God created Adam and placed him in the Garden of Eden. Adam has everything under control. He is the master of animals. He is the chief gardener. He has a dynamic relationship with God.
But God said this was not good.
“It is not good for the man to be alone,” says the Lord God, “I will make him a helper to help him.” Genesis 2:18
God knows people need relation. Intimacy. Therefore, God created woman and Adam and Eve entered Entering into the Marriage Covenant.
Isn’t this a wonderful thing?The purity of two people becoming one, communicating with each other and sharing all the joys and triumphs of life Together? God found a suitable helper in Adam to make life on earth a better place.
And then they lived happily ever after… until they weren’t anymore.
When sin entered the world, we saw the chaos it caused. The perfect union between two people is suddenly destroyed by shame and loss. Because of sin, Adam and Eve no longer had a perfect relationship. They experienced pain and loss. They experienced shame and doubt. Marriage, while still wonderful, is now more difficult than God intended.
This is the reality of marriage in this post-fallen world in which we live. While God’s design for marriage remains the same—to provide human companionship and reflect our relationship with Christ—marriage is corrupted by sin. Every marriage has two sinful people trying to become one, but sin prevails everywhere.
This is why divorce is rampant in our world.
How do we reconcile the Bible with the reality of divorce today? Are there valid reasons for divorce? Is it possible that our interpretation of the Bible imposes legalistic rules on those struggling with the pain and weight of involuntary divorce?
As you consider divorce, I encourage you to consider these four biblical truths.
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1. The individuals in marriage are more important than the institution of marriage.
It is important to remember that God created marriage for men, not men for marriage. Why is this an important distinction? If man is born for marriage, then marriage is the ultimate goal in this life. This will be one of the top priorities and single people will be viewed as inferior to married people.
The ultimate purpose of God’s creation of marriage is to bless mankind, not to create an institution superior to mankind. We should never put the institution of marriage above individuals.
Because in autumn, some marriages is damaging Individuals in relationships. Adultery, abuse, addiction, abandonment—the pain of these behaviors can cause lasting harm to the victim. When these behaviors are present in large amounts within a marriage, they can be personally destructive. We cannot ignore the importance of creating circumstances in which individuals find wholeness in God.
“It is not good for the man to be alone,” says the Lord God, “I will make him a suitable helper.” Genesis 2:18
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2. All divorce involves sin, but not all divorce is sin.
If we still lived in a perfect world, divorce would not be necessary because we would all be completely selfless and completely devoted to God and each other. The marriage was absolutely blissful from the start. Unfortunately, this is not our reality.
We are all born selfish. As sinners, we must learn to put aside our sinful desires and desire to be the best possible person for our spouse. Unfortunately not everyone is willing strive to be More like Christ. some people simply choose Walking after the flesh and not living by the Spirit (Galatians 5).
This selfish desire to live life on your own terms can cause friction in a marriage. Sometimes sin is less harmful and we can find a way around it—especially when two emotionally healthy people are committed to becoming more like Christ.
But what happens when one or two people insist on living life on their own terms? my own Is this despite the damage it causes to the other party or to the marriage? What happens when one spouse decides to pursue an adulterous relationship in order to satisfy the desires of the flesh? What happens when one partner inflicts serious emotional harm on another?
Sin abounds, sometimes resulting in divorce.If God created marriage for man While marriage can be destructive to one or both people, God clearly says divorce in the Bible Can appropriate response.
I tell you, anyone who divorces his wife and marries someone else has committed adultery—unless his wife is unfaithful. Matthew 19:9
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3. God’s purpose in divorce is to allow remarriage.
If we go back to Deuteronomy 24:1-2, we see that God said that if a husband discovers indecent behavior in his wife, he should issue a divorce certificate. So she can remarry. Divorce proved a kindness to women who had no rights in biblical times. A divorce certificate is a legal document that frees a woman and gives her the freedom to remarry so that she does not fall into poverty.
Women were unable to work and support themselves. They rely on their spouse for financial support. Young unmarried women remained in their father’s house until they were married. Women without male support often turn to prostitution as a means of supporting themselves. By obtaining a divorce certificate for the woman, she is free to remarry and escape a life of poverty.
The Bible is full of women who experienced second marriages; be blessed. Bathsheba and David’s marriage began as an adulterous relationship, a murderous love triangle. However, for some reason God chose to use their son Solomon as the heir to the throne and the ultimate ancestor of Jesus Christ. He could have easily chosen one of David’s other sons. Abigail, whose marriage has broken down, is promoted to be the wife of King David. Rahab was a prostitute, a profession she was forced into to support herself, most likely due to the failure of a previous marriage.
Remarriage after divorce is not only acceptable, it is expected.
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4. God’s forgiveness makes it seem like I was never married.
Let’s talk about God’s forgiveness.
He removes our sins from us as far as the east is from the west. Psalm 103:12
“I will forgive their evil, and I can Never remember their sin again. Hebrews 8:12
God’s forgiveness is complete and total. When He takes away our sin, He never remembers it.it covered With the blood of Jesus Christ himself.
The sins of addicts are as far away as east from west, and God no longer remembers them. As the east is farther from the west, the sins of adulterers are taken away, and God remembers them no more. The sins of murderers are as far as the east is from the west, God will remember them no more. The sins of the proud are as far away as the east from the west, and God will remember them no more. All these sinners—including all of us—are justified—just as if they had never sinned.
What about divorcees? God takes away his/her sins as the east is from the west and remembers them no more. God’s forgiveness is not partial cleansing, nor is it selective forgiveness.God forgives all Totally criminal. He cleanses them and makes us as if we had never sinned. Divorce is no exception. If your divorce is sinful, He will still forgive. He still provides a thorough and thorough cleaning. He still gives you the opportunity to live a fulfilling life, even marriage.
Related resources: Why maintaining a team takes time…and is worth the investment
Sometimes in marriage we forget stay A team takes time. As a result, we may find ourselves slowly drifting away from each other. However, research shows that couples who spend time together regularly and consistently are happier and have better relationships.Listen to the latest episode of the podcast Our teamhear how Ted and Ashleigh persisted as a team…and why it’s worth the investment.
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Originally published on Tuesday, May 14, 2024.