IS THE CHURCH REPROBATE? (4)
The most disturbing anomaly among Christians and Christian’s
leader is the recent reckless way the so called believers engage in divorce. Be
it initiated by a wife or a husband, divorce in purely unbiblical, and anybody
who has engaged in it must do restitution before such a one would make it to heaven.
Jesus clearly made it clear that Moses’ law about divorce was only for those
with hardness of heart, and no hard- hearted person would ever make it to
heaven.
The question of
divorce was clarified by Jesus in MATTHEW 19:4-11. It reads
‘’And He answered and
said unto them, have you not read that He who made them at the beginning made
them male and female, and said for this reason a man shall leave his father and
mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh? So then,
they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together,
let no man separate. They said to Him why then did Moses command to give a
certificate of divorce, and to put her away? He said to them, Moses, because of
the hardness of your heart, permitted you to divorce, but from the beginning,
it was not so.
‘’And I say unto you, whosoever divorces his
wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another commits adultery; and
whosoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.’’
A number of issues
are raised in this Bible passage:
Ø
IN THE BEGINNING IT WAS NOT SO. This means
divorce is not part of God’s program. Moses is not the last authority of the
church but Jesus. Read JOHN 1:17 ‘’for
the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus.’’
Ø
DIVORCE WAS INTRODUCED BY MOSES BECAUSE THE
CHILDREN OF ISRAEL LACKED GRACE. The bill of divorce was actually a ploy by
Moses to make divorce more complicated, so that those who had already made up
their minds could have a rethink when they consider the legal process involved.
Ø
DIVORCE IS ONLY CONSIDERED AT THE SIN OF
FORNICATION. Who commits fornication? One who has not already made the MARITAL VOW?
Like Mary and Joseph; Joseph thought that Mary had committed fornication when
he discovered she was pregnant, and so he thought within himself to put her
away privately. That is the only circumstance divorce is allowed. The lady had
just been betrothed; no marital vow had been involved. Read MATTHEW 1:18-21.
Betrothal is similar to
today’s ENGAGEMENT, but by the Jewish law, stronger.
So once a MARITAL VOW has been taken, marriage is irreversible, whether
the vow was made in error or not. Read what PSALM 15: 4b says: ‘’He who swears to his hurt and changes
not.’’ Whether the marriage is favorable or not they must endure. But
unfortunately, the end time Church is teaching otherwise. Even when Jesus
clearly said, EXCEPT SEXUAL IMMORALITY, Pastors are fashioning several other
reasons for divorce.
WHY DID JESUS TALK ABOUT ADULTERY?
Jesus’ words on adultery in verse 9 does not mean that Jesus supported
separation without remarry. No. in that verse Jesus was delving more into other
sins that divorce could lead one to. So divorce is a separate sin with or
without remarry.
WHAT THEN DID PAUL MEAN BY SEPARATION?
Like I said in my book, IS THE CHURCH REPROBATE? (The book is available
on AMAZON.COM), many Christians claim to be ignorance of what the Bible says
when they are on their way to being reprobate. In 1st CORINTHIANS 7:
15, Paul says ‘’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.’’ Note from this Bible passage that
a marriage that is properly contracted by Christians is BONDAGE, a vow. But where
one marries when one was yet unbeliever, Paul said any vow made at that point
could not be said to be binding, particularly when such a partner wants a
separation. But Paul cautioned: ‘’ but if
she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And
a husband is not to divorce his wife.’’ 1CORINTHIANS 7:11
WHAT OF IF THE DIVORCE IS FILED BY THE OTHER PARTNER?
Divorce is a sin, whether it was initiated by the woman or the man. In
fact, before a woman files to divorce a man, the man had already divorced the
woman in his heart, and so such a man is already in sin. How do I know? Read 1 TIMOTHY 5:8 ‘’But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those
of the household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.’’
This means that every man must provide for his partner sexually, morally,
financially, etc. once this is done, the other partner would not have any moral
ground for divorce. Even when the partner is hell bent on divorce, the child of
God must do the unimaginable. Be humble enough to beg your partner.
WHAT ABOUT PASTORS WHO HAD DIVORCE THEIR WIVES?
They are all guilty before God and His Word, and only RESTITUTION can
save them
Remember lastly that this
teaching is not for everyone. It would be taken by those it is meant for,
MATTHEW 19:10, 11.
OHIMAI
DANIEL, ohimaidaniel@yahoo.com
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