Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
-James 1:13-15, KJV
“It was God’s will.”
-Cheater on finding an adultery partner
“God would want me to be happy.”
– Cheater on continuing third-party relationship
“God is okay with it. What’s your problem?!”
-Cheater responding to faithful spouse’s objections to the ongoing illicit relationship
Some of the most infuriating “justifications” that I hear regarding infidelity invoke God’s name. The cheater–or cheater apologist–says that God was involved in motivating or accepting the adulterous relationship.
It is sickening.
Talk about “conscience seared with a hot iron!”
(I Timothy 4:2b, KJV)
God never tells us to sin.
He does not even tempt us to sin (see James 1:13).
The Bible is crystal clear on this point.
So, it is impossible for the One True God to ever will someone to commit adultery or continue an adulterous relationship for God explicitly forbids such relationships in the Ten Commandments.
“Thou shalt not commit adultery.”
-Exodus 20:14, KJV
And that is just talking about one of the many sins that accompany adultery. We are not even scratching the surface regarding the lies and covetousness that goes along with infidelity! It is more than one sexual act, after all.
Anyone who truly believes God sanctions or willed their adulterous relationship is deluded and deceived.
A god may have willed the adulterous relationship and embraced it as “good.” But that “god” is demonic.
It is not THE GOD of the Bible. That God is very clear throughout Scripture that adultery is never acceptable under any circumstances (e.g. Deut. 22:22 and Mark 7:21). He would not will what He forbids.
Ultimately, these “justifications” are angering to me because they are slanderous of God’s Name. They make God out to be the author of evil, which is completely false.
And it is angering to me as a pastor!
I am angry over the misinformation such “press” presents. Faithful spouses and their families/friends are already hurting from the adulterous betrayals and lies. They do not need more confusing language suggesting the Good Father is somehow okay with the abuse they have experienced at the adulterous spouse et al.’s hands.
These lines are untrue.
God never wills adultery or lies. Never. He deals in faithfulness and truth. Anyone who says otherwise is a liar and is, therefore, speaking in the tongue of the Father of Lies–i.e. Satan.
I got a variation – “God has forgiven me, why can’t you?” This was after about 2 months of marginal remorse, minimal repentance and some continued deceit about main facts of a 2+ year affair. How do you respond to that? I said 1) I’m not sure how you know God has forgiven you, and 2) I’m not perfect like God and it will take more for me to forgive.