Divorce & Remarriage Part 1

Put To Death Immorality  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented
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Introduction

Greetings…
We continue our series of lessons on the theme “Put To Death Immorality.”
We have looked at a number of immoral things Christians should flee and stay as far away from as possible.
Today, however, we are going to be broaching a subject that impacts many if not most peoples lives in one form or another now-a-days and that is “Divorce & Remarriage.”
We have all heard the statistics that “over half of all marriages end in divorce” making it sound like 60 to 70 percent of all marriages end in divorce.
The reason for this is that it does not take into account the number of times a person has been divorced in the past.
In 2024 first time marriages ending in divorce was high at 43 percent but no where near the 60 to 70 percent.
It’s those that marry after divorce where we see the steep rise with second marriages ending in divorce 60 percent of the time and third marriages ending 73 percent of the time.
So what does God say in his word on this matter?

God’s Law On Marriage

One Man & One Woman.

Though society has striven to set aside God’s law on marriage, we the creation do not have the right to change such.
It has from the beginning of time been “one man and one woman” in marriage.
Genesis 2:24 ESV
24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
Matthew 19:4–5 ESV
4 He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, 5 and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’?
It is not two women nor two men nor any other possible variant our society is pushing.
When an eligible man and woman marry and become one flesh we find that…

Marriage Is To Be Pure.

When a couple marry and are bound in God’s eyes to each other, they are to keep their marriage between them and them alone so as to stay pure.
Hebrews 13:4 ESV
4 Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.
The husbands body is his wife’s only and the wife’s body is her husbands only.
1 Corinthians 7:3–5 ESV
3 The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. 4 For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. 5 Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
This is accomplished by a continual striving to love and respect each other.
Ephesians 5:33 ESV
33 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
Because of this purity for each other…

Marriage Shouldn’t Be Separated.

Divorce should never even be an option if what we just discussed is the priority in the marriage.
Matthew 19:6 ESV
6 So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”
Malachi 2:16 NKJV
16 “For the Lord God of Israel says That He hates divorce, For it covers one’s garment with violence,” Says the Lord of hosts. Therefore take heed to your spirit, That you do not deal treacherously.”

Summary

However, as you and I know this isn’t what always happens and because of this God makes previsions for when divorce is necessary.
And yes sometimes it is necessary.
So what is…

God’s Law On Divorce

Divorce Is Not Sin.

Before we dive right in I want to make clear that just because God hates divorce and does not want us as humans to divorce, he also knows the hardness of the hearts of man.
Matthew 19:7–8 (ESV)
7 They said to him, “Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?” 8 He said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.”
The reality is if divorce itself was a sin then there would be no way for a divorced person to repent and correct divorce without remarrying their spouse.
But humans have free will and especially in the case where a person becomes a Christian and their spouse now wants nothing to do with their spouses new life divorces for this cause.
1 Corinthians 7:15 ESV
15 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.
So what is God’s law on divorce then?
Well, even though divorce is not a sin…

Divorce Has Consequences.

Yes, a man and a woman can get a divorce from each other but there are consequences to getting that divorce unless it is for fornication.
The consequence is that if a person divorces his/her spouse for a reason other than fornication they cannot remarry.
Matthew 19:9 (ESV)
9 And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for fornication, and marries another, commits adultery.
Matthew 5:31–32 (ESV)
31 It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of fornication, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
Therefore, unless a person divorces their spouse “for fornication” they cannot remarry but why?
Because God has bound them together in marriage and just because they divorce does not mean God considers them no longer husband and wife.
Matthew 1:6 (ESV)
6 and Jesse the father of David the king. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah
Matthew 14:3 (ESV)
3 For Herod had seized John and bound him and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife
Mark 6:17 (ESV)
17 For it was Herod who had sent and seized John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because he had married her.
Remember…
Matthew 19:6 (ESV)
6 So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.

Summary

The reason a person that remarries after divorce for a cause other than fornication is adultery if for this very reason.
That person is still, in God’s eyes, the husband or wife of another.

Conclusion

The scripture on this subject are not difficult but the emotions most certainly are.
I have personally seen so many couples destroy their spiritual future for this momentary life all the while “hope God would not do this to them.”
Next week we will get into the objects give by many to what we have discussed today but when one looks closely at them it doesn’t take a lot to see how illogical they really are.
Invitation
Isaiah 59:1–2 ESV
1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
Philippians 2:6–7 ESV
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
Romans 10:17 ESV
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
Hebrews 11:6 ESV
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
Acts 17:30 ESV
30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,
Matthew 10:32–33 NKJV
32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.
2 Thessalonians 1:8 ESV
8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
1 Corinthians 15:1–4 ESV
1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
Romans 6:3–5 ESV
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 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. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
1 John 1:7 ESV
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
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