Back to Index

Back to The Good Fight

Question: "If a person is divorced without Biblical reason, what
should that person do to rectify the situation?" 

     God hates divorce (Malachi 2:16). When Jesus was asked, "Is it
lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?", He
answered, "Have you not read that He who made them at 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 then, they are no longer two but one
flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man
separate" (Matt. 19:3-6).

     But the caller recognizes, as indicated by the question, that
there is a Biblical reason for divorce. "And I say to you, whoever
divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries
another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced
commits adultery" (Matt. 19:9). As you see from this passage, the
only Biblical cause for which one may divorce his/her spouse is the
cause of fornication.  Jesus does give permission and authority for
the innocent party  to  divorce the spouse who is guilty of sexual
immorality. One is not given the right to divorce for any other
cause. Cf. Mark 10:11-12: "So He said to them, Whoever divorces his
wife and marries another commits adultery against her. And if a
woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits
adultery."  Luke 16:18: "Whoever divorces his wife and marries
another commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced
from her husband commits adultery."

     When, as the caller describes, one divorces or is divorced
unscripturally, one should work toward reconciliation. Paul said
the Lord commands, "A wife is not to depart from her husband. But
even is she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled
to her husband" (1 Cor. 7:11). In many cases reconciliation is
possible; when both are willing, and with God's help, they can
"make it happen." But the above verse says, understanding
reconciliation may not be possible, because of the unwillingness of
one spouse, or other circumstances, "let her remain unmarried." But
the question asks, "What should one do?" God commands all to repent
(Acts 17:30). One must repent of the sin of divorce without a
scriptural cause. One must obey the Gospel of Christ to become a
Christian, if one has not already done so. If you have remarried
subsequent to an un-scriptural divorce, your marriage is and
adulterous relationship (Matt. 19:9; Rom. 7:2,3). One must cease
the practice of sin; one cannot continue in the adulterous
relationship and have God's approval (Rom. 6:1-2; Col. 3:5-8).   


Back to Index

Back to The Good Fight