[Discoveries] 09-19-08 Comfort and respect -- Matthew 5:32

[Inspiration in Your Inbox]

/*But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital 
unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who 
marries the divorced woman commits adultery. -- Matthew 5:32 */

What about the wronged party? For the past several days we've been 
focusing on those who commit adultery. But what about those who have 
been sinned against?

I have two words for those who have been sinned against. The first is 
comfort. God wants to comfort you. He wants to soothe the deep, deep 
hurt in your heart. He wants to take the anger, the confusion, the 
invalidation, the betrayal, the shock and replace it with peace.

This is not something that just happens automatically. You have to take 
these broken places in your heart to Jesus. You probably will need help 
-- we all need each other, and this is one of those times when we need 
help.

My second word is respect. We have already talked about compassion 
mingled with respect, but now I want to focus on respect for the one who 
has been sinned against. You are not a doormat. You are a holy son or 
daughter of Almighty God. The more you have peace in your heart, peace 
gained from the Lord, the more you will be able to understand where the 
boundaries need to be. Relationships are based on trust, and the one who 
has sinned needs to be on a program to regain your trust if the marriage 
is to survive.

In this passage, the Lord points out that enough is enough. He set an 
escape clause for marriage, not because He wants marriages to fail, but 
because both parties must earn trust and respect for the marriage to 
succeed.

If you have been struggling with the issues that we've talked about the 
last several days, please know that our prayers are with you. May the 
Lord encourage you, give you wisdom, and grant you peace.

Be encouraged!
Dwight

What happens when you partner with Dwight Clough Ministries? Victims of 
violent crimes and survivors of abuse are finding peace, wholeness, the 
power to forgive and the strength to set boundaries. Those ensnared by 
addictions are finding freedom. Marriages are being restored. Families 
are strengthened. Christian brothers and sisters in restricted lands who 
face persecution are finding strength and encouragement. Young believers 
are learning how to walk with the Lord, and people are coming into the 
faith for the first time. None of this happens as a result of one 
person's efforts, but rather this is God's work as He blesses the 
sacrifice of many people including yourself. We partner with you, with 
other ministries, and, most significantly, with the Lord. That's how the 
supernatural happens.

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