Dec 15 2008
Can Your Marriage Be Saved? Chapter 3
III God’s Word on Marriage- the first institution “the family”I don’t know if you have been tempted to consider divorce as I was, but making a marriage work is so much easier if in your mind, divorce is not an option. That is what we have told our kids and even made that commitment ourselves. No matter how bad it gets, divorce cannot be an option because otherwise we are saying that there is something impossible for God to fix.Adam & Eve (Gen ; Eph 5)Covenant / VowsThe last book in the Old Testament, the book of Malachi, we find God explaining why he would not receive or regard the offerings the people were giving him at the temple. Chapter 3:14-16 “Yet ye say, wherefore? Because the Lord hath been a witness between thee and the wife of your youth, against whom thou has`t dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant. And did not he make one? Yet he had the residue of the spirit, And wherefore one? That he might seek godly seed. Therefore, take heed to your spirit, and let non deal treacherously against the wife of his youth. For the Lord, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the Lord of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.”
Matthew 5:23-24
Jesus taught several times on the issue of marriage. In one instance the Pharisees came to tempt Jesus and asked him (Matthew 19: 3) “ Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?” Jesus answered them ( verses 4-9) “Have ye not read that he which made them at the beginning, made them male and female, and said “ For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and the twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together let not man put asunder.”
In the famous “Sermon on the Mount” written about in Matthew 5:31-32 Jesus said, “It hath been said, whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: But I say unto you, that whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.”
The disciples understood what Jesus was teaching and responded with a statement “If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry.” (Matthew 19:10)
From this perspective we understand why Paul writes the following in his epistle to the Corinthians and to all those that would become followers of Jesus Christ, he gave instruction to both the married and unmarried. I Corinthians chapter 7 deals primarily with the marriage relationship for believers. In verse 8 Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit writes “I say therefore to the unmarried and widows. It is good for them to abide evens as I. But if they cannot contain (practice abstinence), let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn (with passion). Paul continues in verse 9-11 “And unto the married I command, not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband: but and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife. “
Now there are situations where some Christians have become unequally yoked in which one spouse is saved and the other is not. Paul addresses this situation in verses 12 – 15 of 1 Corinthians chapter 7. “But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife and believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away. And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him.”
We might wonder why Paul gives this command, but he continues in the passage, verse 14-16 to explain why it is important to stay married” For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by her husband: else were your children unclean; but now they are clean. But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace. For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband: or how knowest thou, O man, whether you shalt save thy wife?”
Paul sums the situation up at the end of the 7th chapter in verse 39 “ The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.”
We know that it is God’s will for men and women to marry for two reasons, one it is not good for man to be alone and second He desires godly offspring. We also know from scripture that God hates divorce and he sees the marriage covenant as permanent as long as both spouses are alive.
