Divorce and remarriage

MARRIAGE A BLESSING FROM GOD

Marriage is a holy union ordained by God Himself at the time of Creation. When God created Eve from Adam's rib, He brought her to him and Adam said, "This is now bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman because she was taken out of Man." God responded, "Therefore, a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and they shall be one flesh."
Genesis 2:23-24

In making this statement, God established God's view of the bond of marriage. This was confirmed by Jesus when He was questioned about divorce, Jesus said, "Have you not read, that He who made them at the beginning, made them male and female' and said, `For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. For this reason they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, do not allow man separate.'"
Matthew 19:4-5 and Mark 10:6-9

Paul explained the concept of what was implied by the term `what God has joined together' when he said, `What, do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For He said, the two shall be one flesh.' 1 Corinthians 6:16 In other words, the act of sexual union is the act described as `what God has joined together.' Therefore, the involvement of people in the sexual act carries a heavy responsibility and should not be entered into lightly, God considers it marriage. When scriptures say that a man took a woman to wife, it did not suggest that there was a formal ceremony, but rather that they were joined sexually, and that joining was a permanent union that made them husband and wife, or one flesh. Genesis 24:67

Marriage of man and woman making the two one flesh is the closest human experience to express the oneness of God who is one unit made up of more than one component: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In His prayer, Jesus expressed the oneness of God when He said, `Neither do I pray for these alone, but for those also who shall believe on Me through their word, that they all may be one, as You Father are in Me, and I am in You, that they may also be one in us, that the world may believe that You have sent Me.'
John 17:20-21

God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are one God in just the same way that a husband and his wife are one flesh. Marriage is a human picture of the divine union. Hence, it should demonstrate the union found in the divine relationship.

In other words the relationship of husband and wife should reflect the relationship of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. There should be a oneness of thought and purpose, of goals toward which each works in harmony with the other, of love in which each feels what the other feels, joy, pain, sorrow, and views of life. They should be one in caring for each other and cherish each other as though the other were, in fact, part of their own body. When one hurts, the other should feel that hurt and minister to it whether it is a physical, emotional, or spiritual hurt.

Mates should minister to the needs of the other just like they minister to the needs of their own physical body: When hungry, feed it; when thirsty, give it a drink; when tired, give it rest; when sick, seek help; when injured, bind up and care for it; and seek ways to bring the other pleasure and enjoyment trying to make life even more pleasant, striving to be a blessing to your mate and show appreciation for the blessing he or she is in your own life. Praise each other publicly to show love and admiration.

Exalt, honor, and glorify each other. Jesus took what the Father gave Him and declared it to His followers to bring glory to the Father. The Holy Spirit took what He received from Jesus and revealed it to man to bring glory to Jesus. The Father worked miracles, spoke from Heaven, raised Christ from the dead, and exalted Him to His own right hand in Heaven to glorify the Son.

Paul said that the wife's body belongs to the husband, and the husband's body belongs to the wife. When people are married, they give their body to the other for their needs and pleasure. Failure to meet the other's needs, allows Satan to gain an opportunity to introduce temptation. 1 Corinthians 7:1-5

When Paul said, `Husbands love your wives like Christ loves the Church,' Ephesians 5:25  he was calling for total sacrificial commitment to the welfare and happiness of the wife. The husband should be totally committed to the wife to the point that he would sacrifice everything, including his life, for her benefit.

Paul, in saying, `Husbands love your wives like you love your own flesh' Ephesians 5:28 was calling for loving care that results in cherishing her with tenderness, nourishing her, bringing her comfort, cheer, and encouragement. A man should shelter, treasure and protect his wife. He should sustain and build her up mentally physically, and spiritually with love and tenderness, and be attentive to her needs. Ephesians 5:25-33 Husbands should love their wives and not be bitter toward them. Colossians 3:19

A wise man will be considerate toward his wife, treating her with respect. He will listen to his wife and consider her advise, taking advantage of the insights God has given her. Women are very intelligent and their intelligence should be used in such a way as to enhance the work and efforts of the man, thus making their joint impact on the world around them a blessing and testimony to the wisdom of God.

Husbands should cherish their wives as the more fragile and precious vessel. They should honor them as joint heirs with themselves of the grace of life. All this treatment and attitude is important even to the extent that if you abuse your wife, God will not hear your prayers. Peter says a man should honor his wife `so that your prayers will not be hindered.' 1 Peter 3:7

The way a man treats his wife reflects his attitude toward God and his willingness to submit to the will of God. Paul said, `Husbands and wives, submit yourselves to one another in the fear of God.' Ephesians 5:21 When a man treats his wife in the pattern God has required, he makes it easy for the wife to be submissive to him to assure the relationship is according to the plan of God. The scriptures give commandments for the wife as well as to the husband.

The wife is commanded to submit to her own husband as unto the Lord in everything. The husband is the head of the wife in the same way that Christ is the head of the Church. He is ultimately responsible for his wife's care and welfare, and he even has veto powers over her vows to God. With authority comes responsibility for both the decision and the consequences. Also, the wife's submission can go a long way in solving the problem of battered wives and child abuse. Ephesians 5:22-24, Colossians 3:18, & 1 Peter 3:1-6

An ideal marriage that reflects the love of God and the relationship of the Godhead will never have a problem that would jeopardize the unity. It is impossible, where the husband and wife are perfectly following God's will and plan for their marriage to ever fall into dissension or for the relationship to deteriorate to the point that divorce is even considered. God wants us to do everything possible to live at peace with one another. Romans 12:18, and 1 Corinthians 7:15

Marriage is binding until the death of one and then the survivor is free to marry again. Romans 7:1-3 & 1 Corinthians 7:39

Paul's command to not be unequally yoked to unbelievers is to establish a relationship that will be in submission to the will of God. Both parties must be willing to do their part to make the relationship totally and harmoniously in keeping with the commands of God, with each one responsible for it's success. 2 Cor 6:14-18

God's command is, "Let the marriage be held in honor by all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, because fornicators and adulterers will be judged by God." Hebrews 13:4

DIVORCE - failure of man

Divorce is not found anywhere to be in the divine will of God. GOD HATES DIVORCE. Divorce is not even an option in God's ideal relationship. The Lord's command is, "Do not let the wife depart from her husband. If she departs let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. Do not let the husband put away his wife." 1 Cor 7:10-11

Divorce represents human failure to follow the divine pattern of a marriage relationship. It represents `treachery toward the wife of his youth.' Malachi 2:13-16 It represents the hardness of the heart of man against the will of God. Matt 19:8 & Mark 10:2-5

Divorce represents sin, it is a relationship entirely and irreconcilably on its own out of the will of God. 1 Cor 7:11 It represents unbelief, even for people who claim to be Christians, because of their unwillingness to submit to the will of God in their relationship and their violation of the mandate for peace. Those who refuse to obey God are unbelievers and should be called to repentance. 1 Corinthians 7:15

DIVORCE AND ADULTERY

Divorce is sin, and is viewed by God, the same as adultery. Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery. Mark 10:11,12 The victim and the one who marries her or him is guilty of adultery according to Matthew 5:32 and Luke 16:18. So everyone who is divorced or who marries one divorced is guilty of adultery.

Adultery and fornication are defilements from the heart. Matt 15:16-20, Mark 7:18-23, Rom 1:18-32, Gal 5:19-21, Col 3:5-9, 1 Pet 4:1-6 & 2 Pet 2:1-22 Scriptures warn against Christians who accept adulterous life styles. Revelation 2:12-29 `The body is to be kept pure, it is not for fornication, but for the Lord.' 1 Cor 6:12-14, 17-19; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12 and 1 Peter 2:11

Every man, whether single or married, is guilty of adultery, when we consider the full impact of Jesus' statement that `to look on a woman with lust, is adultery.' Matt 5:27-28 Therefore, it is foolish of us to condemn others since we are all equally guilty.

As Christians, we are commanded to flee from fornication. Acts 15:1-21; 15:22-29; and Acts 21:25 Every man is therefore unworthy of an eternal relationship with a Holy God. Without Christ, and trusting in his own merit alone, he cannot inherit the Kingdom of God. 1 Cor 6:9-11; 10:1-14 & Rev 21:8;22:15

ADULTERY IS NOT THE UNFORGIVABLE SIN

God said, `I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.' Hosea 6:6 Jesus said, `Go and learn what it means, I will have mercy and not sacrifice. I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.' Matt 9:13 `He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.' Micah 6:8

When the woman caught in the act of adultery was brought to Jesus to get His response to the sin of adultery, (I always wondered where the man was, he must also have been caught in the same act since the act of adultery requires participation of both a man and a woman, and the law requires death to both) Jesus responded in mercy, `Let the man without sin cast the first stone.' One by one they realized that they were all guilty of sin and left. John 8:3-11

Jesus, Who is the Judge of all, before Whom we shall all stand to give account for what we have done in our lives; yes, Jesus, the full revelation of God Most High in Whom dwells the fullness of the Godhead bodily; Jesus the Christ, Who has the power to cast us into Hell; Jesus, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, God Himself; it is this same Jesus Who said, "NEITHER DO I CONDEMN YOU, GO AND SIN NO MORE." In other words, Jesus said, "You are forgiven, you only need to repent like everyone else, for the sin of which you are guilty. God loves mercy, not sacrifice. Praise God for His great love with which He loves us in that when we were His enemies, Christ died for us!

John said, `My little children, these things I write to you that you sin not. But, if anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.' 1 John 2:1 `If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleans us from all unrighteousness.' 1 John 1:9 If anyone is caught up in divorce, let us call them to repentance so they can confess their sin before God and accept His forgiveness and cleansing.

CONCLUSION

If God forgives a person of their sin, who are we to hold that sin against them? We must forgive them just as God forgives us! Do not call unclean what God has cleansed.

If a sin is forgiven by God, if it is cleansed away by the precious blood of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, then it is removed and they are pure and clean in Him. Acts 10:15 & Deut 24:2

Let us then encourage those who have been through divorce and remarriage, to follow the commandments of God for a holy relationship with their present mate and make their relationship reflect the holy harmony God calls for. If they have remarried, encourage them to pattern their marriage God's way. Cleansed by the precious blood of Jesus they are holy and pure in Christ. Let them therefore show Christ in their new relationship.