Week 36: What is “faithfulness”?

Seven of the Ten Commandments instruct us not to do something. God’s negative commands (“You shall not…”), suggest that there’s something we should do. This week we’ll see how that works with the Seventh Commandment and why it’s so important for husbands and wives to be faithful to each other.

Be ready to read the following passages:

Let’s start it.

Name something you have been told not to do, and then tell your family what the opposite behavior should be.

Let’s learn it.

Every sinful behavior has an opposite, God-honoring behavior. Read the Seventh Commandment in Exodus 20:14. What command did God give to people who are married? What do you think the opposite behavior should be?

God designed romantic love to be between a husband and wife. Adultery is the sinful act of a married person showing that kind of affection to someone other than his or her spouse. God’s command for married people to not commit adultery is also a command to be a faithful husband or wife.

Being faithful in marriage mirrors the character of God. Take a look at what the following psalms say about God’s faithfulness – Psalms 117:1-2 and 145:13. God is always faithful to His people and to His promises. When a man and woman get married they promise to love, honor, and cherish each other this way. As followers of Christ, we should be faithful to our promises to each other and to Him.

We’ve been learning that Jesus had a lot to say about the Old Testament laws and the Ten Commandments when He lived on Earth. Do you remember what we learned last week about hatred? Well, just as hatred is like committing murder in the heart, even thinking about another person the way God wants husbands and wives to think about each other is committing adultery in the heart. Ask a family member to read Matthew 5:27-28 to see exactly what Jesus said.

Husbands and wives should remain faithful to their spouse with their entire being – body, mind, and heart. But what do you think Jesus did when He learned someone had been unfaithful? Stop and read John 8:1-11 to see how Jesus surprised the teachers of the Law. God wants us to stop any sin we are committing and be faithful to Him.

So why is it so important for a husband and wife to be faithful to each other? Because God created marriage to be a picture of our relationship with Him. God is faithful to us and forgives us when we are unfaithful. And He gives us the ability to forgive others and be faithful to the promises we have made.

Let’s discuss it.

  1. What promises have you made to God and to other people? How can you be faithful to those promises this week?
  2. From what you’ve learned about the fifth and seventh commandments, describe in your own words what God wants a Christian home to look like.

Let’s do it.

There’s so much more to God’s commands than “You shall not,” isn’t there? Living to please the Lord means turning away from sinful thoughts and behaviors. But it also means thinking and acting in ways that honor Him. Pay special attention this week to the things parents and teachers tell you not to do. Think about what the opposite behavior would be – then do it!

Think about how your family described a Christian home. How will you honor God this week as a child, a parent, or a spouse? Be determined to keep your promises to one