Adultery is a terrible sin.
Not just because it is morally unacceptable, but because it destroys your body and soul.
My perception of adultery has always remained the same – I can’t handle a cheating partner.
The reason, of course, is not because I don’t love my partner, but I have come to see the consequences of adultery firsthand.
A few days back, in the clinic, I met a young lady with so many skin lesions all over her body. She was 37 and married with three kids. She also had a very supportive and loving husband who was so devastated by his wife’s health.
She told me she was diagnosed with HIV, a terrible disease that affects your body’s response to infections.
But something struck my attention. The husband and all her kids were HIV-negative.
All through their visit, the husband was concerned and continued asking questions. But unfortunately, we do not disclose confidential information, so I referred them to the counseling unit.
Adultery is an abomination before God. Right from the beginning of the world, God has frowned at the actions of men and women that find pleasure in other people’s partners.
I have compiled bible verses about adultery that will inspire you to stop sinning.
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But first, what is adultery?
The online English dictionary defines Adultery as
voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and a person who is not their spouse
This simply means, if a man has sexual intercourse with another woman, other than his wife, he commits adultery.
Likewise, if a woman has sexual intercourse with another man, other than her husband, she also commits adultery.
But, is Adultery all about sexual intercourse?
No. Having strong sexual desires for the opposite sex is a sin. Jesus said;
You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery. But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
Matthew 5:27-28
Bible verses about Adultery
1. Hebrews 13:4
Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous
2. Matthew 19:9
And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.”
3. 1 Corinthians 6:18
Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.
4. Luke 16:18
Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.
5. Deuteronomy 22:22
If a man is found lying with the wife of another man, both of them shall die, the man who lay with the woman, and the woman. So you shall purge the evil from Israel.
6. Proverbs 6:24-29
To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.25 Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids.26 For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adultress will hunt for the precious life.
27 Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?28 Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?So he that goeth in to his neighbour’s wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.
7. John 8:4-11
They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.5 Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.
7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.8 And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.
8. 1 Corinthians 7:1-40
Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.” But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband.
The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.
Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control
9. 1 Corinthians 6:9
Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,
10. Matthew 5:31-32
It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ 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.
11. Romans 7:2-3
For a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if her husband dies she is released from the law of marriage. Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she marries another man she is not an adulteress.
12. 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5
For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God
13. Malachi 2:16
For the man who does not love his wife but divorces her, says the Lord, the God of Israel, covers his garment with violence, says the Lord of hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not be faithless.”
14. Luke 18:18-20
And a ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’”
15. 1 Corinthians 7:10-11
To the married I give this charge (not I, but the Lord): the wife should not separate from her husband (but if she does, she should remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband), and the husband should not divorce his wife
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What does the bible say about adultery?
There are many examples of cheating in the bible. But, the story of David is one we must learn from.
The book of Samuel 11 – 12, describes how David committed adultery shamelessly and the repercussions that followed.
In those days, David was the king of the Israelites. God loved David and made him king after Saul.
When the battle with the Ammonites was at hand, he sent forth his army to the battlefield and stayed back in Jerusalem.
So, one day, in the evening, David decided to take a stroll. As he walked through the roof of the king’s palace, he saw a married woman, Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, bathing naked.
He inquired about the woman, invited her, and had intercourse with her.
But the unexpected happened
The lady conceived and informed David about the pregnancy. David became worried and started searching for ways to cover up his sin.
So, he invited Uriah back home from the war and persuaded him to spend time with his wife. But he refused.
And Uriah said unto David, The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in tents; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open fields; shall I then go into mine house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? as thou livest, and as thy soul liveth, I will not do this thing
So, it came to pass, David sought to kill Uriah. He sent a letter to the head of the Army saying;
Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die.
After the death of Uriah, David married his widow, but God was not happy with him (2 Samuel 11:27).
Four Lessons from the Adulterous sin of David
1. The sin of Adultery is premeditated
In the book of Matthew 15:18-19, Christ said;
But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander
In the case of David, he had options. When he walked through his balcony, he could easily have removed his eyes from a naked woman bathing.
Instead, he gazed and was astonished by what he saw. His thoughts overwhelmed him, and the bible said: “and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.”
At this time, it was difficult to control his emotions. He was already carried away by his thoughts. So, he said to himself, who could this woman be?
He called his servant to inquire about the woman. He wanted to know if she was single or married. He was a powerful king, so he had no problem seducing the woman.
At this point, he had another chance to prevent the sin of adultery, but he did not.
When he was informed about the name and marital status of the woman, nothing changed about his thoughts. He ignored God’s commandment and slept with the woman.
2. Early repentance prevents a multitude of sins
One inspiring quote about Adultery says;
When adultery occurs, three of the Ten Commandments are broken: you shall not commit adultery, not lie, and not covet your neighbor’s spouse
This is one of my most inspiring quotes about adultery or fornication. Each time we sin, early repentance is the best way to return to God.
In the case of David, he had options too. After sleeping with the lady, he could have begged for forgiveness. He would have asked Uriah and God for forgiveness, but he did not.
Instead, he lied to Uriah. Not just that, he conspired to kill him and eventually did. If he had asked for forgiveness, The life of an innocent man would have been spared.
Thus, if you’ve been involved in adultery, there is no reason to panic and continue in sin. Talking to your partner is the first step towards repentance.
3. God punished David for his sins
After sleeping with Bathsheba and killing her husband, David also took her as his wife. This action of David displeased the Lord.
God then sent the prophet Nathan, who said;
Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.
Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.
Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun.
For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.
2 Samuel 12:9-12
4. God forgives if you repent
We are human and therefore can make mistakes. Each time we sin, we must remember the words of the Apostle John. He said;
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness
If you are willing to ask God for forgiveness, he is willing to forgive you for your sins. In the case of David, despite committing adultery, lying, and murder, God forgave him for his sins.
And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said unto David, The Lord also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die
2 Samuel 12:13
Robert Wilkins
Friday 24th of June 2022
Please forgive me!