"Wherefore they are no more
twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put
asunder." —Matthew 19:6
Depth, Memories,
and Roots (or, Why divorce is such a horrible sin!)
Divorce is a sin! Perhaps you may think that marriage is the “old fashioned”
way. If that is your thought on marriage, then let me also say that marriage is
the “right way” as well. It does not matter what has changed
over time, marriage will always be the right way within the sacred boundaries of
God's Law. Marriage is right between a man and a woman!
A Christian
is not a martyrer because they die for Jesus Christ; they die for Jesus Christ
because they are a martyrer. Every married person ought to have the spirit of a
martyrer, i.e., I'm not going to quit no matter what! Fight for your marriage!
Fight for your husband! Fight for your wife! Don't listen to the serpent Eve!
MARRIAGE AND THE SPIRIT OF
A MARTYRER (MP3
sermon by Pastor Jeff Owens.
Real Audio)
There is no
perfect marriage. There are no perfect families. Every marriage hits
some potholes in the road, and for some, an occasional open manhole cover. Love
may be blind, but marriage is a real eye-opener! One man said he never really
knew what happiness was until he got married, but by then it was too late! It is unrealistic to believe that you can
live with another human being for any length of time without having relationship
problems. There is the engagement ring, the wedding ring, and then the
suffering. Sadly, feminism has taught women these days to become intolerant
toward their husbands. The Bible teaches one to be kind, tenderhearted and
forgiving (Ephesians 4:32).
In his MP3 sermon titled, “Sowing
and Reaping,” Dr. Jack Hyles teaches that the four major causes of divorce
from his decades of counseling experience are:
-
In-laws (remember two words... leave
and cleave!)
-
Financial debt (don't buy things that
you don't need)
-
Romance problems (listen to Dr. Hyles'
series on Marriage:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22 (MP3's)
-
Discipling of children (read the book
by Dr. Hyles, “How
To Rear Children”)
A good marriage doesn't come in
3-years, but only after hard work, hanging in there, toughing it out and sowing
faithfully for many years; but you will reap the harvest of a happy marriage if
you hang in there. You keep on doing what you ought to do! Just keep on keeping
on!
The best marriages are between two
FORGIVERS!
A marriage
should be based upon unconditional love for one another. Worldly so-called “love” is synthetic, demanding, selfish and conditional. But God's love is
unconditional. One ought to love their spouse, not because of who they are; but
rather, because of who you are. God unconditionally loves us because of Who He
is. Amen. This is why we read in Romans 5:8, “But God commendeth his love
toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
Unfortunately,
many marriages today are based upon economics, a hasty decision or an unexpected
pregnancy. If you are in such a marriage, it is still a legitimate
marriage in the eyes of God. Perhaps you married for the wrong reasons,
many people do. That is ok, you just make the best of your marriage and
don't let other people interfere. Two wrongs never equal a right. Wrong is wrong! If you feel you married the wrong person, then you need to
ask God to humble you. Anyone can live with anybody if they can learn to
be a nobody. WARNING: The following sermon may save your marriage!
THE TEST OF SPIRITUAL MATURITY (life-changing MP3 sermon by Dr. Jack Hyles)
This whole idea of finding the perfect mate is an illusion. Remember, Romans 3:23 declares,
“For all have sinned...” I don't
care who you marry, they're a sinner too. We all have faults, and commit
sins. Leaving one spouse for another will just bring more problems. If you
feel that the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, then plant more
grass on your side of the fence. If you
feel that you need to separate for a time due to problems in your marriage, then do so; but never
consider a divorce. Divorce is quitting!
God's Power Can Save Your
Marriage
Most people who
file for divorce attempt to claim that Jesus allows for divorce in situations of
adultery; but that is not what Jesus taught. What about all the other sins that
one's spouse may commit? Does that provide a grounds for divorce? No, not
according to the Lord. Jesus taught in Matthew 18:22 to forgive, 70 times 7 (490
times).
Divorce is the sin of hate, unforgiveness and hypocrisy. So many people are
woefully ignorant of the Scriptures, just as Jesus said:
Matthew
22:29, “Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the
scriptures, nor the power of God.”
God's power can
save your marriage, if you will trust God and not quit.
A CHRISTIAN HOME
(by Dr. John R. Rice —
Part 2 |
Part 3 |
Part 4 |
Part 5 |
Part 6)
"If some of you people would get a divorce from yourself, you might
could get along with your mate."
—Pastor
Danny Castle
Somebody
say Amen!
No Scriptural Grounds for Divorce!
In Mark 10:9
Jesus states, “What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put
asunder.” No one is to ever break apart a marriage. I
wouldn't want to be a judge who grants divorces. I wouldn't want to be
the lawmaker who allows for all sorts of unscriptural grounds for divorce. And by the way, there are NO SCRIPTURAL GROUNDS FOR DIVORCE. In Matthew
5:32, Jesus said, “But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his
wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and
whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.”
Taken
by itself, this Scripture can be interpreted numerous ways. However, Jesus
plainly stated in Matthew 19:8 that God never permits divorce, and that divorce
is only caused by a hard heart, “He saith unto them, Moses because of the
hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the
beginning it was not so.” Jesus clearly taught forgiveness in Matthew 18:22,
not 7-times, but 70 times 7. Divorce is rooted in self-righteousness and an
unwillingness to forgive. Notice carefully that Jesus called remarriage is
adultery, but He never addresses the issue of divorce
itself, because divorce is a sin, period.
To divorce one's spouse is a sin. If committing adultery is
grounds for divorce, then Matthew 5:28 gives every wife Biblical grounds to
divorce, because EVERY man has lusted. Jesus said that lust is equivalent to
adultery. Many people are grasping for theological straws, looking for reasons
to justify doing what they have already decided to do... DIVORCE! That's the
same sin as Eve in the Garden of Eden. She had already decided to sin by eating
the fruit, but she needed justification in her own mind. So she reasoned that
the fruit was good for food, pleasant to look upon and would make her wise.
Every woman does the same thing when it comes to the sin of divorce—she
rationalized, looking for justification for what she has already decided to do.
We live in a selfish generation of liars and quitters. And may I say to you
women who do file for divorce, you are commanded to remain single for the rest
of your husband's life. 1st Corinthians 7:10-11, “And unto the married I
command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband:
But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her
husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.” Just because you're
husband cheats on you doesn't give you a Biblical right to divorce, any more
than it would give him a right to dump you if you cheated on him. And that is
especially true if he has apologized for his poor behavior. If it were ongoing
adultery, and he's been confronted about it by the elders of the church, then
that is different because he is living in adultery and has forsaken you, which
is what I believe Jesus meant in Matthew 19:9.
I have heard
of numerous women divorcing their husband after he was sentenced to prison.
Tammy Faye Bakker is one of them. Jeremiah 3:20... “Surely as a wife treacherously
departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house
of Israel, saith the LORD.” It is divorce that is treacherous. You're
as much a sinner as he is. You have no right to move on with your life, trying
to start a new life without your messed-up husband. You are
just as much a sinner! You stayed with him during the glamorous years, when the
good times rolled, the money flowed and friends abounded; but now that the
gravy-train has ended, you bail ship like a coward and abandon the father of
your children. It is wickedness. Thank God that He never leaves nor forsakes His
own (Hebrews 13:5). Americans don't stay married anymore, because of the sin of
PRIDE!!! Notice the middle letter “i” in “pride.”
Even Hillary
Clinton, as demonically wicked as she is, faithfully remained by her Playboy
husband's side through it all. Think about that you ladies who are considering
filing for divorce!!! I don't hate anyone, and if you have already divorced I am
not scolding you, because what's done is done. I just hate divorce, like God
does. If Christians today would genuinely walk with the Lord, then they would
hate the things that the Lord hates, and divorce is at the top of the list.
Psalms 97:10 tells us to hate evil, and divorce is evil.
Let me also
say, If Jesus was willing to be despised and rejected of men, beaten to a pulp,
mistreated, scorned, assaulted, spit upon, and crucified to death ... FOR US ...
then we should follow Christ's example. A husband who loves his wife will not
quit. Please understand that I am not condoning abuse, not at all, God forbid. I'm simply
saying that divorce is not the Biblical solution to one's marriage problems. You
made a promise to God and your spouse on your wedding day. We are living in a
wicked and adulterous generation, that are quick to throw in the towel and quit.
Jesus was
willing to die for you and me. So why are professed “Christians” so quick to
divorce their spouse? I don't recall any disclaimer in the marriage vows that
gives a spouse the right to divorce under ANY circumstances. What ever happened
to “ 'Til death do us part?” I'm not hesitant to inform you that “irreconcilable differences” is NOT found
in the Bible as grounds for a divorce. There are NO Biblical grounds for
divorce!!!
Adam and Eve
were doing fine until the serpent came along. Revelation 20:2 tells us that the
serpent is Satan. Eve listened to the snake and took
the bad advice. She ate of the forbidden fruit and destroyed her family's
happiness. May I say, watch out for the snakes in your life. The BeeGees,
although a worldly group, had it right in their song, HOW DEEP IS YOUR
LOVE... “We're living in a world of fools, breaking us down, when
they all should let us be, we belong to you and me.” Yet, professed
Christians are sinfully crying out divorce, divorce, divorce!
Divorce is a sin for numerous reasons:
-
Because
you are breaking your marriage vows... “'til death do us part!” When you say your wedding vows, you are making a lifetime commitment. I
don't care if you get married at city hall or a church, God still holds you
accountable for your wedding vows. A promise is a promise!
-
Because God said
not to divorce! 1st Corinthians 7:10-11, “Let not the wife depart
from her husband ... and let not the husband put away his wife.”
-
Because you are one, for better or for worse! “Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined
together, let not man put asunder.” (Matthew 19:6)
-
Because divorce is quitting! (Hebrews 13:5 - God never quits on His own)
-
Because divorce is unwillingness to forgive! "Then came Peter to
him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive
him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until
seven times: but, Until seventy times seven." (Matthew 18:21-22)
-
Because divorce is self-righteous hypocrisy. Divorce says, “You are a
bigger sinner than me; therefore, I have a right to abandon you.” If the
truth be known, you are just as wicked as anyone else, including criminals.
We're all guilty criminals in God's eyes (James 2:10). Don't condemn others
because they sin differently than you do. Our Godless court system approves
of same-sex marriage, murderous abortion and banning God's Word from
America's classrooms, so it does not come as a surprise that it would also
permit divorce. Divorce should be outlawed!
God hates divorce! No power on earth
nor under the earth can make a person do wrong without their own consent. It is only because
of sinful pride and selfishness that people end up divorced in the first
place. It is so typical to hear a divorced wife, or husband, talking about how
much they gave but never received anything in return. Listen friend, marriage is
not a 50/50 deal as most people think. Marriage is a 100% deal. We are supposed
to give 100% to our spouse, even if they only return 10%. But you say, “That's not fair!” You're right ... life's not fair! We are a spoiled bunch in America!
It's sickening to know that over 50% of all marriages in America are now ending in divorce. In
California it's 75.54%! It's our pride! Anything can be justified. The truth
is that people don't do what they do for any particular reason, they do what
they want to do and then look for reasons to justify it.
Mrs. John Rice says that when a couple has trouble, it's 90% the wife's
fault. One time I asked her, "Why?"
She said, "The husband's job is outside the home, but the wife's job is the
home. The husband's main duty in life is to work somewhere outside the home,
but the wife's job is the home."
SOURCE:
Pastor Jack Hyles,
The Candle of the Lord — by Pastor Jack Hyles
God created Adam, and then gave him a
job to do. However, God created Eve with one sole purpose—Adam! We read in 1st
Peter 3:6 that Abraham's wife, Sara, called him “lord” (sir) and obeyed Abraham. This is so rare nowadays.
Did you know that the Bible teaches
mutual submission between husband and wife? Ephesians 5:21, “Submitting
yourselves one to another in the fear of God.” One to another! Biblical
Christianity is a husband and wife willingly submitting to one another in the
fear of the Lord, sharing in the gift of life; but the Bible teaches for a wife
to submit to her husband first and foremost.
We are not to give up on our
spouse. God NEVER gives up on us... Hebrews 13:5... NEVER! If we are to be
Christ-like, then we must stand faithful by our mate... “for better, for worse.” You made a vow on your
wedding day. People nowadays are quick to file for divorce. It is apostasy
and sin.
"And
the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put
away his wife? tempting him. And he answered and said unto them, What
did Moses command you? And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of
divorcement, and to put her away. And Jesus answered and said unto them,
For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept. But from the
beginning of the creation God made them male and female. For this cause
shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; And
they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one
flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
And in the house his disciples asked him again of the same matter. And
he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry
another, committeth adultery against her. And if a woman shall put away
her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery."
—Mark 1:1-12
In Mark 1:1 the Pharisees asked Jesus if divorce is
lawful? Carefully notice that Jesus DIDN'T answer, “yes” to their question. Clearly, divorce is not lawful. Jesus directed them to the law of Moses. The Pharisees stated that
Moses allowed divorce. Jesus COUNTERS their excuse by telling them that
Moses reluctantly permitted divorce, only allowing it because of the
wicked HARDNESS of their hearts. It couldn't be any clearer that Jesus was
completely against divorce. So in answer to the Pharisee's question, of whether
divorce is “lawful” or
not, we have already made 3 observations:
- Jesus DIDN'T permit divorce.
- Moses DIDN'T want to permit divorce
either, but the people gave him no choice.
- Divorce only happens because of people's
rebellion against God.
Don't Divorce, Please!
God is willing to forgive us an infinite number of times. Surely we can
learn to forgive each other. Don't allow the pressures of this crazy world destroy your marriage. Set some priorities. Turn off the phone. Tell your friends your going to be busy spending time with your
family. Love your spouse. Go places together. Forget the overtime. Don't work midnight shift. Go to the park together. Do some different things. A
marriage can only be destroyed from within.
Just as Eve was weak and vulnerable to
demonic influence, so are many women today susceptible to snake tongues and
self-righteous hypocrites who are busybodies in other men's matters (1st Timothy
5:13). A fool-headed wife is rottenness to her husband's bones. Proverb:12:4, “A
virtuous woman is a crown to her husband: but she that maketh ashamed is as
rottenness in his bones.” Did you know that the concept of a “No Fault
Divorce” originated in Communist Russia? It's true! No fault divorces didn't
come to the U.S. until 1969. What do you mean “no fault?” It's both of your
faults!
Don't be stupid
like so many people, by throwing away your marriage. I'd hate to think
you simply don't care anymore. If that's you, then you need to get right
with God! If your job is stressing you out, then take a break; but don't divorce. Go on Family Medical Leave
(FMLA) for stress. Go to your doctor and tell him your stressed out. Hand him
the FMLA form. You're protected by congress, and you can't get fired. You can
take 90-days off from work. If you can't afford to miss work, then use “intermittent FMLA,” so you can miss
work whenever you need to. Take a break.
I sincerely believe many
marriages are failing because of the monotony and stress of the workplace. The
economy is deteriorating, good jobs are becoming scarce, insurance premiums are
skyrocketing, insurance coverage is decreasing, spending power is declining,
perversion is all around us, feminism and homosexuality are corrupting society,
our government is run amuck, society is becoming very cold and paranoid—it all
amounts to increased tension on American families. It has become hell to
raise a family in the United States. Society's answer for everything is divorce,
drugs and death. Satan comes only to kill, steal and destroy (John 10:10).
Employees mean
absolutely nothing to companies these days. These are difficult times to
be married and live the American dream—of owning your own home, of saving
enough money to put your kids through college someday, of living in a decent
neighborhood, of having a meaningful and happy marriage, et cetera. The
criminal banking cartel have bought off our
corrupt leaders who
have sold us into
economic slavery,
looted us and
bankrupted our nation. Consequently, there's
19,000
homeless citizens now living on the streets of Detroit, Michigan (and it's just
the beginning of the coming massive economic depression).
One in Eight Americans Needs
Emergency Food Assistance.
To make matters much worse, with all
the financial pressures on families, CPS is just waiting to
steal your kids away for any reason
whatsoever.
Jesus foretold that it would be
woeful times
for parents in the Last Days (Matthew 24:19). We are certainly living in the
End Times.
If you understand what is happening to
America and the world, then guard your marriage. The New World Order is here.
Stay out of debt. Don't buy a big home that you can't afford. Don't go into debt
on your wedding day. Guard against outside snakes who will poison your mind in
times of marital trouble. Women file for divorce at
TWICE the
rate of men because of a Communist government funded agenda to break apart
marriages, defining everything as domestic abuse. Men are portrayed as abusers,
women as victims and children become property of the State. Hell will be hot
enough!
Life is what happens to you while you're making big plans. Most people place their marriage at the bottom of their list of
priorities. Your marriage should come first, friends and family down on
the list. By the way, church should come down on the list too. Nothing should be any higher on your list of priorities than your spouse. Only God comes higher, and God wants you to love each other above all else. If you don't, then nothing else really matters.
If you love your spouse, then you'll
put up with him/her.
If you love your spouse, then you'll
put up with him/her.
If you love your spouse, then you'll
put up with him/her.
If you love your spouse, then you'll
put up with him/her.
If you love your spouse, then you'll
put up with him/her.
It's really as simple as that.
If you love someone, then you'll put up with them just as God puts up with us!
People don't “fall” into sin. They
choose to go into sin. They choose to hold onto sinful
pride. People choose not to love their spouse with God's
unconditional love. People
choose to divorce.
I always marvel
that a couple can get married in a boat, on a mountain, in a church, underwater, on a
roller-coaster, in a park, or even at the south pole; BUT, you can
only be divorced IN A COURT OF LAW!
There's no such thing as the saying, “We used to love each other.” The
Bible clearly teaches that “charity
(love) never
faileth” (1st Corinthians 13:8). Either you loved your spouse then and still do now, or else you
don't love your spouse now and never did at all. True love is NOT
conditional; but rather, unconditional. You hang in there and be strong while your spouse is weak,
for that is what God does for us.
God Hates Divorce!
You know, why is it that many people who want a
divorce go around quoting Jesus' statement on adultery; but I never hear these
people quote Malachi 2:16 where God say he HATES divorce, “For the LORD, the
God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away.” “Putting
away” is the Old Testament term used for divorce, which is an interesting
phrase. The term “putting away” comes from the Hebrew word shalach, and
literally means “to forsake, to cast or push away.” When you divorce
your spouse, you are literally shoving them away from you, forsaking them, and
God HATES IT.
I heard a divorced woman quote Malachi 2:14
concerning husbands who deal “treacherously” with their wives; but the context
of the Scripture passage is strictly divorce. That is, a husband who
divorces his wife is dealing treacherously with her, especially if
they've been married for a long time. God HATES divorce! Why don't I ever heard
women quoting Jeremiah 3:20... “Surely as a wife treacherously
departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house
of Israel, saith the LORD.” It is divorce that is treacherous.
“So then if, while
her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called
an adulteress...” —Romans 7:3
Who's to Blame?
Please understand that I don't condemn
anyone, for the Bible condemns all of us as guilty, dirty, rotten,
hell-deserving sinners. My salvation solely rests in Christ's righteousness,
because of the precious blood that He gave for our sins. My intention is not to
be unkind; but rather, to expose the sin of divorce. If you have divorced, I
certainly don't condemn you, for we are all sinners in God's eyes.
The intent of
my article is to prevent divorce, not to make people feel bad who have already
made that mistake in their life. Any sin is forgivable through faith in Jesus
Christ (Acts 10:43). However, you will have to give account for the perpetuating
sin of divorce and the life you destroyed. Divorce is like trying to separate
plywood, you cannot without
ripping it apart.
