The Sixth Commandment-You shall not commit adultery.

What does this mean? We are to fear (as in ‘respect’) and love God so that we lead pure and decent lives, and each of us honors his or her spouse. (The Small Catechism)

Digging Deeper: 1. The Sixth commandment is designed to protect the gifts of sex and marriage and the relationships that matter most! The ‘letter’ of the law would apply to married people having sex with someone other than their spouse. The ‘spirit’ of the law, according to Jesus, goes to the heart. This is not just about jumping into bed with someone we don’t belong in bed with. It’s about treating other people as objects; and the most intimate of relationships, as no big deal.

2. Jesus talks about lust, when it comes to this commandment. (“Lust” would be on that list of Seven Deadly Sins.) That would be one of those things that would draw our attention away from God’s design for sex and marriage, and harm our hearts and, possibly, the person(s) we lust after-who are first of all persons, not ‘things’, and who are-of course-also made in the image of God.

3. In the Bible, we find that marriage is a pretty popular topic (though it many different shapes/sizes/arrangements), and that adultery is an all-too-common subject. So the struggle with this commandment is nothing new, and a reminder of how none of us are able to keep God’s law perfectly. Fortunately, there is forgiveness and grace, and hopefully-there is healing for all who have landed on the wrong side of this command.

4. In the ELCA we study, discuss, and adopt Social Teaching Statements (and shorter “Social Messages”) on a variety of real-life, real-world issues. We have a Social Statement on “Human Sexuality-Gift and Trust”. And we have a Social Message on “Commercial Sexual Exploitation” (sex trafficking.) These are available on our www.elca.org website to help inform and guide young and old!