“I hate divorce,” says the LORD, the God of Israel. “For he who divorces his wife covers his garment with violence,” says the LORD of Hosts. Therefore, guard yourselves in your spirit and do not break faith. ―Malachi. 2:16)
A person who divorces their spouse simply to marry another brings unjust cruelty upon them. We must be faithful:
Marriage should be honored by all and the marriage bed kept undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers. (Hebrews 13:4)
and no one should ever violate or exploit his brother in this regard, because the Lord will avenge all such acts, as we have already told you and solemnly warned you. (1 Thessalonians 4:6)
In the prophets, God compares his relationship with Israel as a husband and an unfaithful wife (see Jeremiah 31:22 and Hosea 2). We can’t be unfaithful like Israel, prostituting ourselves.
God never prohibits marriage; the teaching of demons prohibits marriage:
They will prohibit marriage and require abstinence from certain foods that God has created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. (1 Timothy 4:3)
God never forbids marriage:
Have we no right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas? (1 Corinthians 9:5)
This scripture tells us that we have the right to take a sister in Christ.The following scriptures are in the context of a believer married to an unbeliever:
12 To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If a brother has an unbelieving wife and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. 13 And if a woman has an unbelieving husband and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. 14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his believing wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy. 15 But if the unbeliever leaves, let him go. The believing brother or sister is not bound in such cases. God has called you to live in peace. (1 Corinthians 7:12-15)
Paul says that if the unbeliever leaves, the believer is not bound. So, if the unbelieving spouse leaves, the believing spouse is “not bound,” hence, free to remarry.
Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership can righteousness have with wickedness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness? (2 Corinthians 6:14)
A person can lawfully divorce their spouse for sexual immorality. But why? Let’s go back to 1 Corinthians 7:
The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband. Likewise, the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife. (1 Corinthians 7:4)
Her body is his property, and his body is her property. Let’s listen to Jesus Christ:
But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, brings adultery upon her. And he who marries a divorced woman commits adultery. (Matthew 5:32)
If a person marries a divorced person, it’s adultery because those who got divorced in the first place are still married in God’s eyes, unless the divorce was for sexual immorality. Divorce is from men, not God. Let’s read what Jesus says to the Pharisees who were asking him about divorce:
8 Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because of your hardness of heart; but it was not this way from the beginning. 9 Now I tell you whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman, commits adultery.” (Matthew 19:8-9)
From these scriptures, we know that divorce is lawful if a spouse commits sexual immorality. Let’s listen to the apostle Paul:
10 To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. 11 But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife. (1 Corinthians 7:10-11)
A couple who marries enters into a lifelong contract, a covenant. But if a spouse dies, then the other spouse is free to remarry:
2 For instance, a married woman is bound by law to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage. 3 So then, if she is joined to another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law and is not an adulteress, even if she marries another man. (Romans 7:2-3)
If we want to remarry after we’ve lawfully separated from our spouse, we must investigate the other person so we’ll not be bringing adultery upon ourselves.
Let’s sum everything up:
- If a spouse dies, the other spouse can remarry.
- If a spouse commits sexual immorality, the other spouse can divorce, but should use discernment in deciding to remarry.
- If a believer is married to an unbeliever and the unbeliever leaves, the believer is not bound.
Someone might ask, “What about spousal abuse?”
Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them. (Colossians 3:19)
If there is abuse in a marriage and the abuser doesn’t repent, the violent person is an unbeliever, as we read in 1 Corinthians 7:12-15. If this is true, we could say the abused spouse is free to divorce. The apostle Peter tells us to treat our wives as delicate vessels:
Husbands, in the same way, treat your wives with consideration as a delicate vessel, and with honor as fellow heirs of the gracious gift of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered. (1 Peter 2:7)
If a man who claims to be a believer but is abusing his wife, he’s not providing her:
If anyone does not provide for his own, and especially his own household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. (1 Timothy 5:8)
A believing man who does not provide for his own is worse than an unbeliever.
If a person chooses not to marry to serve the Lord, then let no one judge (see Matthew 19:10-12).
But if they cannot control themselves, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion. (1 Corinthians 7:9)
Let’s continue:
But if you do marry, you have not sinned. And if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this. (1 Corinthians 7:28)
The scripture is true. They will face troubles, and these troubles may be a little or a lot. The apostle Paul goes on to say the time is short. How much more these days. But whatever we do in good word or deed, let’s do it in the name of our Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him (see Colossians 3:17).
He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the LORD. (Proverbs 18:22)
Futile World 