The Recovery Under the Cross Midweek Meditation series on the 10 Commandments continues with the 6th Commandment: You shall not commit adultery.

The two most obvious ways in which the 6th Commandment is broken are spouses cheating on each other, or unmarried people fornicating.

The 6th Commandment goes deeper than that. Jesus tells us in his Sermon on the Mount that anyone looking at a woman lustfully commits adultery in his heart. The same is true for women looking lustfully at men.

One way people look lustfully at someone is often done in secret with near anonymity by watching porn on the Internet. Porn addiction has become more common since the launch of the Internet. Some try to soften porn addiction by saying it's not infidelity, thus not adultery. This is the work of Satan who lies in order to get us to sin. According to Jesus, anyone looking lustfully commits adultery.

Thankfully, we have Jesus who paid for all of our sins - even the sins committed in our adulterous hearts. God has also provided people in our lives to help those caught up in porn addiction to break free from it.

Conquerors Through Christ has a wealth of resources for helping someone caught up in porn addiction.

Recovery Under the Cross moves forward with the weekly Midweek Meditation series on the 10 Commandments. This week's meditation focuses on the 5th Commandment.

Exodus 20:13: You shall not commit murder. (EHV)

Naturally, murder is the main thing covered in the 5th Commandment. The 5th Commandment also forbids committing bodily harm to others and to ourselves. This week's Midweek Meditation will talk about murder committed within a person's heart - hatred (1 John 3:15).

What a blessing it is for us that Jesus paid for our sins of hatred toward others. Because of his great love for us, God turns our hate-filled hearts into loving hearts that forgive those who hurt us.

In the larger context of Scripture, the 4th Commandment covers more than obeying our parents. The 4th Commandment includes obeying all of God's representatives - in the home, in the church, in civil government. The last group seems to be the most difficult to honor and obey. It's hard for us to want to honor and obey those in civil government because it seems that so many people who serve in the government these days are corrupt and ego-maniacal in some way. Regardless of how our leaders think, act, and govern, God established government for our well-being and safety. It's God-pleasing for us to remember our civic leaders in our prayers, asking God to bless them with sound judgement, wisdom, and a servant-leader's heart.

One consequence of addiction is neglecting God's Word whether it's in our daily lives by letting our devotional life slide or giving up gathering with other Christians to worship God in church.

Today's Midweek Meditation turns our attention to the 3rd Commandment.

Exodus 20:8

Remember the Sabbath day by setting it apart as holy. (EHV)

The Recovery Under the Cross Midweek Meditation series on the 10 Commandments continues with the 2nd Commandment.

Exodus 20:7

You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God. (English Heritage Version)

One way we misuse God's name is by using His name to swear needlessly that something we say or do is true. Sometimes we use God's name to swear falsely, that is, to lie.

What a blessing we have in Jesus who kept His Heavenly Father's name holy for us, and washed away each time we misuse God's name for our own personal gain.

Recovery Under the Cross kicks off a new Midweek Meditation series on the 10 Commandments. For the next 9 weeks, the Midweek Meditation will focus on a commandment per week. The 9th and 10th Commandments will be combined because they both talk about coveting.

1st Commandment:

Exodus 20:3, "You shall have no other gods beside me." (English Heritage Version)

Quitting an addiction often leaves a void in what we do to occupy our time. Some people trade one addiction for another. Others find a hobby. Sadly, there are some who don't know how to fill the time void and end up relapsing.

Fill the time void with the Holy Spirit coming to you as you read and hear God's Word along with receiving the sacrament of Holy Communion on a regular basis. The blessings of being in God's Word on a daily basis are tremendous!

Had Christ not risen again from the dead, we would have reason to cling to the guilt and shame we feel about the hurt we caused with our addiction. Thanks be to God Christ did rise again from the dead! We are not dead in our sins. Christ's resurrection from the dead proves our salvation from sin, allowing us to let go of our guilt and shame and cling to the Gospel of the forgiveness of sins we have in Christ.