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I am married to my best friend with three beautiful daughters. We spent 20 years in the United States Marine Corps and I am now a full time preacher.

Saturday, December 12, 2015

Is Divorce the unforgivable sin?

Lets jump right in to this subject and see what the Bible says. We know that according to Deuteronomy 24:1-4, Moses authorized God's people to give a wife a "bill of divorce", this would enable her to remarry and also allowed the man to marry again. Jesus said in Mathew 19:8 that this was allowed because of the hardness of their hearts. If I'm to believe that a man can never be divorced and remarried then I have to believe that Moses was the cause of people going to Hell. That would also mean that Moses taught and encouraged false doctrine.
    Jesus taught the Jews about divorce in Matthew 5:27-28, "You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery; but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart". Also in Matthew 19:9, "And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery." When Jesus taught the Jews under the Law, He clearly stated that divorce is more than the physical act of sex, it is about devotion.
    Paul told the Galatians in 5:19-21 that those who practice the deeds of the flesh will not inherit the kingdom of God. Notice the word "practice", sin separates us from God, all sin. When the Church was established in Acts 2 men ask, what must we do to be saved? The answer remains the same today, Acts 2:38 Peter said to them, Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The New Testament tells us that when we become a child of God all sin is washed away. Look at what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11. Or do you not know that the unrighteousness will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, or adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor reviler, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.
    Notice the words of Paul, "such were some of you". Paul taught Christians by the authority of Jesus. Some will try and explain this away and hold to the view that Jesus taught everyone and the words He spoke about divorce to the Jews under the Law are binding to Christians. These same people defend their view of salvation when Jesus told the thief on the cross He would see him in paradise, by saying He was talking under the Law and the Church had not been established yet. You cannot have it both ways. I believe that Paul taught Christians by the authority of Jesus and he is not contradicting Jesus but adding the grace that only comes from the blood of Jesus. Just like the Law was a shadow of things to come, the Ten Commandments become more than just a check list, it involves the heart and our devotion. The teaching about divorce is more than the sexual act, because of the hardness of our hearts, God provides a way for us to worship Him in peace.
    Yet if the unbelieving one leaves, let him leave; the brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us to peace, 1 Corinthians 7:15.
    Paul taught Christians, some of whom had come from divorce and had remarried and some who had married a non-believer and he tells them they have been washed, sanctified, justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. If I am to understand that the blood of Jesus washes away "ALL" of my sins and that I come up out of the watery grave a new creation, a new babe in Christ, how can I still be an adulterer, it just doesn't make sense.
    I do not believe that adultery is the unforgivable sin. Jesus came and died for us because of the hardness of our hearts, we sinned and separated ourselves from God. We could not keep the law because we are not perfect. That's why Jesus died for us, so we can have a way to be united with God in this life and in eternity. There is nothing that will prevent that from happening if we obey the gospel and continue walking in the Light.