Heart Sin: Murder and Adultery
- Ken Kalis
- May 7
- 9 min read
For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Proverbs 23:7
For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: - Jesus in Matthew 15:19
I have been battling heart sin for 70 years, and the struggle is fierce.
The battle is for my soul and I have two choices, killing sin or letting it kill me.
But mine is a segment in the eternal battle betwee Good and Evil; Jeus and the devil.
You are in this struggle too and get to choose one of two outcomes:
Eternal life with Jesus and love, joy, and peace, or eternal punishment in Hell with the devil. Choose wisely!
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Sin separates us from God. Genesis shows us how the LORD created man out of the dust of the ground and breathed a living soul into him. He then took one of the man's ribs and made a woman to be Adam's wife. They lived together in the Garden of Eden and had fellowship with Him there in Paradise.
The devil brought sin into the world when he tricked Eve into disobeying God's Word by eating the forbidden fruit. The result was expulsion from Eden and the presence of God and the entry of death into the world.
Sin is disobedience to God. In the Bible, early on it was to His spoken Word, later to His written Word, first recorded by Moses* (1571-1451 BC). God's people had this word, enacted it into a process, practiced its judgment, and executed its punishment. The Jews of Jesus'*(4BC-30AD) day were the overseers and administrators of the law that dealt with sin. But their sin was looking only at what was visible, because they could not see the heart, as He does. When Jesus came, He showed them what the law meant, what its intent was. It was the same as the unwritten law in the Garden, to give His people access to the tree of life.
An asterisk* after a name means the person is in SPIRITUAL LIVES.
He teaches this in Matthew 5: 21-32. But He sets the stage for all of this by stating its purpose in Mat 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
MURDER IN THE HEART
Jesus talks about this in verses 21-26, and begins with reference to Moses' 6th commandment; Thou shalt not kill. Exodus 20. The verse is made up of only two words in its original Hebrew context. Do not murder—an imperative command. We can easily understand the meaning of this phrase as a command that forbids God’s followers from carrying out destructive behaviors against another individual. It is essential to recognize that this command stands apart from other legal precedents.
Previous codes of law, such as Babylon’s ancient “Hammurabi’s Code,” provided an “if …., then …” qualification and a consequence for murder.
The sixth commandment is absolute: Do not murder.
Genesis 4 gives us the first example of this. The first-born man murdered his innocent brother for offering a better sacrifice to the LORD than he did.
By the time Hebrew laws came to the people of Israel in writing, the notion of a direct commandment was acceptable. The Hebrew people understood that in order to maintain a strong position in their ancient world, they needed to preserve their community. And they knew it was best to preserve their community in God’s way.
When Jesus comes, He shows His people what God sees in murder: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.1 Samuel 16:7
Jesus states that murder may be committed within the heart, or in the intention of one’s own mind.. For example, the text reads: “If you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council (for murder)… if you say ‘you fool’ you will be liable ….”(Mt. 5:21). Even angry attitudes or actions can be considered murder.
Jesus also said what proceeds from the heart is what defiles a person, whether it be an evil intention of murder, adultery, fornication, theft, etc. (Mt. 15:19). Jesus continues in the New Testament to lift up the commandments which were (and still are) widely familiar. But, he clarifies how they are to be defined for Christ followers—those who make up a new kind of faith in God, which crosses cultural boundaries and stretches us to accept outsiders (Jn. 3:16).
In this context, actions, as well as thoughts and attitudes hidden within the heart, are held accountable.
ADULTERY IN THE HEART
Jesus moves on from murder to the sin of adultery.
That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.—Jesus in Matthew 5:28
We have here an exposition of the seventh commandment, given us by the same hand that made the law, and therefore was fittest to be the interpreter of it: it is the law against uncleanness, which fitly follows upon the former; that laid a restraint upon sinful passions, this upon sinful appetites, both which ought always to be under the government of reason and conscience, and if indulged, are equally pernicious. - Matthew Henry (1662-1714)
The Pharisees' expostulations on adultery restricted it to the actual act, as we see in John 8:3-11, where a woman is taken in the act of adultery, and the scribes and Pharisees were armed with stones to kill her, as Moses' law required. They asked Jesus if He agreed. His answer was He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.
The next verse says "he stooped down, and wrote on the ground." This was surprising to those Pharisees who had said, "How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?" The Bible does not say what He wrote, but some Greek manuscripts say He wrote the sins of each of those who were going to stone her. (Cecil B. DeMille dramatized this powerfull in his 1922 silent movie "King of Kings.")
The next verses close out the scene:
And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
Joh 8:10 When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?
Joh 8:11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
Jesus did not condone her act but understood its context. This is a segue into seeing heart adultery.
The command laid down in Matthew 8:27 simply says: Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Jesus expands on its meaning:
Whosoever looketh on a woman (not only another man's wife, as some would have it, but any woman), to lust after her, has committed adultery with her in his heart, Mat_5:28.
This command forbids not only the acts of fornication and adultery but,
(1.) All appetites to them, all lusting after the forbidden object; this is the beginning of the sin, lust conceiving (Jas_1:15); it is a bad step towards the sin; and where the lust is dwelt upon and approved, and the wanton desire is rolled under the tongue as a sweet morsel, it is the commission of sin, as far as the heart can do it; there wants nothing but convenient opportunity for the sin itself.
Adultera mens est - The mind is debauched. Ovid. Lust is conscience baffled or biased: if it says nothing against the sin; baffled, if it prevails not in what it says.
(2.) All approaches toward them; feeding the eye with the sight of the forbidden fruit; not only looking for that end, that I may lust; but looking till I do lust, or looking to gratify the lust, where further satisfaction cannot be obtained.
The eye is both the inlet and outlet of a great deal of wickedness of this kind, witness Joseph's mistress (Gen_39:7), Samson (Jdg_16:1), David, 2Sa_11:2.
We read the eyes full of adultery, that cannot cease from sin, 2Pe_2:14. -- Matthew Henry.
Heart sins are grave and often turn into outrageous carnal sins, like David's adultery and murder. More serious and powerful still is the blood of Jesus, which cleanseth us from all sin. 1 John 1:7
Avoiding sin will help us become pure in heart and see God.
The alternative is severe:
What must I do to overcome heart sin? And why?
The world looks at heart sin as if it is no big deal; “everybody does it.” The world even goes so far as to claim that “my way” is heroic.
Medical doctors and psychiatrists tell us that masturbation fantasy is healthy, but listen to what Jesus says:
And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
Mat 5:30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. Verses 28-29.
We need to make a covenant with our eyes with Job: I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid? Job 31:1
What have we the covering of the eyes for, but to restrain corrupt glances, and to keep out of their defiling impressions? This also forbids the use of any of our other senses to stir up lust. If ensnaring looks are forbidden fruit, much more unclean discourses, and wanton dalliances, the fuel and bellows of this hellish fire. Men sin, but devils tempt to sin. – Matthew Henry
I think here of mortification of the flesh and John Owen s (1616-1683) warning, Be killing sin or sin will be killing you!
We know that Jesus loves us, died for us, and wants us to be with Him forever. Keep that in mind as we think of his severe command to cut off our hand or pluck out our eye rather than allow heart sin any place in our lives.
Hell is real! Jesus knew it well. It is even more terrible than Dante*(1265-1321) portrayed it;
Punishment for the heart sin of anger:
In the swampy, stinking waters of the river Styx – the Fifth Circle – the actively wrathful fight each other viciously on the surface of the slime, while the sullen (the passively wrathful) lie beneath the water, withdrawn, "into a black sulkiness which can find no joy in God or man or the universe".
At the surface of the foul Stygian marsh, Dorothy L. Sayers (1893-1957) writes, "the active hatreds rend and snarl at one another; at the bottom, the sullen hatreds lie gurgling, unable even to express themselves for the rage that chokes them".
Fifth Circle (Wrath)
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Stradanus - Own work, 2007-10-25
Illustration of Dante's Inferno, Canto 8
In the second circle of Hell are those overcome by lust. These "carnal malefactors"[35] are condemned for allowing their appetites to sway their reason. These souls are buffeted back and forth by the terrible winds of a violent storm, without rest. This symbolises the power of lust to blow needlessly and aimlessly: "as the lovers drifted into self-indulgence and were carried away by their passions, so now they drift for ever. The bright, voluptuous sin is now seen as it is – a howling darkness of helpless discomfort."[36
Dante’s hell:
Figure 1Title: The Circle of the Lustful: Paolo and Francesca
Series/Portfolio: Dante's Inferno, Canto V
Artist: William Blake (British, London 1757–1827 London)
Ask Jesus to send you His Holy Spirit to help you decide what to do about heart sin.
Remember Jesus’ warning and these words from Moses: Deu_30:19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: -- Deuteronamy 30:19
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Just as I am, without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidst me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot,
To Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, though tossed about
With many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fightings and fears within, without,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind;
Sight, riches, healing of the mind,
Yea, all I need in Thee to find,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, Thou wilt receive,
Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve;
Because Thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, Thy love unknown
Hath broken every barrier down;
Now, to be Thine, yea, Thine alone,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come.
Just as I am, of that free love
The breadth, length, depth, and height to prove,
Here for a season, then above,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come!
Words: Charlotte Elliott, 1835;
When Jesus heard it, he said unto them, They that are whole do not need the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Mark 2:17
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