Question:
How can one stop adultery when one is very deep in it?
Answer:
Thanks for your question. God wants to hear people that are deep in sin, desiring to get out of it. The Bible says, “Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, TURN YE FROM YOUR EVIL WAYS; FOR WHY WILL YE DIE, O house of Israel?” (Holy Bible, Ezekiel 33:11). That tells you God’s desire. He does not want you to die in your sin. He wants you to turn from your sin to Him, and live.
That is what “repentance” and “faith” means. The Bible says, “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye REPENT, ye shall all likewise perish.” (Holy Bible, Luke 13:3). “REPENT ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;” (Holy Bible, Acts 3:19). The Bible says, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: REPENT YE, AND BELIEVE THE GOSPEL.” (Holy Bible, Mark 1:15). If you are not saved, then repent and receive the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior right now. The Bible says, “behold, NOW is the accepted time; behold, NOW is the day of salvation.” (Holy Bible, II Corinthians 6:2). Do not put off this decision.
Some people hesitate accepting Christ, because they think that they will be unable to “live” the Christian life successfully. That is the devil trying to get you to procrastinate. The Bible says, “But as many as received him, TO THEM GAVE HE POWER to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:” (Holy Bible, John 1:12). God will give you the power that you need to live for Him. Do not try to “reform yourself” before you come to Christ. Just turn from your sin to Him today.
Other people delay getting saved, because they think that God would not save them, because they have been such wicked sinners in their lives. Look at the list in the Bible in I Corinthians 6:9-11, “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, NOR ADULTERERS, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And SUCH WERE SOME OF YOU: BUT YE ARE WASHED, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” There is a whole list of lost people there, and the sins that they are noted for committing. But some of them got saved at that church at Corinth, and they were washed in the precious blood of Jesus Christ, and were made clean. God will do the same for you. The Bible says, “the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from ALL SIN.” (Holy Bible, I John 1:7).
If you refuse to turn from your sin, then you will die in it. The Bible says, “For THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH;” (Holy Bible, Romans 6:23). “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and SIN, WHEN IT IS FINISHED, BRINGETH FORTH DEATH.” (Holy Bible, James 1:13-15).
If you are truly born again, and continue in such sin, you had better fear. The Bible says, “THERE IS A SIN UNTO DEATH:” (Holy Bible, I John 5:16). “For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.” (I Corinthians 11:30-32). Whether you are despising the blood of Christ during the Lord’s Supper, or through the willful sin in your life, it is a dangerous thing to do. The Bible says, “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.” (Holy Bible, Hebrews 12:6-8). If you claim to be saved, and are living in adultery with no chastisement from God, then you are not truly a son of God – you are not truly saved.
The way for the Christian to avoid the sin of adultery is to spend time every day in the Word of God, the King James Bible. The Bible says, “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” (Holy Bible, Psalm 119:9-11).
The second thing to do is to spend time in prayer every day. The Bible says, “WATCH AND PRAY, THAT YE ENTER NOT INTO TEMPTATION: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Holy Bible, Matthew 26:41). Many Christians get themselves into tempting situations, and then pray for God to get them out. He will provide a way out. The Bible says, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” (Holy Bible, I Corinthians 10:13). But many times the Christian complains because he/she prays that prayer, and then goes ahead and sins anyway. Why? What happened? Matthew 26:41 tells the story – “the spirit indeed is willing, but THE FLESH IS WEAK.” If you ever give the flesh a choice, the flesh will always choose wrong. You cannot give the flesh a choice. How much better it would be if Christians would spend time in prayer every morning asking God to keep them from temptation, than to allow themselves to get into a tempting situation, and then cry out for help, when their flesh is crying out for its lust to be fulfilled.
Thirdly, spend your time serving the Lord, not idly living for this world. The Bible says, “I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: (Holy Bible, Psalm 101:3). One of the wisest things that you could do, would be to get rid of the TV’s in your home. It is probably one of the biggest reasons that Christians get into moral trouble. Let your wife (if you are married) go through all sale fliers and catalogs that come into your home first, before you look at them. She can rip out any pictures that may cause lust – or better yet, just throw those fliers in the trash. Get busy in a good local Baptist Church serving the Lord. The Bible says, “Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established. (Holy Bible, Proverbs 16:3). Spend time with your family, and quit thinking about yourself.
The Bible says, “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:” (Holy Bible, Deuteronomy 30:19). You know what to do now. The choice is yours.