So... if a person kills their spouse (because of infidelity, abandonment, or abuse), gets away with it, repents, and then remarries, they're okay. But... if a person divorces their spouse for those reasons and remarries... they're living in sin and not welcome in the Kingdom of God.
Got it. Doesn't sound like a Pharisee-like argument at all. =) You know, like throwing your shoe on the Sabbath so you can walk to go retrieve your property and therefore travel, despite the laws not to.
All I am and have been saying is that while God hates divorce, He also hates ANY sin. And the elevation of divorce and remarriage to what it has become is nothing more than a Pharisee mindset of judging something because it seems easy and obvious to judge.
In the same passage of 1 Corinthians (Chapter 7) where Paul tells you to remain single, he also tells all of the believers to remain as they were when they were called. He tells slaves not to worry about being slaves BUT if they can be free, take the opportunity. So he both says to remain and then to NOT remain. As I've said in other threads, the word there is not necessarily referring to a permanent state, but rather to rest in your current state, trusting God, rather than rushing off in your own power to try and change it.
Also, in that same chapter, he says that "Because of this present crisis, I think it is best to remain as you are." You can't just chop up the chapter and take the parts that fit your point. This was a letter. It was written as a whole thought, not in verses. You have to read all of the chapter and put it in context as a whole text and historically. That doesn't change the truth of what was written. But it may change your understanding of what was written.
If a man or woman is unfaithful or abusive to their spouse or leaves them entirely, and a divorce results... it is a tragedy. It is evidence of a broken world and us broken people who live in it. It hurts the heart and soul of those involved because they were joined as one. I know because I'm living it right now. But it is not unforgivable. To say that something is too big for God's forgiveness is to limit God, and I'm not about to do that.
Now, one thing I absolutely can agree to is that the frequency of divorce is horrible. Christians and non-Christians alike. And far too many use divorce as an "easy-out". I think that the desire to place hard and fast rules on it is a result of people who truly desire God trying to compensate for that "easy-out" mindset. However, we must be careful to not try to fit every situation into the same mold. We must use discernment for each situation, just as Jesus told us to.
John 7:10-24. Verse 24: "Look beneath the surface so that you can judge correctly."
