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Adultery is Forgivable
by Angie Lewis
Heaven Ministries
First of all let me say this, I don’t condone adultery. And just
because it is forgivable by God, if a spouse repents and turns from
their sin, doesn’t make it justifiable in any way shape or form.
Infidelity always hurts someone and causes much unneeded animosity
between couples. It’s best to be healthy minded spiritually and
mentally so you won’t be tempted by lustful desires in the first
place. But unfortunately many Christians today are not keeping as
spiritually fit as they should.
I got an email yesterday by a grieving man who couldn’t understand
how I could write articles on forgiving a spouse of adultery. He is
still going through such a hard time of it, trying to forgive his wife,
which at this stage of his grieving, would be worse than death itself.
He is in the denial stage of forgiveness. Anger keeps us living in our
horrid feelings and we deny forgiveness even exists. But the fact is, if
Jesus would forgive adultery then we as believers need to do the same.
I explain to couples all the time about the basic principles on how
to forgive their spouse of adultery. Why do I do this? Why do I waste my
time on trying to explain to people how to forgive when they are in so
much pain and suffering? I do it because it is scriptural! It’s not
about what I write in my articles and books. I don’t tell people to
forgive, God does! What I write comes from the word of God. If you see
my opinion in an article I will usually say, “I believe”, or “I
think.”
Just last week I get an email from someone who wants me to tell them
it’s okay for them to divorce their husband or wife because of
unfaithfulness. But I don’t give them what they want. I don’t tell
them what their ears want to hear because that is not what scripture
says. Many times I have to tell people things that they don’t want to
hear.
Infidelity is not a loophole for divorce! (Matthew 5:31-32) (Matthew
19:3-12) (Mark 10: 2-10) (Luke 16:15-18) (Romans 7:2-3) (1 Corinthians
6:9-10)
I would never advise anyone to divorce his or her spouse because of
infidelity. That is not what the bible says! I don’t have this
Christian marriage ministry to make friends. I have been given this
marriage ministry to help people! In my articles on forgiveness I show
couples how to forgive and work on healing themselves and restoring
their marriage.
Adultery is common in Christian homes today and it is because they
are not interacting with God about these moral issues but are relying
upon their own understanding of things, which is most likely, based upon
their feelings and what feels good. Most of these individuals are not
bad people; they have only gotten lax with their beliefs and spiritual
efforts in Christ Jesus. As Christian’s, don’t forget, we are the
example to everyone else; isn’t that important to you?
The Christian
life is not about going after what WE desire; at least it isn’t for
the believer. Christ Ones have a responsibility to Him that overshadows
everything else. The believer has a responsibility to God before
anything else in his life. If a Christian is not FIRST living up to his
or her responsibilities in Christ, then how can you expect him to be
responsible in his or her marriage? It isn’t going to happen! For the
Christian, there is only one way and that is God’s way.
“Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves
me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him
and show myself to him.” (John 14:21 NIV) ~~~ |