If A Scripturally Married Person Commits “Spiritual Adultery”, Is the “Innocent Party” Authorized to Divorce And Remarry?
No.
The only scriptural reason given by Jesus whereby an “innocent party” in a God-joined marriage can divorce and remarry is “for fornication” (Matthew 19:9; 5:32). Lust (what some call “spiritual adultery”) is not the same act as fornication (one is mental the other is physical/fleshly, 1 Corinthians 6:18; Ephesians 2:3). Compare the following verses with each other to rightly divide God’s word between literal versus figurative speech:
1 John 3:15, “Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.” When a person mentally “murders” someone in his/her mind, he/she has not literally/physically murdered someone (murder is a separate act).
Matthew 5:28, “But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” When a person mentally “commits adultery” in his/her mind, he/she has not literally/physically committed adultery/fornication with someone (adultery/fornication is a separate act).
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