Divorce is a horrible thing that has touched virtually each and every one of us in one way or another. Its appalling that our marriages fail at a rate of 50%! Whether it’s our parents – our own marriages – our children – or our friends – we all have witnessed the terrible destruction that is eating away at our lives called divorce. I want to look at some scriptures in an effort to bring understanding to this problem.

Matthew 19:3-12 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 tI tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, n for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery.”

I am so excited – there is so much here in this passage that it’s almost too much to grasp…

First we see that the Pharisees came and challenged Jesus with the fact that Moses allowed a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason… and we Jesus responds that Moses wrote that because their hearts were hard… Our divorce rates show us that the love is growing cold – even among Christians.

Matthew 24:10-13 says – At that time (meaning the end times) many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.

Ok – stop right there a second… first of all – most Christians believe these are the end times… and we can clearly see the turning away from the way of Jesus and the hatred, and the lack of love, among the so-Christians due to the wickedness. Seriously – think of the things that break up marriages – the love of money – pornography – lust and adultery – physical, psychological, and emotional abuse – selfishness – pride – all the wickedness that makes people say – I can’t be with him anymore because he does this – or I can’t stay married to her because she did that… they cuss at each other – and throw hateful hurtful words at each other – ripping through the very person God has put in their lives as a partner as if they were a deadly enemy – there is no humility or humbleness – there is no seeking of God in the hard times – its all a battle about the self – and not the family that God has blessed people with… we are still in the ‘me’ generation! How can we survive this age? How can we save our marriages and families? We must stand firm in Christ – making Him number one – before husbands or wives – before our children – and more than anything else – more than ourselves.

Next, notice the clear definition of marriage given by Jesus in Matthew 19 – a man leaves his mother and father – male and female – the only kind of couple able to have children – and that man is to be united with his wife – again male and female – and the two become one flesh! man and man – or woman and woman – cannot produce life – still another indicator of the definition of marriage…

There can be no doubt in that statement that marriage is between a man and a women yet the homosexual agenda is one that is slowly but surely eroding the very definition of marriage… this erosion of the definition of marriage is working against the value and commitment people have concerning marriage. It is no longer a sacred God given institution between a man and a woman to be valued – but instead – its becoming little more than a contract that can be broken for any and every reason in the eyes of the world – any and every reason – the same reason Moses wrote what he did to the Jews concerning divorce.

Another thing that seems obvious to me is that since man and woman become one flesh in marriage – they are a new creation – a precious life-form all their own – united by the will of God. Divorce is like murder in that it destroys that life.

Many times I hear people say it was a mistake to get married and for that reason they will divorce in order to make things ‘right’ – but that is a terrible lie from Hell itself… saying that you made a mistake so you’re going to get a divorce – thus killing this new creation of two becoming one – is like a man who impregnates a woman – and he says is going to take care of it – make it right – but then finances to have the baby aborted… to fix it and make it right – he would have to come along side that woman and raise his child in the ways of the Lord – killing the baby doesn’t make it right it makes it worse… so destroying a marriage because it was a mistake to get married is the same thing.

Even if you feel like you don’t love your spouse – as a Christian – you are called to make your marriage work – put Jesus first – be selfless – submit yourself to the fact that you are living with the consequences of your own choices which came under the will of God who has a purpose for putting you were you are today. Put Jesus first and all other things will follow – even the healing and restoration of your marriage.

There are really only three ways out of a marriage that I know of as a Christian…
the first way out would be the death of one’s spouse – and I don’t mean the murder of a spouse – but the natural passing of the spouse…

the second way out is if your spouse is an unbeliever and he or she wants to leave…

1 Corinthians 7:10-16 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. 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?

Notice – we can’t kick an unbelieving spouse out – for our testimony and witness might yet save an unbelieving spouse – but if they want to leave we are free from them as we are called to peace as Children of God.

The final way out of a marriage is found back in Matthew 19 verse 9 I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery.”
In other words – we can divorce if we are cheated on… there is no other acceptable reason given in the scriptures!

What about cases of abuse? I don’t know. I would assume God would allow for a divorce in extreme cases, but that is my assumption and it is unsupported by any scripture that I am aware of. We are basically called to endure to the end. If anything – a rocky marriage could be a wonderful way to prove to the Lord how willing we are to be obedient to His Way.

Are you a Christian and troubled by the reality of what I’ve written here? As troubling as it is for us to swallow at times – the Gospel is not always something that settles well with the worldly and sinful nature of men… the real question comes down to this – are you going to obey God – or are you going to rebel against the Lord? Will you embrace His blessings – or bring on His wrath?

These are just some thoughts I’ve had recently while praying and reading up on divorce… there is surely more to be said and more to be learned – so I welcome you all to add your thoughts and comments to this post so that we can learn together.

1 Peter 5:6-11
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.
To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.

Glory be to God! Don’t let anyone tell you that there is no devil out there – that is a lie – as the devil is seeking to devour us like a lion! Never-the-less – despite Satan’s desires – our God loves us – and if we simply humble ourselves into His hands – He will He will exalt us at the proper time which is His time – we need not fight a fight He has already won – but instead we must cast our anxieties on Him – maintaining self control – while keeping watch so not to be snatched by the enemy…

While we may suffer through the enemies attacks – we have to keep faith – knowing we are not suffering alone – and knowing that God has called us to Him because He has led us to Jesus Christ – and He will
restore us and make us strong, firm and steadfast. It’s all by His power – not our own…

“The LORD your God will cut off before you the nations you are about to invade and dispossess. But when you have driven them out and settled in their land, and after they have been destroyed before you, be careful not to be ensnared by inquiring about their gods, saying, “How do these nations serve their gods? We will do the same.” You must not worship the LORD your God in their way, because in worshiping their gods, they do all kinds of detestable things the LORD hates.” Deuteronomy 12:29-31

“… teach my people the difference between the holy and the unholy, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.” Ezekiel 34:23

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you from being priests for Me; because you have forgotten the Law of your God, I will also forget your children.” Hosea 4:6

“Train up a child in the way he should go, then when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6

“That whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone was hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depths of the sea. Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!” Matthew 18: 6 – 7

“Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.” Romans 12:9

“Therefore, let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the Armour of Light.” Romans 13:12

“You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s Table and of the table of demons.” 1 Corinthians 10:21

“Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? What communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? For what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols?… Therefore, come out from among them and be separate says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean and I will receive you.” 2 Corinthians 6:14 – 17

“And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather expose them.” Ephesians 5:11

“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy – meditate on these things.” Philippians 4:8

“Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the Faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies and hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron.” 1 Timothy 4:1 – 2

“Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” James 4:7

“Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.” James 1:27

“Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God.” 3 John 11

Tom Sanguinet, a former high priest in Wicca has said: “The modern holiday that we call Halloween has its origins in the full moon closest to November 1, the witches’ new year. It is a time when the spirits (demons) are supposed to be at their peak power and revisiting planet earth… Halloween is purely and absolutely evil, and there is nothing we ever have, or will do, that would make it acceptable to the Lord Jesus.”