October 14 Daily Devotional

Fidelity

Charles and Norma Ellis

Bible Reading:

Matthew 5:27-32

²⁷Ye 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.
²⁹And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
³⁰And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
³¹It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:
³²But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.

Devotional:

The baby has grown up to be a man, the God-man. In this chapter He is preaching His best-known sermon, The Sermon on the Mount. It is of much profit to see how the teachings here harmonize with and complement the teachings we read from the Old Testament.

The Lord Jesus speaks out severely against adultery. The simple words of the Eighth Commandment, 'Thou shalt not commit adultery' were amplified in the Tenth Commandment to include even the coveting of our neighbor's wife, so this strong denunciation of both the adulterous deed and desire should not surprise us. The Saviour saw the need of emphasizing the inward aspects of the command, which had been neglected during the previous centuries. Attitudes are the basic subject of this part of his discourse. It is from these that actions spring.

This section underlines, too, the exclusiveness of marriage: one man and one woman until death! This allows for no temporary arrangements, no trial marriages, no triangles of any kind. The truly Christian marriage calls for complete fidelity, even of the inner man. The relationship in such a marriage is one of voluntary faithfulness and complete freedom from concern over the faithfulness of the partner.

Are we as the Bride of Christ as true to Him as our relationship requires? Great is His faithfulness. What about ours?

We are happy to have obtained permission to post as our current daily devotional Heirs Together of Life: Daily Bible Reading for Husbands and Wives, published by The Banner of Truth Trust. Don't be misled by the subtitle. As the book's "Preface" indicates (see below), although Heirs Together of Life is "especially prepared for couples,"the authors declare, "Since the basis for this guide is God's Word, we believe it would have value for any reader."

Charles and Norma Ellis are husband and wife and the authors not only of Heirs Together of Life (which was first published in 1980 and continues in print today), but also of Wells of Salvation (first published in 1985, and likewise still in print today). The latter contains a series of short studies covering the entire book of Isaiah, while the former contains a series of almost 200 short studies covering the entire Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. Both books by the Ellises can be ordered from the publisher, The Banner of Truth Trust. We trust that these daily Bible readings, posted daily on our site, will be helpful to you in your Christian walk before God. Whether married or not, all of us are members of families and members of the family of God.

Charles Ellis was educated at Wheaton College and Westminster Theological Seminary. Upon graduation from Westminster (where he earned not only a Th.B. but also a Th.M.), he was ordained to the ministry in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church and pastored a number of OPC churches, including Immanuel OPC in West Collingswood, New Jersey; First OPC in Cincinnati, Ohio; Covenant OPC in East Orange, New Jersey; Knox OPC in Silver Spring, Maryland; and Lakeview OPC in Rockport, Maine. Less biographical information is available about his wife, but it is known that they served as parents of seven children. After retiring from the ministry, Charles Ellis went to be with the Lord in 2003, but he and his wife left us with a beautiful legacy in the two books they have given to the world, and we are proud to share the daily Bible readings from Heirs Together of Life here with you.