"Ben was NOT sin and sin was NOT Ben."

CONTEXT = EMPATHY

When I first received Jesus into my heart I was taught "The Romans Road." This is a group of scriptures from the book of Romans, Illustrating our need for a savior. Without Christ each one of us is truly sinful and broken.

Romans 3:23 says that we have ALL sinned and fallen short of the glory of God!

In January, 2013 I sat in our car, in shock as Ben confessed to more than 15 years of an addiction to pornography. I also learned this addiction had taken him deeper into sin, he had been visiting social meet-up sites and making plans to meet with women in hotel rooms. Which he followed through with.

   I was faced to look at this fact, the Bible says, "for ALL have sinned"

The truth of the word of God allowed me to see that...

"Ben was NOT sin and sin was NOT Ben."

I could see Bens “flesh” was at war with his spirit! The enemy was dragging him off a cliff… BUT the Holy Spirit intervened and brought Ben to the end of his rope. He confessed and exposed his secret sin! Thank you LORD!

What a painful and humbling experience for both of us. BUT the Holy Spirit, gave me context and empathy in that moment.

“For ALL have sinned,” was running though my spirit over and over.

I could see Ben was trapped in a sin cycle… but he was breaking free!

Jesus was crucified on the cross for this very reason.

Yes, Ben betrayed me, but Ben also betrayed Christ. If Christ forgave him, I knew I could too.

So with humility I began to embrace forgiveness and the reality of Bens human-ness. I leaned heavily on the Holy Spirit for help. Empathy freed me from being the "judge" of my husbands sin.