When it comes to cheating, you probably think you know everything there is to know. It’s wrong. It’s a betrayal of trust, an act of selfishness, and a breach of integrity. If you’re in a relationship with someone – especially if that someone is your partner or spouse – chances are you wouldn’t even contemplate cheating on them.
What Does the Bible Say About Cheating?
The biblical definition of cheating is found in Exodus 20:14. It says: “You shall not commit adultery.” This commandment is pretty clear, but there are other references in the Bible that shed more light on the subject. In First Corinthians, the apostle Paul wrote, “Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God.” As this verse shows, cheating goes beyond an emotional or physical relationship outside a committed relationship. It’s also not just limited to romantic relationships. You can cheat in friendships or family relationships by expecting more from that relationship than the other person is willing to give.
Committing Adultery
Adultery is a violation of trust. The idea of cheating, however, is often more about having an emotional or physical response to another person. Adultery, on the other hand, is a choice to act on those feelings. Being in a committed relationship means that you’ve made a vow to remain faithful to your partner. It doesn’t mean that you can’t be friends with people of the opposite sex, but it does mean that you have to make a choice about which emotions or desires you’re going to act on. In the same way, if you’re in a relationship with someone and you have strong, opposite-sex friendships, you have to make a choice about which emotions you’re going to act on.
What Does Adultery Look Like?
Adultery doesn’t always mean that sexual intercourse has taken place, but it does mean that someone has been sexually intimate with another person without their partner’s consent or knowledge. Sexual activity outside of a committed relationship can be verbal or visual rather than physical, but whatever it is, it’s an act of betrayal. Emotional cheating can be defined as having a connection with someone that you don’t share with your partner. While you might not be having sexual relations with that person, you’re still engaging in behavior that’s secretive and exclusive.
Breaking Up and Moving On
There’s no “one size fits all” response to infidelity. Each relationship is different, and each couple will respond to infidelity in their own way. There’s a difference between breaking up with someone and being broken up with. If one partner cheats on another, that doesn’t give the other person the right to break up with them. The person who was cheated on still has a choice to make – whether to stick with the relationship or not. If you’ve been cheated on, you have a choice to make as well. You can choose to stay in a relationship with a person who has betrayed you, or you can end the relationship. If you make the decision to break up with a partner who has cheated on you, you have to be prepared to move on.
Why People Cheat In Relationships
There are a lot of myths about infidelity, but it’s not always due to low self-esteem or a need for attention. In many cases, people cheat because they want to feel something different from what they’re feeling in their current relationship. There are no easy fixes, though. If you want to keep your relationship strong and healthy, you need to identify the emotions you’re feeling and work with your partner to understand them.
How to Maintain Honesty and Commitment in Your Relationship
Put God at the center of your relationship. You can simply put God at the center of your relationship, but your actions are not according to the will of God. So the first thing is that you must strengthen your own faith and relationship to God, our creator. God can guide and work on your relationship if you allow Him to work on you first. God wants a father-child relationship with you. So put God first before your partner. God should be at first as He created us (Colossians 1:16).
You should also fear the Lord. If you love God, you would fear to do anything that is not according to His will. Cheating on your partner is also hurting God directly, so a deeper relationship to Him must be needed. Perfect relationships are really beyond our imagination, but good couples are praying for one another. If you bless your partner, you are also contributing to his/her well-being in physical realm. In that significant action is also showing that you are both supporting and helping each other. Another best recommended action is to go to Church first before going on a date. By that you and your partner acknowledge and honor God in your relationship. God honors those who honor Him.
Conclusion
The truth is, cheating is an act of self-sabotage. It’s an attempt to run away from the things that are making you unhappy. It’s an attempt to escape the person you are and the life you’re living. Whether it’s a one-time mistake or a repeated act, every time you cheat, you’re making a choice. You’re making a decision to hurt the person you love and the relationship you have with them. When you make that choice, you’re hurting yourself. You’re hurting your relationship, and you’re hurting your partner.
The author of the book Hebrews told us that “marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.” (Heb 13:4). Either in this life or in the after life, God will judge adulterers for all their sexual immorality. God gave us many warnings on sexual immorality. Adultery is not an unforgivable sin either; every sin can be forgiven through sincere repentance to Christ alone.
