ok - This seems like a good time to mention that one of the saddest things "my" generation has done is make divorce so easy. I understand that sometimes divorce is necessary - when an abusive relationship exists - when all has been tried and one person still refuses to commit to the idea that marriage is a 70/30 deal (on BOTH parties)- but "we just don't get along because he leaves his dirty socks on the ground" doesn't cut it. And unfortunately, as a teacher, I have seen the results of these divorces. Boredom - a reason for divorce? No. I don't think so. Jesus said "Let no man put asunder." Too many people today (especially young people) commit to marriage and then leave it, leaving behind torn families and broken children because they don't have the "stick-to-it-and-work-it-out" thing going on. What the answer is to this, I don't know. I just know it is wrong. But I also think it's wrong that the Roman Catholic church says NO divorce and Jesus says the man who divorces and marries again is an adulterer. How do we put this together?
Good questions, and somewhat hard to answer. But let me give it a try.
At the time of Jesus' ministry, people were marrying and divorcing easily. Many were married 20-25 times, divorcing their wives for any reason at all, and then citing Moses in Deuteronomy 24:1-4, as a reason for divorce. That was the setting for the questions they were asking Him. They wanted to catch Him breaking the Law.
First He corrected them by declaring the sanctity and permanence of marriage from Genesis 2;24, which is what you were saying. Then He correct them about their misinterpretation of Deuteronomy 24:1-4, which talked about limitations upon remarriage. But finally, He told them that except for marital infidelity, there is no acceptable reason for divorce. And whoever divorces without that exception clause, commits adultery, and causes others to commit adultery. Please take a look at 1 Corinthians 7, as Paul clarifies and digs deeper with respect to what Jesus was saying, especially with respect to believers and unbelievers.
Jesus' words were hard to take, and His disciples responded with, "perhsps it is better not to marry." That was a good response; they got the picture. Jesus wants us to take marriage very seriously. But then see how He answered them, talking about celebacy.
Major Point: There is a bigger importance to marriage. Marriage between two people is like the marriage between Christ and the church. See Ephesians 5:21-33. One day, in the future, Christ will come for His church, who He calls His bride. This will be the Rapture, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17.
But here is the bottom line about adultery. Remember that in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said that "if a man even looks at a woman as if to have her, it is adultery," Matthew 5:28. We are all guilty of adultery, married or not, male or female. So how do you put this together? First, we have to watch where we put our eyes. Job said, "I have made a covenant with my eyes not to look at a woman lustfully," Job 32:1. God knows what we are thinking. We can fool ourselves and others, but we cannot fool Him. Therefore, we must be ready to confess and repent of the sin of lust regularly. The same is true for all sins. See 1 John 1:9.
As for past marriages, what is done is done, you can't unscramble the egg. Some church denominations try to put a guilt trip on people for their sins in the past, but it is not helpful. It serves no purpose and only tangles a new believer in guilt and legalism. God only asks us to confess and repent.
Now that we know the truth about marriage, we must stop divorcing. Once we realize how we offend our God we need to stop doing it. But only through His Holy Spirit do we have the power to break bad habits.
I have listed many Scripture references and it is very important that you look at them. Most of what I have said is from Scripture and not from my opinions. It's really important for you to rely on the Scriptures for knowledge and understanding.
Very good commentary! I think your position on the sanctity and permanence of marriage is truly what God intended for all people. Keep up the good work of proclaiming His word to all people. Fell free to visit me at my blog. equippingofthesaints.blogspot.com Good to fellowship with other semsible, informed believers whose teacher is truly the Holy Spirit.
3 comments:
ok - This seems like a good time to mention that one of the saddest things "my" generation has done is make divorce so easy. I understand that sometimes divorce is necessary - when an abusive relationship exists - when all has been tried and one person still refuses to commit to the idea that marriage is a 70/30 deal (on BOTH parties)- but "we just don't get along because he leaves his dirty socks on the ground" doesn't cut it. And unfortunately, as a teacher, I have seen the results of these divorces. Boredom - a reason for divorce? No. I don't think so. Jesus said "Let no man put asunder." Too many people today (especially young people) commit to marriage and then leave it, leaving behind torn families and broken children because they don't have the "stick-to-it-and-work-it-out" thing going on. What the answer is to this, I don't know. I just know it is wrong. But I also think it's wrong that the Roman Catholic church says NO divorce and Jesus says the man who divorces and marries again is an adulterer. How do we put this together?
Good questions, and somewhat hard to answer. But let me give it a try.
At the time of Jesus' ministry, people were marrying and divorcing easily. Many were married 20-25 times, divorcing their wives for any reason at all, and then citing Moses in Deuteronomy 24:1-4, as a reason for divorce. That was the setting for the questions they were asking Him. They wanted to catch Him breaking the Law.
First He corrected them by declaring the sanctity and permanence of marriage from Genesis 2;24, which is what you were saying. Then He correct them about their misinterpretation of Deuteronomy 24:1-4, which talked about limitations upon remarriage. But finally, He told them that except for marital infidelity, there is no acceptable reason for divorce. And whoever divorces without that exception clause, commits adultery, and causes others to commit adultery. Please take a look at 1 Corinthians 7, as Paul clarifies and digs deeper with respect to what Jesus was saying, especially with respect to believers and unbelievers.
Jesus' words were hard to take, and His disciples responded with, "perhsps it is better not to marry." That was a good response; they got the picture. Jesus wants us to take marriage very seriously. But then see how He answered them, talking about celebacy.
Major Point: There is a bigger importance to marriage. Marriage between two people is like the marriage between Christ and the church. See Ephesians 5:21-33. One day, in the future, Christ will come for His church, who He calls His bride. This will be the Rapture, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17.
But here is the bottom line about adultery. Remember that in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said that "if a man even looks at a woman as if to have her, it is adultery," Matthew 5:28. We are all guilty of adultery, married or not, male or female. So how do you put this together? First, we have to watch where we put our eyes. Job said, "I have made a covenant with my eyes not to look at a woman lustfully," Job 32:1. God knows what we are thinking. We can fool ourselves and others, but we cannot fool Him. Therefore, we must be ready to confess and repent of the sin of lust regularly. The same is true for all sins. See 1 John 1:9.
As for past marriages, what is done is done, you can't unscramble the egg. Some church denominations try to put a guilt trip on people for their sins in the past, but it is not helpful. It serves no purpose and only tangles a new believer in guilt and legalism. God only asks us to confess and repent.
Now that we know the truth about marriage, we must stop divorcing. Once we realize how we offend our God we need to stop doing it. But only through His Holy Spirit do we have the power to break bad habits.
I have listed many Scripture references and it is very important that you look at them. Most of what I have said is from Scripture and not from my opinions. It's really important for you to rely on the Scriptures for knowledge and understanding.
Very good commentary! I think your position on the sanctity and permanence of marriage is truly what God intended for all people. Keep up the good work of proclaiming His word to all people. Fell free to visit me at my blog. equippingofthesaints.blogspot.com
Good to fellowship with other semsible, informed believers whose teacher is truly the Holy Spirit.
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