Divorce and Adultery

[newton3003]

In Genesis 2:24 it is written “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” This is the commandment God gave, around the time he created Adam and Eve, and He intended it to apply to all men and women.

When God issued this command, it was before Adam and Eve ate from the Tree of Good and Evil. If they didn’t eat from the Tree, they wouldn’t know evil, the evil being what God deems it to be, they and their offspring wouldn’t know evil. Adam and Eve then, and men and women in successive generations would stick to the partner they were first bonded with, to the exclusion of everyone else in such manner. There would be no divorce.

Alas, they did eat from the Tree, and so successive generations have come to know evil, and in knowing evil have felt it necessary to free themselves from their partners.

And God saw there was much evil in the world, including husbands and wives parting from eachother, and in tempering the evilness, of which there would always be, he made a pact with the Hebrews he freed from bondage in Egypt and gave them the Law to live by.

But Jesus uses Genesis 2:24 as the basis for asserting that God did not intend a man and wife to divorce. The Pharisees came up to Jesus and asked him why then, does Moses, who gave us God’s law, allow for divorce when he says in Deuteronomy 24:1 - “When a man takes a wife and marries her, if then she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house, and she departs out of his house?” Jesus responds in Matthew 19:8 that it is because of man’s tendency toward evil, which he might inflict on his wife if he finds no favor in her, that a certain degree of relaxing of the original commandment was needed to prevent strife. God in Genesis tells us to be fruitful and multiply, and strife tends to inhibit such fruitfulness and multiplying, which was more important to God.

So we come upon adultery, which is a form of evil. Adultery in terms of the Bible is an act which breaks up the bond between a man and his wife that God originally commanded. When a man or his wife bonds with another man or his wife, that is adultery in the sense that the time spent with the other person is time away from one’s spouse. Since adultery can produce strife in the household, the Bible sees it as grounds for divorce so that the strife is eliminated when a man and wife leave eachother, hence Moses’ certificate.

But the Bible also says, in Luke 16:18 “Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.” Well, in a sense that is neither here nor there. Moses allowed for divorce, and this being a part of the Law, Jesus said he did not come to change any part of the Law.

So what can be said about Jesus asserting, based on Genesis 2:24, that there should be no divorce? Presumably, whatever Jesus told us is what God is telling us. Put together, we have it that there should be no divorce, but it is permitted in order that there be no strife in the household.

If two people come to be judged by God, with one person having never divorced and the other one having divorced so the strife in the household can be eliminated, and there is only room for one more person in God’s Kingdom, who would God pick based on our understanding, if that really mattered? That is the question…

 

[Adstar]

Jesus made it clear in Matthew that divorce was acceptable in cases where one of the couple has been unfaithful..

Matthew 19: KJV
8 "He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. {9} And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery."

Matthew 5: KJV
31 "It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: {32} But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery."

 

[Dino246]

If two people come to be judged by God, with one person having never divorced and the other one having divorced so the strife in the household can be eliminated, and there is only room for one more person in God’s Kingdom, who would God pick based on our understanding, if that really mattered? That is the question…

Reducing such an important topic to an unbiblical what-if situation is ridiculous.

 

[newton3003]

Reducing such an important topic to an unbiblical what-if situation is ridiculous.

***And so?

 

[maxwel]

If two people come to be judged by God, with one person having never divorced and the other one having divorced so the strife in the household can be eliminated, and there is only room for one more person in God’s Kingdom, who would God pick based on our understanding, if that really mattered? That is the question…

1. There's never a lack of room in God's kingdom.

2. We aren't "judged" based on our view, or problems, with divorce... but on the blood of christ which justifies us before God.



...

 

[newton3003]

1. There's never a lack of room in God's kingdom.

2. We aren't "judged" based on our view, or problems, with divorce... but on the blood of christ which justifies us before God.



...

Does the blood of Christ wash us of all our sins? If that is the case, then why are the sins listed in the New Testament, when we would be washed of them anyway?

 

[maxwel]

Your profile says you were "saved" in 2004.
Is that salvation something you believe you can lose?

...

 

[newton3003]

Your profile says you were "saved" in 2004.
Is that salvation something you believe you can lose?

...

As implied in 2 Peter 2:20-22, we can be prone to return to our own vomit of ignorance through sin, thereby making us worse off than when we ate the fruit of salvation so yeah, it's something we could lose. I guess in that regard, the blood of Jesus would not restore our salvation.

 

[maxwel]

As implied in 2 Peter 2:20-22, we can be prone to return to our own vomit of ignorance through sin, thereby making us worse off than when we ate the fruit of salvation so yeah, it's something we could lose. I guess in that regard, the blood of Jesus would not restore our salvation.

Well, among those who believe salvation cannot be lost, we still believe that sin is a serious thing.
However, we just don't believe it severs your salvation status, requiring you to be saved again.

...

 

[Zmouth]

In Genesis 2:24 it is written “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” This is the commandment God gave, around the time he created Adam and Eve, and He intended it to apply to all men and women.

22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.

23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she
was taken out of Man.
24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
Genesis 2

Are you sure that God gave that commandment?

 

[MessageOfTheCross]

Rejecting The Cross

One thing is certain: For all who reject the Cross, even though they are truly saved, there will be no spiritual growth, and failure and defeat in some way will ever be the lot of their spiritual lives. It’s impossible for it to be otherwise. The Holy Spirit through Paul plainly stated, “I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain” (Gal. 2:21).

In other words, if we can walk in righteousness, and I speak of the righteousness that comes exclusively from the Lord, by any method other than trusting in Christ and what He did at the Cross, then Jesus didn’t need to come down here and die on a Cross. So, by the very fact that He had to die on a Cross, it plainly tells us that this is the way, and there is no other. Righteousness cannot come by the law, by our own efforts, our own abilities, or by anything that man may devise. It can only come by and through what Christ did for us at the Cross and our faith in that finished work, which then guarantees the help of the Holy Spirit.

Helpmate

The phrase, “But for Adam there was not found an help meet for him,” was meant to show the first man that the animal kingdom, as beautiful and helpful as some of them were, would be of no help to Adam, at least the help he needed.

To be sure, the Lord already knew all of this, but He wanted Adam to know this as well. Ellicott said, “But while he could tame many, and make them share his dwelling, he found among them (the animals) no counterpart of himself, capable of answering his thoughts and of holding with him rational discourse.”

The Lord knew all the time what He would do, for, in fact, it had been planned from before the foundation of the world (I Pet. 1:18–20).

I think one can say without any fear of contradiction that the Lord always creates a desire in our hearts for something that He proposes to give, although we may understand little about it to begin with.

Adam had no way of knowing what the Lord would do, but he did know that there was a deep longing within his heart for companionship—but yet, a type of companionship that would be completely compatible with himself but would not be exactly the same as himself. That’s the reason he inspected the animal kingdom very closely.

Continue

 

[MessageOfTheCross]

Rejecting The Cross

One thing is certain: For all who reject the Cross, even though they are truly saved, there will be no spiritual growth, and failure and defeat in some way will ever be the lot of their spiritual lives. It’s impossible for it to be otherwise. The Holy Spirit through Paul plainly stated, “I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain” (Gal. 2:21).

In other words, if we can walk in righteousness, and I speak of the righteousness that comes exclusively from the Lord, by any method other than trusting in Christ and what He did at the Cross, then Jesus didn’t need to come down here and die on a Cross. So, by the very fact that He had to die on a Cross, it plainly tells us that this is the way, and there is no other. Righteousness cannot come by the law, by our own efforts, our own abilities, or by anything that man may devise. It can only come by and through what Christ did for us at the Cross and our faith in that finished work, which then guarantees the help of the Holy Spirit.

Helpmate

The phrase, “But for Adam there was not found an help meet for him,” was meant to show the first man that the animal kingdom, as beautiful and helpful as some of them were, would be of no help to Adam, at least the help he needed.

To be sure, the Lord already knew all of this, but He wanted Adam to know this as well. Ellicott said, “But while he could tame many, and make them share his dwelling, he found among them (the animals) no counterpart of himself, capable of answering his thoughts and of holding with him rational discourse.”

The Lord knew all the time what He would do, for, in fact, it had been planned from before the foundation of the world (I Pet. 1:18–20).

I think one can say without any fear of contradiction that the Lord always creates a desire in our hearts for something that He proposes to give, although we may understand little about it to begin with.

Adam had no way of knowing what the Lord would do, but he did know that there was a deep longing within his heart for companionship—but yet, a type of companionship that would be completely compatible with himself but would not be exactly the same as himself. That’s the reason he inspected the animal kingdom very closely.

Continue

Extremely Important

Other than his personal relationship with the Lord, there is nothing more important than a proper helpmate for a man. In fact, he can never really know all that the helpmate can be until he fully knows the Lord as he should.

I thank God every day of my life that He was gracious enough to give me Frances. Truly, she has filled this role and continues to fill this role to its utmost. In other words, as far as I’m concerned, it would not be possible for the Lord to have given me anything better.

When the Lord said “helpmate,” He meant exactly that. A woman has intuition that a man just doesn’t have. She has greater sensitivity to things than the man has and, thereby, is able to discern, I think, to a greater extent.

In view of this, the Holy Spirit through Paul said, “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord” (Eph. 5:22).

This means that the husband is to act and conduct himself as the Lord; consequently, it would not be hard for any woman to submit herself to a man of that particular character and kindness.

He then said, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it” (Eph. 5:25).

Christ loved the church enough to die for it. The husband is to love his wife accordingly.

An Ideal Marriage

One of the great problems in marriage, and perhaps the greatest problem, is for the husband or wife, or both, to demand of their partner what only Christ can provide. I am persuaded that this is the cause of most marriage problems, even with Christians.

The human being can only be properly satisfied and fulfilled in Christ, but if the husband tries to make the wife meet this spiritual need or vice versa, there will be burnout. Regrettably, that is the problem with many, if not most. Addressing Christians: One cannot really know Christ fully unless one knows and understands the Cross.

Otherwise, he is serving and trusting “another Jesus” (II Cor. 11:4), which means that Christ cannot truly and properly be to that person what He wants to be because his faith is misplaced. Let’s say it in a stronger way: No believer can know Christ exactly as he should unless he knows Him in relationship to the Cross. Only there can he find more abundant life (Jn. 10:10).

In truth, every single Christian in the world has more abundant life. One cannot be saved without having this particular life; however, most Christians never enjoy this life because they do not understand the Cross (Col. 2:14–15). Then, not really enjoying this life because they don’t understand the Cross, they look to their mates to meet the needs in their hearts, which no human being can possibly do.

Continue

 

[MessageOfTheCross]

Deep Sleep

“And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof” (Gen. 2:21).

This verse records the first anesthesia. The word rib here actually means “side.” This means the woman is not merely of a rib, but actually, of one side of man.

The phrase, “And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept,” records, as stated, the first anesthesia. Quite obviously, the Lord explained all of this to Adam after it was done. To be sure, He, no doubt, explained every facet of His creation to the first man exactly as it is recorded here.

Even though this information, even word for word, was passed down from generation to generation, it was not until Moses, some 2,500 years after Adam, that a complete record was made in that which we now know as the book of Genesis.

Incidentally, in the Hebrew, the term “LORD God” is actually “Yahweh God.”

The Rib

The phrase, “And He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof,” indicates in the Hebrew far more than a rib. It speaks of the rib with the accompanying flesh, which included the blood, the nerves, etc. This means that woman is one side of man; and though he may have several sides to his nature and character, yet without woman, one integral portion of him is wanting.

In a sense, in this procedure Adam was a figure of Him who was to come. Out of the side of Christ, the last Adam and the second man, His spouse—the church—was formed when He slept the deep sleep of death upon the Cross. In this, His side was opened, and there came out blood and water. Blood was to purchase His church, and water was to purify it to Himself (I Jn. 5:6).

Built A Woman!

“And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made He a woman, and brought her unto the man” (Gen. 2:22).

The word brought insinuates a formal presentation, i.e., a wedding. God was the best man, so to speak!

The phrase, “And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made He a woman,” in the Hebrew actually says, “built He a woman.”

Horton says, “When God created the man, the word ‘form’ was used, which is the same word used of a potter forming a clay jar. But the word ‘build’ here seems to mean God paid even more attention to the creation of the woman.”

JSM

 

[newton3003]

Extremely Important

A woman has intuition that a man just doesn’t have. She has greater sensitivity to things than the man has and, thereby, is able to discern, I think, to a greater extent.

I think a woman is one step up from a man on the evolutionary ladder. It seems that we as men have to show our bluster to make up for it.

 

[Locoponydirtman]

We aren't judged against each other as if being graded on a curve, or it were a competition.
We are judged by the righteousness of Christ imputed to is via his blood sacrifice on that great and terrible day.

If you can lose your salvation you can never regain it. Christ died once for all and he can not be crusified again. If you can lose it then it is gonna for ever and you lost with it.
The good news is that your righteousness did not gain it for you and your righteousness can not keep it.
If you live in sin after receiving the knowledge of Christ you did not gain salvation even if you did say the "sinners prayer" . Being born again is required not a fox hole prayer for fire insurance. God knows the heart of humans and is not decieved by fained repentance. You will know if you are saved by the strong desire to overcome sin, not to maintain or to gain salvation but to please our Lord and savior, because the joy of our heart is the joy of his.
If your heart is callous to sin and sin doesn't grieve you, you are not saved.

 

[louis]

But Jesus uses Genesis 2:24 as the basis for asserting that God did not intend a man and wife to divorce. The Pharisees came up to Jesus and asked him why then, does Moses, who gave us God’s law, allow for divorce when he says in Deuteronomy 24:1 - “When a man takes a wife and marries her, if then she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house, and she departs out of his house?” Jesus responds in Matthew 19:8 that it is because of man’s tendency toward evil, which he might inflict on his wife if he finds no favor in her, that a certain degree of relaxing of the original commandment was needed to prevent strife. God in Genesis tells us to be fruitful and multiply, and strife tends to inhibit such fruitfulness and multiplying, which was more important to God.

Finding some manner of indecency in ones wife seems to represent that she is playing the field. The Lord also says that if fornication is in play, then it is the one just cause for divorcing ones partner.

Matthew 19:9 And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.

 

[MattforJesus]

Our relationship with God is important in the spiritual realm, and we become one with Him.

And so it is in the physical realm when a man and a woman marry they become one flesh, and an important relationship in the natural realm.

So what it is with God and the saints in the spiritual realm, it is like that between a man and a woman who are married in the natural realm, for there is not a closer relationship between 2 people than those that are married, for you do not have sex with anyone but your spouse, and you care about them totally concerning emotional, financial, physical, spiritual, and mental support, although a lot of the world neglect this, and a lot concerning the spiritual support.

So it is not good to break the covenant of marriage, like it is not good to break the covenant with God, for if you are one flesh than you are connected to that person, and it should not be broken.

But a person can remarry if the their spouse breaks that covenant by cheating on them, or if one of them dies.

Now I know some people may say they cannot get along with their spouse, and think it is alright to divorce, but they cannot legally in the eyes of God, for either they have to work it out, or separate and never get married again, unless one of them cheats, or dies.

To be with God, and then following a false god, an idol, is like a person being married, and then cheats on their spouse.

It would be a good idea for people to not rush in to marriage, and make sure they know the person well before marriage, for the rest of your life is too long to be having trouble in a marriage when you want peace.

Technology brought out the selfishness, and arrogance of people more, by way of money flowing like a raging river, and material things aplenty, worldly entertainment, and worldliness in general, where people are more selfish, and arrogant now, and also causes people to not like each other as much for they say people basically care about themselves with little regard for anybody else as people try to get all they can get in that type of atmosphere.

So people are not on the same level, and trust is low among some people, and they are more self centered.

Before technology people were basically on the same level, and did not have anything to cling unto to exalt themselves, so they looked at people as basically decent, and when you got married you basically knew what kind of spouse you were getting.

But today it is not like that, and many men and women kind of look at each other in a negative light, with men being dogs, and women caring about money, and not as much trust, for people basically care about themselves.

And nobody tells you their faults before they get married, for they are on their best behavior at first, for if they were not nobody would get together, but the faults come out later for they can not hold them back as they burst forth like water through a dam, and then it falls apart, for the attitude of people is different now than it was before technology for the most part.

Like Jesus said since iniquity shall abound the love of many shall wax cold, and that is affecting marriages, so they will not get along as well as years ago.

But still it is no reason to get a divorce, for it is kind of like too bad, so sad, for they wanted to get married so they can deal with it and stay married if it is not a legitimate reason to get a divorce.

But many who claim Christ will not do that, but get a divorce, and many people today get a divorce, for people are more selfish, and arrogant, and thinking about themselves, and do not trust people, and think people only care about themselves, so they do not get along as in time past.

 

[Meditator]

Can a woman also divorce her husband?

 

[louis]

Our relationship with God is important in the spiritual realm, and we become one with Him.

And so it is in the physical realm when a man and a woman marry they become one flesh, and an important relationship in the natural realm.

So what it is with God and the saints in the spiritual realm, it is like that between a man and a woman who are married in the natural realm, for there is not a closer relationship between 2 people than those that are married, for you do not have sex with anyone but your spouse, and you care about them totally concerning emotional, financial, physical, spiritual, and mental support, although a lot of the world neglect this, and a lot concerning the spiritual support.

So it is not good to break the covenant of marriage, like it is not good to break the covenant with God, for if you are one flesh than you are connected to that person, and it should not be broken.

But a person can remarry if the their spouse breaks that covenant by cheating on them, or if one of them dies.

Now I know some people may say they cannot get along with their spouse, and think it is alright to divorce, but they cannot legally in the eyes of God, for either they have to work it out, or separate and never get married again, unless one of them cheats, or dies.

To be with God, and then following a false god, an idol, is like a person being married, and then cheats on their spouse.

It would be a good idea for people to not rush in to marriage, and make sure they know the person well before marriage, for the rest of your life is too long to be having trouble in a marriage when you want peace.

Technology brought out the selfishness, and arrogance of people more, by way of money flowing like a raging river, and material things aplenty, worldly entertainment, and worldliness in general, where people are more selfish, and arrogant now, and also causes people to not like each other as much for they say people basically care about themselves with little regard for anybody else as people try to get all they can get in that type of atmosphere.

So people are not on the same level, and trust is low among some people, and they are more self centered.

Before technology people were basically on the same level, and did not have anything to cling unto to exalt themselves, so they looked at people as basically decent, and when you got married you basically knew what kind of spouse you were getting.

But today it is not like that, and many men and women kind of look at each other in a negative light, with men being dogs, and women caring about money, and not as much trust, for people basically care about themselves.

And nobody tells you their faults before they get married, for they are on their best behavior at first, for if they were not nobody would get together, but the faults come out later for they can not hold them back as they burst forth like water through a dam, and then it falls apart, for the attitude of people is different now than it was before technology for the most part.

Like Jesus said since iniquity shall abound the love of many shall wax cold, and that is affecting marriages, so they will not get along as well as years ago.

But still it is no reason to get a divorce, for it is kind of like too bad, so sad, for they wanted to get married so they can deal with it and stay married if it is not a legitimate reason to get a divorce.

But many who claim Christ will not do that, but get a divorce, and many people today get a divorce, for people are more selfish, and arrogant, and thinking about themselves, and do not trust people, and think people only care about themselves, so they do not get along as in time past.

I too believe it is technology that is driving an increase in iniquity, with peoples love for each other growing colder.
As the reason for Sodom's iniquity was due to its pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness, resulting in her being non empathetic to others in need (Ezekiel 16:49); I then believe the reason for why the end times will be as the days of Noah, and as the days of Lot in Sodom, where people were giving and taking in marriage, having rampant sexual encounters with each other, will be due to technology that will likewise bring about an increase in pride, fulness of bread, and an abundance of idleness, resulting in less love for others.

Ezekiel 16:49 Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.

 

[louis]

Can a woman also divorce her husband?

I would think the same rule applies to a woman who knows her husband is messing around with others.