Divorce & Remarriage Part 2
Put To Death Immorality • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Introduction
Introduction
Greetings…
Today, we are finishing up our series of lessons on “Put To Death Immorality” taken from Colossians 3:5.
5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
We do so by finishing what we started last week in discussing “Divorce & Remarriage.”
As we saw last week anyone that divorces for a cause 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.
Today, we are going to, as we find in Isaiah 1:18, come together to reason together concerning God’s precious message.
To do so we are going to examine some of the more popular doctrines that are said to allow someone to divorce for any cause and remarry with God’s blessing.
So with that in mind let’s examine…
God’s Law For God’s People
God’s Law For God’s People
Only Christians Must Obey.
Only Christians Must Obey.
Argument: Only God’s children are accountable to the law of marriage.
This of course, on face value, is absurd to say the least but never the less it has been used often by those that want to justify the sin of people, before they obey the gospel.
Everyone sins.
Romans 3:23 (ESV)
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
Sin is lawlessness or the breaking of God’s law.
4 Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.
Therefore, everyone that sins breaks the law of God, so what law are we under today?
We are all held accountable to the “Law of Christ.”
There have only been three laws wherein humanity is concerned that have come from God.
The Patriarchal Law
The Mosaic Law
The Law of Christ.
The Patriarchal and Mosaic law were nailed to the cross.
12 For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well.
14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
When these laws were nailed to the cross it was the Law of Christ that became the law for everyone.
John 12:48 (ESV)
48 The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.
2 Corinthians 5:10 (ESV)
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.
Romans 2:16 (ESV)
16 on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.
1 Corinthians 9:21 (ESV)
21 To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law.
Summary
Summary
This means that both Christians and non-Christians are accountable to the law of Christ and therefore Matthew 19:9 applies to both.
Ignorance of God’s law is no excuse.
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.
Another doctrine often used to defend remarriage for any cause is often called…
The Pauline Exception
The Pauline Exception
Not Under Bondage.
Not Under Bondage.
Argument:
In 1 Corinthians 7:15 Paul gives an exception to remarriage by pointing out that certain people can remarry.
1 Corinthians 7:15 (NKJV)
15 But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart; a brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. But God has called us to peace.
There is no doubt that God uses the word “bound” when talking about marriage he has has joined together.
Romans 7:2 (ESV)
2 For a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if her husband dies she is released from the law of marriage.
1 Corinthians 7:27 (ESV)
27 Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek a wife.
1 Corinthians 7:39 (ESV)
39 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.
The question is, is Paul making an exception for those that are “bound in marriage” but one is a Christian and one is not, which is the context of 1 Corinthians 7:15, as found in 1 Corinthians 7:12-14.
The answer is no he is not making an exception to what Jesus taught.
First, the Greek word for bound, wherein it is clearly talking about the bond of marriage found in Romans 7:2, 1 Corinthians 7:27, 39 is not the same word found in 1 Corinthians 7:15.
This Greek word “bound of marriage” is “deo.”
It is found 43 times in the N.T. and more than once, as we have read, it is clearly discussing marriage.
It means “to be tied up.”
The Greek word “bound” in 1 Corinthians 7:15 is “douloo.”
It is found 8 times in the N.T. and this would be the only time it would be used for marriage, which doesn’t mean it is not talking about marriage but would simply be unlikely.
It means to be enslaved as the possession of another.
Romans 6:18 (ESV)
18 and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.
Romans 6:22 (ESV)
22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.
Second, the grammar of 1 Corinthians 7:15 does not allow for the Greek word “douloo” to be discussing the marriage bond.
1 Corinthians 7:15 (NKJV)
15 But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart; a brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. But God has called us to peace.
The word depart found in the first part of this verse.
The first depart here is in the indicative mood and present tense meaning, “current action, not continuous.”
The second depart here is in the present tense meaning “continuous action.”
Thus, if the unbeliever divorces you let him and don’t stop him.
The word “not under bondage” in this verse.
This is in the perfect tense meaning, “an action that took place in the past, with the result continuing to the present.”
Thus, the believer “has not been and continues not to be under bondage.”
In other words, we could translate this verse out as…
“But if the unbeliever divorces you, let him stay divorced, you brothers or sisters have not been nor are today enslaved to them in these cases because God has always and continues to call us to peace.”
Summary
Summary
For the Christian spouse who is being threatened with divorce if they will not be unfaithful with their unbelieving spouse, God says you let them go and stay faithful.
Another argument most often used, and the one I have personally heard the most is that…
Baptism Washes Away Sin
Baptism Washes Away Sin
The Non-Christian Adulterous Marriage.
The Non-Christian Adulterous Marriage.
Argument:
When a couple that has not obeyed the gospel is found to be in an adulterous marriage (Matthew 19:9; Matthew 5:32) realizes they need to obey the gospel and are baptized that baptism washes away their adulterous marriage and makes it acceptable to God.
First, let’s remember that baptism cannot wash away unrepentant sins.
Acts 2:38 (ESV)
38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
In order for one to repent they must not only have godly grief but stop the sin.
2 Corinthians 7:10 (ESV)
10 For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.
Luke 3:8 (ESV)
8 Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.
Summary
Summary
If a homosexual couple that is married studies God’s word and wants to obey the gospel are they allowed to stay married because both have been baptized?
If a polygamist family comes to know the truth are they allowed to keep wives “two through however many” because they were all baptized?
No, we all rightly understand they would have not ever properly repented and thus only got wet in water not been baptized for the remission of sins.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Unfortunately, divorce is a major part of our society and people will not always want to hear what God has to say on this most needed topic, even in the church.
That does not mean we don’t teach it, nor does it mean we beat around the bush on it, because people’s souls are at stake.
Invitation
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.
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.
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
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.
30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,
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.
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 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,
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.
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.