“And I tell you this, whoever divorces his wife and marries someone else commits adultery–unless his wife has been unfaithful.”
-Matthew 19:9, NLT
Cheaters want “to have their cake and eat it, too.” And I think this is doubly so with religious cheaters.
They want to cheat AND maintain an image as if they are still good Christians. The thought that the two are incompatible is banished as quickly as possible by these characters.
A clear sign of the sin and lies driving someone is rage when confronted with the truth that God finds adultery unacceptable behavior.
They do not want to be faced with a choice between their precious image as a good Christian and giving up their life of sin. So, they resent anyone who dares remind them that they must choose.
The sad truth is many pastors and church communities are more than happy to play along with the delusions of cheaters. They do not admonish or exhort the cheater to face the moral reality that continuing in adultery means choosing to reject God.
But that does not alter reality.
A cheater cannot continue in adultery and still be a good follower of Christ. The two are incompatible. They must choose…however infuriating that might be. That is reality.
This reminds be of a comment I once read:
“God forgives all sins, but there are sins that some people are not willing to give up.”