A Simple Case of Adultery

I know that there are many circumstances which can lead to adultery. In this lesson, we shall only deal with one. What happens if a man marries a woman and his wife cheats on him; Instead of divorcing his wife, the man chooses to seek marriage counseling; Then, the wife chooses to divorce her husband. Is he at liberty to remarry?

When Jesus was answering the question of marriage and divorce, he made it perfectly clear that marriage was intended to be for life. In fact, Jesus said, “Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.” Mt 19:6 Yet, Jesus gave man one exception to divorce his wife, that is, fornication. However, notice what Jesus actually said about this exception:  “And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality (fornication), and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.” Mt 19:9 In the scenario above, this man didn’t divorce his wife. She divorced him. In such a case, he would not be eligible to remarry because he didn’t meet the criteria Jesus ordained.

It would be equivalent to a man forgiving his wife for fornication, and then years later he divorces her for irreconcilable differences. If he remarried, he too would be an adulterer. Even so, the man in our original scenario did not divorce his wife for any cause. He was contented to forgive his wife and continue in the marriage, only to have her divorce him because she wanted another man.

Too many people have placed their eternal life in jeopardy all because they have twisted the law of marriage and divorce which Jesus gave us. They have what if-ed the words of Jesus to mean what it never said. Jesus said during his sermon on the Mount, “But I say to you that “whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality (fornication)” causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.” Matt 5:32  A man’s wife not only must commit fornication, but it also must be the cause for the divorce for a man to remarry.

So, if you are about to marry a man who has been married before, make sure you have all the information you need, unless you also commit adultery. Because, a woman who marries a man who is not eligible for remarriage, has committed adultery. Remember, ignorance is no excuse for breaking any law of God. Acts 17:30