Hebrews 13:4

March 24, 2013 Were continuing again in the thirteenth chapter of Hebrews. The writer has encouraged the readers to finish the race set before them and to cling only to Christ who is greater than all creation. In our last study we saw that running this race means loving each other as brothers, entertaining strangers, and remembering them that are persecuted and bound for the gospel. Now, in this study, were going to press on into verses 4-6 and see that running the race means sexual purity: Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. Now, the context here is explicitly about sex. Hes not talking about marriage in generalhes talking about the marriage bed. Everything about marriage is good; its honorable. The bed, the place where the husband and wife share their most intimate moments, is a pure place without any kind of spiritual stain. Now we have to think about things like this from the perspective of a first-century Jew since this is a letter to the Hebrews. Go to Leviticus 15:
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When any man hath a running issue out of his flesh, because of his issue he is unclean.
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Every bed, whereon he lieth that hath the issue, is unclean: and every thing, whereon he sitteth, shall be unclean. 5And whosoever toucheth his bed shall [] be unclean until the even.
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And if any mans seed of copulation go out from him, then he shall wash all his flesh in water, and be unclean until the even. 17And every garment, and every skin, whereon is the seed of copulation, shall be washed with water, and be unclean until the even. 18The woman also with whom man shall lie with seed of copulation, they shall both bathe themselves in water, and be unclean until the even.
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And if a woman have an issue, and her issue in her flesh be blood, she shall be put apart seven days: and whosoever toucheth her shall be unclean until the even. 20 And every thing that she lieth upon in her separation shall be unclean: every thing also that she sitteth upon shall be unclean. 21And whosoever toucheth her bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the even. []

But now Christ has come and all these types and shadows are fulfilled in Him, and were no longer bound to the Law. So, hes saying, Run the race with perseverance. The marriage bed is clean, but whoremongers and adulterers will be judged. A whoremonger is a fornicator. The Greek word is (pornous). So this is someone having sex outside of marriage, and an adulterer is a married person who has sex with someone other than his or her spouse. But the real question is, why does this matter? What difference does it make if I have sex with one person or five people or fifteen people or fifty? I think we all agree that monogamy is the moral thing to do, but how did it get to be moral? What right do we have to tell each other what we can and cant do with our own bodies? Or take it even a step further: Jesus said, Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: 28But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart (Mt. 5:27-28). So this goes on to cover things like pornography and ogling and any other sensual act not towards your spouse. But why? I think if we take the whole context of Hebrews into account we have to see two things: First, we serve a Lord who is faithful to His own house (3:6). We trust a promise from the God who cannot lie (6:18) that we have a Great High Priest who is righteous and holy (7:26) and who intercedes for us on account of our sin (7:25). This relationship is proven by obedience through faithand that is the second thing we see: the just shall live by faith (10:38), and thats how he builds into chapter 11 to show us Gods handiwork and how he comes to point us to Christ who faithfully ran the race set before Him. So you can see that sexual purity is a matter of faith! But why is it a matter of faith? We can see that God has called fornication and adultery sin, and so the just who trust in His promise and walk in obedience will avoid those things, but why has He called it such? Let me draw your attention to some other verses:

Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee: 13But ye shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves: 14For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God: 15Lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go a whoring after their gods, and do sacrifice unto their gods, and one call thee, and thou eat of his sacrifice; 16And thou take of their daughters unto thy sons, and their daughters go a whoring after their gods, and make thy sons go a whoring after their gods. 17Thou shalt make thee no molten gods (Ex. 34:12-17). Pay special attention to the fact that God equates idolatry to spiritual fornication and adultery! You might say that sex is a type and shadow of our spiritual relationship with God. Some of the Songs of Solomon and his lover are very intimate and personal and even revealing. I dont know if this is true but its been said that orthodox Jews dont want men to read these letters until they turn 30 or are theyre married. Now go to the New Testament where we see another type and shadow: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. 31For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. 32This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church (Eph. 5:30-32). Look: were united to Christ as one flesh! Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. 16What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. 17But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. 18Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. 19What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are Gods (I Cor. 6:15-20). The issue of sexual purity is so much more than morality or health safety. Were not monogamous, and we dont avoid pornography simply because they keep our spouses happywe understand that our sexuality is a type and shadow of something far greater. Our marriages show our union with our Lord, so we take them very seriously. Our purity within marriage shows our pure and deeply intimate relationship with Him in that union.

For us to walk in sexual immorality is to walk in unbelief. To enjoy the marriage bed is an act of faith, but fornication and adultery will be judged because they rebel against the holy God who commands obedience. newgracebaptistchurch.wordpress.com