Texts:                                    Heb.13:14; Gen 2:22-25; 1Corint. 7:1-40                                

Today we will look at a rather controversial issue, to discover the biblical stand on the matter. This is the issue of Divorce And Remarriage. Separation will also be treated in due course.

 

Divorce is the situation of having a well-constituted marriage dissolved for whatever reason(s) other than fornication/adultery, by a court (customary or otherwise), letting the parties part-ways. It is also the situation of effecting the above dissolution in whatever other ways than through the court and letting the parties part-ways. Divorce is usually followed by re-marriage to other parties.

 

However, no matter the reason(s) excepting fornication/adultery) behind the dissolution of any marriage, either legally or by tradition, and no matter who initiated it, divorce is a great sin before God (Matt.19:3-9; Mk.10:2-9; Lk.16:18; RMS.7:1-3; Mal.2:14-16; Cor.7:10-11). Therefore, in the sight of God, divorce is unjustifiable/unacceptable, “except it be for fornication” (Matt.19:9; 5:31-32). “Except it be for fornication” as was specified by our LORD Jesus Christ, is a situation in which a woman betrothed or given in marriage to a man gets into fornication and adultery before the consumation of the union (ie before they came to live together as husband and wife) and becomes defiled thereby (Deut.24:1-4; Isa.50:1; Jer.3:8; Lk.16:18; Matt.1:18-20).

 

The law of Moses (i.e. the permission of Moses) to the Jews, allowing them to divorce their wives considered the hardness of their hearts and sought to save those women the untold cruel treatments of those men of corrupt minds (Matt.19:7-8). But the gospel of Christ cures the hardness of heart and re-enacts the original commandment (Matt.19:3-9; 5:31-32).

 

There will be no occasions for divorce if all forbear one-another and forgive one-another in love, as those that are, or hope to be forgiven (Eph.4:32; Col.3:13).

 

N/B: Only people of corrupt minds look for loopholes.

 

The following two consequences of divorce and re-marriage (among many) are worthy of mention here:-

• The fact of not being married in the sight of God, rather, living the adultery continually and raising children in adultery (Matt.19:9; 5:31-32).
• The fact of having to do the often difficult marriage restitution later on, if the person should turn back to God, and the attendant difficulties of such restitution.