Find Out If There’s A Sincere Desire To Work Things Out
Even though the times have changed, divorce is still viewed as something that can be sinful, especially if your reasons are impure.
So if your spouse has cheated, and you want to stay together, its time for a lot of marriage counseling.
You may be in a position to get a divorce, especially if the harm causes you to be in danger in any way.
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Bible Verses About Forgiving Your Spouse
If you are reading this article, perhaps you are having a difficult time forgiving your spouse or that special someone in your life.
In This Article
It is even possible that you are finding it hard to forgive yourself for some reason, so you are seeking bible verses about forgiveness.
So, what does the bible say about forgiveness in marriage?
Before we talk about bible verses on forgiveness, let us try to understand what the bible says about marriage and what does the Bible say about relationships.
Marriage in the bible is referred to as an indissoluble relationship except on the highest grounds Matthew 19:9.
The relationship is fruitful Genesis 1:28.
So, as per the Bible verses about marriage, marriage is a devoted and complementing unification between a man and a woman.
In this union, the two become one physically, in the whole of life, as per the Bible verses on marriage, and the Bible verses for married couples.
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It Is One Of The Most Condemned Sins In The Bible
Infidelity or adultery is one of the most frequently and severely condemned sins in the Bible. Adultery is mentioned 52 times, including in the Ten Commandments, all four Gospels, and ten other books of the Bible. Only the sins of idolatry, self-righteousness and murder are mentioned more often. Infidelity is devastating to a marriage. There are many reasons why sex happens outside of marriage. Some people get trapped in affairs to give a conscious or subconscious wake-up call to the spouse. This might happen if your spouse has a different kind of lover outside of the marriage, such as a consuming career. Another reason some people get wrapped up in affairs is to inflate a bruised ego. You might want to get back at your spouse for something he or she did that hurt you rather than offering forgiveness and dealing with the root issue. Then, there are the friendships that get out of control where one thing, leads to another thing. Each of these scenarios is problematic and not Gods intention for marriage.
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Adultery Can Keep You Out Of The Kingdom Of God
In First Corinthians 6:9-10, the apostle Paul lists some sins that, if continued in without confession and repentance, will prevent the practitioner from entering Gods kingdom, Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. Included in this list is the sin of adultery. This further emphasizes how serious God views this sin. He knew the devastating effects adultery has on individuals and families and He wanted to protect us from that heartbreak. He still feels the same today.
Do Not Try To Cover Up Sin Repent And Seek Gods Forgiveness
David tried to cover his sinful behavior by bringing Bathshebas husband back from the battlefield. David hoped that Bathsheba and her husband would sleep together and everyone would believe it was this marital union that resulted in Bathshebas pregnancy. However, Bathshebas husband refuse to lay with his wife while the other men remained on the battlefield without him. It seems that Bathshebas husband had more morals than King David did in some matters.
Although David could have confessed and repented at this point, he decided to try another cover up. He had Bathshebas husband sent back into battle, placed on the front lines, and then abandoned to face death at the hands of the enemy. King David had Bathshebas husband murdered in the hope of covering his own sinful behavior. An important lesson to be learned from this is that one sin leads to another, oftentimes worse, sin if the sinner does not confess to God and repent of the sinful conduct .
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Tempted As We Are Yet Without Sin
When we are tempted with unclean thoughts, we can remember that Jesus opened a way out of sin for all of us: For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:15-16. At the throne of grace we will receive the help we need: For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted. Hebrews 2:18.
There is no true lasting happiness for a Christian outside the will of God. The momentary pleasures of adultery soon pass but the sorrow one reaps is very long lasting. Blessed are all those who choose, as Jesus, to suffer in doing the will of God, by not giving into temptation. Then we will become a blessing and example where we are and obtain the ever-increasing joys of a faithful life while on the earth and then throughout eternity.
Christian Quotes About Adultery
When adultery walks in, everything worth having walks out. Woodrow M. Kroll
Adultery occurs in the head long before it occurs in the bed.
Adultery is a moment of pleasure and a lifetime of pain. Its not worth it!
Divorce was never commanded, even for adultery. Otherwise God would have given His notice of divorce to Israel and Judah long before He did. A legitimate bill of divorce was allowable for adultery, but it was never commanded or required. It was a last resort to be used only when unrepentant immorality had exhausted the patience of the innocent spouse, and the guilty one would not be restored. John MacArthur
Passion is the evil in adultery. If a man has no opportunity of living with another mans wife, but if it is obvious for some reason that he would like to do so, and would do so if he could, he is no less guilty than if he was caught in the act. Augustine
The monstrosity of sexual intercourse outside marriage is that those who indulge in it are trying to isolate one kind of union from all the other kinds of union which were intended to go along with it and make up the total union. C. S. Lewis
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Infidelity Is Not Worth It
The truth about infidelity is it is very difficult to deal with. The Bible gives us guidelines, warnings, and instructions for how to avoid it and address it if it happens. Clearly, the best solution is to avoid it at all costs. Infidelity is simply not worth it. The momentary pleasure is not worth the backlash that comes with it. You will not be happier, and the outcomes will be far worse than you could imagine. Stay true to the one God has given you and may you find all the pleasure you desire, both in the bedroom and outside the bedroom, in the spouse God has joined you with. I will leave you with this last warning regarding infidelity.
Can a man scoop fire into his lap without his clothes being burned? Can a man walk on hot coals without his feet being scorched? So is he who sleeps with another mans wife no one who touches her will go unpunished. Proverbs 6:27-29
The Bible Prohibited Divorce Only One Time
God protects woman who are victims of rape. In the Deuteronomy version of this verse, it says the rapist can honorably marry the victim , but can never divorce her. The Exodus version of this verse says the father can withhold consent. He can simply collect the bride price from the rapist and say no to the marriage.
Here’s the point: There is no “get out of jail free” card for a rapist.
A man was not allowed to rape a woman, then cover up his crime by marrying her, then turn around and divorce her under made-up pretenses. Biblical law didn’t allow that level of treachery. He had to care for her properly for the rest of his life.
Now not all Ancient Near Eastern countries had such a tough law. Some just humiliated the rapist but nothing more. They didn’t force him to provide for the woman at all, much less for the rest of her life.
God’s 3,500-year-old law is better protection than what many U.S. states have today that allow child marriage. In the biblical law, the rapist couldn’t divorce her. And if he abused her, she had the right to ask the court for a divorce. And everyone knew it.
So we’ve learned that there are multiple places in the Old Testament where divorce is commanded, and this is the one time when divorce is prohibited, and it all hinges on protecting the injured one from the oppressor.
In fact, God in the Book of Jeremiah , says he’s the victim of serial adultery. So he divorced Israel. God himself a divorcee.
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The Law Of Moses Allowed Divorce For Abuse
The Law of Moses actually commanded divorce for breaking any of the three marriage vows in Exodus 21:10: food, clothing, and âmarital rights,â which can be defined as love, as we read in the New Testament passages earlier.
Exodus 21:10-11
If he takes another wife to himself, he shall not diminish food, her clothing, or her marital rights. And if he does not do these three things for her, she shall go out for nothing, without payment of money.
In the Book of Exodus, if a man took a second wife, it was against Gods command to reduce the first wifes food, clothing, or marital rights . He was not allowed to demote her to slave status. If he was unwilling to treat her as a wife, he had to let her go so she could marry someone who would treat her properly.
The same was true for a prisoner-of-war wife who was captured during a battle. If a man took a captive as his wife, he had to do her the honor of letting her mourn before sleeping with her. As his wife, she must be treated properly, not just raped.
The Law of Moses required divorce in cases where a man reduced his wife to a slave or tried to sell her. He had to let her go and give her the freedom to marry someone else. The husband could not treat this woman any way he wanted. She was either a wife with rights, or she had to be set free.
When a man chooses to be abusive, he breaks the covenant.An abusive man forfeits the right to remain married⦠Justin and Lindsey A. Holcomb
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What The Bible Says
In the Bible, adultery generally refers to voluntary sexual relations by a married personeither a man or a womanwith someone other than his or her mate. Adultery is a detestable thing in Gods eyes. In ancient Israel the penalty for it was death. Jesus taught that his followers must refrain from adultery.Matthew 5:27, 28 Luke 18:18-20.
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How Do You Deal With A Cheating Spouse In The Bible
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How To Deal With Infidelity Biblically With A Separation
Heres the thing, figuring all of this out is going to take time. Thats okay. I know you feel like you have to figure out how youre going to deal with this situation right now, but that is just the enemy trying to rush you into acting on your feelings instead of waiting on God.
If there is true repentance, it is going to take time for the fruit of that repentance to become obvious. You both need time to work through this mess with God and allow Him to guide your next steps.
Did you know there is an example in the Bible about the reconciliation of a marriage after infidelity? It can be found in the book of Hosea, and I think its a great place to look when seeking guidance on how to deal with infidelity Biblically!
God instructed Hosea to bring his unfaithful wife, Gomer, back into his house, but before the marriage would be restored, they were to spend a time in total abstinence.
Hosea 3:1-3 Then the Lord said to me, Go and love your wife again, even though she commits adultery with another lover So I bought her back for fifteen pieces of silver and five bushels of barley and a measure of wine. Then I said to her, You must live in my house for many days and stop your prostitution. During this time, you will not have sexual relations with anyone, not even with me.
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Important Lessons About Infidelity From The Bible
If Christ is truly at the center of your marriage, it will likely last until death.
Adultery is one of the most common and damaging causes of marriage breakdowns. The act of infidelity doesnt just show a lack of commitment, but also a betrayal of the vows that husband and wife agree to uphold throughout their marriage. We know that adultery is a huge attack on marriage because Scripture tells us this. In the Old Testament, God deemed adultery a sin punishable by death. According to the world, infidelity isnt a severe offense and the consequences arent that severe, but the truth is cheating on a spouse can ruin marriage. It can damage marital relationships, family bonds and friendships to a point beyond repair. The damaging effects of infidelity arent limited to the innocent parties either. Those committing adultery suffer its ramifications too. While Christians and non-Christians regard infidelity as morally wrong, it is still a common sin among married couples. Often, when people think of infidelity, they turn to acts of physical intimacy, but it goes way beyond this. The truth is no one is immune to temptation. Its important that always stay in close relationship to God, so that He strengthens us to resist temptation. We do this by staying close to Gods Word and His Will related to marriage. Here are six important lessons about infidelity straight from the Bible.
But The Unexpected Happened
The lady conceived and informed David about the pregnancy. David became worried and started searching for ways to cover up his sin.
So, he invited Uriah back home from the war and persuaded him to spend time with his wife. But he refused.
And Uriah said unto David, The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in tents and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open fields shall I then go into mine house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? as thou livest, and as thy soul liveth, I will not do this thing
So, it came to pass, David sought to kill Uriah. He sent a letter to the head of the Army saying
Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die.
After the death of Uriah, David married his widow, but God was not happy with him .
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How Do You Forgive An Unfaithful Husband
Forgive yourself for everything youre doing to feel okay. Forgive yourself for not knowing and for not asking the questions that were pressing against you when something didnt feel right. And let go of any shame for leaving, for staying, for any of the feelings you felt before the affair or during it or afterwards.
What Does The Bible Say About Adultery
Divorce and adultery are a very common occurrence in the United States. Nearly all of us have a family member that has been affected by either divorce or adultery. This is a topic frequently discussed in Scripture. What all does it entail? Why is it wrong? What does this have to do with marriage, divorce, and even our understanding of salvation? Lets take a look.
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Jesus Specifically Allowed Divorce For Infidelity
Matthew 19:9 And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.
Note that Jesus does not say this is the only reason for divorce. We find other reasons for divorce in Scripture. For a quick 7-minute video explanation by Rev. Dr. David Instone-Brewer of Cambridge, see this.
What Does The Bible Say About Adultery Five Important Lessons
Infidelity.com reports that 57% of American men and 54% of American women admit to committing infidelity in any relationship they have been in. The same site reports that 53% of American marriages end in divorce and that 74% of men and 68% of women says they would have an affair if they knew they would never be caught. 1 These are depressing statistics, to say the least.
Adultery is not only a sin against ones mate, but an attack on the sanctity of marriage, and a course of conduct that can cause havoc in many peoples lives.
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