Sermons About Divorce And Remarriage
Divorce and Remarriage Listen |
In order to understand what the Bible teaches about divorce, we must first understand what it teaches regarding the nature of marriage. Following Christs example, Alistair Begg appeals to the authority of Scripture to teach us how to think biblically about this difficult topic as we consider what marriage is and how that affects its dissolution.
Divorce Part One Listen |
Because marriage is part of God’s purpose since creation, the Bible’s instruction concerning marriage and divorce applies to every marriage. Jesus’ instruction in Mark 10 is unequivocal, and we cannot disregard it. Alistair Begg teaches us how to apply it within the framework of Gospel truth.
Divorce Part Two Listen |
When the Pharisees challenged Jesus on the topic of divorce, He did the same thing we should do when facing difficult issues: return to first principles. Alistair Begg reminds us that marriage is a creation ordinance instituted by God as a pattern for all humanity. Marriage, in all its successes and failures, requires Gods grace to redeem, restrain, and restore our human weaknesses.
Listen |
Planting Hedges in Marriage Part One Listen |
Planting Hedges in Marriage Part Two Listen |
Not A Grounds For Remarriage
I believe 1 Cor. 7:15does not allow for remarriage in the case of desertion for the following reasons.
Jesus gave 1 exception, how could there be 2? If Paul added a 2nd exception, then he did not extend on Jesus teaching but blatantly contradicted it. Suppose I said, The parking lot is empty, except for a white Corolla. When you look outside, you see 2 cars in the parking lot a white Corolla and a blue Civic. Would I be right or wrong? I think I would be half right and half wrong. Similarly if Jesus said fornication is the only exception, when in fact there were two exceptions, then He would have been in error.
Paul taught there was no spiritual difference between marriage to a believer and marriage to an unbeliever i.e. in neither case should the believer be the one to initiate divorce. If remarriage was not allowed for desertion by a believing spouse , why is it permitted for desertion by an unbelieving spouse ? It makes no sense.
Verses 12-15 mirror verses 10,11 in thought development. Consider the following comparison.
| General Marriage |
Yes You Can Remarry After Divorce
Whether youre divorced or not, remarriage is possible if God gives you the gift of a new marriage. You cant just marry anyone, thoughyour spouse must be someone else who practices their faith. If thats not the case and you want to remarry, try asking your pastor for advice about how to proceed with a second marriage.
The Bible does have some verses on divorce that might give people pause:
A man who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.
But remember that Deut 24 talks about the laws around divorce within Judaism at the time, which doesnt apply to Christians today unless were living in Israel under Jewish law which isnt likely! And if it does happen again , then Deuteronomy 24 wouldnt apply because its an Old Testament law Jesus said he came not abolish but fulfill these things.
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A God Continues To Hold Such People Obligatedto Honor The Commitment Of Their Previous Marriage Covenant Itfollows That Every Sexual Union In The Present Marriage Isadultery
It follows that the only way such a person can be a faithfulChristian is to give up the husband-wife relationship, includingsexual relations, with their present companion.
Malachi 2:14-16 – Marriage is a covenant relation which Godwitnesses and holds people accountable to honor. .
Hebrews 13:4 – The sexual union is lawful onlywith the one person with whom we have a valid marriage covenant.In any other case it is fornication.
Romans 7:2,3 – The marriage covenant commits aperson to his/her companion for life. Anytime our companion isalive, if we have a marriage relationship with someone else, we are guilty of adultery . Note that the firstmarriage commitment continues as long as the first companion isalive, not just until baptism.
Matthew 19:3-9 – God joins a man and woman in the marriagecovenant, and man has no right to set it aside. If a man tries toset it aside, God still holds him to it, so his subsequentmarriage is adulterous.
1 Corinthians 7:10,11,2-5 – A person should not divorce his/hercompanion. But what should one do if he is already divorced? Onlytwo choices are available – remain unmarried or else bereconciled to our true companion.
Can A Divorced Person Remarry According To The Bible
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If by any chance there is an inevitable separation in a bible”}” data-sheets-userformat=”,”12″:0,”14″:,”15″:”ubuntu”,”16″:9,”23″:2}”> can a divorced person remarry according to the bible?
God elevated the relationship to a high plane when, at the beginning of the human race, He laid down the strict standards that govern .
Jesus said an individual has permission to divorce the mate that commits fornication . So, divorce for that innocent marriage partner is allowed. On the other hand, any person who divorces their scriptural spouse for any reason, other than fornication, does sin.
In this divorced condition , the individual has placed himself in a situation that comes under additional scriptural restrictions. Paul gave these restrictions in 1 Corinthians 7:10-11 where he taught that scripturally married couples ought not to divorce. However, should their marriage break up unscripturally, both are to remain unmarried. Some feel this verse does not refer to a technical divorce but merely to a separation. Either way, their breakup is contrary to Gods will, and neither of the two can marry someone else.
Therefore, according to the scriptures, there are three categories of divorced individuals that are ineligible to remarry:
the person who committed fornication and was divorced for that act by his or her spouse .
the person who was unscripturally divorced by a spouse .
the person who was deserted by an unbelieving spouse .
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If A Person Was Previously Married In The Catholic Church And Divorced Civilly He Or She Can Petition To Have The Earlier Marriage Annulled
If a person was previously married in the Catholic Church and divorced civilly, he or she can petition to have the earlier marriage annulled. A decree of nullity from a Catholic tribunal is required for this process to take place. If you were already married when you converted to Catholicism, and want an annulment on those grounds, then you will need a dispensation from your local bishop before proceeding with your petition for annulment.
What The Bible Teaches About Divorce And Remarriage
There are few issues that require more pastoral sensitivity than the issue of divorce and remarriage. Getting it wrong one way can have massive consequences, particularly for women who feel trapped in abusive and unsafe relationships. Getting it wrong the other way can bring shame and infamy upon the name of Christ. Pastors and elders therefore have a responsibility to know what the Bible says and to teach, counsel, lead, correct and discipline their people accordingly.
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Is It A Sin To Remarry Again
is it a sin to remarry again? The Bible does not specifically address whether it is a sin to remarry again.
lets look at this question from two perspectives
If the act of remarriage is adultery which is a sin, remarrying again is a sin. But the new marriage in itself is not a sin. This is because God views marriage as a covenant between two people and one man.
Is Remarriage After Divorce Adultery
Is it possible that if you remarry after divorce, you could be committing adultery? The answer is it depends on the reason why you got divorced. If your divorce is for Biblical reasons, then remarrying is not committing adultery.
If it is not for Biblical reasons, then it is adultery because in Gods eyes that remarriage is illegitimate. It may be legal according to the laws of the land, but it is not sanctioned in Gods eyes. Because each situation is different, I want to be careful about making a blanket statement about an individual marriage. True wisdom would require you to consider each situation on a case-by-case basis so that an effective determination can be made.
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Is It Okay For A Couple To Be Separated But Still Legally Married
In Biblical times, couples were temporarily apart due to military service ” rel=”nofollow”> 2 Samuel 11:6-11) or family visits ” rel=”nofollow”> Luke 1:39-40, ). Jesus’ apostles were likely away from their wives for at least part of the time they were serving Jesus ” rel=”nofollow”> 1 Corinthians 9:5, ). Similarly couples of today may have to be temporarily apart because of family situations, jobs or military service.
However, if a couple separates because of marital problems, they are no longer living according to the Biblical model of marriage ” rel=”nofollow”> Genesis 2:24, , , , ).
When Remarriage Is Not Biblical
If you were divorced and your reasoning for it was unbiblical, then biblically remarriage is not an option for you.
There are different views on the biblical reasons for divorce. The biblical reasons for divorce are: being unequally yoked, your partner is unfaithful to you, and abuse occurs.
I am not going to discuss these reasons in-depth, but here are some sources that go in more in-depth regarding biblical divorce click here.
God created marriage to be a lifelong covenant between a man and a woman. However, due to the fall, sin became a part of reality causing humans to commit sins like being unfaithful to their spouse and engaging in abuse.
You must dig deeper into these reasons for yourself before getting remarried.
If your reasons for your divorce were unbiblical, then you are still married in the eyes of God. Even if the marriage is dissolved in the eyes of the law.
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Do I Feel Confident In My Understanding Of Christs Love For Me
Though you may feel as though you know that God loves you, you have to also fully believe that He loves you, and how deep His love is for you before you can fully love someone else.
Believing how deep Gods love is for you is sometimes difficult depending on the day, but when you recognize His love for you as stated in John 3:16.
Gods love is unceasing, selfless, and is the river from which all other love flows.
Recognizing Gods love for us allows us to better love ourselves which is part of the commandment given in Mark 12: 13 Love your neighbor as yourself. We read this verse and focus so much on the first half that we pay no attention to the second.
How can you love your neighbor if you dont love yourself, and more importantly how can you love your spouse the way you are called to.
After a divorce, all the love you once had for yourself might have been broken down, so it is imperative that you rebuild it before you remarry.
What Does The Bible Say About Remarrying After Divorce
There are several scriptures in the New Testament in which Jesus Christ seems to indicate that, with only one exception, it is a sin to remarry after divorce. We will consider four of these scriptures.
In Matthew 5:32, Jesus Christ declares, But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.
Except as noted, the next three scriptures are similar to Matthew 5:32.
In Matthew 19:9, Jesus Christ asserts, And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.
Likewise, in Luke 16:18, Jesus says, Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery and whoever marries her who is divorced from her husband commits adultery. Unlike the two previously mentioned scriptures in Matthew, no exception is made for sexual immorality by the wife, but otherwise this scripture is very similar.
Now, we will consider what we regard as three of the best of the typical explanations of the four preceding scriptures. Although each of these explanations pertains to just one of the four scriptures, they are also relevant to the three other scriptures, since the four scriptures are very similar.
The Fourfold Gospel by J. W. McGarvey and Philip Y. Pendleton states,
David Guziks Commentary on the Bible asserts with regard to Matthew 5:32,
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The Possibility Of Remarriage
Remarriage is permitted for the faithful partner only when the divorce was on biblical grounds. In fact, the purpose for a biblical divorce is to make clear that the faithful partner is free to remarry, but only in the Lord .
Those who divorce on any other grounds have sinned against God and their partners, and for them to marry another is an act of adultery . This is why Paul says that a believing woman who sinfully divorces should remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband . If she repents from her sin of unbiblical divorce, the true fruits of that repentance would be to seek reconciliation with her former husband . The same is true for a man who divorces unbiblically . The only time such a person could remarry another is if the former spouse remarries, proves to be an unbeliever, or dies, in which cases reconciliation would no longer be possible.
The Bible also gives a word of caution to anyone who is considering marriage to a divorcee. If the divorce was not on biblical grounds and there is still a responsibility to reconcile, the person who marries the divorcee is considered an adulterer .
Have I Fully Forgiven My Ex
After reading this question you may be feeling like this is completely impossible because of all that your ex did to you, but we are called to forgive everyone and not to hold hatred in our hearts.
You must forgive your ex not only for you but because it is something that God has called you to do. Forgiveness does not mean that you are justifying what your ex did, but instead that you are giving that over to God and releasing your control over the situation.
If you do not forgive your ex-spouse before becoming remarried then you will bring that into your future marriage. Doing this will keep you from being able to fully move on, and potentially cause you to bring up your ex to your current spouse.
I recommend seeking counseling or talking to a trusted pastor to help you walk through this.
Remember to seek God first, before you seek someone else. Pray and seek the Lord for guidance being getting remarried.
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Can God Bless Your Second Marriage
The above seems to be a popular question amongst those that have remarried after divorce or contemplating remarrying. Remember, God is bound by his word and the covenant he has entered with you. God is a gracious God, and there is no reason why he should not bless a second marriage on the condition that the marriage is in line with his word.
What Does The Bible Say About Divorce And Remarriage To The Same Person
Another great verse about remarriage in the Bible is 1 Corinthians 7:10-11. In it, we read the words of the Apostle Paul, To the married, however, I give this instruction : A wife should not separate from her husbandand if she does separate she must either remain single or become reconciled to her husbandand a husband should not divorce his wife.
From these verses, we see that God desires the union, or reunion, of spouses if they have been separated. We also see that remaining single is an option, as would be the case if two people entered a valid marriage but afterward one of the spouses became abusive toward the other. For safety, the abused spouse might need to physically separate, perhaps permanently, but the marriage would remain valid.
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What The Bible Says How To Work On Marital Problems
Now that we understand how the Biblical reasons for divorce are hard and only limited to extreme circumstances, we would, of course, think of ways on how the Bible will teach us on how we can handle marital troubles.
As Christians, we would, of course, want to be pleasant in the eyes of our God and to do this, we need to make sure that we do our best to save our marriage and to work for it under the guidance of our Lord.
Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered. -1 Peter 3:7
It clearly says here that a man will leave his family and dedicate his life for this wife and children. He will honor the woman he chose to marry and will be guided by Gods teachings.
Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them. Colossians 3:19
Husbands, as you are the stronger one. Dont use your strength to hurt your wife and kids but to protect them.
Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. Hebrews 13:4
Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Ephesians 5:22-24