What if a man is a Christian, is married to a Christian, and then the man commits adultery with another Christian, he then divorces his wife and marries the person he committed adultery with. Would this be an unforgivable sin?  Also, would you consider this person a Christian?

Answer:
 
1. No, this is not an unforgivable sin, for the only sin that is never forgiven is the sin of Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, which basically, is calling the Holy Spirit a liar; saying that what He testifies about Christ is not true, and finally and completely rejecting it.  Actually, all those who go into Hell really commit this sin by rejecting Christ.  Yes, Adultery, and Divorce are not the "unforgivable sin."
 
2. Is the man a Christian? Well, that is a valid question anytime a person, who claims to be a Christian commits such a public and serious sin.  Christians do sin, not as much as they did before becoming Christians, and less each year as they grow in Christ, but always sinning to a degree until their last breath.  Before a person is saved, the character of their life is sin, that is, most of what they do is sin (how they talk, what they say, how they spend their money and time, their expressions of passion, etc.), therefore they are "sinners."  But once they truly are born again, then most of what they do should not be characterized by sin.  In fact, most of what they do should be righteousness (some to a greater degree than others), thus they are not called "sinners" anymore, but "righteous." 
 
For a Christian to commit adultery against their marriage partner, there has to be a "drifting away" from the truth of the Word.  There has to be "little compromises" that lead up to it (the second glance, the lingering thought, the fantasy, the purposed action of drawing near to the another person, and eventually the touch and the adultery).  A Christian has the conviction of the Holy Spirit within them when they sin.  If Christians allow an evil thought to linger, then they should feel the immediate conviction of the Holy Spirit.  If they would say a cross word to someone, they would feel the Holy Spirit convict them of the sin and lead them to apologize to the offended one.  To commit adultery, one has to ignore the conviction of the Holy Spirit, and press on into the sin.  Unbelievers have no such conviction, but may feel their conscience bother them a little.

Is he a Christian? In this case, one would have to look at the rest of his lifestyle and also see what he believes about the Bible and Christ.  If he is a Christian, then he can expect some significant discipline from his Heavenly Father, designed to get him to repent and also to show the world (Christians and Non-Christians) that God is a very faithful Father who loves His children, and must discipline them when they willfully violate His holiness.

Added to Bible Bulletin Board's "Tony Capoccia's Questions and Answers" by:

Tony Capoccia
Bible Bulletin Board
Box 314
Columbus, New Jersey, USA, 08022
Websites: www.biblebb.com and www.gospelgems.com
Email: tony@biblebb.com
Online since 1986