Marriage and Divorce
The following quotation concisely fits the whole of the Biblical revelation on marriage together.
The Bible clearly expresses God’s intentions for marriage. In marriage,
a man and a woman are meant to find fulfillment that is both spiritual and sexual. This relationship was marred by humankind’s fall into sin. The history of Israel tells of changes that affected marriage because the Israelites chose to accept the degrading practices of their ungodly neighbors.Jesus reaffirmed what marriage means.
He rebuked the Jews’ attitude toward divorce, and He challenged marriage partners to live in harmony with one another.1Marriage is a commitment or covenant between a man and a woman made to last until death.
Can Divorce Be Justified?
Some people have interpreted some of Jesus' statements about divorce to say that adultery is a basis and the only basis for divorce. However, Jesus' other statements do not give grounds for divorce. Jesus quite simply said that you don't cause someone who has already committed adultery to commit it. It is difficult to say that people who divorce their spouses because they slip into sin one time is more justified than people who get a divorce because they fear for their lives. To do so is to interpret Jesus' statements in a legalistic manner. As what happens very often with legalism, it tries to get around the intent and excuse oneself. People might rob a bank because someone is holding a gun to their head. This might excuse them from being prosecuted, but it doesn't mean bank robbery is right in this case. We need to deal with divorce in terms of repentance and God's forgiveness.
There is one Scripture that hints at a basis for divorce when a believer is married to an unbeliever, but the decision to leave is solely that of the unbeliever. The believer should stay with the unbelieving spouse when the unbeliever is willing to stay. A person might have circumstances where they divorce because of life threatening circumstances, or they may be unable to prevent their spouse from divorcing them. However, divorce is never right. God offers His forgiveness to those who confess their sins and repent even if they chose to divorce their spouse for a poor reason.
People need to realize that the person they are already married to is the person to whom God intends them to stay married. Finding the right person does not mean that everything is bliss and that there are not problems to work out.
Human Sexuality
God intends for us to preserve sexual intercourse for the marriage relationship. Any occurrence outside the marriage relationship is wrong. The Bible portrays homosexuality and bestiality as perversions of human sexuality caused by human desires seeking every means to be satisfied except for acknowledging God and His instructions. No matter what your condition God seeks for you to come to Him. He offers forgiveness to those who will acknowledge that they are wrong, accept His forgiveness through Christ, and seek to follow Him.
Links to another site that further discusses these issues:
Family & Marriage Issues Question Index
Why should I save sex for marriage?
What are the consequences of sexual immorality?
What does it mean to be "the husband of one wife?"
Marriage, Divorce & Sexuality
Under what conditions may Christians divorce and remarry?
What does the Bible say about same sex marriages?
How to receive a new life in Christ.
Email: [email protected]
1
James I. Packer, Merrill C. Tenney and William White, Jr., editors, Nelson’s illustrated manners and customs of the Bible [computer file], electronic ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, c1995.