TAKING A CLOSE LOOK
AT A BIG AND DICEY SUBJECT KNOWN AS DIVORCE. IT IS
A HOTLY CONTESTED ISSUE IN THE CHURCH TODAY AS IT WAS IN THE
DAY OF JESUS. IF YOU RECALL, THERE ARE 2 COMPETING POSITIONS,
2 FACTIONS ON THE SUBJECT OF DIVORCE. ARE WE GOING TO BE
BIBLICAL LITERALISTS AND SAY, NO NO NO NO, NO DI-GOD HATES
DIVORCE. OR ARE WE GOING TO BE REALLY LIBERAL WHERE A MAN CAN
JUST BOOT A WOMAN, UNLOAD IS THE LANGUAGE, UNLOAD A WOMAN FOR ANY
REASON? JESUS SETTLED THE DEBATE. WE ARE LITERAL
INTERPRETERS OF THE BIBLE, SO IF YOU'RE ASKING ABOUT THAT VERSE,
I SIDE WITH MOSES, AND WHEN YOU READ THAT JESUS APPEARS TO GIVE
NO EXCEPTIONS, YOU NEED TO REMEMBER THE CONTEXT TELLS US HE
WAS SIMPLY ANSWERING THE QUESTION, WHICH WAY ARE WE GOING
TO GO WITH THIS SUBJECT? LIBERAL OR CONSERVATIVE? AND WHAT DO YOU
KNOW, HE CAME OUT ON THE CONSERVATIVE SIDE. HAVING SAID
THAT, WE RUN TO THE REST OF OUR BIBLE TO SEE WHAT THE SCRIPTURES
TEACH US ABOUT THE SUBJECT OF DIVORCE. LO AND BEHOLD, WE
DISCOVER THERE ARE INDEED, CAREFULLY APPLIED, SOME
EXCEPTIONS. THIS IS EXCEPTION #1, MATTHEW 19. THEY SAID TO
JESUS, WHY THEN DID MOSES COMMEND ONE TO GIVE A
CERTIFICATE OF DIVORCE AND TO SEND HER AWAY AND JESUS SAID TO
THEM, BECAUSE OF YOUR HARDNESS OF HEART, MOSES ALLOWED YOU TO
DIVORCE YOUR WIVES, BUT FROM THE BEGINNING IT WAS NOT SO, AND I
SAY TO YOU - THIS IS JESUS- WHOEVER DIVORCES HIS WIFE EXCEPT
FOR ONGOING SEXUAL IMMORALITY, AND MARRIES ANOTHER, COMMITS
ADULTERY. THIS SEEMS PRETTY CLEAR. WHOEVER DIVORCES HIS OR
HER SPOUSE, EXCEPT FOR SEXUAL IMMORALITY, THEN IT'S A SIN. DO
YOU SEE HOW THE BIBLE WORKS? WE TAKE JESUS IN MARK 10 AND WE
COMBINE HIM WITH JESUS IN MATTHEW 19 AND WE GO, OH, I SEE.
SO THERE ARE SOME EXCEPTIONS BUT WE CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND JESUS'
ATTITUDE AND POSITION ON THE SUBJECT OF DIVORCE. PLEASE
REMEMBER THAT THIS ISSUE OF SEXUAL IMMORALITY INSIDE OF A
MARRIAGE REALLY MUST BE DONE IN CONSULTATION WITH YOUR PASTOR.
THERE ARE SOME WHO MIGHT SAY, ONE ACT OF SEXUAL IMMORALITY AND
YOU CAN DIVORCE THE BUM. OTHERS, MYSELF INCLUDED, WOULD SAY IT'S
AN ONGOING, UNREPENTANT SEXUAL IMMORALITY THAT QUALIFIES FOR
DIVORCE. FURTHERMORE, WHAT IS SEXUAL IMMORALITY? IS IT
LITERALLY HAVING A PHYSICAL INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP WITH
ANOTHER PERSON, OR CAN IT BE THE SIN OF PORNOGRAPHY? THOSE ISSUES
SHOULD BE SORTED OUT WITH YOUR PREACHER. PROMISE? REASON #2
THAT JESUS GIVES FOR DIVORCE IN I CORINTHIANS 7, IF ANY WOMAN
HAS A HUSBAND WHO IS AN UNBELIEVER AND HE CONSENTS TO
LIVE WITH HER, SHE SHOULD NOT DIVORCE HIM, FOR THE UNBELIEVING
HUSBAND IS MADE HOLY - HE DOESN'T GET SAVED JUST BECAUSE
HE'S LIVING WITH A CHRISTINA, LIVING WITH A BELIEVER, IT HELPS
SOMEBODY NOT BE SO NAUGHTY, THAT'S ALL IT'S SAYING- FOR THE
UNBELIEVING HUSBAND IS MADE HOLY BECAUSE OF HIS WIFE AND THE
UNBELIEVING WIFE IS MADE HOLY BECAUSE OF HER HUSBAND WHO
BELIEVES, OTHERWISE, YOUR CHILDREN WOULD BE UNCLEAN, BUT
AS IT IS, THEY ARE HOLY - NOT SAVED, IN A BETTER ENVIRONMENT.
HE CONTINUES, BUT IF THE UNBELIEVING PARTNER SEPARATES,
LET IT BE SO. IN SUCH CASES, THE BROTHER OR SISTER IS NOT
ENSLAVED. GOD HAS CALLED YOU TO PEACE. IF THE UNBELIEVING
PARTNER VAMOOSES, THEN YOU CAN GET DIVORCED. ONCE AGAIN,
PRACTICE CAUTION. HE GOES OUT TO THE BAR FOR 6 HOURS, THAT'S NOT
SEPARATING. MAYBE HE RUNS OFF TO AN APARTMENT SOMEPLACE FOR A
WEEK, THAT'S NOT SEPARATING. WHAT IS JESUS SAYING THROUGH THE
APOSTLE PAUL, IF YOUR UNBELIEVING SPOUSE ABANDONS YOU
AND IT IS A LONG ENOUGH TERM, WHICH NEEDS TO BE CONCLUDED WITH
YOUR LOCAL PASTOR, THEN DIVORCE IS ACCEPTABLE. NOT LIKED BY GOD,
BUT ACCEPTABLE. REASON #3. I CORINTHIANS 7 AND VERSE 39,
REXELLA, A WIFE IS BOUND TO HER HUSBAND AS LONG AS HE LIVES, BUT
IF HER HUSBAND DIES, SHE IS FREE TO BE MARRIED TO WHOM SHE WISHES
ONLY IN THE LORD. DO YOU REMEMBER THE VOWS FROM THE GOOD
OLD DAYS? YOU WERE IN A ONE-FLESH RELATIONSHIP WITH
ANOTHER HUMAN BEING TIL DEATH DO YOU PART, BECAUSE YOU CANNOT
CONTINUE TO BE IN A COVENANT RELATIONSHIP WITH SOMEBODY WHO
IS SIMPLY NOT LIVING. THAT MEANS IF YOU ARE A WIDOW OR WIDOWER,
YOU ARE FREE TO REMARRY. WHY? BECAUSE YOU'RE NO LONGER IN THAT
CONTRACT. THAT COVENANT DOESN'T EXIST ANYMORE BECAUSE THE OTHER
PARTNER IS DEAD. SO YOU CAN HAVE PERMISSION TO GET REMARRIED
BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T REALLY GET A DIVORCE ANYWAY. THE COVENANT
JUST GOES AWAY. IT'S NO LONGER IN EFFECT. THOSE ARE THE 3
CONSIDERATIONS THAT JESUS GIVES FOR GRANTING A DIVORCE.
REMEMBER, HE DOESN'T LIKE IT, BUT HE WILL PERMIT IT TO HAPPEN
IN SOME VERY SPECIFIC INSTANCES.
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