Committing adultery is a serious offense against God and your spouse. Adultery is a term used to define unfaithfulness in a marriage where one spouse voluntarily engages in sexual activity with someone else who is not their spouse. This sin has huge consequences as it destroys one’s family and other relationships. Additionally, the Bible strongly condemns the sin of adultery. This makes a lot of people wonder, will God forgive adultery?
The short answer to this question is that God forgives adultery. Despite adultery being a huge sin against God and one’s marriage, God’s grace and mercy through the cross of Jesus Christ are sufficient to forgive Anyone who has committed this sin. You must go before God with humility and sincerity and repent your sins.
What did Christ teach about divorce and adultery? Why is adultery a serious sin, according to the Bible? Does the bible state that God will forgive adultery? What Bible verses talk about adultery? What Bible verses talk about the forgiveness of sins? How do you seek forgiveness from God after committing adultery? Continue reading to get the answers to these questions and others.
What did Jesus teach about divorce and adultery?
Jesus’ teaching about divorce and adultery begins in the gospel of Mathew. In Mathew 5:32, Jesus notes, “But I say to you, that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman, commits adultery.” Mathew 19.9 also notes, “and I say to you: whoever divorces his wife except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.” This was the main teaching of Jesus Christ concerning divorce and adultery.
Many bible scholars posit that these teachings mean that divorce is unacceptable except when one of the spouses commits adultery. Therefore, though God can forgive adultery, it is suggested that one is allowed to leave their marriage because of that.
Why is adultery a serious sin, according to the Bible?
According to the Bible, adultery is a serious sin because it comes with devastating consequences. In the Old Testament, according to the Law of Moses, anyone found guilty of adultery was punished by being stoned to death. We see this in the gospel of John when the scribes and the Pharisees brought an adulterous woman, and they wanted to punish her by stoning her as they cited the Law of Moses. Any sin punished by stoning is a serious sin, which explains why adultery is.
Additionally, adultery is a serious sin because it is the only sin that can lead to divorce, as implied in the Bible. We can see that in Jesus’ teachings across the four gospels. Marriage is a covenant cherished by God and should not be broken. Therefore, whoever commits adultery, fails in this commitment and injures this covenant.
Reasons why adultery may not be the unforgivable sin
Adultery may not be an unforgivable sin, as there have been various instances in the Bible where God forgave adultery. A common teaching where God forgave adultery is from the gospel of John, where the Pharisees and scribes brought an adulterous woman before Jesus and wanted to stone him according to the Law of Moses. John 8:11 notes, “…Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”
Additionally, adultery might not be an unforgivable sin as God’s grace and mercy are sufficient to cleanse Anyone from their unrighteousness as long as you sincerely confess and repent. This is seen when King David committed adultery with Bathsheba. Though he suffered the grievous consequences of adultery, God indeed heard his cry and forgave him.
How do you seek forgiveness from God after committing adultery?
The first way to seek forgiveness from God after committing adultery is by confessing. Confessing your sin means admitting to doing it and agreeing that it was wrong. The Bible notes that confessing our sins is key for Anyone who needs forgiveness. 1st John 1:99 notes, “if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just enough to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” We can also confirm this from the story of King David, who God forgave after he confessed his sins. Psalms 32:5, “I acknowledge my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, ‘I will confess my transgression to the LORD,’ and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.”
The next step in seeking forgiveness from God after committing adultery is repenting. Repentance simply means turning away from the wrong behavior; in this case, the behavior is adultery. This will require you to remove yourself from environments that would lead you to sin again. To overcome adultery, it is best for one to walk this journey with a pastor or any other trusted church leader for accountability purposes.
Lastly, with adultery, confession to God alone is not enough; you must also confess to your spouse. That might have serious consequences, as a lot of damage would have happened to the marriage. Therefore, though God forgives adultery, you cannot escape all the consequences that come with committing this sin.
Does the Bible say that God will forgive adultery?
There are several biblical examples where God forgave adultery. The first example is the woman brought to Jesus by the Pharisees and the scribes for committing adultery. The Pharisees and scribes wanted the woman to be stoned because Moses commanded that anyone guilty of adultery be stoned.
Jesus, however, dared Anyone without sin to stone the woman, and no one did. He ordered the woman to go, and her sins were forgiven John 8:7-11; “and they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 And once more, he bent down and wrote on the ground. 9 But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 10 Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” she said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on, sin no more.”
Another scenario in the Bible where we see God forgiving adultery is when King David sinned with Bathsheba. David went before the Lord, confessed his sins, cried before God to wash him clean, and was eventually forgiven. David cries to God in Psalms 51:1-2, “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!” Indeed, God listened to David, and he forgave him.
What Bible verses talk about adultery?
Several Bible verses talk about adultery both in the Old and New Testaments. The tenth commandment in the book of Exodus 20:14 notes that “You shall commit adultery.” That explains why the Pharisees and the scribes in the New Testament punished adultery by stoning Anyone found guilty, as they were following the laws of Moses.
Another verse about adultery in the Bible is Luke 16:18. In this verse, Jesus defines adultery and notes, “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery. And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.” Mark 10:11-12 also reinforces these teachings.
Additionally, Jesus continues with the teachings on adultery in the gospel of Mathew. In Mathew 5:27-28, Jesus notes, “You have heard that it was said, “You shall not commit adultery,” but I tell you, Anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
On the other hand, the book of Corinthians speaks about adultery when naming the group of wrongdoers that will not see heaven. 1st Corinthians 6:9-11 says, “Do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral idolaters or adulterers… will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”
What Bible verses talk about the forgiveness of sins?
The Bible has several verses about forgiveness; I will highlight but a few. Mathew 18:21-22 talks about forgiveness when Peter came to Jesus and asked Him how many times he should forgive his brother. Jesus answered Peter that he should forgive his brother seventy times seven times. Another verse about forgiveness is Mathew 6:15, which notes, “But if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
The gospel of Mark also teaches about forgiveness as Mark 11:25 notes, “And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.” Additionally, as mentioned earlier, 1st John 1:9 notes that if we confess our sins God is just enough to cleanse us.
References
What does the Bible say about adultery?
What can we learn from the woman caught in adultery?
How can the sin of adultery be forgiven?
What Does the Bible Say About Adultery?
As a devout Christian, I have always been passionate about the Christian faith. This inspired me to pursue a degree in Religious studies and a Masters in Theology in college. I have also been privileged to teach 4 Christian courses in a college and university. Since I am dedicated to spreading the word of God, I am actively involved in the Church. Additionally, I share his word online and cover diverse topics on the Christian faith through my platform. You can read more about me on the about us page.
