So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great. -Job 2:13, KJV Protestantism is big on sin and forgiveness. Emphasis on sin and forgiveness is pervasive through evangelical teaching and preaching. That is good. … Continue reading “Protestantism, Forgiveness, and Failing Adultery Victims”
Category: Forgiveness
Adultery is not a victimless “crime.”
You ask, “Why?” It is because the LORD is the witness between you and the wife of your youth. You have been unfaithful to her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant. -Malachi 2:14, NIV By now, I bet most people have had to suffer through the public service announcement on … Continue reading “Adultery is not a victimless “crime.””
Buddy-Buddy Assumption
“Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” -Acts 2:36, NIV (emphasis mine) Some Christians who have never experienced the very personal and humiliating betrayal of an adulterous spouse can be incredibly insensitive to those of us who have. One way this insensitivity … Continue reading “Buddy-Buddy Assumption”
Ask: Where is the loving much?
“Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.” -Luke 7:47, NIV The amount of gratitude ought to match the amount forgiven. This is one lesson I take from Jesus’ teaching in this verse. And it is an important spiritual lesson … Continue reading “Ask: Where is the loving much?”
On Cheater Requests To Meet Up Post-Divorce
For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? -2 Corinthians 6:14b, NIV Cheaters requesting post-divorce meetups is such a strange phenomenon to me. I know from reading others’ experiences that this is a real phenomenon. My cheater wanted to meet up after the fact (see post here). … Continue reading “On Cheater Requests To Meet Up Post-Divorce”
Two Common Christian Mistakes
Eliphaz replying to Job– “Consider now: Who, being innocent, has ever perished? Where were the upright ever destroyed? As I have observed, those who plow evil and those who sow trouble reap it.” -Job 4:7-8, NIV As I have blogged for closing on two years regarding infidelity and how Christians respond to faithful spouses, I … Continue reading “Two Common Christian Mistakes”
On Warm Baths and Nice Kitties
This time the dove returned to him in the evening with a fresh olive leaf in its beak. Then Noah knew that the floodwaters were almost gone. -Genesis 8:11, NLT Cheaters are already too central. As faithful spouses, we make them central for several very good reasons: 1) They are central because some of us … Continue reading “On Warm Baths and Nice Kitties”
Repentance And Restitution
“If anyone gives a neighbor silver or goods for safekeeping and they are stolen from the neighbor’s house, the thief, if caught, must pay back double.” -Exodus 22:7, NIV But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I … Continue reading “Repentance And Restitution”
Good Friday, Proof That Sin Is Serious Stuff!
“What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the Messiah?” Pilate asked. They all answered, “Crucify him!” -Matthew 27:22, NIV Sin is serious stuff! It is not the sort of thing that God sweeps under the rug. God does not turn a blind-eye to sin. His character requires justice is done. The debt must … Continue reading “Good Friday, Proof That Sin Is Serious Stuff!”
Misreading “The Unmerciful Servant Parable”
“Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants….” -Matthew 18:23, NIV This is the opening verse to a famous parable Jesus told to illustrate our need to forgive others. It is often labeled something like “The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant” or something like that. Here … Continue reading “Misreading “The Unmerciful Servant Parable””