“Let the little children come to Me” #1767

But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 19:14, NKJV)

Protecting the innocent lives of children has not always been the norm in this cruel world. About the time Jesus lived, an Egyptian named Hilarion wrote a letter from Alexandria to his wife, Alis. He wrote of his trip and of his possible delay returning home. He promised to send money as soon as he was paid. Then he wrote, “If you happen to be pregnant again, if it is a boy, leave it; if it is a girl, throw it out” (sententiaeantiquae.com). We recoil in horror at the thought of killing a newborn child, yet, there are modern parallels. When China imposed its “one child” policy from 1979 to 2015 (now, the Chinese government allows two children), untold numbers of babies were aborted (often, forcibly). Firstborn girls were often abandoned as liabilities – People wanted sons. Legalized abortion in America and around the world killed over 41 million children in 2018 (worldmeters.info). Shocking! Then there are the crimes of child pornography and child trafficking that bring untold misery and suffering upon children and on all those affected by these terrible sins. Jesus valued and protected children. Parents must value and protect their children. Governments must value and protect children. The gospel of Christ has greatly improved the lives of children through the ages. There is still much to do for the children. Each one of us can do our part to bring the children to Jesus. The question is, are we? (Jas. 1:27)

The Sin of Lust Leads to the Sin of Adultery #1728

27 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Matthew 5:27–28, NKJV)

Sin, including the sin of adultery, begins in the heart. The actual sin of adultery puts lust into action. That is, adultery is the physical action of a lustful heart (Heb. 13:4). The sin of lust occurs in the heart, and it leads to the sin of adultery, which is committed with the body and against the purpose of the body (1 Cor. 6:18). Lust and adultery are two distinct sins, with one leading to the other. (This is similar to hate in the heart and murder – two sins, with one leading to the other, 1 Jno. 3:14-15.) Some say today’s passage justifies putting away a spouse who has committed a lustful action (such as viewing pornography). Viewing pornography is certainly a sin of fleshly lust, but it is not the sin of adultery (Gal. 5:19; Col. 3:5-7). (One can lust without committing adultery, but one cannot commit adultery without lust being in the heart.) We cannot redefine adultery to include pornography, and then legitimize putting away a spouse for the cause of pornography. Viewing porn and committing adultery are distinct sins. Viewing porn is lewdness, uncleanness, evil desire, and sinful passion. But, it is not the sin of adultery. Let us help people repent and repair the damage done to their marriages by pornography. But, let us not sanction divorce and remarriage for the cause of lust (pornography), and call it “for the cause of fornication” (Matt. 19:9).

“Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things” #1644

36 Incline my heart to Your testimonies, and not to covetousness. 37 Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, and revive me in Your way. 38 Establish Your word to Your servant, who is devoted to fearing You. (Psalm 119:36–38, NKJV)

God’s word is the treasure upon which we must set our hearts. Longing for things that can never satisfy our souls is futile. The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil, and by it many souls are destroyed (1 Timothy 6:10). The world sets many things before our eyes to entice us to devote our hearts to worthless things instead of fearing God with full devotion. For example, pornography is wreaking havoc upon our society. It is a monetary driver on the internet, and it is being normalized by the entertainment industry. Young people are watching it in droves, and their concepts of moral purity are being drastically distorted. We must turn our eyes away from such defiling things by embedding God’s word into our hearts. God’s word says do not look lustfully with our eyes (Job 31:1; Matthew 5:28; 1 John 2:16). We must devote ourselves to fearing God instead of indulging the flesh. Lord, “revive me in Your way” and lead me not into temptation.

Private Passion #1379

Then it happened one evening that David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king’s house. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold. (2 Samuel 11:2, NKJV)

Solitude is not necessarily conducive to godliness. Isolation can give rise to temptations of the flesh. King David should have been leading his army on the field of battle. Instead, he stayed behind in Jerusalem (2 Samuel 11:1). Restless and alone, he went to the cool of the roof and saw the beautiful wife of Uriah. This was not a mere glance; David gazed upon her, inspected and gave attention to her beauty while she bathed. He lusted after her, inquired about her, and took her into the bed of adultery, then murdered her husband (2 Samuel 11:3-17). We must never let down our guard against sin’s temptations. Sins of the flesh often begin in the secrecy of darkness (John 3:19-20; 1 Thessalonians 5:5-8). Pornography and all manner of sexual immorality thrive when people are alone (or think they are alone). Private sins never escape God’s attention. God saw what David did (2 Samuel 11:27; Hebrews 4:13). If you are struggling with private sins, hold yourself accountable to someone you can call on for help. Pray for God’s help (Hebrews 4:16). Get busy doing God’s work. Don’t isolate yourself and give the devil a place to exploit. Build a wall of protection around your heart. If you have already yielded to sin, you can repent and be forgiven. David did, and God forgave him (Psalm 32:3-5).

Encouraging Moral Decline #1051

For the Lord brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel, for he had encouraged moral decline in Judah and had been continually unfaithful to the Lord. (2 Chronicles 28:19, NKJV)

The Lord allowed the kingdom of Judah to be oppressed by enemy states during the 8^th century B.C.  Assyrians, Edomites and Philistines plundered Judah because king Ahaz was “continually unfaithful to the Lord,” and because he “encouraged moral decline in Judah” (2 Chron. 28:16-18). It is undeniable that our country has been encouraging moral decline for a very long time. The “sexual revolution” of the 1960s promoted fornication and adultery, fracturing the home and paving the way for accepting the homosexual lifestyle as normal and natural (which it is not, cf. Rom. 1:24-28). Alcohol and other drugs decimates lives and destroys families (1 Pet. 4:1-5). Pornography has captured and corrupted souls – fueled by passion and internet accessibility on cell phones, tablets and computers. “Sin is a reproach to any people,” and America is no exception (Prov. 14:34). The Old Testament shows that God does not long endure any nation that mocks faith in Him as it rushes headlong into immorality. Now is the time for our nation to heed the warning God gave Israel: “Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,” says the Lord God. “Therefore turn and live!” (Ezek. 18:31-32)