But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery. — Matthew 5:32
What about the wronged party? For the past several days we’ve been focusing on those who commit adultery. But what about those who have been sinned against?
I have two words for those who have been sinned against. The first is comfort. God wants to comfort you. He wants to soothe the deep, deep hurt in your heart. He wants to take the anger, the confusion, the invalidation, the betrayal, the shock and replace it with peace.
This is not something that just happens automatically. You have to take these broken places in your heart to Jesus. You probably will need help — we all need each other, and this is one of those times when we need help.
My second word is respect. We have already talked about compassion mingled with respect, but now I want to focus on respect for the one who has been sinned against. You are not a doormat. You are a holy son or daughter of Almighty God. The more you have peace in your heart, peace gained from the Lord, the more you will be able to understand where the boundaries need to be. Relationships are based on trust, and the one who has sinned needs to be on a program to regain your trust if the marriage is to survive.
In this passage, the Lord points out that enough is enough. He set an escape clause for marriage, not because He wants marriages to fail, but because both parties must earn trust and respect for the marriage to succeed.
If you have been struggling with the issues that we’ve talked about the last several days, please know that our prayers are with you. May the Lord encourage you, give you wisdom, and grant you peace.
Be encouraged!
Dwight
What happens when you partner with Dwight Clough Ministries?
Victims of violent crimes and survivors of abuse are finding peace,
wholeness, the power to forgive and the strength to set boundaries.
Those ensnared by addictions are finding freedom. Marriages are being
restored. Families are strengthened. Christian brothers and sisters in
restricted lands who face persecution are finding strength and
encouragement. Young believers are learning how to walk with the Lord,
and people are coming into the faith for the first time. None of this
happens as a result of one person’s efforts, but rather this is God’s
work as He blesses the sacrifice of many people including yourself. We
partner with you, with other ministries, and, most significantly, with
the Lord. That’s how the supernatural happens.
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