Toward a Searching and Fearless Moral InventoryHave I Obeyed the Seventh Commandment? |
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The Westminster Larger Catechism (1648) explains our duties under the Seventh Commandment.
First, you must agree that the Catechism has correctly explained the implications of the Commandment. Assuming it has, you must agree with God that you are obligated to carry out those principles in your life.
Second, you must ask yourself if you have violated each aspect of the command. This page is designed to help you pinpoint your offenses.
Third, you must take steps to develop the Character of Christ, and eliminate "character defects" from your life.
Question 137: Which is the seventh commandment?
Answer: The seventh commandment is, Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Question 138: What are the duties required in the seventh commandment?
Answer: The duties required in the seventh commandment are, chastity in body,
mind, affections, words, and behavior; and the preservation of it in ourselves and others;
watchfulness over the eyes and all the senses; temperance, keeping of chaste company,
modesty in apparel; marriage by those that have not the gift of continency, conjugal love,
and cohabitation; diligent labor in our callings; shunning all occasions of uncleanness,
and resisting temptations thereunto.
Question 139: What are the sins forbidden in the seventh commandment?
Answer: The sins forbidden in the seventh commandment, besides the neglect of the
duties required, are, adultery, fornication, rape, incest, sodomy, and all unnatural
lusts; all unclean imaginations, thoughts, purposes, and affections;all corrupt or filthy
communications, or listening thereunto; wanton looks, impudent or light behavior, immodest
apparel; prohibiting of lawful, and dispensing with unlawful marriages; allowing,
tolerating, keeping of stews, and resorting to them; entangling vows of single life, undue
delay of marriage; having more wives or husbands than one at the same time; unjust
divorce, or desertion; idleness, gluttony, drunkenness, unchaste company; lascivious
songs, books, pictures, dancings, stage plays; and all other provocations to, or acts of
uncleanness, either in ourselves or others.
Q. 137. Which is the seventh commandment?
A. The seventh commandment is, Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Exodus 20:14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Q. 138. What are the duties required in the seventh commandment?
A. The duties required in the seventh commandment are, chastity in body, mind,
affections, 1 Thess. 4:4; Job 31:1; 1 Cor. 7:34
| 1 Thessalonians 4:4 that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, | |
| Job 31:1 "I have made a covenant with my eyes; Why then should I look upon a young woman? | |
| 1 Corinthians 7:34 There is a difference between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman cares about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But she who is married cares about the things of the world; how she may please her husband. |
words, Col. 4:6
| Colossians 4:6 Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one. |
and behavior; 1 Pet. 3:2
| 1 Pet 3:2 when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear. |
and the preservation of it in ourselves and others; 1 Cor. 7:2, 35-36
| 1 Corinthians 7:2 Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. {35} And this I say for your own profit, not that I may put a leash on you, but for what is proper, and that you may serve the Lord without distraction. {36} But if any man thinks he is behaving improperly toward his virgin, if she is past the flower of youth, and thus it must be, let him do what he wishes. He does not sin; let them marry. |
watchfulness over the eyes and all the senses; Job 31:1
| Job 31:1 "I have made a covenant with my eyes; Why then should I look upon a young woman? |
temperance, Acts 24:24-25
| Acts 24:24-25 And after some days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, he sent for Paul and heard him concerning the faith in Christ. {25} Now as he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix trembled |
keeping of chaste company, Prov. 2:16-20
| Proverbs 2:16-20 To deliver you from the immoral woman, From the seductress who flatters with her words, {17} Who forsakes the companion of her youth, And forgets the covenant of her God. {18} For her house leads down to death, And her paths to the dead; {19} None who go to her return, Nor do they regain the paths of life; {20} So you may walk in the way of goodness, And keep to the paths of righteousness. |
modesty in apparel; 1 Tim. 2:9
| 1 Timothy 2:9 in like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing, |
marriage by those that have not the gift of continency, 1 Cor. 7:2, 9
| 1 Corinthians 7:2 Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. {9} but if they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion. |
conjugal love, Prov. 5:19-20
| Proverbs 5:19-20 As a loving deer and a graceful doe, Let her breasts satisfy you at all times; And always be enraptured with her love. {20} For why should you, my son, be enraptured by an immoral woman, And be embraced in the arms of a seductress? |
and cohabitation; 1 Pet. 3:7
| 1 Peter 3:7 Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered. |
diligent labor in our callings; Prov. 31:11, 27-28
| Proverbs 31:11 The heart of her husband safely trusts her; So he will have no lack of gain. {27} She watches over the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness. {28} Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praises her: |
shunning all occasions of uncleanness, and resisting temptations thereunto. Prov. 5:8; Gen. 39:8-10
| Proverbs 5:8 Remove your way far from her, And do not go near the door of her house, | |
| Genesis 39:8-10 But he refused and said to his master's wife, "Look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand. {9} "There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?" {10} So it was, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he did not heed her, to lie with her or to be with her. |
Q. 139. What are the sins forbidden in the seventh commandment?
A. The sins forbidden in the seventh commandment, besides the neglect of the duties
required, Prov. 5:7
| Proverbs 5:7 Therefore hear me now, my children, And do not depart from the words of my mouth. |
are, adultery, fornication, Heb. 13:4; Gal. 5:19
| Hebrews 13:4 Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge. | |
| Galatians 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, |
rape, incest, 2 Sam. 13:14; 1 Cor. 5:1
| 2 Samuel 13:14 However, he would not heed her voice; and being stronger than she, he forced her and lay with her. | |
| 1 Corinthians 5:1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles; that a man has his father's wife! |
sodomy, and all unnatural lusts; Rom. 1:24, 26-27; Lev. 20:15-16
| Romans 1:24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, {26} For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. {27} Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. | |
| Leviticus 20:15-16 'If a man mates with an animal, he shall surely be put to death, and you shall kill the animal. {16} 'If a woman approaches any animal and mates with it, you shall kill the woman and the animal. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood is upon them. |
all unclean imaginations, thoughts, purposes, and affections; Matt. 5:28; Matt. 15:19; Col. 3:5
| Matthew 5:28 "But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. | |
| Matthew 15:19 "For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. | |
| Colossians 3:5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. |
all corrupt or filthy communications, or listening thereunto; Eph. 5:3-4; Prov. 7:5, 21-22
| Ephesians 5:3-4 But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; {4} neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. | |
| Proverbs 7:5 That they may keep you from the immoral woman, From the seductress who flatters with her words. {21} With her enticing speech she caused him to yield, With her flattering lips she seduced him. {22} Immediately he went after her, as an ox goes to the slaughter, Or as a fool to the correction of the stocks, |
wanton looks, Isa. 3:16; 2 Pet. 2:14
| Isaiah 3:16 Moreover the LORD says: "Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, And walk with outstretched necks And wanton eyes, Walking and mincing as they go, Making a jingling with their feet, | |
| 2 Peter 2:14 having eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin, enticing unstable souls. They have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are accursed children. |
impudent or light behaviour, immodest apparel; Prov. 7:10, 13
| Proverbs 7:10 And there a woman met him, With the attire of a harlot, and a crafty heart. {13} So she caught him and kissed him; With an impudent face she said to him: |
prohibiting of lawful [marriages], 1 Tim. 4:3
| 1 Timothy 4:3 forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. |
and dispensing with unlawful marriages; Lev. 18:1-21; Mark 6:18; Mal. 2:11-12
| Leviticus 18:1-21 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, {2} "Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: 'I am the LORD your God. {3} 'According to the doings of the land of Egypt, where you dwelt, you shall not do; and according to the doings of the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you, you shall not do; nor shall you walk in their ordinances. {4} 'You shall observe My judgments and keep My ordinances, to walk in them: I am the LORD your God. {5} 'You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, which if a man does, he shall live by them: I am the LORD. {6} 'None of you shall approach anyone who is near of kin to him, to uncover his nakedness: I am the LORD. {7} 'The nakedness of your father or the nakedness of your mother you shall not uncover. She is your mother; you shall not uncover her nakedness. {8} 'The nakedness of your father's wife you shall not uncover; it is your father's nakedness. {9} 'The nakedness of your sister, the daughter of your father, or the daughter of your mother, whether born at home or elsewhere, their nakedness you shall not uncover. {10} 'The nakedness of your son's daughter or your daughter's daughter, their nakedness you shall not uncover; for theirs is your own nakedness. {11} 'The nakedness of your father's wife's daughter, begotten by your father; she is your sister; you shall not uncover her nakedness. {12} 'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's sister; she is near of kin to your father. {13} 'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother's sister, for she is near of kin to your mother. {14} 'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's brother. You shall not approach his wife; she is your aunt. {15} 'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law; she is your son's wife; you shall not uncover her nakedness. {16} 'You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother's wife; it is your brother's nakedness. {17} 'You shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter, nor shall you take her son's daughter or her daughter's daughter, to uncover her nakedness. They are near of kin to her. It is wickedness. {18} 'Nor shall you take a woman as a rival to her sister, to uncover her nakedness while the other is alive. {19} 'Also you shall not approach a woman to uncover her nakedness as long as she is in her customary impurity. {20} 'Moreover you shall not lie carnally with your neighbor's wife, to defile yourself with her. {21} 'And you shall not let any of your descendants pass through the fire to Molech, nor shall you profane the name of your God: I am the LORD. |
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| Mark 6:18 For John had said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife." | |
| Malachi 2:11-12 Judah has dealt treacherously, And an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem, For Judah has profaned The Lord's holy institution which He loves: He has married the daughter of a foreign god. {12} May the LORD cut off from the tents of Jacob The man who does this, being awake and aware, Yet who brings an offering to the LORD of hosts! |
allowing, tolerating, keeping of stews, and resorting to them; 1 Kings 15:12; 2 Kings 23:7; Deut. 23:17-18; Lev. 19:29; Jer. 5:7; Prov. 7:24-27
| 1 Kings 15:12 And he banished the perverted persons from the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made. | |
| 2 Kings 23:7 Then he tore down the ritual booths of the perverted persons that were in the house of the LORD, where the women wove hangings for the wooden image. | |
| Deuteronomy 23:17-18 "There shall be no ritual harlot of the daughters of Israel, or a perverted one of the sons of Israel. {18} "You shall not bring the wages of a harlot or the price of a dog to the house of the LORD your God for any vowed offering, for both of these are an abomination to the LORD your God. | |
| Leviticus 19:29 'Do not prostitute your daughter, to cause her to be a harlot, lest the land fall into harlotry, and the land become full of wickedness. | |
| Jeremiah 5:7 "How shall I pardon you for this? Your children have forsaken Me And sworn by those that are not gods. When I had fed them to the full, Then they committed adultery And assembled themselves by troops in the harlots' houses. | |
| Proverbs 7:24-27 Now therefore, listen to me, my children; Pay attention to the words of my mouth: {25} Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways, Do not stray into her paths; {26} For she has cast down many wounded, And all who were slain by her were strong men. {27} Her house is the way to hell, Descending to the chambers of death. |
entangling vows of single life, Matt. 19:10-11
| Matthew 19:10-11 His disciples said to Him, "If such is the case of the man with his wife, it is better not to marry." {11} But He said to them, "All cannot accept this saying, but only those to whom it has been given: |
undue delay of marriage, 1 Cor. 7:7-9; Gen. 38:26
| 1 Corinthians 7:7-9 For I wish that all men were even as I myself. But each one has his own gift from God, one in this manner and another in that. {8} But I say to the unmarried and to the widows: It is good for them if they remain even as I am; {9} but if they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion. | |
| Genesis 38:26 So Judah acknowledged them and said, "She has been more righteous than I, because I did not give her to Shelah my son." And he never knew her again. |
having more wives or husbands than one at the same time; Mal. 2:14-15; Matt. 19:5
| Malachi 2:14-15 Yet you say, "For what reason?" Because the LORD has been witness Between you and the wife of your youth, With whom you have dealt treacherously; Yet she is your companion And your wife by covenant. {15} But did He not make them one, Having a remnant of the Spirit? And why one? He seeks godly offspring. Therefore take heed to your spirit, And let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth. | |
| Matthew 19:5 "and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? |
unjust divorce, Mal. 2:16; Matt. 5:32
| Malachi 2:16 "For the LORD God of Israel says That He hates divorce, For it covers one's garment with violence," Says the LORD of hosts. "Therefore take heed to your spirit, That you do not deal treacherously." | |
| Matthew 5:32 "But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery. |
or desertion; 1 Cor. 7:12-13
| 1 Corinthians 7:12-13 But to the rest I, not the Lord, say: If any brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her. {13} And a woman who has a husband who does not believe, if he is willing to live with her, let her not divorce him. |
idleness, gluttony, drunkenness, Ezek. 16:49; Prov. 23:30-33
| Proverbs 23:30-33 Those who linger long at the wine, Those who go in search of mixed wine. {31} Do not look on the wine when it is red, When it sparkles in the cup, When it swirls around smoothly; {32} At the last it bites like a serpent, And stings like a viper. {33} Your eyes will see strange things, And your heart will utter perverse things. | |
| Ezekiel 16:49 "Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughter had pride, fullness of food, and abundance of idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. |
unchaste company; Gen. 39:19; Prov. 5:8
| Genesis 39:19 So it was, when his master heard the words which his wife spoke to him, saying, "Your servant did to me after this manner," that his anger was aroused. | |
| Proverbs 5:8 Remove your way far from her, And do not go near the door of her house, |
lascivious songs, books, pictures, dancings, stage plays; Eph. 5:4; Ezek. 23:14-16; Isa. 23:15-17; Isa. 3:16; Mark 6:22; Rom. 13:13; 1 Pet. 4:3
| Ephesians 5:4 neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. | |
| Ezekiel 23:14-16 But she increased her harlotry; She looked at men portrayed on the wall, Images of Chaldeans portrayed in vermilion, {15} Girded with belts around their waists, Flowing turbans on their heads, All of them looking like captains, In the manner of the Babylonians of Chaldea, The land of their nativity. {16} As soon as her eyes saw them, She lusted for them And sent messengers to them in Chaldea. | |
| Isaiah 23:15-17 Now it shall come to pass in that day that Tyre will be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king. At the end of seventy years it will happen to Tyre as in the song of the harlot: {16} "Take a harp, go about the city, You forgotten harlot; Make sweet melody, sing many songs, That you may be remembered." {17} And it shall be, at the end of seventy years, that the LORD will visit Tyre. She will return to her hire, and commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world on the face of the earth. | |
| Isaiah 3:16 Moreover the LORD says: "Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, And walk with outstretched necks And wanton eyes, Walking and mincing as they go, Making a jingling with their feet, | |
| Mark 6:22 And when Herodias' daughter herself came in and danced, and pleased Herod and those who sat with him, the king said to the girl, "Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you." | |
| Romans 13:13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. | |
| 1 Peter 4:3 For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles; when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. |
and all other provocations to, or acts of uncleanness, either in ourselves or others. 2 Kings 9:30; Jer. 4:30; Ezek. 23:40
| 2 Kings 9:30 Now when Jehu had come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she put paint on her eyes and adorned her head, and looked through a window. | |
| Jeremiah 4:30 "And when you are plundered, What will you do? Though you clothe yourself with crimson, Though you adorn yourself with ornaments of gold, Though you enlarge your eyes with paint, In vain you will make yourself fair; Your lovers will despise you; They will seek your life. | |
| Ezekiel 23:40 "Furthermore you sent for men to come from afar, to whom a messenger was sent; and there they came. And you washed yourself for them, painted your eyes, and adorned yourself with ornaments. |
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