I think this is a difficult issue for several reasons. First, for many
marriage is considered a sacred bond for life between a man and a woman; however, many people do get married who have no idea what "a sacred bond" really means.
If somebody who was not (or is not) a believer in Jesus,
and has not completely commited his or her life to Him, and/or has not
been instructed concerning the magnitude of marriage reflecting God's
holy marriage of Jesus Christ and His Church and marries outside of the
knowledge of Christ, does a person's "legal obligation to the world"
over-rule the new birth in Jesus Christ, if that legal obligation has
already been annulled according to the legal structure of the world?
Secondly, Is restitution a requirement for forgiveness? Numbers 5 speaks
about this in terms of infidelity or suspicion of infidelity. Is the Law
and the Curse of the Law still effectual according to its letter? The
Pentateuch is full of requirements regarding restitution in many
circumstances. In the Old Testament atonement required sacrifice. For
infidelity, Numbers 5:27 is clear that a woman found guilty was to
"become a curse among her people". A punishment somewhat akin to those who suffered from leprosy. In Matthew 1 Joseph being a just man did not want to and chose not to put Mary through this process. Jesus however, by His sacrifice removed the curse from the law. He took the law's punishment against us upon Himself on the cross.
Thirdly, Jesus himself mentioned that anyone who divorces his wife except
for the commission of Adultery is himself guilty of causing her to commit
adultery. And in Romans 1 Paul is clear in his list of "alternate
lifestyles" that sexual immorality (as referred to in verses 26,27)
was one of the practices of a debased
mind resulting from a rejection of God (verses 28-32). I'm rather
surprised that divorce wasn't included in this list, or maybe there was a
reason why it wasn't? And yet "undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving,
unforgiving" and "unmerciful" are included in this list. Yet the "real"
issue is that those who are "knowing the righteous judgment of God, that
those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the
same but also approve those who practice them" (verse 32).
Please remember that Paul is removing all obstacles to the judgment of
God against sin, remembering that "all have sinned and fall short of the
glory of God."
Now consider that when Jesus was confronted by a group of Jewish leaders in John 8 concerning a woman who had been caught in the commission of adultery, first said to them, "Let him who is without sin cast the first stone". Not one of them could stand there as her judge. Those very people who lived in the full standard of the Judaic code. Then Jesus turned to her and said, "Neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more"! (Cessation of sin was sufficient).
Now let's put Romans 3:23 in context. "for all have sinned and fall
short of the glory of God, '24. being justified freely by His grace
through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, '25. whom God set forth
as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His
righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins
that were previously commited, '26. to demonstrate at the present time
His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who
has faith in Jesus."!!!
If someone has sinned before they came to Christ are we to continue to
hold that sin against them? Are we going to stand in the way of God's
righteousness for the sake of upholding our concepts of moral purity? Are
we going to expect a "babe" in Christ to show all the characteristics of
a fully matured adult? In fact Jesus told us that we have to come to him
with the attitude of a small child, believing and trusting him with a
simple and trusting faith. Are we to "remember the sins of our youth"
even as the Psalmist prayed, and pleaded to God that He wouldn't?
What I am saying is that we have all sinned. We are all guilty before
God. And outside of Christ we would suffer everything we deserve for that
guilt. BUT, in Christ Jesus we have been forgiven, Jesus paid the full
and complete penalty for our sin. There is not one person on this planet
who can say that he or she is without sin, who has not been guilty of
committing sin.
Let's be honest, in our own eyes we can point to others' as well as our
own sins. Yet, God sees us through Jesus' eyes. In "the Law no flesh
will be justified in His sight" (Romans 3:20), '21. "But now the
righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by
the Law and the Prophets, '22. even the righteousness of God, through
faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe for there is no
difference; '23. for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
'24. being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is
in Christ Jesus"!!!
Since we have sinned, and since Christ has forgiven us, have we any right
to hold anybodies' past actions against them once they have been received into Christ's Kingdom? Is "the name of God (is) blasphemed among the Gentiles because of us (you)? (Romans 2:24), because we "rest on the law" (2:17) and judge others in accordance with the Law, rather than through the eyes of grace?
Hopefully those who will lead our congregations in service to God will
not do so because they and others see them as righteous outside of
Christ, but rather because our Lord Jesus Christ has made them righteous
before God and they are living in His righteousness, having had the guilt
and curse of the law that would have been written against them wiped away by the shed blood of our Saviour.
Yet, I can hear the objection, what about repentance? Do we realize that
it is the goodness of God that leads us to repentance (Romans 2:4)?
Many think that repentence is simply turning 180 degrees away from sin. This is so far from the truth. Repentence is turning 100% to Christ Jesus.
Nothing less will do. We are either in Christ or we are not. God either
dwells in us or He doesn't. God's righteousness is displayed in His
faithfulness, His love, His forgiveness, and His mercy. Only people who
have witnessed this in their lives can testify to its truth. Those who
haven't will point to sin, those who have will point to Christ.
We ask our ministers to teach us Jesus Christ, to display Christ in their
lives, and to lead us closer to God.
I was involved with the local Salvation Army for several years (and yes, in Canada) until we were "downsized", and lost our Majors. I never once doubted their integrity or their faith. They helped me through some difficult times and I learned much from them. Personally I never asked and honestly didn't care what their lives were like before they came to Christ, what I saw was Jesus, and to me that is all that mattered.