Is Divorce a Sin?

Not me. God did not make me to be celibate. I plan on marrying again someday.

 

But Christine, divorce because of adultery ignores the command of Christ to forgive our brother who trespasses against us 70 times 7. Again, I'm justifying MY decision because of what I have experienced just as YOU will see things differently because of YOUR experience. It doesn't make either one of us right or wrong... just makes us see things differently.

That is not being judgmental toward you or the other lady but being realistic. I went East and you went West. We were on the same street but never saw what the other one saw. Does that make sense?

ALL sin is forgiveable except for turning aside the Holy Spirit and God not only forgives but forgets and removes the sin as far as the East is from the West! Isn't that GREAT!?!

I think it's great we can discuss this in such a sweet manner! Great job everyone!

Diane

 

Diane, 70 X 7, there has to be a limit. In general (not just divorce), I really don't think God would want us to be doormats. If the partner were to give you a STD or HIV or a baby (from someone else), It would then be too late to unforgive him, wouldn't it? It only takes once for any of these to happen.
The only way you could be sure to be safe after he (she) cheats, would be to never have sex with them again. I don't know many men that would want to be forgiven, bad enough to agree, to never having sex again. This would just perpetuate the cheating.
I am not advocating divorce, I am just wondering how many times someone should be willing to "forgive"?
Christine

 

LOL ... I didn't write it Christine! I just quoted it!

There is no limit to how many times God forgives me for my 'adultery' (turning to the world instead of him... loving things of the world... missing church because of earthly pleasures...) so there should be no limit to how many times I forgive those who sin against me. (I believe it's the book of Hosea that shows us as adulterous wives.)

Also, if I am in God's will, God will not allow anything to happen to me that is not HIS will, be it HIV, STD, etc. God is not the author of evil and I trust HIM to keep me safe. (The book of Job teaches us this truth.)

Diane

 

My main concern here and should be the main concern of any God fearing christian is that we don't spread a lie.
Regardless of whether or not God hates divorce, remarriage is not a sin.
That is probably what this is all about: Are two people living in sin just because one or both of them went thru a divorce that was not according to what the church members think is acceptable to God.
Yes, thats what this all boils down to: Can a person be bound to a life of being single because of a divorce?
NO.

Respectfully,
Tonya

 

How can someone 'repent' (meaning turn from a sin) when they continually live in that sin?

Bro.Dallas Eaton

 

Brother Dallas,
Because of a few wrong turns, we have said that there is such a thing as perpetual adultery.
Only when a married person has relations with someone other than the spouse is adultery involved.
If a person is divorced, a person is not married.

It was the Romanists that introduced the idea that marriage is a sacrament and that the union is indisolluble.
When the church was being reformed, many errors were thrown out but this was one that saw little necessity in reviewing. Besides, what harm could there be in people believing that their marriage bonds were completely unbreakable? Kind of good for society, eh? NO, not really. In the long run, any error produced by man will be harmful.

So to back up this error, your traditionalist will point to a couple of candy stick verses in the bible such as Matthew 19:9.

To be continued.....

 

Candy Stick Verses?

 

Whoa. Hold on a second. Are you saying that, because I got divorced at 18 and then found the love of my life and married him, that I am "continually living in sin", even today? I don't think so.

I realize that my divorce at 18 was a sin, but it is only one of many sins in my life (of which I am NOT proud) and they are all under the precious blood of Jesus!

I love and thank God for my husband and my children. And I am thankful that God is a loving and merciful God of 2nd chances (and 3rd, 4th, 5th.......7,000th on and on). As long as we repent, He is faithful to forgive us. Amen!

 

Frogman, I'm not sure who you were talking to.

Reply to being single: Actually, being single froever sounds like music to my ears.
I have decided that my next divorce I will just cutoff my ring finger, then I won't be tempted to ever make the same mistake again.

Seriously, I honestly still feel that divorce (due to adultry) is ok, remarriage in that instance is ok. All these different bible verses saying different things, all I can think is that my original assessment "many things in the old testament were superceeded or changed by the new testament, so this creates more confusion to those of us that don't know it from cover to cover." is very true.
Christine

 

This is not scripturally supported.

Bro. Dallas Eaton

 

Hi Tonya. You said; Regardless of whether or not God hates divorce, remarriage is not a sin.

What are your thoughts on Romans 7: 2-3 concerning this? Thanks! latterrain77

 

Romone16, just got it. I was hunting and pecking again.
So if the sin is continuous because of remarriage, and divorce is a sin, how would you correct it?
Say if I believed that being interracially married was wrong, but had already done it, would I sin and get divorced, or would I sin and stay married? (I'm not but as a child I always wondered this).
God did cover it with his blood, this is one of those sin that "hang" around, like I said before. The same applies to a baby out of marriage, HIV , or any other bad result from our sin. Something you must repent and then let it go, because God does.
Christine

 

Matt. 19.9

In the Hebrew:

H2181
זנה
zânâh
zaw-naw'
A primitive root (highly fed and therefore wanton); to commit adultery (usually of the female, and less often of simple forniciation, rarely of involuntary ravishment); figuratively to commit idolatry (the Jewish people being regarded as the spouse of Jehovah): - (cause to) commit fornication, X continually, X great, (be an, play the) harlot,

H8457

תּזנת תּזנוּת
taznûth taznûth
taz-nooth', taz-nooth'
From H2181; harlotry, that is, (figuratively) idolatry: - fornication,.

The Greek:

G1608

ἐκπορνεύω
ekporneuō
ek-porn-yoo'-o
From G1537 and G4203; to be utterly unchaste: - give self over to fornication.

G4202

πορνεία
porneia
por-ni'-ah
From G4203; harlotry (including adultery and incest); figuratively idolatry: - fornication.

G4203

πορνεύω
porneuō
porn-yoo'-o
From G4204; to act the harlot, that is, (literally) indulge unlawful lust (of either sex), or (figuratively) practise idolatry: - commit (fornication).

I am not seeking to offend anyone, therefore, I edited more offensive prolific words. Note the first word given in the Hebrew that the word זנה
zânâh denotes that it is resultant from being what we might call today 'spoiled' and thus from the lust of the flesh, the individual, being so spoiled becomes longing for 'excitement' I do believe that we do not know what manner of spirit we are of. (paraphrase).

Here is the words of Jesus, as I said before, I know some who get around this by saying fornication is speaking of such sins committed prior to the marriage, but I am not yet sure I fully agree with this view. I think that such uncleaness can be seen after the marriage, but to say then according to the originaly sense of the Hebrew (IM humble understanding of it) is a result of being full, thus having no want, thus enters lust of the flesh.

This places a condition on the Biblical reason for being 'put away' this condition is "for fornication" only, otherwise this person if remarrying "committeth adultery" these are the words of Christ, not me.

Further Christ states that whoever marries her which is put away "doth commit adultery." Then we see at least two truths:

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• Unless someone initiates divorce on the grounds of fornication (which in MO can be viewed either prior to or during marriage) then they are committing adultery</font>
• Anyone marrying someone who has been 'put away' also commits adultery</font>

Yet it is best to be reconciled, this is the message of the Gospel of Grace, we should be ruled by Grace in our lives. That this reconciliation changes the past actions as we know them, no, it does not, but it by God's Grace alone is able to prevent the sin of adultery.

God Bless.
Bro. Dallas

[edited for correction purposes]

 

Diane:

What I mean are those verses that seem to show that the matter is black and white.

Brother Dallas,
In reply to my statement:
Because of a few wrong turns, we have said that there is such a thing as perpetual adultery.
Only when a married person has relations with someone other than the spouse is adultery involved.
You said:

How do you mean?


Latterrain77

Right, this verse is showing the force of the Mosaic Law to which christians are not obligated to anymore.
It would be akin to saying that the laws of the US are in effect for every US citizen, not just right now, but as long as a US citizen lives. NOTE the keywords are “US citizen”.. if one were to become a citizen of Canada one would not be under the laws of the US.
So this verse is not saying that a marriage is an indissoluble(sp?) bond, but that a married woman (analogous to the Law) that is joined to another man is committing adultery.

 

Here is a portion from the link that Kenneth posted to this thread a couple of pages back. It makes sense. More sense that condemning divorced believers to a lifetime of unrepentent sin for remarriage.

"It has been said, 'Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.' But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery. Matthew 5:31-32

1, What does the "commit adultery," phrase mean?

2, Good Question! It's tough to understand because the Greek here doesn't translate easily into English.

a, Enter Lenski - 'A further complication is due to our helplessness in translating this passive infinitive into English. We have no passive corresponding to the active 'to commit adultery.' But this is no -justification for translating these two passages as though there were activies ... Since our English fails us here, we must express the two passives forms as best we can ... We attempt this by translating the infinitive, "He brings out that she is stigmatized as adulterous," and the finite verb, "he is stigmatized as adulterous," (pg. 233)

1, What Jesus says here is that divorce-will make it appear that you've committed adultery.

a, In Jewish culture you and your children would be looked down upon.

b. "Adultery" – pornia - all types of sexual sins.

c, This is still true and in a larger sense divorce continues to cause you -stigmas" or problems for a long time whether you remarry or not!

The Truth Is That God Recognizes THE REALITY of Divorce While HATING What It Does.


"I hate divorce," says the LORD God of Israel, "and I hate a man's covering himself with violence as well as with his garment," says the LORD Almighty. So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith. Malachi 2:16

God says, "I hate divorce," no one agrees more than divorced people!

2) Jesus Himself SAID SO.

Jesus said to her, "You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. John 4:16-19

1, He isn't saying that remarriage makes you "Live in Adultery"

a, Notice the distinction between living together and being married.

b, If the traditional view is correct then Jesus is wrong - He should have said, 'You've had one husband and five adulterous relationships.' - But He didn't!

He didn't say it was right to have 5 husbands! It isn't!
3, But He recognized the fact that she had been married 5 times and He said they were legitimate by distinguishing between the one man she's living in sin with and the 5 marriages.

4.So Jesus recognizes divorce and remarriage as an accomplished fact - and never says you can live in adultery.

So Once Forgiven We May REMARRY.
The Bottom Line!

Divorce is Caused By SIN , It Can Be FORGIVEN by God and Remarriage is an OPTION For All Believers.

 

Originally posted by TonyaR:

See my post just prior to your question

Bro. Dallas

 

But the bottom line to dealing treacherously with a spouse, or anyone for that matter is that repentance means to change one's heart and mind. It doesn't simply mean to say I'm sorry nor just confessing to God one's sin.
WE must change. WE must change our very inside.
We must purify our hearts by faith.

 

Frogman:

What state? Being in a second marriage?

 

So this is your opinion of scripture? You don't hold the word of God very highly, do you?

Jesus said divorced is becasue of the hardness of your heart. When divorce is so readily available, and is seen as an option, how can you take a martial relationship serious. After all their disposable.
=====================================


Jesus also said adultry comes fro the heart, abd begins in thought, the very though of sex with another person is adultry, even without the actions.