Does God allow Divorce Today?

As I scanned this thread I had no intention on commenting simply because I did not want to get into a debate on divorce and remarriage (for the record, I have never been divorced and I am approaching my third decade of marriage to my lovely bride) because of the passion the topic generates. When I read this sentence of yours I decided it has to be addressed.

First, no matter what the reason, divorce is a tragedy. It destroys individuals and families. Women and children are disproportionally affected by divorce. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, "The poverty rate for female-headed families with children was 36.5 percent, compared to 22.1 percent for male-headed families with children and 7.5 percent of families with children headed by married couples." Divorce contributes to juvenile delinquency. A report by the Heritage Foundation found, "a 10 percent increase in the percentage of children living in single-parent homes leads typically to a 17 percent increase in juvenile crime." Most importantly, divorce gives the enemies of our Lord cause to blaspheme. I state all this to make the point clear that I believe divorce is a serious sin and comes with serious consequences for all involved. That said, it is not an unforgivable sin. The only unforgivable sin is unbelief. Even the unpardonable sin of Matthew 12:31-32 cannot be replicated today.

Now, I want to be generous. Perhaps I misunderstand what you mean by your statement of there being no forgiveness unless the initiator forgives. Maybe you are referring to the natural consequences of the sin of divorce. My parents divorced when I was a young boy. My father never confessed nor asked for the forgiveness of my mother for his actions which lead to the divorce. Both of my parents eventually were remarried, so restoration of the marriage was impossible. Still, had my father confessed and asked for my mother's forgiveness at least they could have been at peace with each other and a valuable lesson taught to my sister and me. Does this place one or both of my parents outside of Christ? No. Could it be an indicator of greater spiritual problems that may indicate neither are Christians? Possibly, but not necessarily. The same could be said of any sin. It bears mentioning that positionally speaking, Christians are no longer sinners; we are "saints by calling" (1 Corinthians 1:2); we are "in the light" and "the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin" (1 John 1:7). This does not mean God promises to keep us from the penalty of sin in this life. If we rob a bank we should expect to spend some time in Club Fed. But to assign divorce a special place among sins is not supported by scripture.

 

No divorce except for adultery.....

It was a creation ordinance;
4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,

5 And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?

6 Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

Matthew 5:32
But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.


Mark 10:11
And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her.

Mark 10:12
And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.

Luke 16:18
Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.

 

7 Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?

2 For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.

3 So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.

 

Wrong. No divorce except for FORNICATION, which occurred BEFORE the marriage. NOT the same as adultery:

9 And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and he that marrieth her when she is put away committeth adultery. Matthew 19:9

Deuteronomy 22:13-21

The bloody bedsheets would tell the story. It was at that point the husband was to decide whether to forever hold his peace.

It's why the disciple's response:

10 The disciples say unto him, If the case of the man is so with his wife, it is not expedient to marry. Mt 19

 

Multi-faceted gem it is. Many 'threads' in the scriptures that carry the same message. He also died!:

16 For where a testament is, there must of necessity be the death of him that made it. Heb 9

 

I believe a leading cause of divorce is couples marrying outta LUST, not true love. When the novelty wears off, they may find they're incompatible in many ways, hence leading to divorce.

Christians have lust & libidos same as anyone else, but both people should carefully examine themselves to see if they wanna marry the other strictly from the activity of their libidos, or whether they believe the other will be a best friend & life partner & not just a sex object.

I thank God every day for giving me a GREAT wife who's my best friend & partner in everything. I hope every happily-married Christian likewise married to a great spouse does the same!

 

You need to edit post #27. You used the quote function incorrectly making it look as though I posted this:

And how do you suggest a divorced couple overcomes these sins if they are re-married? Compound their original sin by another divorce?

It is interesting, is it not? You do not believe in a moral law of God's establishment but you have set up your own.

 

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
I John 1:9


Sent from my Pixel 2 XL

 

So you say. What does the Bible say?

In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,
Ephesians 1:13

But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.
John 20:31

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.
Romans 1:16

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL

 

Dave, I believe the Bible teaches that repentance and faith are both necessary for a person to be converted. However, repentance does not mean perfection. Christians do sin and sometimes they really make a mess of things; even to the point where the consequences of the sin cannot be undone. Divorce and remarriage is one such example. To counsel a divorced couple who are remarried to divorce their existing spouses only compounds sin. Repentance is still possible. It requires admission of the wrong done and corrective action (if possible). If a man divorced his wife and neither are re-married, it would be good for him to confess his sin and go back to his ex-wife. Praise God that has happened in some instances. Unfortunately, that is not always possible. David could not undo the mess he made by being complicit in the death of Uriah due to his adulterous affair with Bathsheba. He had to suffer the consequences of his actions. He was still a man after God's own heart.

Again, for a man who has railed against God's moral law, you seem to be insisting on your own version of it.

 

rom7 :3 So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.

 

...clear your mind of all presuppositions, take your time, read it real slow (out loud if you have to) and see that this is not a reason given that justifies divorce, this is an example of adultery.

The only BIBLICAL justification for divorce is fornication, which is NOT adultery.