Crossroads Community Blog

YABS! 7 – Will You Marry Me? October 6, 2009

About 40% of marriages can be expected to end in divorce according to statistics from divorcerate.org. However there has been a steady decline in divorces this year compared to last years.

Statistics aside what is your viewpoint on marriage and divorce? What does Jesus Christ say about marriage and divorce?

Matthew 5:31-32 (New International Version)

Divorce

³¹“It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ ³²But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.

One of the Ten Commandments is Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery. Based on what we have seen or heard, can we all agree that this 40% has divorced due to marital unfaithfulness? I welcome your thoughts on this and please do comment at the bottom of this article.

Instead of going by society’s norms or what we see and hear on the television or radio. It is important to stop and think about God’s original intention for both man and woman on Earth. This is what Jesus had to say,

Matthew 19 (New International Version)

Divorce

¹When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went into the region of Judea to the other side of the Jordan. ²Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.³Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?”

⁴“Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ ⁵and 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’? ⁶So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”

⁷“Why then,” they asked, “did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?”

⁸Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. ⁹I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery.”

¹⁰The disciples said to him, “If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry.”

¹¹Jesus replied, “Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given. ¹²For some are eunuchs because they were born that way; others were made that way by men; and others have renounced marriage because of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.”

What God has joined together let no man separate. Concentrate on this for this is God’s original plan. Don’t get confused with what Moses have done. Moses at that time was merely putting a proper way of divorcing since every single man was committing adultery. That’s why Jesus said, “...because your hearts were hard…”.  Moses had no choice but to allow divorce and instructed that anyone who does must issue a certificate.

We live in a world dominated by sin. It is because of sin that we have calloused hearts and intoxicated minds. It is because of sin that divorce exists. Jesus Christ died on the cross and paid for the price of our sins but only if we truly accept Him in our hearts can we be saved. For the price of sin is death and suffering in the eternal flames of hell.

Until Jesus Christ returns for the second time to overcome sin once and for all we will continue to fall and sin against God. Therefore we must also continue to humbly ask for forgiveness and mercy as we wait for the return of our King.

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