DIVORCE
AND REMARRIAGE
Luke 16:18
Divorce
is certainly no new subject nor is it a pleasant thing to speak about
but our society has gotten so far out of God's perspective we feel
compelled to address the subject in this sermon. We want to start
from a
Biblical approach with the hope of saving at least some agony and maybe
keep your marriage from ending in divorce.
Luke 16:18- "Whosoever putteth
away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery, and whosoever
marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery".
Romans 7:3- "So
then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she
shall be called an adultress: but if her husband be dead, she is free
from that law, so that she is no adultress, though she be married to
another man".
1- Marriage between unsaved
people is a Godless union.
There is a likely chance someone will not like what
I am saying about their marriage being a Godless union but it is a fact
that lost people marry outside of the Lord's grace. You might be good
moral people and you might very well love each other but the marriage
is in your hands without God's Holy Spirit to guide you
as a couple because at the very best a newly
married partnership can be a rocky road until adjustments are made
between partners to make them compatible with each others thoughts
and life style. God has no specific instructions for the marriage of
those who do not know him in the free pardon of sin. Their only
instructions are that they both need to repent of their sins
individually and ask the Lord to come into their hearts to make
them born again believers. Most Baptist ministers council
unmarried couples to verify that they are born again before bringing
them into union with each other in marriage.
2- Marriage is an unequal yolk when one
is saved and one lost.
Often when one partner accepts the Lord and the
other remains unsaved, the marriage is in trouble because it is an
unequal yolk and they are pulling in different directions; one for the
Lord and the other toward the world. One good thought however is that
the saved partner has the power of prayer and the word of God to help
bring their mate to Christ.
In all likelihood a marriage that doesn't start
right isn't going to end right with many of them ending in divorce. If
it
started in violation of God's word in the first place with an unequal
yolk there will be problems and most couples can't cope with them for
long. Christians are exhorted by God's word to marry only a born
again believer and the reason for that is that the Lord can help them
through difficult times by the leadership of His indwelling Spirit. The
devil is just waiting for an opportunity to get between marriage
partners to destroy the union.
3- Marriage between carnal Christians can
be
shaky.
In the old testament book of Dueteronomy moses gave
instructions for a divorce when couples couldn't find compatibility but
God's people had gotten so carnal by that time that Moses thought it
necessary to try and make a way out for them when a marriage was in
trouble. God never intended for marriages to end in divorce and Jesus
condemned the practice of divorce in the New Testament as we will show
later but I want to go to the book of Genesis and read how God Himself
performed the first marriage and gave commandment for the couple to
remain together.
4- The
first marriage.
The first
mention principal of Bible interpretation introduces a thought that
will remain the same throughout scripture.
In the creative acts of God from the
book of
Genesis there are several first mentioned things but we are especially
interested in the placement of mankind in
creation at this time. all the "firsts"
will lead to God performing the first
marriage with husband and wife as well as the human
relationship between mankind and God.
(1)- The first mention of man.
was on day number
six in the creative acts of God.
God created
man and called him Adam which means, "Red Man of earth".
Genesis 2:7- "And
the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into
his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul".
The breath of
life gave mankind a
God
conscienceness.
(2)- Man's first
emotion was
loneliness.
Genesis 2:18- "And
the Lord God said, it is not good that the man should be alone; I will
make him an help meet for him". The
Hebrew words "help meet"- mean, one who is suitable for his needs.
(3)- The first mention of
Woman.
The first
surgical procedure
and the first anesthetic experience.
God took Woman
from
Adam's side because he wanted her to
remain by his side for the duration of both their lives. God created
them male and female to be bound together as a family unit.
Genesis 2:21- "And
the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept; and
he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead
thereof; and
the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman",
(4)- The first marriage was
performed
by the Lord God Himself.
(A)- God presented her.
Genesis 2:22- "The
Lord God took the woman and brought her unto the man".
(B)- The husband accepted her.
Genesis 2:23-
"And Adam said, This is now
bone of my bones, and flesh
of
my
flesh: she shall be called woman because she was taken out
of man".
(C)- The two are bound for life.
Genesis 2:24- "Therefore
shall a man leave his father and
mother,
and
shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh ".
God never wanted
that
"one flesh"
marriage to end in separation and Jesus said so in Mark 10:6-9- "But from the beginning of the creation
God
made them male and female, for this cause shall a man leave
his father
and mother, and cleave to his wife; and they twain shall be one flesh:
so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. What
therefore God hath
joined together, let not man put asunder ". In these early verses God is warning
mankind that it is wrong to put away your marriage partner.
5-The first problem.
The first mention of Satan introduced
disobedience and deception.
Genesis 3:1-
Disobedience to God's word was put into practice
by the devil. There are 4 characteristics of satan that I want to point
out that began in the garden of Eden and are still being practiced
today.
1-
Satan is subtle. Genesis 3:1-
The Hebrew word for subtle is aw-room'
which means shrewd or sly.
Satan
was
and
is actively seeking to destroy
Gods Word and Gods plan for the home and he is so shrewd and sly that
you might not know who is behind it all!
Genesis 3:1- "Now
the serpent was more subtle than any
beast of the field
which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the Woman,
Yea hath God
said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden "?
2-
Satan questioned Gods word.
Genesis 3:1-"Hath God said"?
3- Satan disputed God's word. Genesis
3:4-
He told
the woman that God had misinformed her.
Genesis 3:4- "And the serpent said
unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die":
The first mention
of woman as the weaker vessel and the first mention of how
Satan works
to destroy the plan of God in the lives of his people is found
in these
verses and it has been the same ever since!
4- Satan caused
disobedience to God's
word and he is still doing that today.
(a)- Women taking leadership roles over
the man are the work of Satan and many divorces are caused by rebellion
from women thinking they should be making decisions without discussing
them with their husbands!
(b)- Homosexuality and lesbianism
are not
alternate lifestyles
as they would
like us to think but are damnable heresies in the sight of
God. God made one man for one woman for life and It
makes me sick to hear some liberal preacher say that they
are born as homosexuals and God will accept them as they are! No, Not
in a million years!
They are going to Hell unless they repent and be born
again. When that
happens, they will have a new heart and their desires will
be brought
in line with scripture.
6- Mankind cursed first mentioned. Genesis
ch.3
(1)- The curse happened because of sin and
disobedience
to God word.
(2)-
The curse changed the husband and wife relationship with
each other
as
well
as with their creator. Genesis 3:16-17.
(3)-
The curse drove mankind from the paradise of
comfort.
Genesis 3:23-24- "
Therefore
the Lord God sent
him
forth from the garden of Eden to till the ground from
whence he was
taken. verse 24 -" So he
drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden
of Eden
Cherubims and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the
way
of the tree of life ".
There are five results of the curse.
Genesis 3:16-17
(1)- Man
making a living for his family by the sweat of his brow.
(2)-
The woman bearing children
in
pain.
(3)-
The woman being
subordinate to
her husband.
(4)-
The life span
shortened from forever
to numbered years.
(5)-
The appointment of
death for the body.
Genesis
3:16-17- "Unto the woman he (God)
said, I will greatly multiply
thy
sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth
children;
and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule
over thee.
And unto Adam he (God)
said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the
voice
of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee,
saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for
thy sake; in
sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life".
God set
up the Home with a man and a woman and it doesn't matter what you or
some liberation movement
think about it; God isn't going to change his mind nor will he tolerate
your different opinions about it! God's plan is one man
with one woman for life!
With
all that said we see how God established the home and gave instructions
for it beginning in the book of Genesis at creation but by
the time we get to 1451
B.C.
we see how the human race had degenerated to look
very
similar to our present day ruin with permission from Moses to
give a bill of divorcment and to separate one's self from a
partner in
marriage for any and every cause.
7-
Divorce was first mentioned 2,553 years after
creation.
(1)- Moses gave permission for divorce.
Deuteronomy
24:1-2 "When a man hath taken a wife, and married
her, and it
come to
pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because of some uncleanness
in her; then let him write her a bill of divorcement and give it in her
hand, and send her out of his house, and when she is
departed out of
his house; she may go and be another man’s wife". This scripture
is where we get what has been called, "A quickie divorce". "Putting
her
or
him away for every
cause"!
(2)- Jesus
condemned divorce.
Jesus said that he who puts away his wife
or their husband is
committing
adultery! Matthew 19:3-9- "The
Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, is it
lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? 19:4 “And he answered and said
unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the
beginning
made them male and female, 19:5
And said For this cause shall a man leave father and
mother, and shall
cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh. 19:6 Wherefore they are no more
twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined
together, let not
man put asunder. 19:7 They
say unto him, why did Moses then command to give a writing
of
divorcement, and to put her away? 19:8
He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your
hearts
suffered you to put away your wives; but from the beginning
it was not
so. 19:9 And I say unto you,
whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for
fornication, and
shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which
is put away doth commit adultery".
I have heard some
liberal preachers say that Jesus said, "Except it be for fornication" and excuse themselves as being qualified
to pastor a church but that is not the instructions the Holy Spirit had
the Apostle Paul write for the setting up of the New Testament Church.
The Greek word for the husband of "One" wife means the only one he ever
had! The Pastor's wife being in subjection is just as important as his
marriage arrangement. His children who are under his roof being in
subjection is likewise equally as important. Many so called Pastors do
not Biblically qualify to pastor a church on either of these three
aspects of life! (See my sermon on Qualifications for a Pastor).
(3)-
New Testament Grace gives a Spirit led concept to
marriage.
(a)-
Always remain
faithful to your
companion.
1-Cor. 7:10- "And
unto
the married I command, yet not
I but the Lord, let not the wife depart from her husband".
(b)-
Always
seek a born again
believer if you are unmarried.
1-Cor.
7:39- "The
wife is bound by the
Law as long as her husband liveth;
but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only
in the Lord".
(c)-
Always seek
spiritual
council
if you are in trouble with your marriage.
I-Cor.
7:11- "But
and if she depart,
let her remain unmarried, or be
reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife".
CONCLUSION:
If
you are unmarried, and a Christian you would be wise to pray for God to
send the one who will honor God and most of all one who is truly born
again. The worst tragedy you could encounter would be to marry a lost
person. There will be conflict from day one! Don’t think you can
influence him or her to become a Christian because it usually doesn't
happen and even if it does eventually happen, you will suffer torment
during the process.
If you
married an unsaved person and your marriage is not in trouble; God
instructs a christian to remain married with a spiritual attitude which
will often bring your spouse to a salvation experience but if it
becomes an abusive relationship that you can't live with, you are
permitted to divorce the abusive partner but you are given a
commandment from the Lord to either remain unmarried or to be
reconciled to your partner. There are no exceptions for the New
Testament Christian. It you have already made the mistake of divorce
and remarriage while your former partner is alive; you should pray and
ask the Lord to place past sins under the Blood of Christ and go on
with your life and make the best you can out of it with God's help.
Listen
to Gods instructions and be happy! Listen to fleshly desires and be
troubled! If you are not saved yourself, the first and most
important
decision of your life is to trust Christ as your personal
Savior
today!
By James Tyson Sr.
