But Christ pursued a spiritually adulterous people heresy... - Divorce Minister
True, Christ pursued a spiritually adulterous people…
Christ told a spiritually adulterous group of people to go to Hell (see Mt 25:41).
One of the tired use of the Scripture for faithful spouses is the example of Christ pursuing the Church. The faithful spouse is shamed and browbeaten into staying married to an entitled cheater based on how this example is employed.
I am here to say:
Now, I am NOT saying this did not happen in Scripture. The example is throughout the Bible. BUT…and it is a huge BUT…
This is not the only way Christ relates to “God’s” people who choose to live lives of sinful defiance.
That is why employing the example of Christ pursuit of the Church in all situations is heresy. The teaching does not take in the full counsel of Scripture. It is cherry-picking at its worst.
Jesus tells the “goats” in Matthew 25:41 (NLT):
“Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons.’”
Essentially, Jesus is telling about a sinning individuals to go to Hell here. There is NO pursuit at this point. These people chose lifestyles of sin. Jesus is warning that spiritual consequences are coming for such choices.
A temptation is to erase the tension between Christ who pursuing the sinner and Christ who pronounces judgment over the sinner.
It is not sexy to teach obedience to God. Much easier to teach about a Christ who offers “cheap grace” where one does not have to mind one’s behavior as he’ll always forgive.
Yet Christ calls us to obedience (see John 14:15).
It matters to Jesus whether or not we choose the path of sin or not. I think this is doubly so after we have entered His family (see Heb 10:26-27).
For too long, Cheaters and Cheater Apologists have twisted Scripture to obscure this aspect of Christ’s ministry to serve their own purposes.
Christ is no chump; He will not be played.
Instead of bashing the faithful spouse over the head with the example of Christ pursuing the Church, maybe we ought to warn the Cheaters that they are behaving like the merciless goats in Matthew 25? Just a thought.
