Thursday, August 28, 2008
First Baptist Church of Dover/Rockaway
Divorce
   Divorce, the legal dissolution of marriage, is a departure from what God intended and is not endorsed by Scripture except under limited conditions. Divorce is the result of sin in the lives of one or both of the partners. More often than not, both are to blame to some degree. Pride and selfishness often contribute to the conditions that lead to divorce.

   Divorce is often the product of inflexible wills. "Jesus replied, Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning". (Matthew 19:8). It was not god's original design to marriage.

No manipulation of Scripture or rationalization makes divorce right. Scripture states:

  • "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh" ( Genesis 2:24).
  • The Apostle Paul wrote: "To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): a wife must not separate from her husband.... And a husband must not divorce his wife" (1 Corinthians 7:10).
  • "Has not the Lord made them one ? In flesh and spirit they are his... So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith with the wife of your youth. "I hate divorce" , says the Lord God of Israel" (Malachi 2:15,16).
Limited Conditions Under Which Divorce May Be Permitted:
  1. When a spouse is guilty of sexual immorality such as adultery or homosexuality and has no intention of repenting or seeking God's forgiveness, or forsaking his or her sin and living in faithfulness to his or her spouse. (See Matthew 19:9).
  2. When one partner deserts the other, especially when an unbelieving partner deserts a Christian spouse. (See 1 Corinthians).
   If someone is married and divorced before coming to Christ, he should continue on as he is. If the person has remarried, he should attempt to make a successful second marriage. Leaving the second spouse to return to the first would be wrong. Two wrongs never make a right !

Count the Cost of Such Action:

  1. Is it displeasing to God ? (See Malachi 2:15,16)
  2. Will it disrupt the continuity of life and adversely affect other people: children, parents extended families ?
  3. Will it really solve any problems, or will it rather create a whole range of new ones ? Divorce is an emotionally traumatic experience.

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