Biblical Marriage, Divorce and Remarriage...

[FighterforJC]

I don't think anyone's telling the divorcees/remarry-ers on these boards to hang their heads low and walk in shame. What's done is done, but to advocate it is something else. Going back to the original topic... Is divorce permissible? Sometimes. Is it okay for the divorced to remarry? After the ex spouse is dead. What about those who have already remarried while their ex is still alive? That's between them and God, there's forgiveness, of course.

Then how are we supposed to interpret this little gem:

The sad part about it is that those who fall for these false teachers, will not inherit the kingdom as a result.

How is a statement like this edifying to anyone? Not to mention that it's patently false. But we are asked to be civil and respectful in our replies at the same time. It's really hard to be civil and respectful when someone wants to knock your slats out.

I don't advocate divorce. It's painful, horrible, and it hurts everyone involved, no matter what the circumstances. But those of us who have been divorced do not have a scarlet letter branded on our forheads.

Hey I didn't type that one. No, divorcees should not be branded with the scarlet letter, but they should be branded, period. Just Kidding.

[AndrewA]

MAtthew 19 v9

I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultry.

I hope that got your attention Fighter as you seem to be ignoring this scripture and what Christ is saying, how do you feel that you are contridicting Christ?

[FighterforJC]

Hey I didn't type that one. No, divorcees should not be branded with the scarlet letter, but they should be branded, period. Just Kidding.

I realize that you did not say that. What I am saying is that threads like this encourage a stereotype to exist. The stereotype that Christians who have been divorced/remarried are second-class Christians, won't go to heaven, can't be used in the ministry and are supposed to be burdened with guilt and shame for the rest of their lives. That is what a thread like this engenders.

What comes out of it, comes out of it. But this is a real issue in the church and needs to be addressed somewhere. For every divorcee whose feelings get hurt by these kinds of posts, there is another who will learn from them and not take the same path.

[Smalcald]

smalclad, are you saying that someone who cheated on their spouse and ends up divorced is not capable of being reconciled to God? are you saying that the church should condemn that person forever and never extend the kind of grace and forgiveness that God extends? oh wait... i forgot... it sounded like you were saying God doesn't extend grace and forgiveness to someone who has been guilty of adultry.

i'm glad you're not God. i'd hate to think that God wouldn't have given ME a chance to start over.

No not at all. Every sin is and can be forgiven; sin cannot separate you from salvation, only lack of faith can do that. You cannot and none of us can go back and change the past and certainly in this area I believe that whatever happened before you were a believer is forgiven and so is what you do now if you repent and are sorry. Certainly divorced people are totally forgiven just as non-divorced people are for thier sins.

What I am saying is that repentance means repentance and true faith leads us to repentance. The question is if you are a believer, lets say you today, and you commit adultery how do you repent if you refuse to stop being an adulterer? If a person steals and is truly sorry, but then says I am sorry but I want to keep the money, is that repentance?

The fact is divorce IS allowed within scripture and so is re-marriage but it is very questionable for a person who commits adultery there is no scriptural basis for that person being able to re-marry. In fact it is particularly heinous for a Christian to not only cheat but then seek to have God and the church sanctify that adultery by marrying the very person who they committed adultery with. What does Paul say about these cases?

[Guest LadyC]

smalclad.... i WAS a believer when i divorced. i was far, far away from God and had been running from Him for many years, but i accepted Christ when i was 7. both my ex-husband and i were guilty of adultry in our marriages. we were also both guilty of emotional neglect and verbal abuse. i divorced him when the abuse became physical.

and then slowly but surely, i started coming back to God. my relationship with Him was restored. i repented, i was forgiven, and once i'd learned to be content with God as my husband He brought a man into my life to marry. i am not an adulterer, not in my eyes, and not in God's eyes.

even a christian who has strayed can repent, and can have their slate wiped clean. do you agree?

[AndrewA]

Fighter, What do you have to say about DIvorced people who Divorced thier spouces for adultry and re married, Here is was Christ says about it.

MAtthew 19 v9

I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultry.

[AndrewA]

If God dissaproved of Divorce so much and has , acording to you fighter, condemed all Divorced people who marry again, why has God blessed a Christian couple who both had previous marriages , and given them some amazing gifts and ministry? this alone proves your ridiculous false teaching wrong.

[Smalcald]

smalclad.... i WAS a believer when i divorced. i was far, far away from God and had been running from Him for many years, but i accepted Christ when i was 7. both my ex-husband and i were guilty of adultry in our marriages. we were also both guilty of emotional neglect and verbal abuse. i divorced him when the abuse became physical.

and then slowly but surely, i started coming back to God. my relationship with Him was restored. i repented, i was forgiven, and once i'd learned to be content with God as my husband He brought a man into my life to marry. i am not an adulterer, not in my eyes, and not in God's eyes.

even a christian who has strayed can repent, and can have their slate wiped clean. do you agree?

Of course, I am counting on it.

[Smalcald]

My point was thinking about repentence and the importance of what that really means particularly in the context of marriage and divorce.

What do you think? How does repentence relate to our actions in this area, what does it mean?

[FighterforJC]

If God dissaproved of Divorce so much and has , acording to you fighter, condemed all Divorced people who marry again, why has God blessed a Christian couple who both had previous marriages , and given them some amazing gifts and ministry? this alone proves your ridiculous false teaching wrong.

You are arguing from perhaps experience and know of people with "amazing gifts and ministry." but you cannot contend with the teaching of Scriptures that divorce is wrong, God said "I HATE divorce," and Paul made it clear that a person who re-marries while their ex spouse is still living, is in adultery. Your story proves NOTHING. TBN is filled with heretics, and yet those people are "blessed" with riches and prosperity, and they definitely display "amazing gifts" as well. Heck there are drug dealers and pimps that are "blessed," I suppose that proves biblical teaching to be wrong about fornication and drug use.

Edited July 19, 2007 by FighterforJC