Some Christians consider those who divorce on unbiblical grounds and remarry as living in perpetual adultery; others disagree and believe a divorced and remarried Christian can receive God’s forgiveness for this act.
The Bible clearly teaches that adultery is a serious sin. Yet God can forgive anyone who repents of their transgression and shows sincere contrition for it.
Table of Contents
1. Repentance
Adultery is a grave sin with serious repercussions for those involved. It threatens marriage itself and destroys relationships among spouses, children, extended family, friends and even professional acquaintances. Due to the magnitude of its effects, many question if God forgives adultery; yes but repentance must first occur for His forgiveness to take effect.
Repentance, as defined by the Bible, involves an inner transformation and change of direction. The word itself comes from Greek phrase meaning to turn around; repentance involves turning away from sin and towards Christ. Repentance involves sorrow for past transgressions as well as confessing them openly before God or a spiritual leader and promising not to commit them again in future.
True repentance is marked by hatred for sin and an intense desire to please God, with its main goal being the glory of Christ in humanity and not just immediate consequences of committing acts of evil. This kind of anger serves God rather than it serves oneself, as opposed to worldly anger which tends to focus more on consequences than on glorying him or her in doing good deeds.
People who believe adultery is the unpardonable sin are mistaking the point of repentance. All sin is wrong because it represents rebellion against the will of God; however, some sins carry more serious ramifications and negative impacts than others; for instance, lying under oath in a court of law can have more severe repercussions than simply telling white lies.
Adultery damages one’s relationship with God and their spouse. God made it clear that marriage should consist of only two individuals: husband and wife – any act which violates this mandate constitutes adultery, creating irreparable damage both to themselves and God’s plan for marriage and human life in general. Anyone caught engaging in sexual activity with someone other than their partner constitutes violation of His will – therefore any actions taken must be repented of in order to restore and repair these relationships with both. If someone commits adultery they must repent of their sin in order to restore these relationships – otherwise further damage will ensue both internally as well as externally – by repentance alone will come in time if needed in order to repair these relationships both with themselves as well as their partner(s).
2. Confession
Many believe that confessing their adultery to God will allow Him to forgive and accept them into His arms, while others see adultery as a serious sin that must not be condoned by the Church. Each individual must come to his or her own conclusion when considering this issue.
Confession is a central tenet of Christianity. It allows one to acknowledge one’s guilt and sinfulness to a priest in order to seek absolution for any offenses committed, either face-to-face or over the phone. When making confession, it is vitally important that individuals are honest and truly repentant without placing blame upon anyone other than themselves.
At confession, a priest will listen to your story and provide advice and suggestions for moving forward. Additionally, they may suggest penance such as fasting, praying for an extended period or performing service; depending on the nature of your transgression(s), you may need to compensate others as well.
In cases where criminal acts have been committed against church members, community service may be suggested as penance. Keep in mind that your priest is there to help with your sinful behaviors and not judge you for them.
Adultery is a grave transgression with lasting repercussions for those involved and those around them. While difficult to overcome, adultery should not be unforgivable – the Bible clearly shows this point – although other sins do remain unforgiveable as per Jesus’ teaching. However, there are other unforgivable transgressions against which this verse cautions.
3. Forgiveness
Forgiveness is an act performed in response to God’s grace and involves releasing any feelings of resentment against someone who has wronged you, even if that person continues doing harm. Forgiveness does not involve forgetting or condoning an injustice done; forgiveness includes an emotional element as well.
As one example, some who divorce on non-biblical grounds continue to hurt their former partners through continuing relationships with men and women, even if this behavior doesn’t violate the Law directly but still constitutes adultery in God’s eyes. To stop their sinful conduct from continuing unchecked they need to confess it and receive His forgiveness (1 John 1:9).
These forgiving measures do not happen instantly; rather, it occurs when an individual confesses their sins with sincerity from their hearts (1 John 1:9). Some believers may mistakenly think they must divorce their new spouses to forgive themselves of adultery; however, doing so would only make matters worse as living a perpetual state of adultery would ensue (Genesis 2:24). Furthermore, marriage between one man and one woman creates “one flesh”, making separation impossible without killing both parties (see Genesis 2:18-25).
Christian scholars often believe that there is one type of adultery which God will not forgive: that which results from divorce and subsequent remarriage. Such acts constitute permanent breaches in God’s covenant with Adam and Eve that he established.
Adultery, translated from Greek as moicheuo, refers to completed actions; therefore it should not be treated as ongoing sinful conditions. For instance, if a Christian commits adultery but repents and receives forgiveness from God after doing so, they should remain single until reconciling with their original spouse; although this doesn’t preclude other relationships from taking place simultaneously.
4. Acceptance
Acceptance is an emotional process used to cope with and move past painful situations, often seen as the fifth stage in the five stages of grief. While acceptance may take some time, many find that accepting their circumstances makes moving on easier and can also improve relations between former spouses and may help create healthier, happier families overall.
Adultery is a serious offense against God that can have lasting repercussions for both parties involved. A violation of marriage vows between husband and wife can lead to psychological, spiritual, and physical issues for those involved as well as their loved ones. Although God forgives sins, He never forgets the past.
Some Christians hold that God cannot forgive certain types of adultery, such as divorced couples who remarry after previously divorcing each other. According to scripture, those who divorce and then remarry are living in perpetual adultery due to having broken their earlier marriage covenant and therefore cannot qualify for remarriage again – similar to how premarital sexual acts constitute grave sin against both themselves and God.
However, most Christians believe that God does forgive adultery and accept remarriage following divorce as being acceptable in His eyes. Each Christian must heed their conscience and follow guidance of the Holy Spirit before making decisions that best suit their situation. As they consider whether or not to marry their new partner, remember that your relationship with God should always take priority over everything else. If you have repented of your sin and sought forgiveness from God, He will forgive and allow for a successful marriage to take place. Until that happens, focus on building strong relationships with Him while patiently waiting for your life to resume; one day soon enough He will bring forth that perfect match.
