As a "redeemed adulteress," Rebecca Halton knows the pain of com-
promised purity. Even after repenting of an adulterous relationship
in her early 20s, she still felt like "damaged goods." She shares here
how she ultimately learned to reclaim purity in her life � and how she
believes others can, too.
W
hen I asked Jesus into my heart at five years old, I bare-
ly knew what a signature was, let alone what I was signing on
the inside cover of my Bible. I certainly couldn't envision then
that 17 years after that profession of faith, I would need a savior
to rescue me from � me.
Me: the girl who grew up in a Christian home.
The girl who graduated with honors from a Christian college.
The girl who knew at
fi ve-years-old that she wanted Jesus in her heart.
And the girl who became a married man's mistress in her early 20s.
I climbed the slippery slope of temptation and faltered my way into a six-
month relationship with someone else's husband. I was baited by physical attrac-
tion and by emotional intimacy
which was missing in my life. And
I was trapped by fear and the
shameful feeling that I'd gone
too far down the wrong road.
I still remember hyperventilat-
ing because of crying uncontrol-
lably. I remember staring at the
ceiling, on the nights I was alone in
my bed, wondering how I got my-
self into that mess. And wondering
even more inconclusively how I
was going to get myself out of it.
If I couldn't undo what I had done, then what did that mean for me?
Therein lies the
fl aw of how we face purity--specifi cally, the loss of it. As long
as my eyes were
fi xed on me as my own savior, I couldn't see that my way to free-
dom was in surrendering, not struggling. Surrendering to God, waving the white
fl ag of repentance and inviting His rescue. I especially realized I needed God's
rescue when he--the married man--told me he was going to divorce his wife.
Months later, he changed his mind. More importantly, God changed my heart.
I
fi nally believed I deserved better. And I was fi nally repentant, to the point that I
decisively walked away. I subjected myself to the emotional withdrawal of detox-
ing my heart of adultery. And I haven't looked back longingly since.
Even the best day with him wasn't worth the worst of the sin.
Though I was repentant, by no means did I feel instantly redeemed. In the
spiritual. Yes: we are made clean the second God forgives us. But in the practical,
I didn't feel redeemed right away. In fact, my adultery left me feeling ruined. On
some level, I wondered what it mattered if I messed up more, as long as it wasn't
Vantage Point
In life there are so many obstacles that
stand in our way.
Some of these ob-
stacles are self-in
fl icted, but others come
at us through no fault of our own.
This month we feature a story recounting
how one person overcame potentially
life-damaging decisions. Rebecca Halton
succumbed to the temptations of an illicit
relationship that stole her dignity and
caused deep pain. Her journey back to
redemption is one of victory over a major
obstacle in her path to freedom. You'll be
encouraged by her story.
Also in this issue, we look at the incred-
ible expenses of building major league
sports complexes in light of the
fi nan-
cial hardships experienced by most
Americans. Is it a question of misplaced
priorities or are such expensive sporting
venues justi
fi able during the economic
climate of our day? It could be argued
that these "million dollar playgrounds"
help to stimulate the economy. We're
curious to hear your thoughts.
Read through this issue, and share your
thoughts with us. Your opinions are
important.
@rreardondc
W W W . S A I N T E R S E C T I O N . O R G
Reclaiming
PURITY
R e f l e c t i o n s o n
REDEMPTION
By Rebecca Halton
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