 So they are no longer two but one flesh. 20:14 What therefore God has joined together, 20:17 let not man separate." 20:20 Here's what's going on, 20:21 at least in part. 20:22 Over the centuries, 20:24 careful Bible students have noticed that God's nature 20:27 has this kind of surprising twist to it. 20:29 There's just one God, 20:31 but somehow at the same time he's three separate persons, 20:34 Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 20:37 So we have one God, 20:38 but that one God is three people. 20:41 And of course, it's hard to wrap your mind around that, 20:43 and it's led to centuries of theological debate, 20:46 but it really highlights something important about marriage. 20:50 What we have in the institution of marriage 20:52 is two people becoming one. 20:54 So Jean and I are still two individuals, 20:57 two rather strong-willed individuals, 20:59 but within the marriage covenant, 21:01 we operate as one person. 21:03 We still have our own opinions, 21:04 we have our own preferences. 21:06 And because we're faulty human beings, 21:08 we often disagree. 21:09 But overall, we experience life as one. 21:13 The marriage relationship is so deep, so intimate, 21:16 that it puts you together as one person, 21:19 and that's an opportunity to learn something more about God. 21:23 If Jean and I are both made in God's image, 21:25 then I really need to pay attention 21:27 to the image of God that's found in my wife, 21:30 because she's going to show me things about God's nature 21:33 that I will not discover on my own. 21:36 I mean, if there's one thing that's obvious to most people, 21:38 at least until recently, 21:40 it's the fact that men and women 21:42 are wired quite differently. 21:44 Our biology is different all the way down to our brains 21:47 and the way we think. 21:49 So, my wife has the ability to show me things about God 21:53 that I will never see in myself, and vice versa. 21:57 It's almost as if God divided his image between men 21:59 and women so that in order to see God more clearly, 22:02 you're going to have to live somewhat like he does, 22:05 more than one person blended into a single unit. 22:10 Now, I understand full well that 22:11 that kind of thinking has fallen out of fashion, 22:14 and we've gotten pretty good at denying 22:16 the differences between men and women. 22:18 But my job is not to tell you what the culture says. 22:21 My job is to tell you what the Bible says, 22:24 and the Bible tells me that I do not possess 22:27 the image of God all by myself. 22:30 And here's what that really means. 22:32 In a faithful, committed relationship, 22:35 you have an opportunity to see God a little more clearly. 22:39 You have the chance at a really basic level 22:42 to experience the universe kind of, sort of like God does. 22:46 And in marriage, 22:47 you've been given the opportunity to know God 22:50 just a little better. 22:52 So what does it mean if you cheat? 22:54 Well, first of all, 22:55 you're lying about who God is, 22:57 and then you're destroying a great opportunity 22:59 to sit in the school of heaven 23:00 to learn about the one who made you. 23:03 And just as a side note, 23:04 when you enter into a lifelong sexual relationship 23:07 with somebody, you're taking that person's heart 23:10 into your hands, 23:12 and God expects you to treat that privilege with reverence. 23:15 He expects you to reward another person's vulnerability 23:18 by showering them with the kind of love 23:21 that God would give them. 23:23 We know for a fact that sexual relationships 23:25 are tied to something distinctly biological. 23:29 When you're that intimate, 23:30 your body generates a hormone known as oxytocin, 23:33 the so-called love or trust hormone. 23:36 It's actually the same substance 23:38 that nursing mothers produce 23:39 when they're feeding their children. 23:41 And it's one of the key reasons that the bond 23:43 between a mother and a child is so incredibly powerful. 23:48 So in other words, 23:49 your body actually generates a physical response 23:51 to the intimacy of marriage. 23:53 It produces this chemical bond. 23:56 And when you violate that trust, 23:57 you're not just causing emotional carnage, 24:00 there's a physical component too. 24:03 In fact, I sometimes wonder 24:04 if that's the reason Paul suggests 24:06 that sexual sin is different from other kinds of sin. 24:10 And I'll show you that verse as soon as we come back 24:12 from this really quick break. 24:18 - [Announcer] Dragons, beasts, cryptic statues. 24:22 Bible prophecy can be incredibly vivid and confusing. 24:27 If you've ever read Daniel or Revelation 24:29 and come away scratching your head, 24:31 you're not alone. 24:32 Our free Focus on Prophecy guides 24:34 are designed to help you unlock the mysteries 24:36 of the Bible and deepen your understanding 24:39 of God's plan for you and our world. 24:41 Study online or request them by mail 24:44 and start bringing prophecy into focus today. 24:47 - Tragically, the Christian church that Paul established 24:50 in the city of Corinth became something of a moral mess, 24:53 because after all, 24:55 Christians are just as faulty as anybody else. 24:57 And among other things, 24:58 these people were breaking the 7th commandment. 25:01 "Flee from sexual immorality," Paul had to tell them. 25:05 "Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, 25:08 but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body." 25:13 There's just something different about sexual sin, 25:16 something that sets it apart 25:17 from all other forms of transgression. 25:19 And given what we know about the chemical pair bonding 25:22 that takes place between intimate partners, 25:25 I've sometimes wondered if maybe there's a reference 25:27 to something like oxytocin in Paul's description. 25:31 I don't really know, 25:32 but it does seem to make a little sense, 25:35 and so does the entire commandment. 25:37 The founders of Ashley Madison were brazen enough 25:40 to suggest that committing adultery can save your marriage. 25:43 But let's be honest, 25:45 the only reason they said that 25:46 was to get you to hand over your credit card information. 25:50 Let me assure you, 25:51 they're dead wrong. 25:52 You're going to do a lot of damage to your spouse, 25:55 and ultimately to yourself. 25:58 And I know, marriages sometimes fail, 26:00 they fall apart, 26:02 people struggle, even inside the church, 26:04 but I can assure you that cheating 26:06 is not the best path forward. 26:08 In fact, it will never pay the kinds of dividends 26:11 these hucksters seem to promise. 26:13 They're just lying to you. 26:15 You are far better off to deal with your pain honestly. 26:19 And if you can, 26:20 you're better off to save your marriage, 26:22 find a Christian counselor, get some help. 26:25 I mean, it might still fail, 26:26 but you never ever compromise your morality 26:29 just because someone else did. 26:32 And maybe you've already failed at this point. 26:34 Maybe you've cheated. 26:36 Maybe all of your relationships have fallen 26:39 way short of God's standard. 26:41 You've done it wrong every single time, 26:43 and now you're tempted to think it's too late 26:46 to find something better. 26:48 Well, that's as big a lie as the ones that the people 26:50 at Ashley Madison were telling, 26:52 because we happen to have a loving God who forgives us, 26:55 and he longs to see you enjoy the kind of authentic life 26:59 that he intends for you. 27:02 Absolutely nobody apart from Jesus himself 27:05 has lived the kind of life that God can smile about 100%, 27:10 but that doesn't mean that God has given up on you. 27:13 I mean, just listen to this, 27:14 a statement written by a man 27:15 who broke the 7th commandment. 27:17 He wrote, "For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, 27:20 abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you." 27:27 Now, if you don't really know where to start, 27:28 head on over to BibleStudies.com. 27:29 You'll find an amazing free course 27:32 that you can do yourself in the privacy of your home, 27:35 and it will help you find a deeper relationship with a God 27:38 who wants to love you the way you've always hoped 27:41 that you could be loved. 27:42 Thanks for joining me this week. 27:44 I'm Shawn Boonstra. 27:45 This has been another episode of "Authentic." 27:49 [slow-paced country music] |
Revised 2025-05-09