Nurturing a Healthy Marriage
Matthew 5:27-30
1. Precautions (Matthew 5:27-28)
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’[e] 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
“You shall not commit adultery.” (Exodus 20:14)
• Realize that no one is immune
• Continue to build your personal relationship with God.
• When you can identify a counselee’s perfume, refer her to someone else.
• Stay away from people of places that tempt you
• In the ministry, an accusation that is false can be almost as damaging as if it were true.
• Give off the vibe/signal that you are not interested
• Go into every meeting you might have with a member of the opposite gender valuing their worth and professional vocational needs but protecting yourself by arranging things that assure you will not be in a private or intimate setting
• Avoid being alone with someone of the opposite gender for rides or meals when at all possible
• Be careful of how you use social media
• If you are struggling in your marriage, go to a professional not a friend of the opposite gender
• Communicate to both in the marriage when contacting by text, DM or email
• Pour yourself into your marriage
In order be immune from adultery and the damage that it can do to your marriage, recognize and learn how to reject lust in its infancy.
2. Actions (Matthew 5:29-30)
29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.
Jesus Teachings on Marriage
• Divine Institution
• It is based on a One Flesh relationship
• Commitment of a man and a woman to each other
• Model is Christ and the Church
Critical Actions to be Taken
• If it is the internet…. take precautions
• If its where you work out…find another gym
• If its certain Channels on the TV…delete the subscription to that network
• Stay away from anyone that might cause you difficulty in managing your thoughts
• Share confidentially with a friend for prayer
• Enlist a trusted accountability partner
• Most importantly ask for God’s help with Holy Spirit’s control of your thoughts and strength
Three ways that can help make a marriage Healthy
• Be Committed to each other
• Communicate with each other
• Allow Christ to operate in freedom to make your relationship better by listening to Him, his precepts and His Spirit.
Adultery changes you and your marriage forever. With all your resources, do everything you can in order not to have to try and put things back together again.
Bridgepoint Church is located in Decatur, GA, and we gather for worship in person and online at 10:45am. We would be honored to have you as our guest. Childcare is available too!
If you are listening today and need prayer, please send us a message in the comments or email prayer@bridgepointtoco.com. We would be honored with the opportunity to pray for you.
Jesus loves you! He willingly offered His life as a sacrifice and ransom for mankind. His victory over sin at the cross and over death is why we call Him Lord of lords and King of kings. We worship him as the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us. God still wants to dwell with His people, and that includes you! If you want more information on what salvation means, please send a message or email us.
