BACKGROUND

It is said that in the United States of America, one in two marriages ends in divorce. What is shocking is that in the "so-called" Christian community the divorce rate is just as high - or maybe higher - and is accepted as one of the normal events in life by those who believe in Jesus Christ.

What is wrong?

Are not true followers of Jesus Christ supposed to be the light of the world and the salt of the Earth? Are not true followers of Jesus Christ supposed to be living according to God's laws and principles? Are not true followers of Jesus Christ supposed to be different from the world? Is the behavior of the "so-called" Christian community as it relates to divorce acceptable to God? What does the Most High require when it comes to divorce? Can a Christian divorce his/her spouse and yet please God? Is it a sin to divorce one's spouse?

What does God say about divorce?

The Holy Scriptures have the answers for us.

TERMINATION OF THE MARRIAGE COVENANT

When a man and woman marry, they enter into a covenant that is terminated when either one dies, as it is written in Romans 7: 2-3:

"...by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage. So then, if she marries another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress, even though she marries another man."

What about termination of the marriage covenant when both parties are alive?

A husband and his wife are united for life, except in the case of adultery, which is the only acceptable cause for divorce among God's people, as Jesus Christ said to His followers in Matthew 19: 3-9,

"Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?"

"Haven't you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator made them male and female,' and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate."

"Why then," they asked, "did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?"

Jesus replied, "Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery."

Let us be aware that when Jesus Christ addressed the Pharisees, he spoke about a marriage between a man and a woman who belonged to the nation that the Most High had chosen to be His people. This principle is therefore also applicable when a Christian man marries a Christian woman. (See "Whom Should You Marry?")

SEPARATION IN THE ABUSIVE MARRIAGE

Sometimes a marriage may become so physically and/or emotionally abusive that the abused spouse's life or well being is threatened. When one's life or well-being is threaten, one may separate from the abusive spouse; however, the marital covenant is still valid and neither the husband nor wife may remarry if the marriage occurred when they were both Christians and the spouse is alive, as is written in 1 Corinthians 7: 10-11,

"To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife."

DIVORCE WHEN MARRIED TO AN UNBELIEVER

If a true follower of Jesus Christ is married to an unbeliever, what impact does this union have on the marriage covenant? Can the believer divorce the unbeliever just because of his/her unbelief?

The applicable principles to be followed can be found in 1 Corinthians 7: 12-16,

"To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.

But if the unbeliever leaves, let him do so. A believing man or woman is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace. How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?"

What the Apostle Paul clearly states in the aforementioned scripture is that if the unbelieving spouse leaves the marriage, the believer is no longer required to remain married to him/her. This means that the believer can remarry but ONLY to another believer.

REMARRIAGE AND ADULTERY

Many "so-called" Christians divorce and remarry without giving their actions a second thought. We need to be mindful of this fact - we may be legally married to someone and yet be living in adultery. Furthermore, we may continue living in such adulterous relationships while we attend church regularly, belong to a ministry, and sing in the choir - fully believing that we are "full of the Holy Spirit". Eventually we may even die in such adulterous relationships. We, as children of the Most High, must be guided by the Holy Scriptures when considering the issue of divorce. Here are the biblical principles on divorce:

• If the marriage occurred when both the man and woman were "children of God" and adultery did not occur in the marriage, then neither the husband nor the wife can remarry if the spouse is alive.

• If the marriage is between an unbeliever and a believer and the unbeliever leaves, that marriage is terminated and the believing spouse can remarry but only to another believer.

• If the marriage occurred when both the man and woman were "children of God" and one spouse leaves because of abuse suffered in the relationship, then neither the husband nor the wife can remarry if the spouse is alive.

We must all be very careful when considering the issue of divorce. Please be warned as is stated in 1 Corinthians 6: 9-11,

"Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."

We are also admonished in Hebrews 10: 26-31, as it is written:

"If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?"

For we know him who said, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," and again, "The Lord will judge his people." It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."