In my last two blogs we considered The Sanctity of Marriage
and Divorce – The Biblical Perspective. We established that God ordained
marriage, beginning with Adam and Eve, at the commencement of the human race. Divorce
is not God’s will and the only exception given is for sexual immorality; which
in effect breaks the marriage union.
In this blog I want to look at the Christian aspect on
divorce found in 1 Corinthians 6 and 7. The apostle Paul is writing to
fellow believers at Corinth. His first letter to these Corinthian believers
covers a wide range of topics. In chapters 6 and 7 the subject of
marriage and divorce comes up.
1 Corinthians 6: 13, 16, 18 states, (13)”...Now the body is not for sexual
immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body... (16)Or do you not
know that he that is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For ‘the two’, He
says, ‘shall become one flesh’... (18) Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a
man does is outside the body, but he commits sexual immorality sins against his
own body.”
Verse 13 is quite explicit “...the body is not for sexual immorality...” which is illicit sex
outside the marriage union. God has sanctified the marriage union. Sexual
relations within a marriage union are sanctified and blessed. Hebrews 13:4,
“Marriage is honourable among all, and
the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge.”
Verse 16 gives us the result of an illicit
relationship. The marriage bond has been broken in God’s eyes!
Verse 18 clearly defines sexual immorality as a sin
against your own body.
In 1 Corinthians 7:1-3 we are given godly
instructions. (1) “Now concerning the
things of which you wrote to me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. (2)
Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and
let each woman have her own husband. (3) Let the husband render to his wife the
affections due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband.”
Let’s have a closer look at verse 1. This does not
mean that a man cannot touch a woman. In our everyday lives there are often
occasions where we meet and great people, or assist people. In the context of verse
2 we can deduce it means to touch a woman in such a manner as to lead into
a situation where sexual immorality could be a consequence.
In 1 Corinthians 7: 10-13 we have some interesting
instructions for believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. (10) “Now to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord: A wife is
not to depart from her husband. (11) But even if she does depart, let her
remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to
divorce his wife. (12) But to the rest I, not the Lord say: If any brother has
a wife who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him not
divorce her. (13) And a woman who has a husband who does not believe, if he is
willing to live with her, let her not divorce him.”
From the context of the above verses; it is quite evident
that to have an unbelieving spouse is not an acceptable reason for divorce. If
the unbelieving spouse leaves the believing spouse it is not grounds for a divorce!
The way must be left open for reconciliation. The departing spouse is to remain
in an unmarried state. This does not give them the right to seek a new partner.
1Corinthians 7:14-16 give us the reasons for
remaining married. (14) “For the unbelieving
husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by
the husband; otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy.
(15) But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart, a brother or a sister [in Christ]
is not under bondage in such
cases. But God has called us to peace. (16) For how do you know, O wife,
whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you
will save your wife?”
God considers the marriage between a believing spouse and an
unbelieving spouse to be an ordained marriage in His eyes. The unbelieving
spouse is sanctified within the marriage union by the believing spouse. The
children of their marriage union are considered to be holy because of the
marriage union.
I repeat, ‘The
unbelieving spouse is sanctified within the marriage union by the believing
spouse.’ The unbelieving spouse is not considered, in themself, to be holy
in God’s eyes. They are indeed a sinner who needs God’s salvation in order to
be holy. The marriage union with a believing spouse does not confer holiness
upon them. However, the children of this union are considered holy because of
the marriage union. But as they grow up they will become accountable for their
actions before God. They too will be in need of God’s salvation in the Lord
Jesus Christ.
To sum up what we have learned:
1.
Sexual immorality breaks the marriage union.
2.
Sexual immorality is a sin against your own
body.
3.
Sexual relations within the marriage union are
sanctified and blessed.
4.
Having an unbelieving spouse is not grounds for
divorce.
5.
If a spouse departs they are to remain in an
unmarried state, or be reconciled to their spouse.
6.
The unbelieving spouse is sanctified within the marriage
union by the believing spouse.
7.
The children of the marriage union are
considered to be holy.
8.
The unbelieving spouse and any children of the marriage
union will individually be held accountable for their own actions.
9.
Lastly, divorce is not God’s will.
As a parting remark, it would be good to read this blog in
conjunction with my previous blog Divorce – The Biblical Perspective for
an overall perspective.
Jon Peasey
[All Scriptures quoted are from the New King James version]
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