I believe the Bible is the Word of God and I know that many of you do as well. Let me ask you this question, "Would you give $89,500 for one Bible?" Well, you just might if it was "the wicked bible". There is a reason why it is not only called the "wicked bible", but it is so valuable. It is because it has probably the mother of all misprints of any book ever published in history. In 1631, King Charles I ordered one-thousand Bibles from an English printer, named Robert Barker. It was almost flawlessly done, but there was one small, but unbelievable typographical error. In the seventh commandment, they left out the little word "not" and so in this Bible, you read this verse, "Thou Shalt Commit Adultery." King Charles I was so enraged that he fined the printer, 300£ sterling, which in that day was a lifetime worth of income, driving him out of business and ordered the one-thousand copies destroyed, but a handful escaped destruction. The only one for sale is offered at $89,500.

Even though that verse may be biblically and theologically incorrect, we are living today in an age where adultery (that is sexual immorality) has become culturally correct. Just when I thought I had seen everything, I came across this on the internet. Just like there are birthday cards and anniversary cards and mother's day cards and father's day cards, there are now "Secret Lover Cards." There are twenty-four in the Secret Lover Collection designed specifically and especially for those who are having adulterous, extramarital affairs. One card called "my lover" reads like this:
Just when I thought I would never find my true love - you came along…My soul has been searching for you since I came into this world. All my life I've had this emptiness inside like a part of me was missing and I was incomplete…And now I can't imagine my life without you…Even if I have to share you.

There is no question that if you were to put the Ten Commandments to a vote in terms of popularity, this commandment would be voted the least popular of all. To this commandment we have a culture today that is saying, even to God himself, "What we do behind closed doors is our private life and it is nobody's business - not even Yours."

Whether it is an adulterer or fornicator or a homosexual, the idea that sex should be limited only to a man and a woman who are married to each other seems not only to be woefully out of date, but absolutely intolerant.

Just turn on your television and you will see a medium that refers to sex outside of marriage thirteen times more frequently than it mentions intimacy between husband and wife. In other words, whenever sex or sexual intercourse or illusions to sex are mentioned on television, eighty-eight percent of the time it will be outside the context of marriage.

In the real world, half of all adults under the age of thirty will live with someone before they get married and sixty-percent of those recently married, acknowledged they lived with their new spouse before they got married.

Something just hit me as I was thinking about this whole concept of adultery. Do you realize that three times in the Gospels Jesus talks about a "sinful and adulterous generation?" Why didn't He talk about a "sinful and lying generation" or a "sinful and murderous generation?" I think it is because Jesus realized that adultery and sexual sin would always be a great problem in the human race. I grew up in the days of a revolution that took place in this country known as the "sexual revolution." I think the word "revolution" is the right word to describe what happened. A revolution, as you know, was when someone revolts against an authority that is over them. The sexual revolution was a revolt, both against God and the seventh commandment.

Unlike the American Revolution, which freed us, this revolution has enslaved us. The sexual revolution has ruined more reputations, wrecked more homes, killed more marriages, broken more hearts, destroyed more careers, given more guilt, brought more unhappiness and cost more money that any other revolution in our history.

Even though this commandment does not deal only with extra-marital sex I do believe one of the greatest ways we can safeguard the purity of sex and keep this commandment is to affair-proof marriage. I want to give you six principles that will help guard you against breaking this commandment which will always wind up breaking your heart.

I. Be Convicted That Sex Outside Of Marriage Is Wrong

This commandment condemns all sex outside of marriage, whether it is pre-martial sex (fornication), extra-marital sex (the affair), or un-marital sex (homosexuality).

In case you doubt that the Ten Commandments were given primarily to families, you not only have a commandment which deals with the relationship between children and parents, but you have a commandment which deals with the relationship between husbands and wives. One teaches that children should honor their parents. The other teaches that husbands and wives should honor their vows.

God doesn't mince any words. He says, "You shall not commit adultery." (Exodus 20:14, NASB)

Quite frankly, we are living in a generation that not only commits adultery, but refuses to admit adultery. Proverbs 30:20 says, "Equally amazing is how an adulterous woman can satisfy her sexual appetite, shrug her shoulders, and then say, "What's wrong with that?" (Proverbs 30:20, NLT)

We've even learned to play word games when it comes to this commandment. First, we downplay adultery. We will call it a "little fling" or "fooling around". Then, we will try to dignify adultery. We call it "having an affair" or "secret love." Then, we try to disguise adultery. We will meet at a secret rendezvous point, go to a secluded hotel, change our names on the register and think we are fooling everybody. Job 24:15 says, "The eye of the adulterer waits for the twilight, saying, 'No eye will see me.' And he disguises his face." (Job 24:15, NASB)

You can wash it in soap, dress it in a tuxedo, bathe it in perfume and hide it in darkness, but God still sees it and God still knows it and God still calls it adultery. There are several reasons why adultery is wrong. First of all, it is a physical sin. The Apostle Paul said in I Corinthians 6:18, "Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body." (I Corinthians 6:18, NASB) When you commit sexual sin, you actually sinned against your own body; you sin against your own soul, you sin against your own spirit, and you sin against your own heart.

Adultery is also a marital sin. It is interesting to see how the Bible describes a man who would leave his family for another woman. Proverbs 27:8 says, "Like a bird that wanders from its nest is a man who wanders from his place." (Proverbs 27:8, NKJV)

Think about it. A man who would leave his wife and family for another woman is no better than a bird who would leave his baby chicks as open prey to the wilds of nature.

Adultery is also a spiritual sin. It is a sin against God Himself, because it breaks one of His commandments. There is a story in the Old Testament about a young man named Joseph. He worked for an Egyptian ruler named, Potiphar. Potiphar's wife was attracted to Joseph and wanted to commit adultery with him. He refused all of her advances, finally saying to her, "How could I ever do such a wicked thing? It would be a grave sin against God." (Genesis 39:9, NLT)

I want to encourage you right now to develop this conviction in your heart. There will be no sex before marriage, no sex without marriage and sex only after marriage.

II. Be Committed To Your Spouse

The ultimate human commitment on this planet is the commitment of the husband to the wife and the wife to the husband. God said from the very beginning - "For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?" (Matthew 19:5, KJV)

God says we are to "leave our parents and to cleave to our mate." Notice the order. First, you leave. Then, you cleave. Adultery takes place when you cleave, before you leave. By the way, if "Beaver" will "Cleaver" then he will never "Leave her!"

From the very beginning, God intended for marriage to be a permanent relationship. We go on to read in verse 6, "So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate." (Matthew 19:6, NKJV) God's plan for marriage is so simple: one man, one wife, one live. It is to be "until death do us part".

You have to go into marriage with that kind of a mind set and that kind of a commitment because everybody has problems in marriage and there are no marriages without problems. You are going to have problems with anything you don't totally understand. You had better watch a man who says he totally understands women. He will lie about other things too!

It can be dangerous being married. I heard about a man that walked into a kitchen and found his wife balling her eyes out. He said, "What's wrong?" She said, "I believe this is the worst meal I have ever cooked." Trying to console her he said, "No - it isn't."

Regardless of bad meals or bad habits you must be committed to the one you are married to. Adam and Eve were walking in the Garden of Eden the first day they got to know each other and she looked at him and said, "Adam, do you really love me?" He thought for a moment, looked around and said, "Eve, as far as I am concerned you are the only girl in the world!" That ought to be the attitude we have toward our spouses.

III. Be Careful In Guarding Your Mind

I told you earlier that all sexual sin, whether it be adultery, fornication, or homosexuality is both a physical sin, a marital sin, and a spiritual sin. Jesus said it is also a mental sin. Jesus goes far beyond what we think this commandment would forbid when He said this, "You have heard that it was said, 'YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY'; but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart." (Matthew 5:27-28, NASB)

Men, understand there is nothing wrong with looking at a woman and appreciating her physical beauty. Ladies, there is nothing wrong with looking at a man and appreciating his handsomeness, but there is a difference between a look and a lustful look.

Adultery always begins in the mind before it winds up in the bedroom. You need to understand the importance of guarding your mind, which in turn will guard your heart, which in turn will guard your body, which in turn will protect your purity, your marriage, your home, your children, and your conscience from the horrible consequences of sexual sin.

I heard and read so many stories of how adulterous affairs get started and how teenagers fall into pre-martial sexual sin. I have learned that there are basically four steps that take place.

Distraction
Attraction
Interaction
Transaction

First, there is the distraction. Maybe you begin to notice a woman that you work with or you see somebody at school or you are flipping channels on the TV and you notice a provocative sexual scene - that is distraction.

Then comes the attraction. You begin to make little comments to this woman or to this man or you begin to watch just for a moment this provocative scene or you linger at this website on the internet - that will lead to interaction where you just think it is harmless to go to lunch with this person or just watching fifteen minutes on the internet won't hurt. Staying in this solaces chat room for awhile is just a little titillating fun.

Then comes the transaction where before you know it, you have either wound up in someone else's bed or your mind has been caught in a spider's web of pornography that you can't get out of.

I know what some of you are thinking right now, so listen to this verse. "So be careful! If you are thinking 'I would never behave like that - let this be a warning to you for you too may fall into sin.'" (I Corinthians 10:12, LB)

Wise men and women understand that preserving sexual purity means being careful about what you look at, because the eyes are the window into the mind. The mind is the door into the soul and the soul is the door to all kinds of sin.

There has never been a time in our history when it is more important to be careful what you see than it is today. Porn has become the norm. The greatest danger of all is the internet, which is the most powerful, purveyor of pornography in the history of the world. The reason the internet is so dangerous is that it is anonymous, accessible, and affordable. There are many sites you can download that will safeguard you from internet pornography. Malachi 2:15 says it best. "Guard yourself in your spirit and do not break faith with your wife." (Malachi 2:15, LB)

IV. Be Conscious Of The Consequences Of Sexual Sin

There is one thing that is crystal clear and that is you will not escape the judgment of God if you break this commandment in any way. Hebrews 13:4 says, "Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge." (Hebrews 13:4, NASB)

"But the man who commits adultery is an utter fool, for he destroys his own soul." (Proverbs 6:32, NLT) We don't even realize the price tag that comes with breaking the seventh commandment - there is a personal cost. Chuck Swindoll once wrote these words that I keep in the front of one of my Bibles. Nobody said it better.

"The following is an incomplete list of what you have in store after your morality is found out: Your mate will experience the anguish of betrayal, shame, rejection, heartache and loneliness. No amount of repentance will soften those blows. Your mate can never again say that you are a model of fidelity. Suspicion will rob her or him of trust. Your escapade(s) will introduce to your life and your mate's life the very real probability of a sexually transmitted disease. The total devastation your sinful actions will bring to your children is immeasurable. Their growth, innocence, trust and healthy outlook on life will be severely and permanently damaged. The heartache you will cause your parents, your family and your peers is indescribable. The embarrassment of facing other Christians who once appreciated you, respected you and trusted you will be overwhelming. If you are engaged in the Lord's work, you will suffer the immediate loss of your job and the support of those with whom you work. The dark shadow will accompany you everywhere...and forever. Forgiveness won't erase it. Your fall will give others license to do the same.

The inner-peace you enjoyed will be gone. You will never be able to erase the fall from your (or others') mind. This will remain indelibly etched on your life's record regardless of your later return to your senses. The name of Jesus Christ, whom you once honored, will be tarnished giving the enemies of faith further reason to sneer and jeer."

Maybe you are in a difficult marriage. You are having a tough time. Your sex life is not satisfying and you are starting to look around. Just remember this - no matter how high the cost is of maintaining and restoring and repairing your marriage might be, the cost of adultery is always infinitely higher.

Now I want to bring this home to where we live every day. To those of us who either have been involved in sexual sin or we are involved in sexual sin at this very moment. I have two last things I want to say to you.

V. Be Converted To The Lordship Of Christ

If you want to avoid the whirlpool of sexual lust and sin that can suck you down its drain and ruin your life - step number one is you must come to know Jesus Christ as your Savior and surrender to Him as your Lord. I don't care what your intentions are, how strong your willpower may be or how determined you are to make it right and keep it right, you don't have a chance against sin ultimately without Jesus Christ in your life. The worst life without Jesus is a wicked life and the best life without Jesus is a wasted life.

I've got good news for you. No matter how entrapped you may think you are Jesus Christ can deliver you from the trap of sexual sin. Paul was writing to the church in Corinth and they evidentially had every type of sexual sinner know to man in that church. Listen to what he says to them in these words, "Don't you know that those who do wrong will have no share in the Kingdom of God? Don't fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, who are idol worshipers, adulterers, male prostitutes, homosexuals …none of these will have a share in the Kingdom of God." (I Corinthians 6:9-10, NLT)

The Bible makes it very plain. You can live all of your life as a sexual sinner or you can go to heaven, but you can't do both. Just in case some of you are using the excuse, "I was born this way" or the old Elvis line, "I'm caught in a trap - and I can't get out." Listen to what he goes on to say in verse 11. "There was a time when some of you were just like that, but now your sins have been washed away, and you have been set apart for God. You have been made right with God because of what the Lord Jesus Christ and the Spirit of our God have done for you." (I Corinthians 9:11, NLT)

There is no sin so powerful as sexual sin, but there is no sin so powerful even sexual sin that you cannot be delivered from through Jesus Christ.

VI. Be Cleansed From Your Past Sexual Mistakes

You may have already committed adultery. You may be in an adulterous relationship right now. Maybe you are single and you have either committed fornication or you've been caught in the web of fornication, homosexuality or lesbianism. I want you to listen carefully. If you have been unfaithful to your spouse or you have been unfaithful to God. If you've engaged in extra-marital, pre-martial, or non-marital sex it is not the unpardonable, unforgivable sin.

Sin it is and always will be. Premarital sex is sin; always has been and always will be. Adultery is sin; always has been always will be. Homosexuality is sin; always has been always will be. Pornography is sin; always has been and always will be.

Forgiveness and cleansing is available to anyone who is willing to ask for it; always has been and always will be. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9, NASB)

There was a woman, who was once caught red-handed in the act of adultery. She was brought before Jesus by a crowd that was ready to stone her. Jesus took care of that crowd, sent them away, and then looking at the woman, He didn't condemn her. Realizing by knowing her heart, that she had repented and she was wanting forgiveness, He simply said, "I do not condemn you...go from now on and sin no more." (John 8:11, NASB)

Let us all go and do likewise.