Committing Adultery with the Bride of Christ

Often eunuchs were put in charge of a King’s harem for the obvious reason that they had been emasculated, therefore no sexual appetite or desire would interfere with their job assignment, and involvement in the many needed and necessary duties assigned by the king. Frequently, these duties would involve the eunuch being in very close proximity to women when performing their purification preparations. They would see the women partially or totally disrobed, and would even assist in overseeing the proper bathing protocol. These women were the King’s property and any hint of sexual impropriety would not only contaminate the woman (whose life would quickly be snuffed out), but the eunuch in charge would meet with the severest and most gruesome of punishments.

What I believe I am seeing is this: we all have egos, and the degree to which my longing or needs are not met in Him alone, I will be a moving target for the enemy of my soul to entice me to take that which is His and use it for my own selfish unrestrained appetites – much like Lucifer trying to steal the glory of the Father. My involvement in and amongst the body of Christ will be (whether consciously or not) to solicit or steal the heart affections of a member of His bride to meet some unmet need within my soul. In other words, I see it being very possible to commit spiritual adultery with another Man’s wife-to-be. How is this possible? Let’s say in my soul I crave affirmation, attention or recognition and I love to hear how my spiritual insights or counsel bless others. Let’s say those insights or counsel are spoken to someone who craves (in his/her soul) someone to lead them, to advise them, to comfort them – a role that should be fulfilled by the Lord alone. That person would look to ME instead of to the Lord, and in that sense I would be committing spiritual adultery.

The real inner workings of a man always seem to be where he cannot see, in the depths of the heart, where the motives and the intents dwell. The enemy of our soul knows exactly where the twisted areas of our soul are, and he seduces us from those vantage points.

However, as one brother put it, ‘the whole discipline of life is to enable us to enter into this closest relationship with Jesus Christ’ (becoming His friend, meaning identity in thought and heart and spirit), and a friend does not usurp that which is not rightfully his.

I like how plainly ‘The Message’ reads:

‘John answered, "It's not possible for a person to succeed—I'm talking about eternal success—without heaven's help. You yourselves were there when I made it public that I was not the Messiah but simply the one sent ahead of him to get things ready. The one who gets the bride is, by definition, the bridegroom. And the bridegroom's friend, his 'best man'—that's me—in place at his side where he can hear every word, is genuinely happy. How could he be jealous when he knows that the wedding is finished and the marriage is off to a good start? That's why my cup is running over. This is the assigned moment for him to move into the center, while I slip off to the sidelines.”

We need to be ever soberly vigilant that we direct others to depend upon the Lord, and not on us or anyone else, be they preachers, teachers, evangelists or brothers or sisters in the Lord lest we discover, too late, that we have stolen the affections of His Bride.

Rich