Marriage and Divorce (Part 2 of 2)

Because the Bible makes it weird that God's design from his work to be a lifelong commitment. There are cases where remarriage may be considered adultery today on Truth for Life will discover three biblical reasons why a person may remarry. Alistair Begggest teaching from first Corinthians chapter 7 were in verses eight through 16. These verses in first Corinthians 7 in the verses in Mark chapter 10, you will notice what we find again and again that the commitment to marriage by a man and a woman is for life.

It is underwritten by God, and it is not to be tampered with a human being. The bottom line for anybody considering the possibility of divorce is this, don't consider it as what he saying here in first Corinthians 7 is not what you say I will not consider any exception clauses at the moment is what he is saying here as they had it read for the first time in their fornicating society how it must've been 30 years back against their hats. Can you really be saying what he said you mean worse.

Stuff like this. And the only option is reconciliation or celibacy, exactly, says Paul, those are your options now many of you know your Bibles well enough to know that if we turn back to Matthew chapter 19 and you probably should, especially those of you who don't, Matthew chapter 19 Jesus in addressing the subject of divorce and remarriage qualifies the categorical statement from which we just read in Mark chapter 10. Same issue, the question of the faults concerning divorce Jesus telling them that Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard but it was not this way from the beginning and then he says Matthew 99 I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery. There is an exception phrase in the middle of it all. Notice I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery okay so we know that exception clauses in their we know that Jesus said that and we know that Paul is not standing against. We have, however, to ask the question why does Paul not introduce this exception clause in making this statement here in first Corinthians 7 I think of the most plausible explanation would seem to be that the background of these people was so filled with fornication and sin that if he had said to them without the opportunity to sit face-to-face with them as individuals.

If any of you get any fornication in your life's anywhere you can all get divorced about 85% of the charge would have had grounds to go and get divorce and therefore a lot of good marriages would've been ruined as a result of believers plumbing for the exception clause without ever needing it, nor necessarily even wanting this to me quote you and give you a quote on this, the Christians at Corinth were not so firmly rooted in the reality of regeneration and renewal in the Holy Spirit as to give them the stability required to deal with a partner who rakes up on the marquee past. After a bitter domestic feud. One difficult evening after a bad week at the office. The Corinthian believers were not stable enough in the truth to be able to deal with a marriage partner who decided to write up some filled from the past because it had a fight and because he'd had a bad week at the off if Paul recognizing the people came from that background were to give them the notion that because of unfaithfulness at any point in life. Divorce was possible or even inevitable.

Many of them because of the context from which the Vietcong would presumably have gone ahead and go divorce especially if you add to the notion that there were people going around suggesting that singleness was the only way to be a real Christian.

So it was perfect out for somebody that I think is the most plausible explanation as to why it is that Paul does not apply the exception at this point know you will notice that this instruction is radical and it is vital that we absorb it and that we apply it, and that we resist the title weight of relativistic thinking in relation to these matters. I'm so discouraged with the emphasis on family values. I'm so sick and tired of this claptrap. Family volumes can only be understood in the light of God's plan for the family.

One mom and one that living together in monogamous faithfulness to one another. Family values negate categorically homosexual or lesbian marriages, family values stand against the tidal wave of divorce and lecturer and distraction. And so, unless we are prepared to talk about family values in the way that God said family values are to be addressed. Why don't we just cashing our chips on the phrase and move on to something else. We don't know anything about. It is sad and sorely state of affairs. Number three verse 13 verse 12. What about the Christian married to an unbeliever who no longer wishes to be married to the believer. Now the introductory phrase in verse 12 is a real cause for turmoil and many people's minds.

Paul says to the rest I say this I not the Lord and people spent a long time in Bible study, saying, well, does this mean that this is not inspired know it doesn't mean that is not a denial of inspiration or is it an indication that Paul is giving his own human opinion. The phrase here that opens verse 12 is simply to say that God has not given any previous revelation on the subject. Unlike what he is just quoted in verse 10. In verse 10, he was able to say that we have previous revelation on this, therefore not I but the Lord says it now in verse 12 he says this is direct revelation now is that I as an apostle speaking the very word of God. I'm addressing the subject with you is very very important as well that Paul should discriminate between what he said and what the Lord said, because there were people who were going around saying whatever they wanted to say and then saying this is what Jesus said indeed Moffat, one of the commentators says it is historically of high importance that Paul did not feel at liberty to create a saying of Jesus. Even when, as here, it would be highly convenient in order to settle the disputed point of Christian behavior. One of the charges and in biblical criticism is that what you have really is a bunch of people who make up the statements of Jesus buses on the making anything up.

The Lord didn't say this I'm saying this, it is authoritative. I is an apostle now speak a wife must not separate from her husband if she does, the story has verse 10 to the rest I say to those who are not nonmarried in the faith, believers and unbelievers. If a brother has a wife who is not a believer in presumably they married his unbelievers and then the brother came to faith if his wife is not a believer and she's willing to live with him. He must not divorce or and then he says the same thing in reverse concerning a woman and her husband, everything hinges on the attitude he says of the unbelieving partner Solomon Corinth were doubtless teaching that a believer must never live with an unbeliever. After all Paul himself and said that I Christian should not marry a non-Christian so they would then deduct on the basis of that that if a Christian should not marry a non-Christian, and if they both started as non-Christians and one of them became a Christian. Therefore, by the same kind of logic.

Presumably it was not right for the Christian to live with a non-Christian since the ones forced to marry a non-Christian, and therefore the him to go ahead and get divorce and so Paul gives authoritative instruction says no you're wrong will begin to think that way if you've come to faith in Christ and your husband or wife hasn't and they're happy to live with you.

Make sure that you continue to live with them and then he gives this tremendous statement in verse 14 for the unbelieving husband is been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is been sanctified through her believing husband you see the big question was with the uncleanness of the unbeliever cancel out the cleanness of the believer with the fate with the faith on the lack of faith in the unbeliever cancel of the faith in the believer. Paul says no.

In fact, the godliness of the one does much to sanctify the marriage.

What is this mean it clearly doesn't mean that a man or a wife becomes a Christian as a result of just living in the house with a Christian. Kind of like a disease that you catch in the kitchen or something. He is rather teaching that there is a benefit which accrues to any other members of a Christian's family and some of us have been brought up in a family where just a mom or just a dad was a Christian. It certainly wasn't the perfect situation, as in verse 10, but nevertheless not Christian mom or Christian dad brought a kind of sanctifying influence in our home and he is referring here to that kind of overall marital impact of the life of someone who prays in someone who worships and someone who believes in God.

He says it spills over to the spouse and indeed it spills over to the children. This little sentence that ends verse 14. Otherwise, your children would be unclean is about as it is they are holy is often a concern to some again context help since there were people who were teaching the rigorous that sex was sin all the time so they would challenge it every place on these people taught that sexual relations therefore between unbelieving wife and an unbelieving husband produced unclean children while employing a fight. We know that all children are born in sin in shape and in iniquity.

So the distinction that he is making here is not between saved and unsaved, but he is rebutting the notion that if you now have one of you become a Christian and people out there in the church were telling you you have to divorce that person.

He says no you're not a know you shouldn't. While they said if you don't divorce them, don't sleep in the same room as them as if you sleep in the same room as him. You know what your children will come out like and Paul says don't you listen to any of that. Hogwash.

You go ahead and fulfill all the benefits and blessings of marriage and you rejoice in the fight that God will take care of your children and you will have a sanctifying influence over them even as you do over your spots.

Listen to MacArthur on this. The sanctification is matrimonial and familial, not personal or spiritual.

Although the believer's faith cannot suffice for the salvation of anyone but himself. He or she is often the means of other family members coming to the Lord. The cross-references first Peter three. Let me doing the last point, ever so briefly. He then goes on and mentions the fourth and final group, he addresses the Christian married to an unbeliever who is no longer willing to stay with the believer.

This is verse 15. However, if the unbeliever leaves notice.

It is the unbeliever that takes the initiative and the separation because the Christian partner ought always to be upholding the sanctity and lifelong permanence of marriage. But if the unbeliever leaves than the Christian partner is under no obligation whatsoever to contest. If the unbeliever sues for divorce because they cannot stand the faith of theirs now spouse then the believer is under no obligation whatsoever to contest the divorce. That's what he means when he says in this circumstance, the believer is not bound believing man or woman is not bound in such circumstances. After all, he says, God is called us to live in peace and to try and prop up a marriage where your unbelieving spouse simply wants to be done with you once and for all, is certainly not to live in the realm of peace. So he says if they decide to leave. Let them do so. I want to say because many of you will have questions about this that I believe that this is the third way in which it is possible for remarriage ever to take place as taught in the Bible there are three there are three ways that a married person may remarriage number one because their partner died. Romans chapter 7, number two because their partner committed adultery. Matthew 19. And number three because their partner as an unbeliever could no longer stand living with a believer and so to call it is my personal understanding of the Bible that in each of those situations. The presupposition is remarriage and therefore is allowable.

Not everyone believes that many churches teach against that. I can only speak according to the understanding of Scripture that I have our last versus 16 how do you know wife, whether you will save your husband or how do you know husband whether you will save your wife what you thing that said, do you think that saying you better stay in there and hang in there as long as you can because how do you know whether you'll save your wife or how do you know whether your Savior husband deary that positively that this was interactive we get our hands up, there's no time left.

I'm asking that for you to think it out when you think you think of it that way. Do you think what he saying is is you better hand because how do you know there's a great evangelistic opportunity and I know your husband hate you and I know he does like I'm in a church 9/11 Ellsberg. How do you know you might say them or do you think what he saying is just let them go because how do you know whether you'll save or save let him go. I mean Don don't hold onto the situation as if marriage was designed for evangelism. It clearly wasn't. So don't stay married.

He says don't keep some unbeliever hang around your house just so that you can stick tracks hundreds porridge in the morning so that you can turn the Christian radio on as loud as you can. And so that you can stick Bible verses on the shipping matter, how do you know he says you going to save your wife or your husband the Saxton's drain involved is not justified by the uncertain result.

Make your own decision.

I'm not sure myself which way I ought to read this. I certainly know that there have been a number of people to put themselves under a tremendous amount of guilt because someone has said that there are 16 teachers that if your husband or wife is an unbeliever, you mustn't let them go because how do you know whether you might be the means of their salvation. I thing that is unjustifiable molar time is gone. What we learn from this we learn that these issues touched the very fabric of our lives. We know that the demand are most careful attention. They certainly need to be addressed with a humble heart which recognizes that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and his wisdom is been given to us in this book. They certainly remind us of the lifelong permanence of marriage of the sadness that is involved in separation and divorce.

The also a reminder to us of how God is able to restore the years that the locus of Eden. But I think more than anything else that a classic illustration of what Paul says in Romans 12 to according Phillips don't let the world squeeze you into its mold but let God remold your minds from within, so that you may prove and practice the plan of God for you is good meets all his demands and moves towards the goal of true maturity. If you're a believer here tonight and you've gone through a divorce in your past that don't allow the evil one to rake you through the garbage cans forgiven sin.

If you're a believer here tonight is going through difficulties in your marriage and don't allow the world to talk you in to running from rather with a humble heart believing that God is able to do exceedingly abundantly beyond all that we can ask or even imagine asking to rekindle and to restore and to renew the world is watching to see whether Christians really are different or not. Marriage is a sacred commitment shouldn't be entered into lightly shouldn't be dissolved recklessly listing the Truth for Life. Alastair Begg will be back in just a moment to close today's program with prayer or mission of Truth for Life is to teach God's word every day with clarity and relevance. We been finding out just how practical and relevant to the Bible's instruction is in the area of marriage, particularly when the culture is embracing something so radically different. If this current study on marriage has been helpful to you if you'd like to relisten to some of the messages or share them with a friend.

You'll find the entire study available for free online. It's called we too are one search for the title@thetruthforlife.org or in our mobile app we make all of our online teaching free Truth for Life because we want to provide clear biblical instruction to anyone who wants to learn more. The reason were able to do this is because of our monthly true partners.

These are blisters like you who pray for the ministry and to give a monthly donation to help cover the cost of producing this daily program.

You probably heard me talk about true partners, and how important they are to this ministry. If you haven't yet had a minute to go online and sign up. Hoping you'll do that today will be joining a team that brings the gospel through Alistair's teaching blisters in nearly every country sign up@truthforlife.org/true partner or call us at 888-588-7884. Let me remind you that as a true partner. You're welcome to request the two monthly books we recommend. If you've ever requested books for most you know that they are carefully curated. We provide exceptional Bible teaching from a wide variety of authors we choose both contemporary releases and timeless classics. Every one of these books has something rich to offer both books each month are yours simply by request. There's no additional donation necessary when you're a true partner.

It's our way of saying thank you for making Truth for Life possible through your monthly giving and prayer.

Today, we are recommending the newly published book titled gospel shaped marriage subtitle is grace for sinners to love like saints. This book takes a closer look at what it means to submit your marriage to God's authority and to Christ's love as you read the book, you'll discover the joys and benefits that husbands and wives experience when their love of Christ is central to their life together request the book gospel shaped marriage. When you become a true partner or when you give a one time donation, visit us online at truthforlife.org/donate. If you'd rather mail your donation along with your request for the book right to truthfully at PO Box 39, 8000, Cleveland, OH 44139.

Now, here is Alastair to close with prayer.

Our God and our father, we thank you tonight for your word and we thank you for the privilege of studying it together. It's sharp like a two edge sword cuts through to the very core of our being. I do pray again tonight for those whose life's are marked in the past by regret, by failure by disappointment to find that studies such as these are often fair tile ground for the evil one to come prove himself again to be the accuser of the brethren I've trailed God that you will enable them to resist and firm in the faith, but I do pray Lord for any in our fellowship who are considering the slip road of divorce. The possibilities of separation, the desire to make a run for pray tonight that you will so come to their hearts and lives that they might run to you to the rock to the fortress to the one who makes everything good in his time. May we know the power of the spirit feelings the love of the Lord Jesus flowing from us the joy of the Lord Jesus being our string. We commit one another lovingly into the care of Christ and in his name we pray about the pain listing. We live in a culture that trivializes relationships in so many ways and it's easy for us to become confused about what marriage actually is and what it is doing this tomorrow to hear answers from the Bible teaching of Alastair Begg is furnished by Truth for Life learning is