So I wounder how one pastor, teacher or lay person dismiss the specific command Paul goes out of his way to tell the reader that the Lord commands from the reader this?
For wives to not depart and if so remain unmarried and for husbands to not put away his wife.
That comes from the reality that we do not live in a Christian society, and the Kingdom of God is not here on earth as it is in Heaven.
The Men do put away their wives, and the wives do get remarried.
Plus we have the government which has taken over marriage and divorce away from the authority of the Church.
So even if a Christian Man or Woman does not want to be divorced - the law and society will make it happen anyway.
Plus there the Apostle Paul did not say that the adulterer must not adulterate the wife or the husband, as that makes a big distinction when some outsider adulterates the marriage.
What I find is that we all sin, and most if not all of our relationship separations and divorces are based on our past sins, and often it is continuing sins.
I certainly do not think it helps anyone by trying to put a yoke of bondage or of guilt onto anyone.
So the Bible scriptures really need to be interpreted based on the human realities going on.
Men and women think about it. You are going to suffer no matter what decision you make.
Why not suffer in obedience and have the hope of reconcilliation while God works on your spouse to bring the desired result.
Be stuburn for following Christ and the way He instructs us to walk. Trust God to do the work.
I promise you will not be dissapointed.
If you look for the easy way out you are going to miss the blessing God has prepared for you down the road, guarentee.
Remember this? God works all things, ( what does He work? together for the good, to those who love Him and those who are the called according to His purpose.
Are you called to Gods will and purpose?
The only way to have the good is to live in obedience and God will work it out for you dear child of God.
Their are going to be those who will try discouraging you and help to justify your position.
Do not listen to them because they are not of God.
Here is the thing dear ones. Anyone who can justify 1 divorce can justify another. Do you really want to be united with one who justifies their position of divorce?
Can you really trust a individual who has justified their position? What makes you think they will at some time not find fault with you? That fault then becoming great in their mind? Great enough to justify divorce once again.
Are we not all at fault for some reason or another? It is not the matter of being at fault is a matter of forgiveness integrity.
Following God does not make us perfect but forgiven. We are called to extend the same grace to our spouse that God extends to us.
Sorry to say but individuals who initiate divorce do not know the ways of God.
Now unless you think I am bitter about my divorce and just taking it our here on poor inocent victoms. You are wrong.
Unless you think I am elivating my self out of pride. You are wrong.
It is not a easy path following Christ but being here on the other side and experienceing His blessing for doing so buy His grace alone. You see it is only because I choose to humble my self before God and allow the Spirit to lead over my own needs and flesh that I can stand here with confidence and authority to express such things.
As I died to self Christ then lives in me and as Christ lives in me He does the work of obedience.
So Glory to God in the Highest.
If you loose your life you will find it. The opposite is the same.
Many of us have fallen short of the glory of God.We just need to repent and ask God's guidance.
In the first place most of us never waited for or asked for God's guidance in our past relationships.We guided ourselves,relied on our own wisdom and got involved,hence the relationships don't work.
But now that we know Jesus,we are supposed to look upon Him and be guided by the Holy Spirit.
Maybe the persons we married initially were not God's choices for us and that's why the relationships didn't work.And i believe even if you try going back, it won't work.So seek God's guidance with the whole of your heart about the future.If its God's will you go back,do exactly that and build the relationship from there in God's will.
If we allow the Holy Spirit to teach us God's word,we will understand it and will not look at the government,society or the church.The man will treat his woman according to God's will and the woman too to do as God requires,then we won't hear of divorce,separation or couples fighting.
The one problem I have is you say let God work on the wife. I feel it takes two to tangle and God needs to work on both the husband and wife. Each needs to consider the other and want to work on it for the sake of the other.
