RUN AWAY FROM MARITAL INFIDELITY

 WISDOM FOR LIVING DEVOTIONAL

OCTOBER 30, 2020

TOPIC: RUN AWAY FROM MARITAL INFIDELITY

BY T. O. BANSO

“Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery” (Hebrews 13:4 New Living Translation). 

Marital infidelity or unfaithfulness is one of the commonest forms of sexual immorality. It is a violation of marital vows. It is not only a sin against a spouse but more importantly a sin against God. Both men and women are guilty of this, and it has ruined many marriages.

Every sin starts with a lie. Many spouses guilty of marital infidelity were deceived or deceived themselves that they could engage in it and their spouses wouldn’t know about it. Some even did it far away from the home where nobody would know them. And as if they were right, many were so ‘smart’ that though they were neck-deep in it, their spouses didn’t know for a long time. But one day, their sin found them out (Numbers 32:23).

However, there are still many others yet to be exposed. They are ‘enjoying’ outside their marriage what they believe their spouses, rightly or wrongly, are not giving them. Maybe they don’t even mean to engage in it for long. They just wanted temporary pleasure but they are stuck in it. As it has been said, “Sin will take you farther than you wanted to go; sin will keep you longer than you wanted to stay; sin will cost you more than you wanted to pay.”

One may enjoy the pleasure of sin now but one will regret later when the pressure begins. God cannot be mocked; whatever a man sows, that he shall reap (Galatians 7:6). Whoever sows the wind shall reap the whirlwind (Hosea 8:7). Anyone who is unfaithful in his or her marriage should repent and quit now.

That someone has been indulging in it for years without his or her spouse knowing is no reason to continue. It doesn’t mean the person will still not be exposed if he or she persists. God may be giving the person the opportunity to repent. “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9 New King James Version).

Suppose someone continues engaging in marital infidelity and the person dies without being found out. Sinners may regard the person as a genius! But what about the Judgment Day? It is appointed for human beings to die once but after this the judgment  (Hebrews 9:27). “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10 New King James Version)

Marital infidelity is not limited to adultery or engaging in extramarital sex either once or often. It also includes engaging in the following with someone other than one’s spouse: inappropriate sexual touching, emotional sexual intimacy, revenge adultery, sexting or forwarding sexually explicit photos and messages through mobile phones or other devices, pornography, etc. All this amounts to sexual immorality.

“Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Corinthians 6:18-20 New King James Version).

The apostle Paul goes further to say in 1 Corinthians 7 that every husband and wife should render to her or his spouse the affection due to her or him (verse 3). Paul continues in verses 4-5: “The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Do not deprive one another except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self-control” (New King James Version).

Couples should not deny each other sex. They should stop all unnecessary excuses. Couples should be faithful to each other, and not share their sexual feelings and bodies with anyone other than their spouses.

Because of uncontrolled attraction to the opposite sex or lust, unsatisfied sexual need, marital crisis, desire to get even with an unfaithful spouse, or similar reasons,  a spouse may get involved in marital infidelity, which erodes the trust of the betrayed partner in the relationship.

Proverbs 5:18-20 warns,  “Let your wife be a fountain of blessing for you. Rejoice in the wife of your youth. She is a loving doe, a graceful deer. Let her breasts satisfy you always. May you always be captivated by her love.  Why be captivated, my son, with an immoral woman, or embrace the breasts of an adulterous woman?” (New Living Translation).

Hebrews 13:4 says, “Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery” (New Living Translation). God will judge fornicators and adulterers. Marital infidelity is such a serious sin that the Bible warns that Christians should not associate with fellow Christians who are sexually immoral (1 Corinthians 5:9-11).

Adulterers will not enter the kingdom of God (1Corinthians 6:9). The sexually immoral will not enter the New Jerusalem. They cannot enter through the gates of the city and eat the fruit from the tree of life. Their place is outside the city with the dogs, the sorcerers, the murderers, the idol worshipers, and all who love to live a lie (Revelation 22:14-15).

Sexual immorality is a sin that a child of God should not treat with levity. In addition to someone guilty of marital infidelity forfeiting eternity with God, the marriage may crash, except he or she repents and receives forgiveness from his or her partner and there is proper counseling.

Couples should not keep a relationship with the opposite sex that their spouses are unaware of. Notwithstanding this, a spouse should be sensitive to cut off from such a relationship if it is drawing him or her into marital infidelity. This also applies to relationships in the church, workplace, neighborhood, etc. Jesus says that whoever looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart (Matthew 5:28).

Every married person should be careful of being caught in a compromising position with the opposite sex, especially someone who is a willing accomplice. Be careful spending time alone regularly with the opposite sex and engaging in intimate discussions. The devil can set up a man or a woman with the opposite sex who is lusting after him or her. To such an agent of the devil, extramarital sex is no big deal! That’s the person’s goal and he or she seduces the opposite sex to satisfy his or her lust.

Proverbs 6:25-29 warns: “Do not lust after her beauty in your heart, nor let her allure you with her eyelids. For by means of a harlot  a man is reduced to a crust of bread; and an adulteress will prey upon his precious life. Can a man take fire to his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? Can one walk on hot coals, and his feet not be seared? So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife; whoever touches her shall not be innocent” (New King James Version).

Marital infidelity has destroyed many homes, impacting negatively on the children. Sometimes the couple couldn’t explain what went wrong. The problem was that the wife or the husband had a sinful desire and fell into the temptation of sexual immorality. Different factors could be responsible for this sinful desire.

James 1:13-15 says, “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death” (New King James Version).

The temptation to engage in marital infidelity may come. But like every other temptation, you don’t have to fall into it. Bind that demon and cast out the sinful thought. In addition, distance yourself from the person Satan is using to tempt you.

1 Peter 5:8-9 says, “Be careful! Watch out for attacks from the devil, your great enemy. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour. Take a firm stand against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are” (New Living Translation).

If you think you’re standing strong, be careful so that you don’t fall into the same sin others have fallen into (1 Corinthians 10:12). Keep away from every kind of evil (1 Thessalonians 5:22). Flee; run away from marital infidelity.

In the name of Jesus, you shall be faithful to your spouse. The LORD shall keep you; you shall not fall into the temptation of marital infidelity or adultery; the snare of the seducers shall not catch you.

TAKE ACTION!

If you are not born again, you need to give your life to Jesus now. I urge you to take the following steps: *Admit you are a sinner and you cannot save yourself and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life – your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church. There they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.

Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto you today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and resurrected the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I surrender my life to Jesus now and invite Him into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank you, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.

I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You will need to join a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church in your area where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like the palm tree and grow like the cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The LORD be with you.

PRAYER POINTS:  My body is not for sexual immorality; it is the temple of the Holy Spirit;  I shall glorify God in my body and in my spirit. In the name of Jesus, I shall not engage in marital infidelity or adultery. I shall remain faithful to my spouse; I shall not violate my marital vows.

(For over 300 in-depth and powerful messages by T.O. Banso, visit www.cedarministry.org).

T. O. Banso is the President, Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
Phone No: +2348155744752, +2348033113523
WhatsApp No: +2349081295947
Email: cedarministryintl@yahoo.com,
cedarministryng@gmail.com
Website: www.cedarministry.org