Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
-Matthew 5:23-24, NKJV
“Well, God forgives me,” says “Christian” Cheater.
“Really? I wouldn’t be so sure. What work have you done to reconcile with the victim of your sins?” – Biblical Pastor
The Bible is rather consistent that we are obligated to try and fix the relationships we destroyed by our sins to the best of our ability.
That is what I see in these words quoted from Jesus regarding leaving one’s sacrifice and attending to a wronged brother. God is not impressed with religious impression management.
God demands cheaters–like this religious person–work to restore what they broke. With anything less, Jesus seems to be saying that God is NOT okay with the wrongdoer.
This principle of working on reconciliation (which is NOT the same thing as marriage restoration) is why I find it dubious believing or assuring cheaters are right with God unless they’ve come clean with their adultery victim(s).
So, in a sense, I doubt cheaters are truly forgiven by God as long as they cling to their nasty secrets and blame-shift.
Ignoring one’s victims and then pretending all is well this God is living a lie. God is not impressed.
Cheaters are deceiving themselves–that they are alright with God–as long as they continue to refuse to repent of their adulterous ways and apologize to their victims for wronging them.
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*A version of this post ran previously.
