This sermon is from the Rev. Charles G. Dennison sermon archive, part of the “Jesus and the Law” series, and was preached at Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Sewickley, PA, during a worship service on Sunday, September 9, 1986.

passages in Matthew as well. But this passage, first of all. We have heard that it was said by them of old times, You shall not commit adultery. But I say unto you, that whosoever looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

And if your wife causes you to sin, remove her from you. For it is better for you that one of your members should perish than that your whole body should be cast into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. For it is better for you that one of your members should perish than that your whole body should be cast into hell.

It has been said, Whoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorce. But I say unto you, that whoever shall put away his wife, except for the cause of sexual immorality, causes her to commit adultery. And whoever marries a woman who has been divorced commits adultery.

And then, in Matthew 19, beginning with verse three. The Pharisees also came to him, testing him, and said unto him, Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause?

And he answered and said unto them, Have you not read that he who created them at the beginning made them male and female, and said, For this reason a man shall leave father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh? Therefore they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.

They say unto him, Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?

He said unto them, Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, allowed you to divorce your wives. But from the beginning it was not so. And I say unto you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery. And whoever marries a woman who has been divorced commits adultery.

This is also said to them. If a man’s faith is so with his wife, it is not good for marriage. But He said to them, Not all can receive this teaching, except those to whom it is given. For there are eunuchs who were born that way from their mother’s womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by others, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He who is able to receive this, let him receive it.

Finally, Matthew 22, verse 23. On that day, the Sadducees came to Him, who say that there is no resurrection, and asked Him, saying, Teacher, Moses said, If a man dies without children, his brother shall marry his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.

There was a woman who had been married to seven brothers. The first, after marrying a wife, died without children and left his wife to his brother. Likewise, the second, and the third, up to the seventh. After all of them, the woman also died. Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife will she be? For all seven had her. Jesus answered and said to them, You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like the angels of God in heaven. And from Exodus chapter 20, verse 14, You shall not commit adultery.

Father, Your word, when completed, will be completed in us by forming in us that which is yet lacking. And Lord, may You be lacking in nothing within us. For Father, our desire is to praise You and to live for You and for Your kingdom. Encourage us, then, Lord, this day through the preaching of the Word. Lord, may we be patient with that Word, listen to it, embrace it, and then abide by what it says. We plead with You for the sake of Christ, the living and the living. Amen.

No doubt about it, we are dealing with a very difficult and sensitive matter—an issue that has confused the Church throughout the ages. To that end, I have laid out before you this morning the passages from the Gospel of Matthew, the words that Jesus spoke. I have left the confusion to the Church. I expect that I could add even more confusion to the picture if I were to read to you the entire seventh chapter of 1 Corinthians. Some of you smile because you know what that chapter says. Here we are, dealing with the seventh commandment.

Of course, the commandment itself seems straightforward enough. It would be helpful if Jesus’ statements were likewise straightforward, so that we could move through them without the confusion that has resulted. Nevertheless, I believe that the Spirit of Sovereignty has given us these teachings from our Lord in the way He has for a purpose that is essentially instructive and constructive for us. Therefore, it behooves us to listen with patience to what our Lord has said. My contention so far regarding the commandments as a whole has been this:

The coming of God signals a change. The coming of God signals a change. You know how He has handled things thus far. We have tried to explain to you the condition of things in the world before God appeared at Simon. Similarly, we have tried to explain the circumstances in that world—whether related to the Israelites or others—that existed at the time when God made His visitation at Simon. God comes to Simon, and His appearance means a transformation.

You must think of these matters again, in a new way, with fresh understanding. You cannot think of them as you once did. Now, with regard to marriage and the seventh commandment, what we discussed last week, we made some observations concerning the changes that have come about because God has visited here.

There is then a transformation that is part and parcel of the Sinai administration. At Sinai, there is a transformation in the understanding of matters that were previously considered acceptable during the time of the patriarchs and in the cultures that existed in the world at that time.

You may recall what we said. To be sure, marriage appears to have had an economic foundation. Marriages were arranged, and through these arrangements, families were united. Clans were brought together. Property and wealth were exchanged. But now, in light of Sinai, even the economic situation has been affected. It has been affected in relation to inheritance among the people of Israel. Specifically, the land of promise that God spoke of to the father, which is connected to the relationship between God and His people, and to the distribution of the land in relation to the trial. Although things have not yet been completely removed from an economic basis, there is nevertheless a movement in this direction. And this movement signifies progress for the people of God.

We also said that God comes, establishing a unique relationship with His chosen people, His elect people. We see in this a sign of the monogamous relationship, set against the background of the singular relationship between God and His people, each in their singularity. However, monogamy is not yet specifically prescribed. Although there is a growing pressure and tendency for monogamy to become increasingly the reality among the people of God.

What is divorce? Divorce was common during the time of the Israelites and was permitted under the law given at Sinai. Divorce is not entirely removed from Israel’s experience. Read Deuteronomy chapter 24. Divorce is specifically allowed in certain circumstances, and the woman in such cases is especially vulnerable. There has been a movement toward stricter standards, and there has been a tightening of the law, but even under the law, there remains some allowance for divorce. With regard to adultery specifically, the change is clear.

In the ancient world, marriage was often viewed as an economic arrangement. Therefore, taking another man’s wife was seen as an attack on his economic status. The penalties imposed by the civilizations of that time were based on their assessment of the offense. Thus, the penalty for adultery was often imprisonment or payment of a fine.

This was not the case in Israel. The penalty for adultery is death. Execution is the prescribed punishment. In the time of Moses, adultery was not universally forbidden, as some powerful individuals lived without restraint. Those who held authority could act as they pleased, and no penalty was imposed upon them. But when God revealed His law at Sinai, adultery became universally forbidden. It is prohibited for all, from the highest to the lowest.

In the world of Moses’ time, adultery was sometimes permitted, even encouraged, and in some cases required. It was considered a religious duty under the guise of religious practice. It was believed to be a man’s obligation to visit the houses of prostitution as an act of religious devotion. This is not true. Under Moses and his administration, the law regards such acts as abominations.

And truly it was. So you see, the coming of God makes a difference. God appears, and there is a change, a transformation. The people are placed on a new path. The struggle for them becomes a new way of thinking. They cannot think in the old way. They must now think in new ways. And they must live consistently with what God has done. But have we arrived at the end of the matter? This is where we concluded last week. Have we arrived at the conclusion of the matter?

Is the coming of God at Sinai the final, or even the only, appearance of God to His people? Or is there a latter-day appearance, a coming of God? We all know and confess that the latter-day appearance of our God was in Jesus Christ, His Son, Jesus Christ. And Jesus’ appearance is the coming of God, a prelude to the end. And this coming of God, no less than the former, signals a change in thinking, in outlook, and in behavior for those who belong to Him.

Transformation, then, that takes place now, is not so much directed toward the pagan, or the pagan ways and cultures that surrounded Israel during the days of Moses. No, now the transformation pertains to the law itself, and specifically the administration of Moses. We must think of even Moses’ law. We must think of that law given at Sinai in a new way, from a new vantage point.

The old way will not do. So, we come to the passages in Matthew. Are you ready for it? We have three of them. Let us look at them and try to extract from them certain features that will prove helpful to us in gaining insight into the meaning of our Savior at the point at which He speaks. Matthew 5:27 through 32.

There has clearly been a movement. You cannot deny it. I do not care what the Reformed commentators say. You cannot deny it. There is movement here. You have heard it said of old: “Thus and so.” He quotes the commandment. That means this. But I say to you, there is movement. It is obvious. It is plain. You cannot avoid it. The movement is beyond the explicit act of adultery, beyond the open and visible act. We are moving into the realm of the hidden matters of the heart.

What of the prescribed punishment? How are you to apply punishment for a sin that is hidden in someone’s heart? Are you to execute them first? It is not that punishment is not in view, as is clearly stated by Jesus in verses 29 and 30. Judgment is plainly in view. But is it a judgment that corresponds to the administration of the covenants at Sinai, to the appearance of God there?

No. It is even more serious. For you see, under Moses’ administration, punishment was carried out physically. But here, at Jesus’ feet, the punishment in view is severe. There has been movement, and note the power and force of that movement. It pertains to eternity, and it is yet unseen. It pertains to eternity. Very well. Let us move on. Matthew 19, verses 3 through 12.

At this point, specifically in the discussion between the Sadducees and Jesus, is a weakness— I underscore that—a weakness in the law itself. Provision in the law is made for the hardness of men’s hearts, says Jesus. But now, in speaking to these Sadducees, He calls attention to the original condition of man and woman.

If there has not been a specific and explicit prescription for monogamy in the past, it is clear and evident in what Jesus is saying and intending here. Again, there is movement. Monogamy is now prescribed, as well. Adultery is redefined in light of what Jesus says here. Under Moses, it was not considered adultery to divorce your wife and marry another person. Jesus says that now it is, taking exception to the law given to humanity.

As we read through this passage and come to its conclusion, reaching the twelfth verse, we find the suggestion of an even better state. A state that brings the Kingdom of Heaven into view, and specifically with regard to the matter of sexuality. There are those, Jesus suggests, who will forego the expression of their sexuality in this world for the sake of the kingdom of God. It is an obligation in Israel to express your sexuality for the sake of the tribe and the family, for the sake of your children and your children’s children.

Jesus suggests it is not so anymore. Finally, chapter 22, verses 23 to 30. Here we have the interaction. Jesus with those who do not believe embraces the doctrine of the resurrection. We have two things before us. First, with regard to what was the common belief among the Jews at this time concerning the resurrection. It was merely an extension of life in this world—life in this world that was perfect, unencumbered, untroubled, serene, and secure. A world in which, to be sure, sexuality and its expression would continue in some way. For you see, in the estimation of those who question Jesus, the woman would belong to someone. Now Jesus, however, puts before his audience this truth: a this-world concept of the resurrection and the final state is dismissed. Instead, the interests of heaven and the kingdom of heaven are emphasized. And that kingdom of heaven is a state without sexuality. It does not exist. Now the question is, what has happened with the coming of God? What has happened that Jesus now speaks as he does?

First of all, the law is put in its place. The law is put in its place. And the law is seen, at least in part now by Jesus, as an accommodation to the sinful condition of human hearts, and therefore hardly an expression of that perfection for which we long.

But as well, the law is an accommodation for the sake of the inheritance in view. That is why, under the old administration, marriage cannot be separated from economic considerations. For in the land is one’s life, and one’s preservation of life in the land. That is the inheritance. And therefore you are bound to produce offspring in order to continue inheriting the land and preserving it for future generations.

But further, the coming of Christ fulfills the law. He is the goal and the end of the law. The law is fulfilled in Him. It reaches its climax and fulfillment in Him. Jesus Christ, His coming, His appearance, means what now? We are privileged to view the restorative function of the Messiah and the kingdom which He inaugurated. For He, in His teaching, does not move back merely to Sinai. He goes back to creation. He goes back to the intention of God from the beginning. And it is in light of that that He now prescribes monogamy: one man, one woman.

A man himself dare not interfere in breaking the union that God has joined. But even more importantly, you see, not only does the coming of Christ have this restorative function, moving us back to the original intent of God as it was in the Garden, but it also moves us ahead and above to the true inheritance. This is no longer about preserving one’s place in the world or one’s plot of land here, nor about perpetuating a seed to pass on these properties from generation to generation. There is above a better inheritance, the kingdom of heaven, and that is what Jesus comes to make clear. And in this kingdom, which Jesus has inaugurated, let me say it, I know it makes sense, let me say it, marriage is superfluous.

Sexuality, in that realm, does not exist. That is why you cannot live for it. You cannot. It is not eternal. It does not last. That is why you cannot worship it. That is why you cannot act as if it is the most important thing in your life. That thing which you claim you cannot live without—it is not true.

Simply on an ordinary basis, but more specifically for anyone who claims to be a follower of Jesus Christ, Jesus comes and makes things clear. Marriage is better than ever, in light of the message of restoration, and more clearly understood than ever before. Sexuality is seen for what it is: not life, not God, but a function of this world.

It may be necessary, truly it is. It is certainly enjoyable, that is unmistakable, but it will pass away. Yet through all this, adultery remains an evil. Its seriousness is all the more apparent. It is now defined in terms of the restoration brought about in Christ, one man, one God, and in terms of the imperatives He has revealed. Thou shalt not commit adultery.

Remember: a sovereign law that is overrun by sensuality, a law that is disregarded at Sinai, but even more, the awesome message of Jesus Christ. We plead with You, that we, Your people, in all humility, may bow before You. And Lord, as Your word comes to us, may we tremble. May Your word work out its perfect purpose in our minds, sorting out all our confusions and ridding us of all our sins. Make us strong, Lord, make us strong by Your Spirit, for the sake of Your name.

The sermon text provided above is derived from the sermon audio recording making use of generative tools. It has not been manually edited. While transcription tools have a high degree of accuracy, the output may include generative textual, punctuation, and/or formatting errors.