Burned to the Root
If my heart has been enticed toward a woman, and I have lain in wait at my neighbor’s door, then let my wife grind for another, and let others bow down on her. For that would be a heinous crime; that would be an iniquity to be punished by the judges; for that would be a fire that consumes as far as Abaddon, and it would burn to the root all my increase.
Job 31:9–12
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Burned to the Root
We live in a society which no longer respects the bonds of marriage. Divorce is all too common, with 50% of all marriages ending. The lust in our hearts for carnal desires is nurtured by a society which is over sexualized and taught that if it feels good, do it. And in pursuing the cravings of the flesh we have felt in our wake a path strewn with broken families, fatherless children, and a skewed idea of sex and marriage. Job denies any such wrongdoing. In fact, he goes so far as to say that if he were guilty of adultery then another man could have his wife. So often, in our own self-righteousness we profess as Job does. We have not committed the physical act of adultery therefore we are free from guilt. “But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28). These words of Christ burn us to the root. They expose us for the hypocrites which we are. For it is not just the physical act, but that which comes from the heart. This is why we pray with David, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10). We recognize our weakness and the need for cleaning. And in His infinite love God sent Jesus to shed His blood for our sins. His blood washes our unclean hearts and robes us in His righteousness.
Job 31:9–12
+
Burned to the Root
We live in a society which no longer respects the bonds of marriage. Divorce is all too common, with 50% of all marriages ending. The lust in our hearts for carnal desires is nurtured by a society which is over sexualized and taught that if it feels good, do it. And in pursuing the cravings of the flesh we have felt in our wake a path strewn with broken families, fatherless children, and a skewed idea of sex and marriage. Job denies any such wrongdoing. In fact, he goes so far as to say that if he were guilty of adultery then another man could have his wife. So often, in our own self-righteousness we profess as Job does. We have not committed the physical act of adultery therefore we are free from guilt. “But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28). These words of Christ burn us to the root. They expose us for the hypocrites which we are. For it is not just the physical act, but that which comes from the heart. This is why we pray with David, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10). We recognize our weakness and the need for cleaning. And in His infinite love God sent Jesus to shed His blood for our sins. His blood washes our unclean hearts and robes us in His righteousness.
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