Matthew 19:1-9 Marriage and Divorce

...Some Pharisees came to Jesus, testing Him and asking, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason at all?" And He answered and said, "Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate."  They said to Him, "Why then did Moses command to give her a certificate of divorce and send  her  away ?" He said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart Moses permitted you to divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been this way.  And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery." [Matthew 19:1‭-‬9 NASB]

 There are a lot of people in this world who wish this passage didn't exist.

First, you've got the gender benders. Some people have this notion that they can choose their gender based on how they feel. They even say that they can choose to be neither male nor female, but something entirely different.

Now those who are in the world, that is, the non-Christians who are actually children of the devil, can repeat his lies all they like, and it doesn't affect me. I confess that I sometimes shake my head in wonder, but beyond that, I just let sinners do what they do.

But when they try to bring it into the church, that's another matter entirely. Those who claim to speak in Jesus' name, then insult the Spirit of God with their words and actions will be held accountable before God. In the mean time, I will not hear them, nor will I fellowship with them in any way, except to tell them the truth of Scripture.

And the truth is that Jesus said that God made us male or female, and that a man is to marry a woman. You may argue against God, but you will lose.

Then you have the many Christians who are divorced and remarried. Jesus said that they are living in adultery. Is there room for grace? Of course!

Adultery is sin. But we are told, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." [1 John 1:9 NASB]

So If you've been divorced and remarried, then learn that what you have done is adultery in God's eyes, confess your sin of adultery and receive His forgiveness.

But what about those who know the word of God, and defiantly enter into an adulterous life. I have known those who, in their defiance, refuse to accept Jesus' words. "I don't care." they say, "I'm going to remarry." They might as well say, "I am going to steal" or "I am going to fornicate" or "I am going worship and idol". Is there still room for forgiveness? Yes, but they must humble themselves and confess their sins. This can be a hard thing to do. Again, I have known Christians who are divorced and remarried who remain firm in their defiance, declaring that they have done nothing wrong.

So what will happen if you refuse to confess your sins? The sin remains. How will God judge you? Will He say, "You've confessed my name, so your sin is forgiven"? 

Or will you be one of those of whom He says, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.  Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?'  And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness .' [Matthew 7:21‭-‬23 NASB]

If you find yourself in this situation - divorced and remarried - then I recommend that you swallow your pride, and confess your sin of adultery to the Lord, and receive His forgiveness.

Don't think that this is a "get out of jail free" card. That you can do anything you want as long as you confess it. Remember, God knows your heart, whether you are truly penitent or not. He will judge us all based on our motivations, as much as by our actions.