But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
-Matthew 5:28, NLT
I am convinced Cheaters will generally admit the “lesser” of their sins when caught.
This means in an evangelical Christian world that they will admit an emotional affair before they admit a physical one. The truth is simply an inconvenience to them in these situations.
When a cheater admits to an emotional affair in an evangelical subculture, they can hide behind the ambiguity of it and blame the faithful spouse. Many “Christian” leaders will support them in this behavior, sadly.
The problem is Jesus does not allow for such moral ambiguity. Emotional affairs are condemned clearly here in Matthew 5:28. He gives no passes for such sinful behavior. Yet we are a Church that too often fails to follow Christ in these matters.
We get sucked into worldly concerns exploring the “unmet (emotional) needs” of the cheater and the “state of the marriage.” The imperative to call the cheater to repentance is lost in this exploration.
In fact, a truly manipulative cheater can twist such conversations to a point where the “Christian” leader is pointing the finger at the faithful spouse while excusing the cheater for cheating! This is sad and ungodly.
Do not fall for the emotional affair admission hogwash!
Emotional affairs are sin. They often are admitted to avoid admission of adultery and its accompanying consequences. Do not forget that either.
