The Gospel & Marriage - Chris Osburn

This morning, I want to talk about the gospel in marriage

when I had the realization a while back, when I that I needed

to start teaching, I made the resolution that I needed to

speak on topics that we're not only beneficial to the

congregation here, but also beneficial to my children and

their future. And Lizzie and eyes.

Children are, are getting older growing quick maturing into some

of the greatest people. I know they've taught me how I

need to be a father that I need to be.

And more importantly, how to be the spiritual leader?

I need to be at the at home. So this morning, I hope that I

can teach something that to the gunk congregation whether you're

married. Whether you're not married

preparing for marriage or still in the dating phase of your

life. I hope that this has been

official to you in some manner. When I decided to teach on this

topic or the subject, please know that I have nobody in mind

at all whatsoever. When I decided to teach this, I

think this is just beneficial. It's directed to us as a

congregation as a body of Christ.

Understanding what is taught in the Bible.

And I'm not going to claim to be an expert on the on the matter

as well. So today we're going to hear and

learn about what Jesus teaches us about marriage and divorce.

Jesus. In these passages that we will

consider speaks in a way that is very different from what the

world teaches us today. And as a church as a

congregation, we desperately need to hear and heed what Jesus

says and help each other live accordingly.

If we don't talk about Jesus's teaching on marriage and

divorce. We won't be much help to those

around us who may be going through the sad state of

divorce. We won't understand or be able

to help them and sometimes I sadly think that this, if this

happens in the church, we need to be able to be prepared to

help those who are in need. Because if we don't it's very

possible that people who could be going through, this could be

in a very very hard struggle feeling alone and maybe even

ashamed of the struggle of divorce.

So we as Christians have a responsibility we have multiple

responsibilities and we're going to go over those real quick.

The first one is this we must care for one another with

concern. This is what it means to be

Brothers and Sisters in Christ. We don't just sit here next to

each other in these pews and not acknowledge some of the

hardships that all of us may be going through, that's not what

the church is, we care for each other.

We will look out for each other, we serve and help each other and

that's what a family is that's what a family does.

This means that if there is a couple in the congregation, or a

family that is struggling in their Our marriage even

contemplating divorce. We don't isolate or ignore that

struggle. We need to be a church.

Congregation that cares for each other with concern.

Also, secondly, we must encourage each other with the

truth with the gospel. We don't just share our thoughts

and opinions with each other. We share God's word in the

context of our concern. We open the Bible together.

We help each other. See what God says about the

subjects of the topics that we are going through.

You know, our opinions and our thoughts are not what we are

supposed to counseling. We Counsel on the word of God.

Then third also, as we encourage each other with truth.

We must also Comfort one another with love what we're about to

talk about in the next few minutes.

Is going to bring all sorts of emotions to the surface.

In some people, maybe nobody here, but but please know that

even the mention of the word divorce could potentially open a

wound or there may be an open wounds right now as we sit here

and and learn. So I want to be sensitive to all

of that. There are so many emotions that

so many people experience or may be experiencing right now,

whether it be sorrow or loss. Disappointment anger, regret

guilt. Maybe all of the above and may

be so much more. So like I said, before my goal

is to be sensitive today to all of those emotions.

The last thing I want to do is to make wounds worse.

I want to carefully, apply the healing words of the Gospel to

those wounds so that we can see the beautiful transforming.

An internal application of the gospel for marriage and divorce.

I want us to be helped as a congregation, whatever the case

may be. It doesn't have to be the

subject of marriage and sell for divorce.

In itself could be any topic that may affect any of us here.

We want to be a congregation that comes alongside one.

Another with love hope, help strength, and healing that are

found in Jesus alone. We also want to care for

children who are affected by marital struggle.

And divorce, that, that maybe along with it, in such a way

that those children will be drawn to Jesus and not pushed

away from Jesus. So I want to say that to every

spouse, you may be struggling in their marriage right now or who

has experienced experienced divorce or to every child who

has been affected by divorce to own anyone who has been who has

done anything in marriage that you may be ashamed of or whose

spouse or parent does something that they, maybe you are ashamed

of there's no shame here. In this congregation, we are all

sinners, we've all gone through struggles, we have all sinned.

So we can't be ashamed if we have problems in her life and we

need to get some help from fellow brothers and sisters in

Christ. None of us are better than one

of the other. So this means that when we hurt

we heard what those who hurt? We weep with those who weep and

we love as Jesus loves. That's what it says in Romans

Romans 12:15

12:15. This is our responsibility

before God. And before each other, as a

congregation, in light of this responsibility, our lives are to

be a reflection of Jesus love in a world.

Where marital struggle? Struggle and divorce are

realities. Quite frankly, every single

marriage is under attack and if we don't think that ours is we

are fooling ourselves. There is an adversary who wants

to break up what God has designed And the devil is alive

and he's and he's strong, and he knows what to go after.

The Bible, doesn't say to ignore the devil and he will flee from

you. He tells you to resist the devil

and he will flee from you. So, let's here, let's read.

We're going to go to Matthew 19 and we're going to read verses 1

through 12 and it says there, Now it came to pass when Jesus

had finished these sayings that he departed from Galilee and

came to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan and great

multitudes, followed him and he healed them there.

The Pharisees also came to him, testing him and saying to him.

Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any

reason and he answered and said to them, 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 then said to him, why then did Moses

command to give a certificate of divorce and to put her away?

And he said to them, Moses, because of the hardness of your

hearts permitted, you to divorce your wives.

But from the beginning, it was not.

So, and I say to you, whoever divorces his wife?

A wife except for sexual immorality and marries another

commits adultery and whoever marries her, who is divorced,

commits adultery, his disciples said to him.

If this is the case of the man with his wife, is it better not

to marry. But he said to them, all cannot

accept this saying, but only those to whom it has been given

for there are eunuchs who are born from this from their

mother's womb. And there are eunuchs who were

made eunuchs by men. And there are eunuchs who gave

who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of Heaven's

Sake. He who is able to accept it, let

him accept it. So we're going to consider three

truths that we can find in. These passages today.

Truth number one is that God created marriage.

Jesus starts with that truth. And that's a good place to

start. When asked about marriage and

divorce, he says in Verses 4 and 5, have you not read that?

He who made them at the beginning, made them male and

feeble 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 the man and woman are no longer two but they become one

in marriage. Take.

Jesus takes us all the way back to the beginning of the Bible.

In Genesis 1 were God created, man and woman and brings them.

Together in his Union that he called marriage.

You know God didn't have to create it this way, as men and

women he didn't have to create marriage in this way.

As one man and one woman coming together as one flesh Union but

he did and by doing so God defines marriage from the

beginning for our good. I trust that we all know and

understand that we real, we live in a country that denies that

truth for a long, long time. All civilizations have believed

that. Mirror.

That marriage is between a man and a woman.

Permanently. But about 25 years ago in this

country that was reiterated that definition was reiterated by our

government, and it went across party lines.

It was called the Defense of Marriage Act.

But as we all know about six years ago or so that the Supreme

Court struck down verbiage in that Defense of Marriage Act

that completely changed. The definition of what marriage

is even prominent profession Christian leaders through the

nation. One actually said and I quote,

this is a huge moment when lots of us realize that old the old

way of seeing things doesn't work.

That's pretty scary thought. When you have someone who

professes to be a Christian leader, says that In our

country, even those who are professing to be Christians.

Say that, you know, they say that the old way, the god, that

the way that God defined marriage that doesn't work

anymore, you know? That's pretty audacious.

That's appalling to come along, thousands and thousands of years

after God, created and defined marriage, two, thousand years

after Jesus, reate reiterated, the definition.

And then in the last six years, we say that we've discovered

ways that we don't think God's plan.

Especially when somebody says it, while they're a Christian.

So from the beginning of creation God has defined

marriage for our good. So let's trust and submit to his

word and see the beauty of God's definition of marriage one man,

one woman both masterfully molded in the image of their

maker with equal dignity, equal dignity and complementary roles

coming together to form one flesh.

We don't need any Court of government to define marriage

for us. God has already done that for

us. His definition cannot be

eradicated by a vote by men. The Supreme judge of creation

has defined marriage and we will gladly trust it and submit to

his word. So not only God has got to find

marriage for it, but he designed marriage for the display of the

Gospel. Now.

When we think about this is on a whole nother level that we can

think about marriage. So God's design for marriage as

a marriage between one, man, and one woman is not random at all.

God is not random everything that God has done and got his

gave us in this in his book is intentional every single thing.

There's even a song out a Christian song that that's

called The Reckless Love of God. God is Not Reckless.

God has everything in his design.

And everything is for a design. So we need to understand them.

When God made man and woman he brought them together.

Bringing them together a marriage, he's not rolling the

dice or flipping a coin or or making just a whim of a

decision. There is a plan why he created

marriage between man and woman so important.

Some people view marriage is merely means of self-fulfillment

or self-satisfaction. Or if we say, you know, we're

trying to find a mate who completes us that view of

marriage in and of itself. It is not correct.

The Bible teaches us. That God designs marriage, not

as an end but as a means to an end, God designed marriage to be

a picture that points to something far.

Greater we read Ephesians 5 verses 31 through 32, it says

Ephesians 5:31–32

there for this reason a man shall leave his father and

mother and be joined to his wife and the two shall become one

flesh. This is a great mystery but I

speak concerning Christ and the church.

Purpose of marriage, is to point us to Christ.

Let's follow the same logic here.

Marriage is a picture of Christ and the church on the canvas of

this Earthly World. Ephesians 5:25 says husband's,

Ephesians 5:25

love your wives. Just as Christ, also loved the

church and gave himself up for her.

So, a husband is designed by God to be a picture to the world of

Christ's love for the church, a selfless.

Sacrificial love also in Ephesians 5 verses 2024.

It says therefore just as the church is subject to Christ.

So let the wives be to their own husband's in everything.

A wife is designed by God to be a picture of the world of the

church. Love churches.

Love for Christ. A joyful, submissive love.

When this happens in marriage, we have a Biblical marriage

unity and we're both husband and wife spouses are working

together. The world will see a picture of

the gospel of Christ. Now, when I use the word gospel

today, this morning, I want us to understand.

Of course, what that means, I'm sure most of us here do.

But the gospel is what brings us together today?

You know, we made some people, may wonder why in the world.

Is that church on plans, Road meet every Sunday morning, every

Sunday evening and every Wednesday, And what about all

the other congregations across the whole world will?

The answer is the gospel that's the reason why?

The gospel is a good news that everyone of us has been created

by God for a relationship with God and the one true king over

all creation. But we have all sinned against

God. Not just in our understanding of

marriage sometimes, but in so many other ways we have sinned

against God. So God has become.

God has also come to us in the person of Jesus.

He is long-awaited King in the flesh who came to live a perfect

and Powerful life of no sin. Then he laid down his life to

pay the price for our sin. But the good news of the Gospel

keeps getting better. Three days later.

Jesus rose from the dead. He rose from the grave and

victory over sin and over death, so that anyone anywhere who

obeys the Gospel of Jesus can and will be forgiven from their

sin and brought back into a relationship with God.

As long as we remain faithful to him, So to be a follower of

Jesus means that we need to renounce all other gods and

Idols of her life and believe that Jesus is the son of God and

be baptized for the remission of our sins.

I don't want us to miss with this means, God loves you.

And I and desires our relationship with us.

God has made that possible through Jesus and at the end of

our sermon here, we're going to we're going to offer an

invitation for any of those who need to be baptized or

confessing the public sins. They need to To, to make to be

reconciled with the right relationship with God.

And when we do that, when we are baptized, we realize that the

ultimate meaning of the marriage that is the ultimate meaning of

marriage to show a picture to the world.

Marriage and Mission are connected because God has

designed marriage for the display of the Gospel.

So, we need to love. We need to show God's love to

the World. By just are simple marriages.

Husband should love his wife by laying down his own life, for

her to lift her up an honor, her, her dignity, and her beauty

and we gladly submit to follow Jesus.

Not because we have to but because we want to That's what

how this is. How a wife designed to love her

husband, you know, have any of you have any of us met, a wife

who was not willing to completely and utterly, follow

her husband, if her husband shows that he is selfless and

sacrificing to her, a wife is going to do that every single

time. We need to wreck realize that we

are representing to the world. What Jesus is so husbands, if we

are harsh with our wives, we will show the world that Jesus

is Harsh with his people. If we ignore our wives needs, we

are telling the world that Jesus ignores our needs.

If we are unfaithful to our wives, we are showing the world

that Jesus is unfaithful to us. Ends.

What a picture of Jesus. What picture of Jesus are you

showing the world? On the other side.

Wives, what picture are you showing?

The world. What it means to follow Jesus,

if you disrespect your husband You show the world that Jesus is

not worthy of respect, if you do not pursue your husband, you

show the world that Jesus is not worth pursuing, and if you're

unfaithful to your husband, you show the world that Jesus is not

satisfying enough for his people.

So God designed marriage for the display of the Gospel.

So we need to show that to the world marriage by God's

definition. And design is so important.

This is why Jesus says what he did in Matthew. 19 and 6 it says

there, therefore, what God has joined together?

Let not man separate. Truth number 2.

God hates divorce. So God created marriage and

whether we want to notice that, he also hates divorce at the

same time. This is Harsh language but this

is language that we can read in Malachi 2:16 says therefore the

Malachi 2:16

Lord God of Israel says that he hates divorce or covers ones.

Garment with violence, says the Lord of hosts.

It makes sense, doesn't it? If God created marriage, the

marriage Union to display the gospel.

And his love for the church and the union between Jesus and the

church, it makes sense that God would hate divorce to break up

that Union. So, we need to understand them

So this leads to the question the Pharisees were asking about

Jesus and Moses and the law in the Old Testament.

This whole conversation starts. When these teachers asked, is it

lawful for a man to divorce ones wife for any reason?

We find that in verse 3 of Matthew 19 and Jesus answered by

pointing to God's definition and designed for marriage.

Then in the, in verse 7, the Pharisees point to allowances,

for divorce way, back in the Old Testament, in Deuteronomy 24,

where Moses gave, Options for certificates of divorce.

But that's when Jesus says, in verse 8 of our reading Moses

because of the hardness of your hearts permitted, you to divorce

your wives. But from the beginning it was

not. So in other words, Divorce was

definitively, not God's original design.

Divorce is always a result of sin, always think about it.

If there's no sin in the world, nor what, no hardness in our

hearts, there would be no divorce, but there is sin in the

world. That is a fact.

Marriage is a uniting together of two, Sinners people.

Wonder why? So many marriages struggle?

It's because we're Sinners sins in the world.

Experts can say that, you know, there are communication problems

or compatibility problems or financial problems or sexual

problems were personality problems you know, those those

aren't necessarily The issue but they could be problems in our

marriage. But the issue is sin.

The major problem with every marriage is sin in our lives.

I don't want to seem too basic about that but I think we tend

to overlook sometimes the Simplicity of the Gospel what

God teaches us. We tend to go over all kinds of

books. We can read books, we can go to

conferences. When go to seminars, we can see

experts on marriage yet as long as they try to make things work

from an external standpoint. They're going to be basically

putting a Band-Aid on a broken bone.

The healing has to come in from Jesus from what the gospel.

We have to look to the gospel on how to heal broken marriages.

You know, Frank Frank taught on this and somewhat touched on it.

There's a war going on within our hearts, you know, the

Christian Warfare that we go through.

Well, this is part of it, you know, the internal battles that

we go through with sin and with the devil this is part of that

spiritual warfare. And that's what Jesus is saying

here. The last place we want to look

when it comes to problems in our marriage is within our own

selves. You know if we have a hard heart

we don't want it. It's hard to self-reflect if

we're having issues. You know.

So we want to make sure that we go to the Bible and read how to

help our marriages in any way. Well, there are so many

situations where more fall clearly lies on one side than

the other. The fact Still Remains both

husband and wife are sinners. Divorce is always reasonable

result of sin and divorce. Sometimes in itself is a sin as

well. And we're going to, we're going

to touch on that here soon. This is true in two ways.

First God, hates divorce and there were only a couple

exception was kept exceptions where it is allowed, and we'll

talk about that in a minute, but on both, but outside of these

reasons or exceptions divorce in and of itself is a sin against

God outside of those parameters. It's a critical for us to hear

in a country where in culture today, where it is so easy to

get a divorce. All that's needed is a statement

of irreconcilable differences. I even learned while putting

this letter this sermon together that that you can get a divorce

online or even on an app on your phone with a Pretty Simple Touch

of a couple buttons. It is so readily available and

accessible to the world. It is such a common practice.

It's just scary. So this is why we desperately

need to stop and ask why? When and why does God allow

divorce? And yes he does.

Then secondly even when God allows divorce, we also needs to

be. We need to be careful and be

aware that while there may be some who may or may not be going

through divorce or going through a struggle, that sin during

those times can be a lot higher. We can have a lot more

Temptation and when somebody is going through divorce, its

strong that The Temptations are strong.

So we need to be sensitive to that.

If there's anybody who may be going through, any type of

struggles, it's very hard to go through a divorce process, even

14 biblical reasons, without committing sin, in the process.

So, we just need to be extremely careful if we're in that

situation. I don't presume to know the

depth of hurt anger or the sense of betrayal and all the other

emotions that go with divorce. I don't presume to know Any of

that? But I don't do no as we

mentioned before that there is an adversary who wants to take

those emotions and turn them into malicious speech, and a

deep bitterness that will eat at one soul.

So we need to guard against those Temptations.

It's hard to do that, actually. It's impossible to do without

Jesus. but Jesus is with us, the one who has betrayed death Who

was betrayed to his death. Is with us every step of the

way. So, he knows how we feel and he

wants to help. Divorce, like we said, is often

simple in many ways that brings us to our third truth that we

find and that is that God regulates divorce.

So one is divorce non sinful, one does God allow it?

As a result of sin in this world in the hardness of our hearts

Jesus teaches that God regulates divorce.

This means that although divorce was not part of God's design.

For marriage has like, we find in Deuteronomy 24, which is

referenced again in Matthew 19 and in 1st Corinthians 7, it

makes it clear that the Bible acknowledges the reality of

divorce itself. These passages God gives us

certain in these passages. God gives us certain regulations

concerning divorce. These are regulations and not

suggestions. So we need to understand that

this is not giving us. This is not God, giving us

truths that are open to be added or to be taken away from by

congregation by a teacher by an evangelist by councillor, by a

lawyer, or anybody else living here.

In this 21st century, this is God's design.

God doesn't give suggestions to be considered.

He gives us Commandments to be obeyed for our good.

In his word God gives us two potential biblical reasons.

That one may go through the through the divorce process.

One is here in Matthew 19. The other is in 1st Corinthians

7. So here in Matthew 19.

We have a conversation that Jesus having with the Pharisees

who were trying to trap Jesus. Using a quote from the Old

Testament in Deuteronomy 24. There were, there was different

schools of thought in the first century Judaism about what might

be allowed for divorce, one school of thought, believe that

a man could divorce his wife, she had committed any type of

immodest Behavior or sexual immorality and the other school

of thought which was more dominant and more prevalent was

saying that divorce was Small. Whenever a wife did anything

displeasing to her husband? So they thought that they

thought that if I just didn't like something that Lizzie did

whether it was biblical, you know, a sin or not.

If I just didn't like that, she didn't do whatever it may be the

Jews, Judaism thought that they could divorce on those grounds

and that was not right. So that led to men basically

divorcing their rise for wise for any reason that they could

find. And I think this is what the

deficiencies were thinking. When they said to Jesus, I saved

and Jesus says to them, I say to you, whoever divorces his wife

except for sexual immorality and marries another commits

adultery. So in Matthew 19, Jesus puts one

puts one. Reason for divorce on the table

and that is adultery which we find in Matthew 19.

There's some debate on what that means, because the word for

sexual immorality. That Jesus uses here, it's the

Greek word porneia, which is a word that refers to all kinds of

sexual sin that we can find in the Bible.

But in the context of the passage, where Jesus has

referred to this one flesh, a union of marriage, the picture

seems to be of the spouse. Who violates that one flesh

Union. It's a very serious violation,

not only gets the spouse but against God, You know, adultery.

In defiance of God places. Another person within that Union

of one man and one woman adultery demeans shames and

abandons, a husband or wife for selfish gain such sexual

immorality. In Morality Jesus says, is

extremely serious and is grounds for divorce.

Now, Adultery was punishable by stoning in the Old Testament and

we see stern warnings throughout the New Testament and scriptures

against adultery. And I want to take a second here

in a couple minutes and and and talk to anybody who may have

somehow flirted with adultery thought about adultery or

stepped an inch towards adultery or may be on the verge of

adultery right now. And yes, that includes viewing

pornography, we need to understand the danger that we

are in. If a adultery is anywhere near

you right now even in the recesses of her mind.

And that ways that you've tried to cover up.

We're going to look at Proverbs chapter 7 and this describes a

Proverbs 7 · chapter mention

man that was wandering and after a woman who was not his wife, it

says beginning in verse 21 of Proverbs.

It says, with her enticing speech, she caused him to yield

with her flattering lips. She seduced him immediately.

He went after her as an ox goes to the slaughter or as a fool to

the correction of the Socks till an arrow struck his liver as a

bird, hastens to the snare. He did not know it would cost

his life. Now, therefore, listen to me, my

children, pay attention to the words of my mouth, do not let

your heart. Turn aside to her ways, do not

stray into her paths. For she has cast down many

wounded and all who were slain by her were strong men.

Her house is the way to Hell, descending to the chambers of

death. Word of God is extremely clear

and if you're flirting with adultery in any way, whatever

that may look like run from it, get away from it.

It says here, we're like a like an ox going to the slaughter.

We're going to our own death. Also Proverbs verse our 6:32

States, whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks

understanding, he does. So he who does so destroys his

own soul, We don't sometimes realize how dumb we can be

sometimes when were flirting with sin.

It is a dumb move or walking to our death and were convincing

ourselves. Sometimes that's good.

We need to run from it, we don't rationalize it, we run, we don't

flirt with it, we flee back in Matthew 19.

We need to notice that Jesus does not say when adultery

occurs that divorce is certain or required.

Instead Jesus says, divorce is permit a bubble in this

situation, the Pharisees were searching for circumstances in

which it would be possible for them to divorce.

Jesus is saying in his response that we're not looking for

reasons to to divorce, we're longing for reconciliation to

occur. The goal here is not to look at

the letter of law for a loophole to allow divorce.

We can't do that. That's not how we should look at

the word of God. We don't look for loopholes

Jesus and God hates divorce. So we should do.

All we can to keep the union of marriage together, whatever we

can do now. Notice the teaching in Matthew

19 comes right on the heels of the, parable of the unforgiving

servant in Matthew 18, where Jesus taught his disciples to

pray, give extravagantly. So, I think the implication is

clear. We need to all work together.

Toward reconciliation. We need to pray towards

Redemption and restoration, not because it's easy in any manner.

But because that is what God and Jesus want us to do.

They want us to reconcile and do everything we can to save

marriages. It's not to shame anyone or to

make anyone feel guilty who divorces after adultery.

That's not the point of the lesson.

Jesus clear clearly here makes that regulation and he said the

same thing in Matthew 5. So divorce is possible after you

adultery, but it is not inevitable.

Not in any means we can say, you know, we can we can say how can

a marriage survived after adultery has been committed.

Well, he answers the gospel to Jesus.

He tells us to forgive, you know, that is, of course, if

the, the innocent party is willing to forgive and, or

actually they're more commands, forgive regardless.

But if the willing or the innocent party is willing to

continue the marriage, they are permitted to do so.

But they are also permitted to go through the divorce if they

want to as well. So, We can only reconcile, our

marriages through the power of Jesus, with his forgiveness and

his care. Even when we are hurt, this is

what Christ did for us on the cross.

He did that for us. You know, if you think about it,

we have committed adultery against Jesus by our sins.

That's what our sins are. So, we need to be understanding

that Jesus has forgiven us for so many things.

I want to be careful here. There's so many different

circumstances and so many different scenarios that I don't

claim to even touch, because there's so many different things

that we can look at their circumstances, when one spouse

May commit adultery once and realize their sin before God,

and their spouse confess their sin and hate it, and turn from

it. And there's also those who you

know, perpetually, commit adultery or perpetually, Against

their wives or sorry just because they got caught, you

know, that's not that's not turning from sin.

So we need to be careful not to speak definitively where Jesus

has not spoken definitively. When it comes to adultery

divorce as possible, but it is not inevitable.

Even though we're in Matthew 19, I want to consider another

potential reason for divorce and that is in 1st Corinthians

chapter 7. Before I go any further, I want

to clarify a couple things. First Corinthians 7 is not a

patches that we can use for grounds for divorce.

The only grounds for divorce is adultery in the passage in 1st

Corinthians. 7, says dealing with a believing spouse in an

unbelieving spouse just because you have an unbelieving spouse

is not mean that is grounds for divorce.

So we need to understand There's no adultery present, the only

biblical grounds that we have four divorces.

What was described in Matthew 19?

And this passage in 1st Corinthians 7 is staying that if

one of the spouses are is an unbeliever in chooses to leave

the believing spouse. The believing spouse is free

from the bondage of that marriage.

We cannot divorce based on the fact that a spouse is an

unbeliever that is why it is so important for all those who have

not been married or in the process of being married to make

sure that everybody is on the same page with their commitment

to Jesus. I was reading some, some facts

and some statistics on on the rate of divorce between those

who are unbelievers. Those who are one spouse, maybe

believer, the others not a Believer or they're both, not

believers. The the rate for those who both

believe in are committed to Jesus was about 30 to 40

percent. Lower than those who may have

been one a believer in the other not a believer.

So Jesus creates the, the marriage Union, and he

strengthens it. it says in verse First Corinthians, Chapter 7

1 Corinthians 7:12–14

verses 12 through 14. It says there have any brother

has a wife. Who does not believe in.

She is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her.

And a woman who has a husband, who does not believe, if he is

willing to live with her, let her not divorce him for the

unbelieving, husband is Sanctified by the wife and the

unbelieving wife is Sanctified by the husband.

Otherwise, your children would be unclean but now they are

holy, we don't have time to dive into all these passages, but the

bottom line, Line is that the believing spouse should not

initiate divorce if they are with an unbelieving spouse but

they should stay married working and praying and loving toward

that unbelieving spouse has salvation.

But if we look at in verse 15 here but if the unbeliever

departs, let him depart a brother or sister is not under

bondage in such cases, but God has called us to peace.

In other words, if an unbelieving spouse chooses to

abandon a believing spouse, despite that believing spouses

love for them then divorce is possible in that situation.

In other words, don't initiate that kind of divorce.

But if the, if it is forced upon you by abandonment from the

unbelieving spouse, God says, let him depart again, that is

what the word of God says here in the Bible.

We have two biblical reasons, we're divorced, may occur, and

that is adultery and abandonment.

Any divorce outside of these reasons.

Taught by God's word leads to adultery and remarriage.

So we need to be careful on that too, and we're not going to get

into the remarriage topic this morning that is for another

time. So practically speaking, that

means that the non adulterous spouse in the first exception

for divorce can remarry according to these passages, but

outside of this, a man or room woman is not free to remarry,

such remarriage would be adultery itself.

Now, before I move on any further, I want to address one

other thing that's not mentioned here, specifically, but we need

to talk about and that is abuse in marriage.

No spouse or child should be in a home with somebody who

jeopardizes their safety. We as a congregation.

If there's somebody who may be going through that situation

right now, please seek somebody out whether it be a brother or

sister here or whether it needs to be the Civil Authorities.

Please do so. We must as all of us.

Take abuse extremely seriously. We must we must Go and help each

other that. I mean we touched on it at the

beginning of this sermon year, we need to help those who are in

need. Without going into further

depth, you know, when a spouse continues in abuse, it becomes

clear that that spouse is not actually a follower of Jesus and

that begins to kind of show a picture of Abandonment that we

see in First Corinthians 7. So God.

Creates marriage. God hates divorce, and God

regulates divorce. So, I realized that this subject

could bring old and new wounds to the surface.

And I realize the these are even hard work hard words to hear in

the Bible, but but we see why God addresses divorce in this

manner. The reason why God is so serious

in his word about marriage competent us with each other.

It is because God is so serious about his marriage covenant with

us and with his church. That's the seriousness of it.

Particularly if we, if anybody has gone through these

difficulties in marriage for or variety of reasons, know that as

a follower of Christ or a towards a part of the body of

Christ men and women, we are his bride, his body and that is the

church, whether you were the offended spouse or even the

offending spouse. If you have sinned, there's

still hope in Jesus. We need to be reminded to that.

Jesus is always forgiving and faithful to us.

Even if the marriage covenant are in your life has been broken

in the past because of sin or spouse's in no.

Also know this that the ultimate marriage covenant is still

firmly intact and that is the marriage that Jesus has with his

church. Jesus will never commit adultery

against any of us, he will never abandon any of us.

No matter what happens in this world.

He will never abandon us as a follower of Jesus.

The reality is, you me and us his church.

We can count on his love forever and that is another great

picture of the Gospel of Jesus. So what does that mean for our

lives? Knowing that there are all kinds

of different circumstances. I just want to start to wrap

things up with a few things that we that we see in God's word.

If you are single a brother or sister, if you were, single

maximize your singleness in the advancement of the Gospel.

It's interesting that in both Matthew 19 and First Corinthians

7, we see both Jesus. And Paul commending, singleness

for the spread of the gospel for the spread of the Kingdom.

Jesus says in verses 11 and 12 here that singleness for the

sake of the kingdom is a good thing.

It's not that marriage is bad, but marriage is not best for all

people, just not the case. Sometimes Jesus wants the most

out of you, no matter what, no matter what situation in Jesus

wants your maximum Jesus wasn't married either and he was the

greatest man that ever lived. He was never married from.

We can we can read the bios of never married.

So if you're single the takeaway from Matthew 19, is that, as

long as you are, single maximize your work for the kingdom of

God, if you are married, love your spouse in a way that

portrays the gospel, let the word of God drive.

You your husband or wife, love your spouse better today than

you ever have in the past this week, do it.

This is the word of God. Love our wives to us, husbands

with sacrificial love. Also, we need to take

responsibility for the glory of Christ in our marriages.

You know, wives respect your husband's and and and honor

Christ through gracious support of his leadership in ways that

shows the world a picture of the Gospel.

There's also marriages that, you know, there may not be adultery

or abandonment in, but there's also some pretty strong

disappointment in marriages. Whether it be from neglect or

disappointment, or the spouse is not taken care of properly.

Well, there's loneliness, we could probably fill in the blank

for whatever description we want to give. and some people get

discouraged, I think there's no way that this is God's design

for us and it's not that's, you know, There is a better design

and God gives it to us in his word.

So if we have are having issues in our marriage, the answer is

right here for us. It's, it's really clear.

So we want to as Christians. We want to be Christians that

help each other. Love our spouses and way that

portrays the gospel. If we ever find ourselves

considering divorce, remember the power of Jesus is Love.

Jesus can heal all things. If we ever start to consider it,

we need to ask ourselves first. Do we have biblical grounds?

if we don't, then we need to urge ourselves to consider how

in the context of your marriage and with the help of brothers

sisters and with the word of God, that that conflict can be

reserved or resolved. Then if there is biblical

grounds for divorce, we still need to consider the

preciousness and power of the Gospel with a view towards

reconciliation in marriage, and if that's possible, and it's

only possible with the power of the Gospel, but the gospel can

even change the hardest of hearts and restore the redeemed.

And even the most difficult circumstances and difficult

marriages. if you're divorced for a Biblical reason, and

single maximize your work for God in your single singleness.

If you were the non adulterous spouse in the first we talked

about in Matthew 19, or the believing spouse.

And the second upset, what we read about in First Corinthians

7, then let God's word encourage you to rest in the singleness.

God has given you at this time in your life if you were

divorced for an unbiblical reason and single You need to

get right with God. He's repent of your sins and

confess them to God. And then work to glorify God

while you are single. Again, there are so many

different circumstances that we cannot begin to touch on.

And I don't, like I said before, I don't claim to understand the

full depths of everything, but I wanted to present these this

morning to to you. And and also to parents, this is

why it's so important to teach our children about the good news

of the gospel and also the flip side of it to the Eternal nice

that we can have for the consequences of our sin.

We need to be teaching in our children about how to prepare

for the future of their life and how to serve God, you know, we

blink and before we know it, We have a 17 year old.

You know our kids are growing so quickly that as parents have to

be intentional on everything that we say.

And everything that we do, we only get one shot.

And it's in a world that is so saturated with unscriptural,

marriages and such a high rate of divorce.

We need to ground our kids in the truth of the Bible and the

plan that God has for them in marriage.

We thank you for listening to our podcast, put on by the

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