Jesus Christ is The Pattern for Husbands and Fathers
Is Divorce The Unpardonable Sin?
God Heals The Hearts of Those Who Love Him Back.
No, divorce is not the Unpardonable Sin.
"He (John the Baptizer) will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children,* and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly.” Luke 1:17
First, the Biblical warnings are to help prevent divorce, but after the divorce, the focus is on returning the individual to fellowship with Jesus, and full restoration in the church. Does that restoration include remarriage? I leave that to your elders to decide. Pray about it and meditate on these, and other, relevant Biblical passages.
Second, our focus is to help heal dying marriages. If the divorce occurs, we try to help the couple reconcile, and if they can't reconcile, then we help them cope with the agony of divorce. We are to heal and not destroy, restore and not disown, for we ourselves are also sinners.
The Principles Governing Divorce in The New Testament
1) God hates divorce,
” For I hate divorce!” says the LORD, the God of Israel. “To divorce your wife is to overwhelm her with cruelty,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies. “So guard your heart; do not be unfaithful to your wife.” Matthew 19:8–9
2) God used to allow divorce during the Abrahamic Covenant because the people had hard hearts,
Jesus replied, “Moses permitted divorce only as a concession to your hard hearts, but it was not what God had originally intended. And I tell you this, whoever divorces his wife and marries someone else commits adultery—unless his wife has been unfaithful.” Matthew 19:8–9
3) Jesus tells us that 'marital unfaithfulness' breaks the marital bond, and the divorced person is not bound,
(Jesus Speaking: "But I say that a man who divorces his wife, unless she has been unfaithful, causes her to commit adultery. And anyone who marries a divorced woman also commits adultery. " Matthew 5:32
4) Paul tells us that abandonment breaks the marital bond, and the divorced person is not bound,
But if the husband or wife who isn’t a believer insists on leaving, let them go. In such cases the believing husband or wife* is no longer bound to the other, for God has called you* to live in peace. 1 Co 7:15
5) Jesus also says that we are all adulterers,
“You have heard the commandment that says, ‘You must not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. Matthew 5:27–28
6) So, divorce is a sin, there are Biblical cases where the individual can remarry,
But if the husband or wife who isn’t a believer insists on leaving, let them go. In such cases the believing husband or wife* is no longer bound to the other, for God has called you* to live in peace. 1 Co 7:15
7) Divorce is NOT the unpardonable sin, so after the fact, we focus on restoration and keeping the individual connected with God.
So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power* of the life-giving Spirit has freed you* from the power of sin that leads to death. Romans 8:1-2
8) Spiritually Mature Brothers Are Called to Help Disciple the Person...
...so that the character flaws that led to the divorce don't destroy the next marriage. For that, I highly recommend DivorceCare, a ministry to help divorced people understand all this, the practical aspects of divorce and what to do about it, so the next marriage succeds.
Or so it seems to me.
God Looooooooooves you!
God is Crazy About You
Romans 1:20
“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.”
We Broke Our Connection to God
Romans 3:23
“For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”
Jesus Wants to Set You Free, for 'Free'
Romans 5:1
“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
We Love God Because He First Loved Us
Romans 6:1-4
"What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life."
You'll Still Mess Up
Romans 7:24
“Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.”
Your Sins Can Be Washed Away
Romans 6:23
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord."
Romans 8:1
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
You Can Be Adopted by God Right Now
Romans 10:9-10
“That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.”
Romans 1:20 “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.”
You Can Be Adopted by God Right Now
Romans 10:9-10
“That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.”
by mark@bibleandprayer.com
All verses quoted from Tyndale House Publishers. (2013). Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
My Church Family
One of the best things in life, I belong to a wonderful Church Family.