DEALING WITH PAST DIVORCE !

If you are reading this article and you’ve been divorced, you may be wrestling with your own questions or feelings of guilt—particularly if you’ve concluded that your divorce was not biblically grounded. It is easy to become weighed down by the shame of past mistakes. Sometimes there are abiding consequences in relationships with others, but before God, “If we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness” (1 John 1:9).

“Repentance usually doesn't mean we get to do things over again; often it is too late to get a second chance with the same person, especially if one party has remarried,” Keener observes. “But it does mean that we make restitution as best as possible, confessing and doing whatever is possible to make things right with the people involved, including spouse, children, or anyone else affected by it.”

Vernick says, “Really messing up badly and understanding grace is the most beautiful thing that can happen.” She adds that we can show God our gratitude for his grace by learning from our mistakes. As we experience God’s grace for our failures or sins, it transforms us into more gracious people who readily extend God’s mercy and compassion to others.

DIVORCE ALLOWANCE IN CHRISTIANITY

The Bible only explicitly allows divorce for two reasons. Köstenberger, who is also the President of Biblical Foundations, summarizes: “Jesus proceeded to state one exception in which case divorce is permissible: sexual immorality on [the] part of one’s spouse, that is, in context, adultery (Matthew 19:9).” Köstenberger clarifies, “In such a case, however, divorce is not mandated or even encouraged—forgiveness and reconciliation should be extended and pursued if at all possible. But divorce is allowed, especially in cases where the sinning spouse persists in an adulterous relationship.”

Köstenberger goes on to note, “Paul adds a second exception, in instances where an unbelieving spouse abandons the marriage. This would typically be the case when one of the two partners is converted to Christ at some point after marrying and the other person refuses to continue in the marriage” (see 1 Corinthians 7).

MARRIAGE: A LONG LIFE COMMITMENT AND COVENANT

Scripture consistently communicates that marriage is a lifelong commitment. Jesus described the relationship between husband and wife this way in Matthew 19:6: “They are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate” (NIV). Dr. Craig Keener, Professor of Biblical Studies at Asbury Theological Seminary, explains how crucial this understanding is, saying, “Jesus reminds us that in the beginning God joined man and woman together. ‘One flesh’ often refers to one's relatives or kin, so the husband and wife becoming ‘one flesh’ should be a family unit no less permanent than our families of origin should be.”

“The biblical ideal is marriage as a lifelong union between a man and a woman, both of whom are Spirit-filled disciples of Christ (Ephesians 5:18),” affirms Dr. Andreas Köstenberger, Senior Research Professor of New Testament and Biblical Theology at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He emphasizes that “marriage illustrates the principle of two becoming one, [a principle] which is also present in the spiritual union between Christ and the church (head and body; Ephesians 5:32).”

Dr. Beth Felker Jones, Associate Professor of Theology at Wheaton College, adds,

Marriage, created by God as a “one flesh” union, is meant to be a sign of God's unbreakable covenant with us. This is an important symbol throughout the Scriptures: God is compared to a husband and God's people to a wife. When, by the grace of God, we're able to keep a marriage together, we get to be symbols—imperfect symbols, but still symbols—of God's faithfulness to his people. Marriages are supposed to last because they are symbols of God's lasting love for us.

FAITH THAT CONQUERS !

OUR discussion today centers on faith in action: this is faith that conquers! There is faith that conquers Satan and all his agents; faith that conquers sin and all its consequences; faith that overcomes the world and the flesh; faith that conquers sickness and death; faith that conquers Pharaoh and his army; Egypt and all its magicians; faith that opens a way through the Red Sea; faith that brings permanent deliverance. This is the faith that arrests our attention today, and it has many instances in the Bible. The faith of Abel conquered sin and he received pardon and witnessed that he was righteous. The faith of Enoch conquered death and he was translated into the presence of God in heaven. The faith of Noah conquered unbelief and worldliness and he escaped judgment – saved from the flood. The faith of Abraham conquered human reasoning and he passed the greatest test of his life. The faith of Sarah conquered bodily weakness and she received strength to conceive. The faith of Isaac conquered parental partiality and he submitted to God’s ultimate plan. The faith of Jacob conquered human preference and tradition and he acted under divine guidance. The faith of Joseph conquered attachment to Egypt and he fixed his eyes on Canaan. The faith of Moses’ parents conquered the fear of a cruel edict and they preserved the future deliverer. The faith of Moses conquered Egypt and its pleasure and he shook Egypt to its very foundations. Faith, indeed, conquers!

Faith strengthens the heart and delivers us from the fear of man. Faith and fear are opposites, where one is dominant, the other is dormant. The fear of man is a negative force, a tool of Satan that weakens and paralyses the heart. Fear makes a man to tremble before a fellow man and to melt away when faced with duty or divinely appointed responsibility. Faith enables a man to shun the smiles or frowns of men. A man with God-given faith refuses to be discouraged by the greatest problems. Faith survives the fires of satanic assault and flourishes under the dews of the Spirit. “By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king” (Hebrews 11:27).

When Moses demanded of Pharaoh to let God’s people go, he was not terrified by thoughts of what the enraged king might do. With no army behind him, with no powerful officer in Egypt’s court to support his request, Mose s made his demand to leave Egypt with all the children of Israel, “Not fearing the wrath of the king”. He did not fear man; he did not fear the greatest of men, a king; he did not fear the wrath of the king. His faith in God expelled all forms of fear of all kinds of men. “For he endured, as seeing Him who is invisible” (Hebrews 11:27). He fixed his eyes on God. By faith, he looked constantly at the Invisible One and all visible things lost their terror. “Seeing Him who is invisible” encourages and strengthens our faith.

“Through faith he kept the Passover” (Hebrews 11:28). The “Passover” was an ordinance, the first ordinance, given to Israel by God. It was called the Passover because God passed over the Israelites on the night, when all the firstborn of Egypt died under God’s judgment. “It is the LORD’S Passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt… And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt” (Exodus 12:1l-13). That first observance of the Passover was an act of faith. Moses and Israel acted by faith.

All the firstborn of the children of Israel were delivered from the Angel of Death because they were sheltered beneath the blood of the lamb. Today, we find pardon and salvation through the Blood of the Lamb; we have purity and sanctification in the Blood of the Lamb, as well as protection and security under the Blood of the Lamb. “Through faith, he kept the Passover, and the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed the firstborn should touch them”. “The sprinkling of blood” has reference to personal application of the blood of the Lamb, by faith. Believe in Christ and His atoning Blood, then will you enjoy the fulfillment of the promise: “When I see the Blood, I will pass over you”.

Further References (King James Version): Hebrews 11:27-29; Exodus 10:28,29; Proverbs 19:12; 16:14; Exodus 11:4-8; Proverbs 28:1; Psalm 27:3; Isaiah 35:4; 41:10,11; Luke 12:4-7,32; Isaiah 51:12,13; Psalms 112:7; 56:3,4,11; Isaiah 12:2; Exodus 12:1-7,12,13,21-23,27,28; Psalm 78:49-53; 1 Corinthians 5:7; 1 Peter 1:2,18,19,5; Psalms 94:4-8; 125:3; Zechariah 2:8,9; Exodus 14:13-16,21-31; 1 Corinthians 10:1; Isaiah 43:2-4; Malachi 3:6; 2 Chronicles 20:17; Jeremiah 32:27,17; Luke 1:37; Mark 9:23.

OBEDIENCE !

Obeying God is in our best interest. It's in the Bible, Deuteronomy 30:15-16, TLB. "Look, today I have set before you, life and death, depending on whether you obey or disobey. I have commanded you today to love the Lord your God and to follow His paths and to keep His laws, so that you will live and become a great nation, and so that the Lord your God will bless you and the land you are about to possess." Dueteronomy 10:12, 13, NIV says, "And now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the Lord's commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?"

What do law, grace, and obedience have to do with each other? It's in the Bible, Romans 5:20, TLB. "The Ten Commandments were given so that all could see the extent of their failure to obey God's laws. But the more we see our sinfulness, the more we see God's abounding grace forgiving us."

Obedience can keep us from disease. It's in the Bible, Exodus 15:26, TLB. "If you will listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and obey it, and do what is right, then I will not make you suffer the diseases I sent on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord who heals you."

Obedience is the key to a successful life. It's in the Bible, Joshua 1:8, TLB. "Constantly remind the people about these laws, and you yourself must think about them every day and every night so that you will be sure to obey all of them; for only then will you succeed" We will be evaluated in terms of our obedience to God's commandments. It's in the Bible, Matthew 5:19, TLB. "And so if anyone breaks the least commandment, and teaches others to, he shall be the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But those who teach God's laws and obey them shall be great in the Kingdom of Heaven."

Obedience is a result of loving God. It's in the Bible, John 14:15 and 23, TLB. "If you love me, obey me; …Because I will only reveal myself to those who love me and obey Me. The Father will love them too, and we will come to them and live with them." The Holy Spirit will only be given to those who obey the Lord. It's in the Bible, Acts 5:32, NIV. "We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him."

Jesus obeyed His Father, as an example of how we should obey Him. It's in the Bible, Hebrews 5:8-9, TLB. "And even though Jesus was God's Son, He had to learn from experience what it was like to obey, when obeying meant suffering. It was after He had proved himself perfect in this experience that Jesus became the Giver of eternal salvation to all those who obey Him."

God advises us to obey the laws of the land. It's in the Bible, Romans 13:1-2, TLB. "Obey the government, for God is the one who has put it there. There is no government anywhere that God has not placed in power. So those who refuse to obey the laws of the land are refusing to obey God, and punishment will follow."

Sometimes obedience to God and His law may require disobedience of earthly powers. It's in the Bible, Acts 5:29, NIV. "We must obey God rather than men!" Children are to obey and honor their parents. It's in the Bible, Ephesians 6:1-3, TLB. "Children obey your parents; this is the right thing to do because God has placed them in authority over you. Honor your father and mother. This is the first of God's Ten Commandments that ends with a promise. And this is the promise: that if you honor your father and mother, yours will be a long life, full of blessing."

COMFORT !

Will God comfort me? God has promised to comfort us. It's in the Bible, Isaiah 66:13, NKJV. "As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you...”

Infinite, all-powerful, all-loving God is the one who comforts us. It's in the Bible, Isaiah 51:12, NKJV.  "I, even I, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you should be afraid of a man who will die, and of the son of a man who will be made like grass?"

We can trust God's guidance and protection to comfort to us in our darkest moments. It's in the Bible, Psalm 23:4, NKJV. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me"

Where can I find comfort? God's promises in His Word gives us comfort. It's in the Bible, Psalm 119:49-50, NKJV. "Remember the word to your servant, upon which you have caused me to hope. This is my comfort in my affliction, for your word has given me life."

The Scriptures give examples to teach us and give us hope and comfort in God. It's in the Bible,Romans 15:4, NKJV. "For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope."

God is merciful, and will comfort us in even when we make mistakes. It's in the Bible, Psalm 94:18-19, NKJV.  "If I say, 'My foot slips,' Your mercy, O LORD, will hold me up. In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul"

God's grace is an everlasting source of comfort. It's in the Bible, 2 Thessalonians, 2:16-17, NKJV. "Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work"

God will never forget or forsake us. It's in the Bible, Isaiah 49:14-16, NKJV. "But Zion said, 'The LORD has forsaken me, and my Lord has forgotten me.' Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands.."

Jesus's mission was to give us hope and comfort to our fallen human race. It's in the Bible, Isaiah 61:1-2, NKJV.  "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn"

Jesus promised the Holy Spirit would be sent to be our Comforter. It's in the Bible, John 14:16, 26, KJV. "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever;"  "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you"

How can I comfort someone? Friends can provide comfort with their sympathy and presence, even if nothing is being said. It's in the Bible, Job 2:11-13, NKJV. "Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this adversity that had come upon him, each one came from his own place—Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: For they had made an appointment together to come and mourn with him, and to comfort him. And when they raised their eyes from afar, and did not recognize him, they lifted their voices and wept; and each one tore his robe and sprinkled dust on his head toward heaven. So they sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great."

In facing loss, we can find comfort that we can see our loved ones again at Christ coming. It's in the Bible, 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18, NKJV. "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words"

In our troubles, God comforts us that we may give comfort to others who experience trials. It's in the Bible, 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, NKJV. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

Comfort others, and in turn it you encourage each other. It's in the Bible, 1 Thessalonians 5:11, KJV. "Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do"