Adultery is talked about in peculiar ways throughout scripture. Most notably we read about adulterous people and nations which never have anything to do with cheating spouses.
The simple conclusion we draw about these phrases is that it’s used to refer to people who cheat on Yahuah God, with other gods.
In this 2 part study, I will introduce you to a more comprehensive understanding and context that you can apply to strengthen your walk and position in the kingdom and become more like Yashua.
It was while reading the non-canonical Gospel of Mary that I read these words and decided to dive deeper into adultery to understand its nature.
The Savior replied, “There is no such thing as sin; rather, you yourselves are what produces sin when you act in accordance with the nature of adultery, which is called ‘sin.’ For this reason, the Good came among you, pursuing the good that belongs to every nature. It will set it within its root.”
Gospel of Mary, Nag Hammadi Scriptures
This idea of sin being the product of acts done according to the nature of adultery made sense. Also, “the good came among you pursuing the good that belongs to everything in nature” sounds alot like John 1’s prologue about the light, which captured my full attention.
In this non-canonical text, Mary claimed that Yashua taught her that people produce sin when they act in accordance with the nature of adultery. This implies that sin is a human creation that is the result of lacking self-disciplined – acting out of desire and lust, rather than according to what is good, functional, and right. This is the nature of adultery.
According to Mary, Yashua also said that the functional (good) came pursuing the functional (good) that is in everything in nature so that function would take root within itself…
In other words, we are design to be functional but function needs to be established in us before we can be considered functional (good).
At minimum, we must know these two things so that function may be rooted in us…
1. What is functional according to scripture?
2. What is our personal function?
We’ll come back to this in part two.
What Yashua was talking about was two natures.
1. An adulterous nature – who we are by default.
2. A functional nature – who we are by nature.
The text implies that the adulterous nature is unnatural. We learn to act according to our lust and desires because it requires no self-discipline.
Discipline is defined as a branch of knowledge, a system of rules of conduct, or training to obey a code of conduct.
Why is acting according to our desires our default setting?
Because we lack a complete and proper functional discipline (i.e. established roots of function), so we default to the nature of adultery which requires no discipline.
It’s impossible to master self-discipline without a good understanding of the code of conduct – a discipline. This is something we aren’t born with. Unlike our functional nature, it must be learned.
We are functional by design but humans are like computers without operating systems. We can be programmed to do simple commands (i.e. Do what we want to) and are primed for doing so much more (i. e. Do what we’re supposed to) but without a functional operating system (a set of instructions) we’re incapable of functioning at full capacity so that we’re far more useful to the kingdom.
Your laptop and cell phone are not functional without a compatible operating system that works and neither are you. See it’s all about the operating system that makes the hardware do what it was created to do.
Yashua came to us as the code (aka the WORD) to establish the code in us because we were all created to be the code.
Who We Are vs Who We Act Like
Our functional nature comes naturally. So, we find ourselves yearning to be and do according to our functional design but doing so requires self-discipline which we haven’t mastered. Hence, Yashua says, “The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.”
This principle is discussed in Ecclesiastes 3:9 where the author explains that over time he learned that there is no reward in doing only what we are driven to do.
Yashua also talks about this in Matthew when he explains if we only give to those we care most about, how are we different from the common sinner.
See, he really did understand this principle that the adulterous nature of people is the single common factor that exists among all sinners. That is, doing what we desire to do is our default nature in the absence of a discipline of function.
You’ll see him applying this principle in many of his encounters. When he’s saying and doing things that seem contrary to Mosaic law he argues on the basis of function and explains that the religious leaders of his time lacked the discipline of function and instead practiced the discipline of tradition – doing the things they desired more than function.
Specifically, consider the story where he says that those leaders would get their sheep out of a hole on the Sabbath (desire) but has a problem with him healing on the Sabbath (function).
He even goes on to say, here and elsewhere, “Is it illegal to do good on the Sabbath?”, establishing that doing what is right and good should take precedence over ones desires and traditions.
Conclusion
The simple truth is that sin is the result of humanity choosing their own lust and desires over self-discipline or doing what is right and functional.
However, since functionality comes naturally it only needs to be rooted or established in a person and sin will no longer be created by them.
The person in whom the true nature of the living becomes established, defeats sin. This principle is affirmed in Cain and Eve’s stories.
Yahuah explained to Chewah (Eve) that the consequence of her choosing her desire for understanding over doing what HE said was functional would be that her man would rule over her because her desire would now be towards him.
Later in Genesis, HE explained this to Cain…
“If you do what is functional, you will be elevated. If you do not do what is functional, sin awaits at the door desiring you and you’ll entertain it as a viable option in your decision making process.”
Point is, Yahuah HIMSELF explains the principle Mary claimed Yashua taught her. When we choose to act according to our own lustful desires (Cain holding back his best produce from Yahuah), we create sin. Then as we make decisions, the sin we created stands by opportunistically waiting for us to choose it over function – drawing to itself the thing it desires. Hence, acting according to the nature of adultery produces sin.
It can be said that we are innately good but unaware of this functional human condition just as John 1 expresses. So, not understanding our original nature, we default to the nature of adultery, acting according to what we want in any given moment rather than according to what is functional for us to do.
To act functionally is to do what one is created to do at all costs. Scripture gives us these guidelines directly in laws and customs and indirectly in stories, prophecy, principles, and spiritual experiences. But the greatest teacher of function by far is Yashua.
He proved that self-discipline and having a discipline by which we manage our actions is the prescription for overcoming sin. He proved it with his life, death, and resurrection.
The light John talks about that is in every human is function aka good. But only Yashua established it in himself, making him a son of Yahuah. Meaning, he acted according to what was functional rather than according to his own desires choosing the nature of life, rather than the nature of adultery which leads to death.
At the end of the day we have one decision to make millions of times over the course of our lives…
Will I act according to my desires or according to my design?
The Discipline of Function (Part 2)