Let Jehovah Fortiffy Your Marriage

GUARD YOUR HEART

How is it possible for a Christian to be drawn in to immoral conduct?  The disastrous path of immorality often starts with the eyes. Jesus explained:  "Everyone who keeps on looking at  a woman so as to have a passion for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart." (Matthew 5:27, 28; 2 Peter 2:14)  Christians who have fallen into wrong-doing have weakened their moral defenses by viewing pornography, reading erotic literature, or watching lurid material on the Internet. Other have allowed themselves to be entertained  by sexually explicit movies, stage shows, or television programs.  Some have visited nightclubs and strip shows or have  gone to massage parlors for sensual massages.  

Some succumb to temptation because they turn to the wrong person for attention. In a world that lacks  restraint and that thrives on every sort of immorality, it is all too easy  for a deceitful and desperate  heart to spawn romantic  feelings for someone  other than a marriage mate.  (Read Jeremiah 17:9, 10) Jesus said:   "Out of the heart come wicked reasonings, murders, adulteries, sexual immorality." -Matthew 15:19. 

Once illicit desires take root in their treacherous hearts, two people who are  attached to each other may find themselves discussing matters that they should be sharing only with their spouse.  Soon, they create more and more opportunities to be together, and seemingly innocent and ostensibly accidental encounters become more frequent. As their feelings become more intense, their moral defenses weaken.  The further they go down a sinful path, the more difficult it is to stop, even though they know that what they are doing is wrong. -Proverbs 7:21, 22. 

Spiritual fortifications progressively crumble as wrong desires and speech lead to holding hands, kissing, caressing, passion-arousing heavy petting, and other expressions of affection, all of which should be given only to their marriage mates.  Ultimately, they are "drawn out and enticed ["caught  as by bait,"] by [their] own desire."  When the desire has become fertile, it "gives birth to sin"-in this case, sexual immorality.  (James 1:14, 15) How tragic!  The entire moral collapse could have been avoided had both individuals allowed Jehovah to fortify their respect for the sanctity of marriage. But how? 

Next time: Let Jehovah Fortify Your Marriage - KEEP DRAWING CLOSE TO GOD

From the Watchtower magazine, 2015