Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”
“Which ones?” he inquired.
Jesus replied, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony…”
-Matthew 19:17b-18, NIV
Keeping the Ten Commandments are required for entering (eternal) life per Jesus’ own words here in Matthew 19.
It matters whether these commandments are kept or not. That is an important point cheater and cheater apologists try to obscure.
Jesus–the most forgiving person ever–does NOT say keeping the Ten Commandments is an optional activity.
I repeat this as it is often not considered in a church that uses “grace” and “forgiveness” as words to negate this very clear teaching from Jesus. The obedience part of the Christian walk matters!
Instead of focusing on “saving the marriage,” I would encourage to redirect their focus where Jesus is here. He is talking about the spiritual life of Rich Young Man.
Notice, he does not go into an investigative mode about the Rich Young Ruler’s wife. The question of the sin of adultery is solely raised to the Rich Young Man, not his spouse.
It is a matter where Jesus is holding one spouse accountable for his own sin–if present (which it reportedly is not here). The matter of spiritual life is not dependent upon another person’s actions or sins. That is what this clearly teaches.
To follow Jesus’ example here on matters of adultery, a godly pastor focuses on the sin and the sinner. Interestingly, the focus is NOT “saving” the marriage but rather the soul.
