How An Affair Can Ruin Your Life?

How can an affair ruin a person’s life? What are the consequences of having an adulterous affair?

The two become one Flesh

God is the author of marriage for in the beginning, He saw that is was “not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him” (Gen 2:18) so He made a companion for Adam and so “brought her to the man” (Gen 2:22b) “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Gen 2:24). What God has now joined together is intended to be for life. Marriage was created by God to last for the lifetimes of both spouses and only when one died could the other marry again. The exception would be if one spouse committed adultery.

Joined with a Prostitute?

When a spouse cheats on their mate, they are joining their own soul and body with a prostitute, whether it’s a male or a female. Paul wrote that “he (or she) who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh” (1st Cor 6:16). Paul wanted the Corinthians to understand “that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never!” (1st Cor 6:15) which is why we are warned to “Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sine a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body” (1st Cor 6:18). Since the two become one in both marriage and in adulterous affairs, whoever they are joined with they become part of and sins against their own body. There is no way that there won’t be consequences for an adulterous affair and who really wants to become one with a prostitute?

A wake of Ruin

When a spouse has an affair with someone outside of their marriage, they are destroying what was holy and undefiled before God and that is the holy, God-sanctioned marriage which is why we should “Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous” (Heb 13:4). Adulterous affairs leave in their wake a path of destroyed relationships, shattered trust, and ruined lives. If there are children involved, it only makes is more painful. Statistics indicate that those who go through divorce almost always experience financial hardships and can easily lead to poverty. Unless there is repentance affairs will also bring the wrath of God upon all who betray their partners as God warns that He “will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous” (Heb 13:4). This is not just for the New Testament church but even in the Old Testament Israel was told “‘Do not have sexual relations with your neighbor’s wife and defile yourself with her” (Lev 18:20). You can be sure that “those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Gal 5:21).

The Covenant of Marriage

Jesus saw marriage as perhaps the highest human institution that there is on earth. It is like a covenantal relationship which has been ordained by God and not by mankind which is why Jesus said “what God has joined together, let no one separate” (Mark 10:9). If God joined them together then no man or woman should seek to separate because “a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh” (Matt 19:5) “So they are no longer two, but one flesh” (Mark 10:8b). He or she that has “left the partner of her youth and ignored the covenant she made before God” (Prov 2:17) will not be left unpunished. Again there are exceptions as Jesus said that divorce “was not this way from the beginning. I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery” (Matt 19:8b-9).

Conclusion

Life is full of choices. Some will trade in ten minutes of pleasure for a lifetime of marriage. One moment of passion will destroy many years of a family union. Is it worth it? Most certainly not because we know that all unrepentant, sexually immoral people will face a judgment that is beyond description (Rev 21:8). I fear for many that this will be their eternal state. I pray that is not you.

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Teaching Children the Gospel available on Amazon.