Reply:

Thank you so much for reaching out to our ministry! Before answering your questions, let’s make sure of a couple of important things.

#1 – Are you a born again believer?

Many people claim to be “Christians” when they are not. “Christian” means “Christ follower” which requires one to accept by faith that Jesus is truly “the Lamb of God” which cleanses you of your sins as John the Baptist taught in Jn. 1:29, and believing by faith that Jesus is your only Way to heaven as Jesus taught in Jn. 14:6. If one is to be a true “Christian”, they must not add to Jesus anything else to be saved like baptism, works, good deeds, money, etc… otherwise “…if it [salvation] be of works, then is it no more grace….” (Rom. 11:6)

For more information, please read our “Gospel” series: https://www.fundamentalfamilies.com/gospel-series/.

#2 – Are you faithfully attending a strong, solid, Bible-believing church?

Many do not go to church but they need to, because these types of controversial questions are answered all the time in the Sunday School hour and main church services of those who truly preach the Bible. We have more information on the need and command to go to church in our “You Need to Go to Church” series: https://www.fundamentalfamilies.com/you-need-to-go-to-church/.

#3 – Now as to your questions:

We have 7 detailed articles on divorce and remarriage at the following link: https://www.fundamentalfamilies.com/divorce-and-remarriage-series/.

Please read those first. And then, after reading those, on top of what has already been in those articles (and it is a lot :), let us add some concluding truths not previously brought up that do come up with the subjects of divorce and remarriage.

A. The Root Issue

First of all, it is important to only focus on the root issue that you have brought up: remarriage after divorce. Whether a spouse is saved or of another religion does not affect God’s rules of divorce and remarriage. The only time God focuses on the issue of salvation is with the sole topic of divorce in I Corinthians 7:10-16, and in this passage God does not readdress the topic of remarrying a spouse that divorced and remarried another partner. So, the concern of salvation is only dealt with concerning just divorce.

B. The Broad Way and the Narrow Way

It is not right, but many in contemporary “Christianity” cling tightly and follow closely to the modern, sinful world’s practices, including the area of divorce and remarriage. Preachers used to just quote God’s Word and preach and teach against it. But many slandered believers who closely adhered to all of God’s Word. Now most believers just want to please themselves and appease those around them. As a result, we claim, without biblical permission, that divorce and remarriage are okay.

Jesus commanded and revealed in Mt. 7:13, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat.” Concerning Jesus’ statement here in Matthew, let’s ask a question: What do most people believe about divorce and remarriage today? The answer is easy: “Whatever works for each person. To each his own. Do you.” Jesus warned that “the broad way” will always lead to destruction. In other words, what most people in the world are doing is wrong and where they are going is the wrong way.

Jesus continues in Mt. 7:14, “Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” “Few there be that” will hold to Scriptural truth and teach that “the God of Israel…hateth putting away [divorce]” (Mal. 2:16), that it is adultery to remarry (Rom. 7:1-3), and that it is “abomination” to take back a previous spouse who has since remarried (Deut. 24:4 & Jer. 3:1).

C. The Unchanging God

Although all believers of Jesus keep and read the entire Bible (Genesis through Revelation), we have a tendency to ignore what most call “The Old Testament”. As such, certain claim that divorce and remarriage was wrong in “The Old Testament”, but it is right in “The New Testament”. A number of truths concerning this:

1. “The New Testament” also addresses divorce and remarriage and Jesus repeated that He and God were against it. (Again, please read our 7 articles to see how Jesus and the Apostle Paul addressed this.)

2. For those who claim, “Well, that’s Old Testament”, there is the major problem that God does not change.

Malachi 3:6 “For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.” (It is interesting to note that God said this after His previous mentioned hatred against divorce – Mal. 2:16.)

Numbers 23:19 “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?”

Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.”

Whatever practices God “changed” in “The New Testament” God made very clear what they were. (I.E. – circumcision, eating of meats, etc…) However, God’s views of divorce and remarriage were not changed. In fact, Paul refers back to the believer’s requirement to obey God’s law in Romans 7 concerning divorce and remarriage:

Romans 7:2 “For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.

3 So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.”

(This passage also answers your question about divorce and remarriage.)

3. A quick realization about the misuse and misunderstanding of the terms “Old Testament” and “New Testament”. The word “testament” was used by God in His word to refer to His covenants. Are God’s “old” covenants gone? No. God’s covenant of the rainbow and no worldwide flood is “for perpetual generations” (Gen. 9:12). God’s covenant to Abraham of making him a mighty nation and of blessing those who bless the Jews and the saved (Gal. 3:7-9) is “an everlasting covenant” (Gen. 17:7). And God’s covenant of giving His people “a new heart… and a new spirit” (Eze. 36:26) is still being fulfilled! 🙂

Something of note, though, is that God continually refers to His covenant as His law and His commandments. (For example: Ps. 78:10; 103:18) God does not want His laws, His commandments, His covenants broken and disobeyed. Marriage is a holy covenant that the Unchanging God binds, and “What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.” (Mt. 19:6) The reason why divorce and remarriage is abomination and adultery to God is because of the continual breaking of this holy covenant. To break God’s covenants (i.e. – His laws) is to transgress God’s law which is sin (I Jn. 3:4).

As we said in our other articles on divorce and remarriage, taking a biblical stand like ours on divorce and remarriage does not mean we do not love and care about those who have divorced and/or divorced and remarried. That would be sin as well. The identification of true believers of Jesus is love.

John 13:35 “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

We do not avoid nor condemn nor judge those who have divorced and remarried. God is Judge, but, at the same time, reminds us of how important it is to obey God the Judge concerning everything including divorce and remarriage.

Your servants in Christ,

Evangelist and Mrs. Ron Alberico