5 reasons affairs, adultery should be confessed to a spouse - Russell Moore

Russell Moore, president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, gives five reasons why adulterer should confess to their spouse.

In a blog post, Moore stresses that adultery hurts. It hurts the spouse and the whole family, and it leaves a wrecking mark on people who are involved in the situation whether directly or indirectly. To deal with it, one must first repent before God.

However, the question also lies on whether or not it should be confessed to the spouse. In the said post, Moore presents five reasons for why cheating spouses should do so, saying that it is "absolutely necessary."

Moore mentions 1 Corinthians 7:4 as reference when he states that the husband and wife has rights over their partner's sexuality. The verse says, "The wife does not have authority over her own body but yields it to her husband. In the same way, the husband does not have authority over his own body but yields it to his wife."

The evangelical leader continues to explain that when a husband or wife commits a sin, the other person is affected.

The next reason that Moore shares is when adultery is kept secret, it deceives the spouse because something that is creeping into the marriage is being kept from him or her. According to Moore, repentance is completed only until it is confessed.

The third reason given as to why adultery should be confessed is that a person should take responsibility for the sin committed. Moore encourages married individuals to view their spouses as more important than the concerns that they may have about confessing.

A person has to accept the consequences of the sin they committed — Moore says this as the fourth reason, adding that making excuses for the sin is discouraged. 

Lastly, the person who committed adultery has to make a move for reconciliation but must patiently wait to receive forgiveness.