Adultery impacts the community - Divorce Minister
If a man be found lying with a woman married to an husband, then they shall both of them die, both the man that lay with the woman, and the woman: so shalt thou put away evil from Israel.
-Deuteronomy 22:22, KJV
Too often, adultery is treated as a private matter between the faithful spouse and the cheater. This is not reality, though.
The Bible is clear that adultery impacts the whole community. It talks here in Deuteronomy of adultery as a sin impacting all of Israel.
This is not a private sin. It is a sin that impacts the whole community. Anyone who has experienced such a betrayal can confirm this truth.
Some of the most painful parts of experiencing adulterous betrayal and discard is how it damages one’s community.
People we thought were friends choose the cheater over us. Some individuals refuse to face the facts and evil choosing their own comfort over the discomfort of the truth about the cheater.
This hurts. It is another betrayal.
Adultery impacts the whole community. It shines a light on relationships. Some are exposed as bereft of character and strength. Others come through the fire as refined gold.
While it is hard to leave those false friends behind, I am grateful for those relationships that survived the fire. They are truly precious friendships.
My encouragement to you is to grieve the loss relationships; and still let them go. Focus instead on those relationships that are life-giving. They are God’s gifts to you!
Adultery is not a private matter. Only someone wanted to live in comfort ignoring the truth would suggest otherwise. This type of person is NOT a true friend!
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*A version of this post ran previously.
