God and Marriage

Often  in marriages, differences arise causing a heart that is not right with God. It has a tendency  to increase  the  pressure on the relationship between a man and  a woman.  The Gospel warns us that we need a heart that  is  right with  God full of peace and joy in anticipation of the coming  of the Lord Jesus Christ. We are to follow peace and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord.

The Bible speaks about a root of bitterness that can develop in us, which is really a sign that we are still in bondage which represents an open door to Satan.

According to the Scriptures, God created everything in  this universe  in  a six day period, which includes  humans,  animals, birds,  fish and all the various vegetation, the stars  and  planets.  That is everything we see, hear, smell, touch and  experience  comes  from  God. That is why He states that  there  is  no excuse for anyone. One will not be able to say to God face to face: "I'm sorry, I did not know you  existed."

In  the book of Acts it states: "For I perceive that thou art  in the  gall  of bitterness, and [in] the bond of  iniquity."  (Acts 8:23)

Where  does  this  root come from? From  what  we  discussed before: "Lest there should be among you man, or woman, or family, or  tribe,  whose heart turneth away this day from the  LORD  our God,  to  go [and] serve the gods of these  nations;  lest  there should  be among  you a root that beareth  gall  and  wormwood." (Deuteronomy 29:18)

In  the New Testament in Hebrews we are warned again.  "Take heed,  brethren,  lest there be in any of you an  evil  heart  of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another  daily, while it is called Today; lest any of you be  hardened through  the deceitfulness of sin." (Hebrews 3:12,13)  

Now  what does all this have to do with marriage? Jesus in Matthew 5:31,32 "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."

Taking  this position, a couple who remarry under  these  circumstances  place  themselves into a position of  becoming  hardened through  the deceitfulness of the sin of adultery, because they are living  in  a state of sin.

What is adultery? The Greek word used in the original  Bible is  "moichos":  a male paramour apostate - adulterer.  From  that word are derived other similar words which relate to woman  adulteresses.  

Not to change the subject, but if our world wants to discard the biblical  teachings, many words will have to be removed from our language. Words  like adultery  would  lose their substance. Webster's  Dictionary  describes adultery (especially a man): sexual intercourse between a married man and a woman, not his wife or between a married  woman and  a man not her husband. Now look at adulterate: illegitimate through adultery.. not genuine. And last "adulterator: a counterfeiter. Obviously these terms are based on biblical values.

In  spite  of this clear biblical statement by  Jesus,  many ignore  a marital state founded on a previous divorce.  Not  even the present day church has much to say about it. In answer to the questions  of Jesus's audience: "He saith unto them,  "Moses  because  of  the hardness of your hearts suffered you to  put  away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. And I say  unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except [it be] for fornication,  and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and  whoso marrieth  her which is put away doth commit adultery. His  disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with [his]  wife, it is not good to marry." (Matthew 19:7-10)

Why  would  Jesus say that it is not good to marry  after  a divorce? When we ignore God and fear Him not, our protection from the adversary is gone. Look what happened to the Jews over  time. Satan  is  relentless  and still is in hot pursuit  of  the  Jews ultimately  to destroy them. Why are the Jews in this  situation? They  troubled God with their on and off routines until  He  said enough  is enough. One can liken it to a dysfunctional  marriage. It hardens hearts over time, even God's heart.

Jeremiah  3:8 relates God's statement: "And I saw, when  for all  the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed  adultery  I had  put  her  away, and given her a bill  of divorce;  yet  her treacherous  sister  Judah feared not, but went  and  played  the
harlot also."

People are under the impression that God meant for people to get  married since Eve was created for a helpmate to Adam.  Paul, who  was  the  spokes person for the Holy  Spirit answered  such questions with this Scripture: "Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: [It is] good for a man not to touch  a  woman. Nevertheless, [to avoid] fornication, let every man have his  own wife,  and let every woman have her own husband.

"Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the  wife unto  the husband. The wife hath not power of her own  body,  but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of  his own body, but the wife. "Defraud  ye not one the other, except [it be] with  consent for  a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting  and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.  But I speak this by permission, [and] not of  commandment.  For I would that all men were even as I myself.

"But  every man hath his proper gift of God,  one  after this  manner,  and  another after that. I say  therefore  to  the unmarried  and widows, It is good for them if they abide even  as I.  But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is  better to  marry  than to burn. But and if she depart,  let  her  remain unmarried,  or  be reconciled to [her] husband: and let  not the husband put away [his] wife." (1 Corinthians 7:1-9)

Why  is marriage a hinderance in respect to God?  There  are several reasons: One is most likely a hardened heart. Take a case where  you have a wife who is spiritual and a husband who  wants his  needs  met regardless of how the wife feels  about  it.  She wants to take God's advice and walk in the spirit and he  listens to  his  desires and wants to walk in the flesh. Result  is,  the goal  of  peace and holiness without which no man shall  see  the Lord, becomes an unreachable goal.

Not only that Galatians  5:16-20  actually teaches that we must practice walking in the spirit to control our flesh. Obviously we have an ongoing dilemma, if we want to practice Gospel principles such as the following:

"[This]  I  say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye  shall  not fulfil  the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against  the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are  contrary
the  one  to the other: so that ye cannot do the things  that  ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the  law.

"Now  the  works  of the flesh are manifest,  which  are  [these]; Adultery,  fornication,  uncleanness,  lasciviousness,  Idolatry, witchcraft,  hatred, variance, emulations, wrath,  strife,  seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings,  and such  like: of the which I tell you before, as I have  also  told [you]  in  time past, that they which do such  things  shall  not inherit the kingdom of God." (Galatians 5:16-20)

Pretty  threatening,  isn't it? God is interested in the fruit  of  the Spirit  which  is love, joy, peace,  longsuffering,  gentleness, goodness and faith. How can we possibly resolve such conflict for those who are in this situation? They have ignored God's Word and remarried. Paul, under the Holy Spirit's guidance, reconciled the problem thus: "But this I say, brethren, the time [is] short:  it remaineth,  that both they that have wives be as though they had none; And they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice,  as  though they rejoiced not; and they  that  buy,  as though  they possessed not; And they that use this world, as  not abusing  [it]: for the fashion of this world passeth away.

"But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried  careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how  he  may please  the Lord: But he that is married careth for  the things that  are  of the world, how he may please [his] wife.  There  is difference  [also] between a wife and a  virgin.  The  unmarried woman  careth  for the things of the Lord, that she may  be  holy both  in body and in spirit: but she that is married  careth  for the things of the world, how she may please [her]  husband.  And this  I  speak for your own profit; not that I may cast  a  snare upon  you, but for that which is comely, and that ye  may attend upon  the Lord without distraction.

"But if any man think that  he behaveth  himself  uncomely toward his virgin, if  she  pass the flower  of  [her] age, and need so require, let him  do  what  he will, he sinneth not: let them marry. Nevertheless he that  standeth  stedfast in his heart, having no necessity, but hath power over his own will, and hath so decreed in his heart that he  will keep  his  virgin, doeth well. So then he that  giveth  [her]  in marriage  doeth  well; but he that giveth [her] not  in  marriage doeth  better.

"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. But she is happier if she so abide, after my judgment: and I think also that I have the Spirit of God." (1 Corinthians 7:28-40)


Living  and walking in the spirit is being without sin.  Sin applies to this world and we are subject to it as long as we  are in the flesh. Lord Jesus, come quickly.

 

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