“No one thinks he needs them until it’s too late.” Jerry Jenkins; Hedges
I am so done with hearing about Christian marriages splitting up. I am so done with news of affairs, secret keeping and adultery. I am also done with the church not holding more of us accountable to purity in our marriages. I am done with silencing the warning to protect our marriages.
I feel like I have to get one thing out-of-the-way first. Adultery is sin. Jesus says so. God says so. The Bible says so. It is a sin that affects our spouses, children, families and church.
I’m not trying to be flippant about it, but the truth is we have made marriage more about pop psychology, feeling good and happiness than about the covenant that God says we better keep.
Sometimes we justify adultery because the marriage was bad or we fell in love with someone else. We tell ourselves it was really a good thing because we have to find true love.
This is when Jesus’ fruit test comes in handy. “You will know them by their fruits” Matt. 7:18.
Adultery and divorce bear the fruit of financial destruction, emotional trauma, scarred children, broken churches and wounded souls. Nothing good comes from it. It is rottenness through and through.
So.
Here you are.
Married.
Will you protect your marriage? Will you protect the covenant you made before the Creator?
Know that you are never affair-proof.
We are never out of temptation’s reach. The notion that we are not susceptible is irrational and dangerous.
The serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world. Rev. 12:9
Boundaries. Boundaries. Boundaries.
There are boundaries that you have to keep and never break. My husband and I never have lunch with the opposite sex, even for work. We don’t send private emails, have private meetings or ride in a car with the opposite sex. We just don’t.
Therefore, behold, I will hedge up her way with thorns, and I will build a wall against her so that she cannot find her paths. Hosea 2:6
Honesty
Get your heart ready to hear the true heart of your spouse. Be ready to hear their temptations. Be ready to hear their struggle and receive them in their weakness.
If another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important. Gal. 6:1-3
Self-check
Never stop looking inward and upward.
Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith. 2 Cor 13:3
Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. Heb. 13:4
