Divorce, Sin, Witnessing, Examination, Thoughts?

I wonder if you already know the answers to these things, or are you really, genuinely wanting to know? It almost feels a little like you are posing these questions that are so simplistic, but have really serious twists. Like, your story of being divorced and remarried sounds straightforward. But then asking "The divorce and remarriage doesn't mean I am lost as long as I keep trusting in Jesus?"

Maybe these are all legitimate questions, and I am simply too pessimistic about people's motives on Christian forums.

With that said, these are life questions. They are hard. You need to study and know your Bible on these issues. it takes time and commitment. I'd suggest one at a time.

Does divorce and remarriage mean you are lost? Do you mean that you might have lost your salvation? No, you cannot if you genuinely believed in Christ and were born again.

Or do you mean, "does it mean I am and never have been a genuine believer?" No, sin does not make that true. But living in unconfessed sin long term (In my theologically informed world) seems to indicate a lack of genuine saving faith.

 

Agreed—except tracts last longer. So witness AND hand out tracts—Chick tracts rarely hit the garbage.

Your first marriage failed—get over it—forget it—work on the only marriage you’re in so it doesn’t happen again.

Salvation is by trusting Christ, not by scoring points.

John 1:12-13, 3:3, 3:7, 3:14-21, Acts 2:21, 10:43, Romans 1:16, see Romans 10, Ephesians 2:8-10 for starters. Trust God.

 

And that's it. I too am divorced and remarried. I have to remind myself of this whenever the hardliners try to tell me I cannot be saved, I'm living in perpetual adultery, etc. It's the grace of Christ that saves us through faith, not one's ability to sustain a failing relationship.

 

With regard to your question of it all being of God or of grace,
Read 1 Corinthians 15:10.

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.

This describes Paul as working hard, in all that he does, then afterward realizing that it was not him that did it but the grace of God. It is hard to understand, but true. Do your best from what you know of the Bible, ask God for help, and trust him to give you grace, then thank him for any successes.

 

Regardless of whatever else Deuteronomy 24 says, it says that the woman that had previously been a man's wife can not go back and be his wife (after she had been remarried and divorced, again.

What is the 'math' on that?

If she can't be his wife, then she is not his wife.

There was a dissolution of their marriage, in the divorce that rendered her to not be the first man's wife.

What was the reason for her divorces (a word that is in the Bible btw)?

Uncleanness was the first and hatred the second divorce.

Did those things refer to what Jesus gave as the reason for an exception to marriage and loosing a married partner as fornication?

I'll let the reader judge, especially considering the case of Joseph and Mary, where he found her with child and was counseled to ether have her stoned and make her a public example or to put her away privately (by a divorce).

There is sexual indiscretion as the reason the Bible gives for him to give her a bill of divorcement.

Sure, Jesus says that from the beginning it was not so, to strongly reenforce the importance of His Divine Ordinance of marriage.

But, HE said, except for the cause of fornication. Fornication covers a wide range of sexual immorality.

What about, "a woman is bound to the law..."? Well, see that word. "law"?
What is the "law"? That men and women are still married after they divorce?

No, that's not what the actual law Jesus gave says and HE is the Lawgiver.

What was His "law", then? How about, "except for fornication'?

Doesn't the wife commit adultery if they are divorced and she has sexual relations with another person? Yes, if they were divorced without an exception stated by Jesus (and Moses), then now she does commit the sexual sin of adultery.

What do you think Paul was talking about (because he needed to address it clearly, in addition to what the Lord had said? He said you are called to peace.

Pease, with regard to what? If the unbelieving depart.

O.K., what is that individual most likely to wind up doing in their lifetime?
Finding another sexual partner and commit the exception the Lord and Moses both stated?

So, we have Moses, Jesus, and Paul saying that "she can not be" the first man's wife, meaning she is NOT his wife and "except for " a wide range of sexual sin, and that we are called to "peace".

Somewhere in there is Not that Divorce is UNFORGIVABLE!

In there is that Divorce is the possible consequences of one partner being unfaithful to the other and thereby potentially losing their life partner.

Serious enough without saying "there is no Jesus, or Savior, for anyone who's marriage hits the rocks of infidelity.

After all, Jesus forgave the woman taken in adultery.

If there has been adultery, is it forgivable? Yes.

Are people that are divorced still married? No.

In the situation you or others are in an impossible trap? ✌️ Peace.

We're called to have everything be O.K., in the loving arms of Jesus.

Are we 'encouraged' to skip around from one marriage to another. Nope. No way.

But the Holy Spirit is telling us there is life beyond undefendable religious reasoning and dogmatic legalism.

When was the last time you heard someone say "you are bound to the law, but wait, let's check back and see what THE LAWGIVER actually said about it.

He said, "except".

Moses said the former wife is no longer the man's wife.

And Paul calls us to peace.

All three give explicit indication that sexual indiscretion and immorality are a key component. And that even they are forgivable.

Please, forgive Christians for teaching such stauch Legalism or trying to not be outdone by Catholics or whatever they are doing.

Let me ask you this; do you see the words, "till death do you part' in the Word of God?

No, but yeah but, "I pronounced you man and wife, until death you do part" and IF I SAID IT, YOU'RE A PERPETUAL ADULTERER IF THIS THING HAPPENS TO NOT WORK OUT."

ANNNND, AS A PREACHER, I MUST TELL YOU THAT ( not only is the word 'divorce not in the Bible(?) YOU DO NOT HAVE A FORGIVING SAVIOR, NAMED JESUS."

Come on, children of God.

These issues in CAPS, above, are insurmountable compared to my plain 'ol teaching from the Bible. IMHO.

So, could so many men of God, etc., be wrong?

They were wrong about Dispensationalism, to name one.

Yeah but, yeah but, yeah but. Yeah, well God had a divorce of His own, didn't He?

Yes. It has to be hashed out with the Book.

Starting with Deuteronomy 24:

1 When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house.

2 And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man's wife.

1.) With a bill of divorcement, she could be another man's wife.

3 And if the latter husband hate her, and write her a bill of divorcement, and giveth it in her hand, and sendeth her out of his house; or if the latter husband die, which took her to be his wife;

2.) even if the husband dies (?)

4 Her former husband, which sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled; for that is abomination before the LORD: and thou shalt not cause the land to sin, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.

3.) She IS NOT HIS WIFE, if she can't go back to be his wife.