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Living Hope SDA Church

Christian Martin

Infidelity: A Moral Crisis Amid the Pandemic

Our Father in heaven, thank you Lord that you have been good to us.

And how thankful we are Lord to be able to be in a place to have opportunity and time right now to be able to open the scriptures and to seek to hear a word that comes from you.

So we ask that the Holy Spirit would be active in our hearts and minds right now.

My message today is entitled, Infidelity, The moral crisis amid the pandemic.

You know, while we cope with the global pandemic, there is yet another crisis that lurks in the shadows.

Many countries continue to report deaths and positive cases of COVID-19 on a daily basis.

But amid the pandemic that is impacting us physically, there is another crisis in the moral realm that is claiming even more casualties.

The moral crisis, which I speak of, is infidelity.

Simply defined as the action or state of being unfaithful to a spouse.

Or for that matter, I might add, being unfaithful to God in the context of spiritual things, in the context of moral absolutes.

You know, infidelity is by no means a new practice in this generation, and much less during this pandemic.

It could be traced back millenniums ago to the most well-known king of Israel, as he stood in the roof of his palace, as recorded in 2 Samuel 11.

Furthermore, it could be traced back even further, another 400 years beyond David, when Moses received the moral law from God himself as recorded in Exodus chapter 20, which includes the imperative, thou shall not commit adultery.

Yet the reality of infidelity can go even further back.

Another 430 years as a choice that Joseph did not make when confronted by Pharaoh's wife.

And Joseph, when he was tempted to commit infidelity, his response was, How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?

And in the context of spiritual things, infidelity can go back even further.

Back to the very beginning of the human race.

When Adam and Eve made a choice to be unfaithful to their creator.

And yet further back, we can trace it to the rebellious act of a heavenly being named Lucifer.

All this before the creation of the world, thus becoming the father of infidelity.

Sadly, as you can see, infidelity is an ancient practice.

However, we are told by Jesus himself that prior to his coming, moral sin, including infidelity, would be widespread.

Jesus said that as we anticipate his return, that the moral fabric of our society will not get any better but worse.

And not only worse, but widespread, as evidenced by the world's biggest infidelity website, known as Ashley Madison.

When 1 comes across its blunt slogan on their website, it either feels like a slap to our moral senses to some or a stimulant to the carnal nature to even a greater number.

The slogan there reads, life is short, have an affair.

The site's creator has been given the title King of Infidelity.

And he has spent the past 18 years helping over 50 million people in over 45 countries quote, cheat on their significant other.

The site which recruits a new member every 11 seconds, both of being the most successful website for finding an affair.

So why call this moral crisis or this infidelity the moral crisis of the pandemic?

After all, as we saw a few moments ago, the infidelity has been a moral issue for now for millenniums.

But this pandemic has apparently made things worse.

During 2019, the company added 15, 500 new members a day.

But since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been adding 17, 000 new members a day.

That's an average of over 700 every hour around the clock.

Particularly during this pandemic, why is it that for the last few months spikes have been noted on cheating websites.

Now do we blame the stress caused by the economical impact of COVID-19?

This is causing high levels of stress among families across the country and no doubt this is creating a high level of anxiety and stress for many men and women?

Or could it be the anxiety of being socially isolated?

This is messing with our ability to cope socially and leading us to make immoral choices?

Or is it the emotional impact caused by the overall stress levels that are frankly off the charts?

Now I suppose that 1 could argue that all of these are contributing factors to the sudden rise of infidelity as we speak.

And combined with the need to cope with the stresses of a global pandemic, what we've done is it has created the perfect storm, shall I call it the perfect sinful storm, for far too many men and women.

The circumstances, the stress, and the carnal nature that can be awakened at any moment.

In an inclusive interview with Ashley Madison's website, the creator asserts, monogamy is dead.

We're living in a world of infidelity and it's time to redefine mortality.

I believe that with time adultery will become accepted as a natural part of what it means to be human.

To be human, the sobering reality is that in 1 point he is right.

Case in point, back in 1969, just over 50 years ago, Gallup poll researchers asked Americans this question.

Do you think it's wrong for a man and a woman to have sexual relations before marriage or not?

Yes, wrong, responded 68% of those polled, mind you, in 1969.

But in 2018, the same question was asked by Gallup poll researchers, is it wrong?

Yes, wrong, responded 32% of those polled.

Now though society may think to change morals and values, the Morals declared by God, which are a reflection of his character, which changes not, have not, and will never change.

And when he speaks and declares morals, they're not just mere statements.

They're a reflection of who he is, of his very character.

Now I would expect to hear a hearty amen from God-fearing Christians as we affirm that God never changes, neither do his morals.

Except, except, that infidelity among religious couples remains nearly as high as the national average.

The website Ashley Madison shows that 70%, over 70% of its users label themselves as Christians.

Have we as Bible-believing Christians been spiritual distancing from the context of biblical principles.

Take for instance the well-known verse found in 1 Corinthians chapter 6.

I'm going to turn to a passage that is actually well known to many of us.

Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?

Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit which are God's.

I'm sure you have as a Bible-believing Christian.

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Infidelity: A Moral Crisis Amid the Pandemic

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