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Romans 12:9 “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.” 

Think

You’ve probably heard that resisting temptation is all about saying no. But the deeper truth is this: lasting faithfulness isn’t just built on saying no to the wrong thing. It’s built on saying a stronger yes to the right one.

The seventh commandment—“You shall not commit adultery”—isn’t just about avoiding an affair. It’s about preserving a promise. It’s about protecting the yes you gave when you stood before God, before witnesses, and declared love, loyalty, and lifelong faithfulness to another person.

That yes is sacred. And like anything sacred, it needs to be protected, nurtured, and renewed again and again. Think about the vows made in a wedding ceremony. “For better or worse. For richer or poorer. In sickness and in health.” That kind of commitment doesn’t thrive on emotions alone. It thrives on daily choices. On deliberate pursuit. On repeatedly saying yes to the one you already chose.

If you’re married, your strongest defense against adultery isn’t fear. It’s love. It’s intentionally cultivating connection, friendship, laughter, intimacy, and trust with your spouse. It’s knowing their needs, caring for their heart, choosing humility over pride, and presence over escape.

Marriages don’t usually fall apart in dramatic moments. They erode through neglect. A missed date night. A lack of communication. Emotional disconnection. Then comes the stress, the distance, the resentment. And before long, someone else’s attention starts to feel more appealing than your own spouse’s silence. The enemy knows this. He doesn’t just wait for the crisis. He works in the drift.

That’s why Romans 12:9 is such a powerful reminder. “Love must be sincere.” The word for sincere means “without hypocrisy.” It’s not love that pretends. It’s not love that only acts committed when it’s convenient. Sincere love hates evil, clings to good. It holds fast. It fights for the vow. It says yes, over and over again, even when emotions lag behind.

Faithfulness is not about perfection. It’s about direction. What direction is your heart pointed today? Are you moving toward your spouse or away? Are you more emotionally available to someone else than to the person you promised your life to?

Maybe you feel like the yes you gave years ago has grown quiet. Maybe the romance has faded. Maybe it feels like you’re just managing life side-by-side without real connection. If that’s you, today is a chance to turn back. Not with shame, but with intention.

You can say yes again. Not just once, but every day. Yes to serving. Yes to listening. Yes to forgiveness. Yes to laughter. Yes to touch. Yes to showing up, even when you feel misunderstood. Yes to building something stronger than what the world around you says is possible.

If you’re single, this message matters just as much. Because a sincere yes to purity now is how you prepare for covenant later. A sincere yes to honoring God with your body, your thoughts, your decisions—that forms your future faithfulness. You’re not waiting to be faithful when you’re married. You’re practicing it now. Every yes matters.

The world celebrates freedom that looks like doing whatever feels good in the moment. But biblical love is rooted in a different kind of freedom—the kind that comes from being fully known, fully seen, and still fully loved. That doesn’t happen through casual commitment. It happens when two people keep saying yes, even when it’s hard.

Think about a garden. No matter how beautiful it once was, it won’t stay that way without tending. Weeds will grow. The soil will dry. Fruit won’t appear by accident. But when the gardener shows up daily—pulling weeds, watering roots, protecting what matters—life grows. Beauty returns. That’s what a marriage needs. Attention. Care. A gardener who shows up.

A stronger yes doesn’t come from guilt. It comes from vision. From remembering what’s at stake. From believing that God's design for love, sex, and marriage isn't just moral—it's beautiful. Sacred. Worth guarding.

You don’t protect something by fear. You protect it by love. You don’t stay faithful because you’re terrified of getting caught. You stay faithful because you’ve seen what love can become when it’s nurtured for a lifetime.

For those who have failed,who have broken the vow, who’ve been unfaithful or betrayed—this is not a message of exclusion. It’s an invitation. Grace is still yours. Redemption is still possible. You can say yes to faithfulness starting today. Even if you've said a thousand no's in the past, God’s mercy invites you to a new beginning.

A faithful life doesn’t mean you’ve never fallen. It means you keep coming back to the cross, keep leaning into grace, and keep choosing obedience even when it’s costly. So what’s your yes today?

Maybe it’s a text to your spouse, thanking them. Maybe it’s planning a date night. Maybe it’s apologizing first. Maybe it’s choosing to walk away from an emotional attachment that’s stealing your attention. Maybe it’s clearing the slate with God and saying, “I want to live different.” The vow still matters. And it can still be kept. One yes at a time.

Apply

Ask yourself: What does a stronger yes look like in my life right now? What’s one intentional way I can move toward faithfulness—whether in my marriage, my singleness, or my healing? Take that step today. Not out of pressure, but out of love.

Pray

God, thank you for your unfailing love. Teach me to love sincerely. Help me say yes again to what is good, right, and holy. Strengthen my heart to stay faithful—not just in action, but in desire. Help me guard what matters, and pursue the people and promises you’ve entrusted to me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.