Infidelity

Dad
May 28, 2003

—MOAugust 16, 1976GP No.531

(From a discussion about a conversation with the newlyweds at our hotel, David and Jean:)

1. WHEN SHE SAID SHE COULD NOT FORGIVE HER HUSBAND FOR INFIDELITY, she was saying that she loved herself more than him! She worshipped fidelity more religiously than God! She valued, in other words, his total faithfulness to her more than his love, more than love itself! For to forgive is love—divine love!

2. TO SAY YOU CANNOT FORGIVE IS TO SAY YOU CANNOT HAVE THE LOVE OF GOD! You cannot love as God loves, because that's all God does all the time—forgive! God has forgiven his wife the Church for infidelity thousands and thousands and ten times ten–thousand times! He forgave Israel for unnumbered infidelities and the Church for innumerable infidelities—spiritual whoredoms!

3. THE DIVINE SUPERNATURAL MIRACULOUS INFINITE MARVELOUS LOVE OF GOD IS LOVE ENOUGH TO FORGIVE! If you don't have love enough to forgive‚ you don't have love—because forgiveness is love! Jesus Himself said following the Lord's Prayer: "If you cannot forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father in heaven forgive you your trespasses!" (Mt.6:15.)

4. LOOK HOW GOOD GOD IS TO THEM to throw us across their paths when they've already had a stormy honeymoon! She's a proud spoiled little brat and extremely self-righteous! Now, he is proud and extremely spoiled and selfish, but I wouldn't consider he is self–righteous. He doesn't consider he could never make a mistake.

5. THEY WORSHIP MARRIAGE—THEY MAKE IT A GOD! It is a worship of the law. It is a form of legalism:—It's got to be this way or else—all or nothing at all! It's a worship of the law more than love, forgiveness or mercy. "I worship righteousness & the law more than love! I esteem works more than faith!"—That's really what they're saying. It's legalism: "Thou shalt not!"

6. THE WORSHIP OF MARRIAGE LAWS IS A LEGALISM—that the law is inviolable! The legalists say that nothing can supersede it—not even the love, mercy or the grace of God And if they violate the law they cannot be forgiven!

7. THIS IS THE JUSTICE OF THE DEVIL, the righteousness of Satan! This is what he advocates all the time! "They have broken the law!—Judge them!"—Just like the Scribes and Pharisees!

8. THEY WORSHIPPED THE LAW MORE THAN LOVE! They worshipped their own self-righteousness more than the righteousness of God! They worshipped judgment more than mercy, and when it comes right down to it they worshipped vengeance more than mercy!

9. "FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES as we forgive those who trespass against us!" If we're only going to be forgiven the way we forgive others and be shown the mercy that we show others, some people are going to be in a pretty bad fix, especially the churches and churchy Christians, who are almost the most unforgiving people I know of!

10. EVEN THE PUBLICANS AND THE SINNERS AND DRUNKS AND THE HARLOTS ARE MORE UNDERSTANDING AND MORE FORGIVING‚ because they know they're that way and they can't help it and they're more merciful, more forgiving because they'd like to be forgiven themselves! But some people are so self-righteous they think they never make a mistake! They're always right, so why should they ever have to be forgiven, why should they have to forgive others?

11. IF YOU CAN'T FORGIVE, YOU CANNOT POSSIBLY HAVE REAL LOVE OR REAL HUMILITY! You haven't got mercy, because love is forgiveness and mercy! Which kind of person are you!—The just, unforgiving‚ unloving, unbending, unmerciful proud self-righteous?—Or the merciful, loving, yielding, forgiving, humble, unrighteous sinner saved only by the grace of God!—The latter are going to Heaven‚ the former to Hell!—Jesus said so!—Which are you!