Ephesians 5:22-33

Please join me in taking your copy of God's Word and turning to Ephesians chapter 5.

Ephesians 5 · chapter mention

! This morning is going to be abnormal for us.

! If you're a guest this morning, I'm sorry.

On the one hand, I really would love for you to be here with us for our normal verse-by-verse

exposition, the general habit of our church. On the other, maybe it's good for you to see

that as a church we take the Scripture seriously and what it teaches seriously, even when it

comes to topics of Christian living. We, as a church, endeavor to walk in all things

in the truth. Over the past, I don't want to admit how many years, the issue of marriage,

divorce, and remarriage has come up in our verse-by-verse expedition, that as well, exposition,

as we work through the Gospel of Mark, and then more recently through the Sermon on the

Mount in Matthew. And each of those times, I have said to you, you'll recall if you were

here, that this is not an easy matter to sort through. In fact, it has been a centuries-old

debate on exactly what is the teaching of the Bible concerning particularly divorce and remarriage.

If you find yourself in a place this morning, believing that you have it already sorted out,

let me just invite you into a place of humility. It's most likely that you have not yet read enough

concerning these matters, that you've not really studied it fully, if you have a

abounding confidence in the position that you may hold. I know that many of you don't really know

exactly what to think, and this is where I found myself in some past years. Recently, comforted by

all of the position papers that I managed to find and pull and read, that the shortest amount of time

any church took in forming a position was a year, and many of them took much longer in careful study

over the matter. No matter the position we take concerning divorce and remarriage, we have to

extrapolate, we have to draw out some meaning, because the Bible is an ancient book. It wasn't

written in our language, and it wasn't written to our cultural context. So there's some challenges

sometimes fully grasping the meaning of a text, right? Ringing it out, and then having it harmonized

with the rest of what the Bible has to say. And this has been my labor over the past months.

I've picked it up. I've gotten so exasperated that I've put it back down. I've picked it up again,

because I knew that I had to. I have never in the past 10 years of being a pastor prayed for snow.

I must admit that I did this week, and yet we find ourselves here.

I have read and read and read. I have taken all of the pertinent texts and put them up on a large

board so I could look at it all together and scribbled and erased and tore down and put back up again.

I've labored in writing. Students, you may

connect with me on this and then highlighted whole pages and hit delete.

Rewrote and deleted and rewrote again.

I have sitting on my computer now as a draft a 10-page paper and growing that I had intended to

give to you this morning.

But as I personally have arrived at a position and

looked to articulate that position,

I set out first to say,

I'm just going to write a paper that states the position.

And then on the Sunday that we talk about it,

I'll try to do my best to articulate the opposing positions and work out the complexities of the text.

But beloved, it is complex.

It's not a single Sunday morning working out.

And I don't think it'd be great for our church to spend weeks and weeks and weeks

Sunday morning gatherings on this.

So we're going to do it this morning.

We're going to take some time.

But as I began to try to articulate the position well,

it seems so often necessary to talk about other positions held.

And so the paper kept growing and growing and growing.

And as I would reread it, I'd go,

I can't just say that.

That's a jump in logic.

As people read this paper,

I've got to explain that more.

So another paragraph and another paragraph

and another paragraph would be added.

So at this point, I've discarded it.

I mean, it exists, but I don't intend to hand you the document that I've been writing thus far.

But decided instead to distribute to you,

sort of as a rough draft of a position for our church,

a document that I had nothing to do with,

but yet I agree with it to this date.

That's a position paper that was presented to and adopted

at the Presbyterian Church of America 20th General Assembly in 1992.

And it's a part of a much greater work.

There's some application chapters.

There's some historical survey chapters

as the PCA Church has a rich Reformed tradition.

And what I've done is I've just pulled out chapter 2.

and made a ton of copies of it

and stapled this hand sore

to be able to put those copies in your hand this morning

so that we can talk further about this.

So I have some guys, I think they're the same guys

that took care of the offering for us.

They've got some stacks.

I'm going to ask them now just to go ahead

and work on distributing copies of this particular paper

for your further study.

We're going to reference it a little bit here in just a moment,

but I want you to take this home.

If you're a guest this morning, you don't have to.

I don't feel like you're obligated to take a copy of this and study it.

If you're a member, you certainly need to.

If you're a guest, you're welcome to,

if you'd like to put this in your hand.

I think we have enough for everybody this morning.

To be clear, presently, we believe in a plurality leadership.

Presently, we have one other elder, including myself.

There's two of us, Doug Hitchcock.

And I'm not presenting this as our position this morning

because I have not given Doug Hitchcock enough time to...

He didn't even know I was doing this.

Now he does.

Hey, Doug.

Him and I have done a lot of work on this topic.

I think very generally we agree.

We've spent a bunch of time talking through various implications and applications.

But I just want you to be aware that I'm springing this on him at this moment.

So don't, if you're upset, grill him.

Come to me.

While you're getting this, I want to express to you just some pastoral concern.

The way we approach this topic matters deeply

because marriage is an extremely important institution.

We'll talk more about that from Ephesians chapter 5 momentarily.

Ephesians 5 · chapter mention

Extremely important institution.

We don't want to minimize, in talking about this, the importance of marriage.

But at the same time, we live in a fallen world

and people have been affected by divorce and remarriage,

the challenges and the messiness of marriage.

And so we don't want to minimize our love and care and concern for people as well.

And so there's a very careful tightrope to walk here

in talking about these things that I hope you'll join me in in some coming weeks.

I want to read from a pastor named Sam Storms who wrote a position paper on this.

I just felt like he summarized this pastoral challenge well.

So please hear my heart as we spend some time this morning around this topic this morning.

He wrote,

How do I stress the permanence of marriage without condemning,

how do I feel judged and rejected and unfit for ministry and service in the church?

But if I express compassion and love for divorced people

and remind them how much God really does love them,

others may think I'm glossing over their failures

and that I'm contributing to the very devaluation of marriage that I earlier denounced.

How do I stress the permanence of marriage without condemning the divorced?

And how do I love and affirm the divorced person without condoning sin and failure?

Our challenge is to mingle the call to obedience with the tears of compassion.

To be both tender to those who have failed without compromising the high standards of Scripture.

Here then is my two-fold appeal.

Number one, to the divorce I say that my emphasis on the importance of marriage

and honoring one's vows and fighting to stay together

does not mean I don't love you and care about you

or that you aren't wanted or can't fit in or can never be active in ministry.

Second, to the married I say that my emphasis on the dignity of the divorced person

and their value to God and the forgiveness and restoration that is available to them

through the cross does not mean that we can take a flippant, casual attitude toward marriage

or that marriage isn't worth preserving

or that we are adopting a loose view toward sin.

End quote.

So why have I labored so long in coming to a position concerning marriage, divorce, and remarriage?

Why does it matter so much that we work together on getting this as right as people, this side of glory, can get it?

First, marriage pictures, although so often imperfectly, the gospel of Jesus Christ.

It's a shadow of a greater thing.

It's meant to point us to the good that God has given to us in Jesus.

Let's look at our text briefly.

Again, this is an odd Sunday for us.

Ephesians chapter 5 is going to serve this single point of why this matters so very, very much,

Ephesians 5 · chapter mention

and then I'll make some further comments.

Ephesians chapter 5, verse 22 and following.

Ephesians 5:22

Beloved, this is God's word to us written for his glory and for our good.

We would all do well to listen to it in order to believe its promises and obey its commands.

Wives, submit to your own husbands as to the Lord.

For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church,

his body and is himself its Savior.

Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.

Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,

that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,

so that he might resent the church to himself in splendor without spot or wrinkle or any such thing,

that she might be holy and without blemish.

In the same way, husbands should love their wives as their own bodies.

He who loves his wife loves himself.

For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it just as Christ does the church,

because we are members of his body.

Therefore, a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife,

and the two shall become one flesh.

This mystery is profound, and I'm saying that it refers to Christ and the church.

However, let each one of you love his wife as himself,

and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

So we can see in this text that Paul says this profound mystery of the way that marriage is supposed to work

points us to a greater, a grander thing.

That Jesus Christ is the groom of the church,

and he has saved her by giving of his very self for her.

He laid down his life for the sake of ours.

That he would save us and that he would sanctify us.

Giving of himself for our good in him.

This is what marriage is meant to be like,

and it's what is meant to point to men sacrificially loving their wives.

For their wife's good, that she would be found in Christ.

That she would be found holy in him.

And wives lovingly submitting to that leadership in the home.

This was the design.

Paul even cites for us here,

Genesis chapter 2, when he says,

Genesis 2 · chapter mention

Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife,

and the two shall become one flesh.

This was the design from the beginning.

A man and a woman in lifelong commitment to one another.

Pressing each other in holiness.

That's why this matters.

As sin enters into the world,

just a few verses later in Genesis chapter 3,

Genesis 3 · chapter mention

as sin corrupts everything,

The church should be set apart.

The church should say something very clearly to the culture around us

about what marriage is,

how it's to function,

and what it's meant to picture.

So the way we pick up this topic is of importance,

and why I've labored so long in it.

Because first, marriage pictures,

although so often and perfectly,

the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Secondly,

marriage is a good gift.

Many of us in this room have experienced the goodness of marriage.

Being granted a spouse that loves us and presses us on,

even in their failures,

press us towards holiness in Christ.

And divorce,

invariably,

is difficult for all parties involved.

Invariably.

This is without exception.

The rending of a union

is a hurtful thing.

It's a hard thing.

We want to promote

lifelong marriages

for the good of people

to the glory of God.

We don't want to promote

divorce

because it's a harmful thing.

It's a damaging thing.

Third,

we have had to,

and will continue to have to,

counsel those

within our church

and without,

outside the doors of our church,

what the Bible teaches

on matters

concerning

marriage,

divorce,

and remarriage.

It's a very present reality

before us.

We need to be clear-minded

on these things.

What does the Scripture

teach

concerning these

matters?

Fourth,

our culture

is very confused

about marriage,

divorce,

and remarriage.

All three.

We have a fairly

anything-goes

mentality

as a culture

at large.

Having redefined marriage

altogether,

accepting divorce

for any reason

whatsoever,

those who fall in love

get married,

those who fall out of love

get divorced.

A large billboard

on your way to Atlanta

right now

on 400

that says,

undo,

quote-unquote,

I do.

And it's tragic

that such a thing

would be the display

for this particular

law firm.

Many people

these days

go through

multiple

divorces

and remarriages.

marriages

picked up

as a flippant thing,

a thing to not be

taken seriously.

Vows are meaningless

in our culture

these days.

Fifth,

the church

is confused

about marriage,

divorce,

and remarriage.

The church

at large

is confused.

We see

equally high

divorce rates

amongst those

who profess

to be followers

of Jesus Christ

as those

who don't.

So there must

be clarity.

But not only

in what we would

call more

conservative views,

more biblical

views on

marriage,

divorce,

and remarriage,

but there are

many

within orthodoxy

opposing views.

This is a

centuries-old

question

and debate.

I want to

maybe even

caution you

to not go

down the

wormhole

too deep

on this

debate.

This is why

I've charted

and graphed

and drawn

out.

I would

annoy you

to death

sharing with

you all

of the

things that

I've done

to try to

wrap my

mind around

all the

varying

views

and

positions.

Even within

the prominent

views,

there are

nuances of

them that

are hard

to represent.

It's difficult

to say,

let me tell

you what

this view

says because

I can speak

to it in

generalities,

but the

particulars

can differ

all the

same.

And so

there are

three positions

worth

considering

broadly,

and I want

to point

your attention

to the

second page

of this

document that

was handed

out.

Which

outlines

those for

you?

So it

would be

marked as

page 203.

About two

thirds down

the page,

it says

number one,

no divorce,

no remarriage.

That's where I'm

drawing your

attention to.

Those are

three positions

worth considering.

There's

another,

although there's

variances in it

enough that

some might

call it

more,

but I'll

call it a

fourth view,

which is

basically an

anything-goes

type of view,

which we

won't even

consider.

The Bible

does have

things to

say about

marriage,

divorce,

and remarriage.

We can't

just define it

for ourselves

and treat it

however we

would like.

So call that

the fourth

view and

look with me

for just a

bit at

three positions

worth

considering.

So the

first one is

the no

divorce,

no remarriage

view.

This is

very commonly

called the

permanence

view.

It's the

only view

that has

an agreed

upon name.

So if you

hear permanence,

this is what's

being talked

about.

Again,

there are

nuances

within it,

but permanence

folks would

say that

there is

no reason

for,

biblically

allowable

reason for

divorce and

no biblically

allowable

reason for

remarriage

if somebody

has been

sinfully

divorced.

And there

are many

orthodox

people that

hold this

view.

Some examples

in our day

are Votie

Bauckham

and John

Piper.

There's not

a lot of

writing,

but I have

some writing

on this

particular

view.

It's a

lesser held

view in

what we

would consider

orthodox

Christian

belief.

I think

there are

some people

in our

fellowship

that hold

this view

and there

are some

great arguments

to be

made for

it.

Second,

and this

paper develops

some of

those

arguments.

The second

view,

and this

is the

view put

forth in

this paper

and that

I would

put forth

to you

this morning,

which we'll

talk about

generally,

strictly

limited

grounds

for divorce

and for

remarriage.

I have

deemed

this,

me by

myself,

nobody

else has,

but by

myself I

call this

the less

permissive

view.

So permissive

would say

that there

are some

allowable

times and

purposes,

reasons,

but it's

not a

broad

sense.

It's a

lesser

sense of

permissive.

See the

first

couple

sentences

there.

a general

consensus

among

reformed

believers

is the

view that

the Bible

neither

condones

nor

commands

divorce,

but rather

permits and

regulates

divorce due

to sin.

So it's

not the

high ideal,

it's not

the thing

that we're

counseling

toward ever,

it's not

the thing

we want

to see

happen,

so the

scripture

doesn't

command it,

the scripture

does not

condone it,

but rather

permits and

regulates it.

However,

a person

can divorce

only for

adultery and

separation of

an unbelieving

spouse.

There's some

specific

circumstances

in which

someone can

be divorced

and the

question of

remarriage

arises later

as a result.

Prominent

people who

interestingly

all their

names start

with a J,

John

MacArthur,

J Adams,

the late

John

Murray,

Jim

Neuheiser,

these are

all people

you may be

familiar with

that hold

to this

view.

Once again,

with variance

and nuance

in their

particular

holding of

it,

the place

where my

brain came

to a

constant

screeching

halt,

got all

knotted

up,

was particularly

around the

conversation

of remarriage

and there's

not a

massive amount

of consensus

concerning that

matter.

The last

one is a

broader

grounds for

divorce and

remarriage.

I've deemed

this the

more permissive.

It's not

outside that

realm of

anything goes

kind of a

mentality,

but they would

suggest that

those two

reasons given,

adultery and

separation of an

unbelieving

spouse,

should be

interpreted with

more latitude.

So they're

more quick

to include

things like

abuse in

that category

or not

providing for

and meeting

the marital

agreement.

They would

tend to

work into

some of

that

understanding.

the labor

in this is

that we

don't want

to condone

that which

is sin.

We don't

want to give

permission for

sin.

We also do

not want to

forbid that

which is not

sin.

There's an

error on both

sides here.

There's always

a fine line

to walk

between

licentiousness

and

legalism.

We don't

want to find

ourselves in

either

place.

So the

position that's

put forth in

this paper,

the position

that I'm

putting before

you today,

I believe

is the most

exegetically

defensible,

theologically

sustainable,

and

pastorally

sensible.

For us as

a church,

it's going to

be important

that we

say,

this far,

but no

further.

We have to

say,

what can we

be confident

the Scripture

does in

fact teach?

I do think

that allows

for some

narrower views.

I don't mean

narrow-minded,

I mean just

more restrictive

views within

that view.

But we're

going to have

to consider

what will

our church

call sin

and what

will we

not?

This is a

challenging

thing to do

in this

matter.

Consider

particularly

the faithful

churches

that hold

varied views

and that

people may

come to

us from

those

places

and we

will be

asking them

to recognize

something as

sin that

they did

not previously

recognize as

sin and may

not be.

Some of my

insanity coming

out,

are you starting

to go,

gosh,

I have been

losing my

mind over

all of this.

So here's

the position

summary.

I know

we're not

opening the

text.

This is a

weird Sunday

for us.

Please know

that if you're

a guest.

The position

put forth in

this paper,

this is my

summary of

that position

and it's

what I want

you to pick

up and I

want you

to wrestle

with.

Number one,

marriage is

the lifelong

uniting of

one man and

one woman in

covenant

commitment.

This is from

our statement

of faith.

Marriage is.

This is what

it was intended

to be.

This is the

point.

We do

premarital

counseling in

this way.

The vows

that we do

when I

officiate a

wedding ceremony

are permanence

vows.

We don't say

do you,

unless of

course if.

We don't

include that.

This is the

point.

This is the

goal.

This is what

we're striving

for.

Lifelong

uniting of

one man and

one woman in

covenant

commitment.

That's number

one.

Number two,

a believer

should not

marry an

unbeliever.

This comes

into play

later as we

talk about

remarriage.

Believers

should not

marry an

unbeliever.

They should

not be

unequally

yoked.

Third,

a believer

should remain

married to

an unbeliever

if the

unbeliever is

willing to

remain married.

Somebody

converted to

faith in

Christ should

not divorce

their

unbelieving

spouse if the

spouse is

willing to

remain in

the marriage.

Fourth,

divorce always

stems from

sin,

but in

some cases

is not

sinful for

one of the

parties of

the divorce.

Divorce always

stems from

sin, but in

some cases

is not

sinful.

The Bible

never commands

divorce.

It doesn't

condone it,

but it does

not condemn

divorce in

two cases.

when a

spouse is

sexually

unfaithful.

Secondly,

when an

unbelieving

spouse

abandons

a believing

spouse.

And there

are particulars

and there

are intricacies

even in

those two

exceptions.

Fifth,

because death

breaks the

marriage bond,

remarriage is

allowed for

the surviving

spouse.

And sixth,

and you're

going to hate

this one because

it's the

broadest one I'm

going to give

you this

morning.

The paper

speaks more

to this.

In some

cases,

remarriage is

allowed for

divorced people

with surviving

ex-spouses.

In some

cases,

remarriage is

allowed for

divorced people

with surviving

ex-spouses.

I want you to

read carefully

through that

section.

It's the very

end of this

paper.

And give

it prayerful

thought and

consideration.

So, I

know that's

probably really

unsatisfying for

you.

Know that

everything I'm

saying is

accompanied by

a 28-page

document that I

want you to

read and dig

into and give

lots of

thought.

Prayerfully

consider it.

Roll around.

Have lots of

conversations about

this.

I'm available

most of the

time to talk

about it.

My only rule

is not today.

I don't want

to talk about

divorce and

remarriage today.

So, I

promise I will

shut you down

if you come up

to me after the

service and want

to talk about

it.

But other

times, after

today, I'm

here with you

and I want to

walk through it

and I want to

pursue the

truth together.

And so, let me

just say some

things to you about

how we should

continue in this

process and then

we're going to

talk about the

gospel again a

little bit and

then we're going

to sing some

great songs

together and

press on with

our day.

So, as we,

it's been my

labor, I'm

inviting you into

that now as

well.

Number one, let's

be congregational.

We are a

congregational

church.

That means that

people who are

members of this

fellowship are

responsible for

the doctrine of

this church.

That means you

play a part in

that.

And the elders

of your church

should and we

want to give you

leadership in

that.

We want to get

out ahead of

you and do

hard work and

present things

and teach you

what the

scripture says,

but you are

responsible for

what our church

decides, where

we decide to

stand on this

particular issue.

And you should

not do that

when you show up

to a meeting

and suddenly you

have questions

and suddenly you

have an opinion

and a thought.

Do the work.

Get in there

and work it

through if you

want a voice

and you want to

speak and be

part of the

process.

Be congregational.

That doesn't

just mean show

up to a

meeting and

vote.

That means

pick up the

challenge.

Take up the

work of working

it through.

I have got

endless resources

I could give

you.

There are many

of them cited

in this particular

paper as well.

You may need

to pick up a

read and work

it through and

read it.

So be

congregational in

the broad

sense all the

time as we're

working this out

together.

together.

Secondly, let's

give the Bible

the final say.

And what I

mean by that

is try to

set aside your

prejudices as

you come to

the text,

which we all

have around

so many

issues.

But almost

all of us

have been

affected by

divorce in

some way in

our life.

We have

emotion that

we bring to

the text.

We want to

see a certain

outcome.

We would

prefer it to

say a

particular thing

to justify a

particular action

that's happened

in the past

or to condemn

a particular

action that's

happened in

the past.

So prayerfully

labor to set

aside those

things.

Come to the

text honestly.

What does the

scripture teach

on this?

Be prepared

that it is

not abundantly

clear.

the most

pertinent

texts are on

the back of

your bulletin.

You may or

may not have

noticed that.

I think it's

helpful to see

them next to

each other.

To not have

to flip,

flip,

flip,

flip,

or scroll,

scroll.

I think it's

helpful to

actually be

able to look

at them

together,

compare.

These are

all from

the ESV

translations.

So I hope

that will be

a help to

you in being

able to look

at them in

this way.

But be

cautioned.

Be sure to

place your

study of

this particular

topic in

the larger

context of

God's

redemptive

story.

You have a

printed copy of

that, I hope.

If you don't,

I'll get you

one.

I didn't need

to put that

on the back

of your

bulletin,

I hope.

Try to put

this in the

larger context

of God's

redemptive

story.

Third,

let's

pursue the

truth in

love.

Let's

pursue the

truth in

love.

Let's

work together

on this.

Please know

that my

intent is

not for

our church

to hold

my view.

I don't

care if

I am

shown right.

I care that

God's shown

glorious,

that He's

given instructions

to His

people,

and that we

would follow

those

instructions

for our

good and

His fame,

His acclaim

in the

world.

So let's

work together

on that.

I am glad

to be

challenged,

but do so

in love.

Do so in

care and

concern.

We want to

come together

and do

this together.

Land our

finger on the

position our

church will

hold on

this.

The German

theologian,

this has been

accredited to a

lot of

people,

but it was

the German

theologian,

Rupertus

Melvinius,

probably why

people try to

accredit it to

somebody else,

said,

in essentials

unity,

in non-essentials

liberty,

in all things

charity,

and that was

the word used

for love.

In all

things

charity.

So let's

pursue the

truth in

love.

Fourth,

let's be

humble.

Let's be

humble.

God has a

way,

if we are

not already

humble,

humble

ourselves to

humble us,

and I

will be an

agent in

that process

if need

be.

I'm not

saying that I've

studied this

more,

therefore I'm

right.

I'm saying I

have studied

it,

and studied

it,

and studied

it,

therefore I'm

humble.

You will

not approach

me with an

argument I

have not

already argued

with myself.

So be

careful in

your approach.

Be humble.

Don't think

you have the

corner on the

truth.

I don't think

I do.

I'm doing

my very best

with a great

deal of

fear and

trembling to

work out what

the scripture

has to say

on these

matters.

Please approach

it the same

way.

It will

serve us all

well to do

that very

thing.

I'm not

trying to be

true.

The scripture

is true.

God be

proven true

in these

matters.

So let's

be humble.

Fifth,

let's

remember the

gospel.

And last,

let's

remember the

gospel.

We as a

people who

take the

Bible very

seriously,

praise the

Lord,

the grace

that he has

worked in

us that we

take the

Bible very

seriously,

we also

tend to

take its

commands and

find our

worth in the

keeping of

them.

To say we

are most

obedient,

therefore we

are accepted

by God.

But we

are not

accepted by

God because

of our

works.

We are

accepted by

God because

of the

completed work

of Jesus

Christ.

We would

be fools to

think that we

will always

have our

doctrine and

our practice

all lined

up.

Be a

student of

church history

and you will

find that no

generation has

done this.

They've all

had their

failings,

they've all

had their

faults.

And while

we want to

endeavor to

do it right,

we should,

oh, let us

be the first

perfect generation

that's gotten

it all right,

it's doubtful

that we will.

We will have

missed it at

some point.

So even as

we are zealous

to be obedient

to every

command of

the Bible,

let's not

forget that

the gospel of

Jesus Christ

says to us

that we're

not accepted

because we

get it all

right.

We're accepted

because Jesus

got it all

right.

He threaded

it perfectly.

He is our

righteousness.

And he

has the very

motivation for

us to want

to get it

right, to

want to be

obedient in

all things,

to strive to

honor God

with our

very living.

And so let's

not forget

that.

Let's remember

the gospel

as we work

together.

I'm going to

close in reading

to you as a

way of

reminder,

Romans chapter

Romans 8 · chapter mention

8 and

verse 1

where Paul

said,

there is

therefore now

no condemnation

for those

who are in

Christ Jesus.

May we as a

people pick up

that promise

as we endeavor

to be obedient

to every

command of

the Bible,

particularly

in the coming

weeks as it

pertains to

marriage,

divorce,

and remarriage.

church.

Let's pray

together to

that end.