June 21, 2026 - The Seventh Commandment (Exodus 20:14)

The Seventh Commandment (Exodus 20:14)

Rev. Myung-Sin Choi

You shall not commit adultery.

Introduction 

On the news, in Korea, there is a pastor named Young-hoon Lee at Full Gospel church who is having a hard time. He was having a hard time because the pastor committed adultery with one of the female church members so he is being sued by the church. The pastor is having a trial in Korea right now and is also suing the church for defamation. From my understanding, this pastor was a man of integrity. There was another pastor who is also having the same issue in Korea. There are many churches and pastors who are having difficulty because of this issue. What should we do in this situation? Many people tend to judge and criticize in these situations but we need to change our thinking. Jesus Christ said that those who have lust in your heart, then you have committed adultery. Then, this means that everyone has committed adultery. Who can be spared from this? You may appear to be a clean and pure person on the outside but on the inside, everyone is polluted with lust. 1 Corinthians 10:12 “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” - We need to hold onto God’s word and enter into prayer even more in these situations. Today’s sermon is very important. God has given us this sermon as the message of life. For our remnants and church officers, we need to enter into deep meditation and discover God’s plan today. 

1. God’s Plan

(1) God’s Gift

Verse 14 -

When God created the family, we need to interpret this once again.  Genesis 2:18-23 “And the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” 19 Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him. 21 And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. 22 Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.” - God created mankind, man and woman in His own image. God also blessed mankind with the blessing to multiple and subdue and have dominion over all of the earth. The point of these verses is that only mankind was created in God’s image. 

If we look at the process of mankind being created in God’s image is seen in Genesis 2:7 “And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.” - From here, the breath of life refers to “Nephesh hayyah.” Nephesh hayyah means a breathing beast, a breathing animal, or a breathing being. We are breathing beings but we are breathing beings who possess the breath of life. 

When God created Adam, God said in Genesis 2:18 - God wanted to give a helper for Adam and in Genesis 2:19 - God created all kinds of animals and birds from the dust of the ground, and had Adam name them. God wanted Adam to have satisfaction with the companionship of the animals so God created the animals and birds from the dust of the ground, and God wondered if Adam was going to call any of these creatures his helper. If you look at the wording in the Bible, it says God formed these living creatures and the original meaning of these living creatures, it uses the word, “nephesh hayyah.” So what this means is that Adam was created with a breath of life and possessed a living soul, which is described with the word, “nephesh hayyah.” And, the living creatures that God created also used the same word, “nephesh hayyah” as well. God created Adam with a breath of life and as a living creature, and God also created other living creatures to see if Adam would take it as his helper. We can see that these creatures were created as living creatures who were breathing. But Adam only named these creatures but Adam did not choose them as his helper. 

Genesis 2:20 - Adam did not find a helper comparable to him. Even if there were a cute dog or cows, and many cute creatures, Adam did not find a helper comparable to him.  

Genesis 2:21 - God made Adam fall into deep sleep and created Eve from the rib of Adam. When God created Eve for Adam, Adam met Eve for the first time, Adam was able to see Eve as a helper comparable to him.

When Adam saw Eve, and called her his helper, he says in Genesis 2:23 “And Adam said: ‘This is now bone of my bones And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man.’ ” Eve was made from the rib of Adam, the ribs that protect the heart of man. These ribs that were used to create Eve, Adam says, “This is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh.” Adam is basically saying that Eve and Adam are one, one body. Bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh means they must protect one another, Eve is his helper, and they are one body. That is why because a woman came out from a man, a woman is called a woman. Adam was created in the image of God and because Eve came from the body of Adam, Eve was also created in the image of God. This shows that Adam and Eve are both created in the image of God. God had Adam and Eve live in the Garden of Eden as a family, and God gave them three gifts and blessings. God prepared everything in the Garden of Eden so that Adam and Eve could enjoy the greatest and the best blessings there as a family. God blessed with the great blessing to eat all of the meat and fruit that they wanted to eat. They were also blessed to have dominion over all of the earth and rule over all creatures of the earth. God blessed them with great blessings as a family in the Garden of Eden. But a problem arose. 

(2) Satan’s Strategy of Destruction

Genesis 3:12 “Then the man said, ‘The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.’ ” - Satan attacks the family. Why? Because we can see that God started His plan with the family. God blessed Adam and Eve with the blessing to multiple and have dominion over all of the earth, and Satan knew of this. That is why Satan made mankind fall into disobedience and break apart the family. This caused the separation of God and made man lose the image of God. 

What did Adam say? This was what Adam said in Genesis 3:12 - Even though Adam was so happy to have Eve by his side, he started complaining and blamed Eve. And, then Adam started challenging God and started placing all blame on Eve who was considered one of the greatest blessings for Adam. The great gift that God gave man, this became a great problem and source of sin for Adam and Eve. This great blessing that God gave them, Satan turned this into a sin for Adam and Eve. We can see that all problems began because of this event. Mankind lost hold of the image of God so mankind had no choice but to live like animals. Right now, our younger children are living in post-modernism. Evolution is stating that we are not from the image of God and we are descendants of monkeys. Evolution states that animals are our cousins and we are no different from animals. Even now, people are living like animals. What do intellectuals say? They are like Satan’s spokesman, they are saying that we are from monkeys and we don’t need God. They are saying that we should live like animals. This is Satan lies to us. What does Satan say to us? Satan is telling us that we should live like animals because we are no different from animals. What is God saying to us? God is saying that we are not animals but we are children of God. We need to know and restore our identity. This is the point of the seventh commandment. This shows how important the seventh commandment is. 

2. The Meaning of the Seventh Commandment

(1) Biblical Meaning

Genesis 2:24 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” - We need to hold onto this. There is a deep meaning in the seventh commandment. 

1 Corinthians 6:15-19 “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not! 16 Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For “the two,” He says, “shall become one flesh.” 17 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him. 18 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?” - If you murder, lie or steal, then you are committing sin against someone else. But if you commit sexual immorality, then you are committing sin against yourself. 

1 Corinthians 6:19 - Your body is the body of God and our bodies are the temple of God. When we accept Jesus Christ, our body changes into a holy body of God. If we commit sexual immorality, then we are polluting the body of God that is within us. 

1 Corinthians 6:16 - If you commit adultery with a harlot, then you are becoming one body with the harlot. 

1 Corinthians 6:17 - Your spirit will become one spirit with the harlot if you commit adultery with a harlot. Your soul and that person’s soul that you commit adultery with, your soul and their soul will be destroyed in the process. 

1 Corinthians 6:19 - Our body is the body of God and we need to not forget that our body belongs to God. And, our body is the temple of God. We should not make the temple of God into a trash can or pollute it. In the seventh commandment, God is warning us not to pollute our body. 

(2) Law for Protecting the Family

The seventh commandment is there so that we can protect our family. God is telling us not to commit adultery so that we can protect our family. 

Exodus 6:7 “I will take you as My people, and I will be your God. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.”- We have been looking at the 10 commandments and the 10 commandments show our marriage covenant with God. We are becoming one body of God, that is forming a marriage covenant with God. When we accept Jesus Christ in our hearts, then we are becoming one body with God. 

1 Corinthians 6:17 - When we accept Jesus Christ into our hearts, then we become one body with God. Our identity changes when we accept Jesus Christ. 

Ephesians 5:31-32, 26-27 “That He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 31 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.” - There is an important message here regarding a husband and wife. For a husband and wife, there is a great mystery here. It is concerning Christ and the church. This means that church and Jesus Christ are one body, we are unified in a marriage covenant with Christ. Within the family, we have to enjoy heaven. This is the point of the seventh commandment.

Matthew 5:29 “If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.” - If a problem arises, there is a reason for that problem so we need to root out that problem. No matter what, we need to protect your family. That is why God is saying for us to protect our hearts so that we don’t destroy our family. Then, how can we avoid these problems and solve our fundamental problems? 

Ephesians 5:26-27 - When a problem arises, we need to cleanse ourselves first. When we commit sin, we need to ask God for forgiveness first. After that we need to cleanse ourselves with the word of God. Only the word of God can make us righteous again and cleanse us. That is why God is telling us to make our family into a church and protect our family like a church. That is why the word of God can make us righteous and cleanse us. God wants to make our family glorious again. That is why our church should be without a spot, a wrinkle and be holy and without blemish. We need to join God in a feast in heaven. That is why God tells us today, the most important thing, that we should not commit adultery. We need to hold onto this message. 

3. Proclaim the Word and the Breath of Life

(1) See the spiritual world accurately

Ezekiel 37:3 “And He said to me, ‘Son of man, can these bones live?’ So I answered, ‘O Lord God, You know.’ ” - Our lives may seem completely hopeless and hopeless for our family but God is telling us to entrust all things to Him. No matter how impossible the situation may be, we need to go before God and entrust all things to Him. 

(2) Confirm your identity and authority

Ezekiel 37:7 “So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone.” - The way to restore all things is through the word of God alone. When we enjoy the word of God, then the power of the Holy Spirit will work and the works of healing will arise. 

(3) See the future

Ezekiel 37:10 “So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army.” - Within our family, may the blessing of God’s image come upon your family. May your family restore the blessing of the image of God. May your family become the strong army to save this world. 

Conclusion

2 Corinthians 11:2 “For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.” - May be individuals used by God. This is God’s mission for us. May we restore and receive great blessings in the name of Jesus Christ.