[Moved from GT] Faithfulness in marriage.

[arunangelo]

Should not we be faithful in our marriage, even if our spouse is not?
God always stays faithful to His covenant with us. When we were unfaithful to Him, He brought us healing by sacrificing His own life. The Lord told Hosea (Hosea 3:1), to return to his wife although she was an adulteress. God further told him to love her as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they were unfaithful to Him.

 

[seebs]

Yes.

 

[lamblion]

Should not we be faithful in our marriage, even if our spouse is not?
God always stays faithful to His covenant with us. When we were unfaithful to Him, He brought us healing by sacrificing His own life. The Lord told Hosea (Hosea 3:1), to return to his wife although she was an adulteress. God further told him to love her as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they were unfaithful to Him.

Why do you think marrige is so important to God? Why is it that God established this instutution that unites a man and a women into one flesh? Think about it. Let me know what you come up with so we can discuss this concept.

 

[OnTheWay]

If you intend to remain married then yes, regardless of what the other spouse has done, you must be faithful. However, unfaithless is an acceptable reason to end a marriage.

 

[Leah]

Should not we be faithful in our marriage, even if our spouse is not?
God always stays faithful to His covenant with us. When we were unfaithful to Him, He brought us healing by sacrificing His own life. The Lord told Hosea (Hosea 3:1), to return to his wife although she was an adulteress. God further told him to love her as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they were unfaithful to Him.

Hiya Arunangelo.

In all honesty, you just answered your own question. Yes, we should ALWAYS be faithful to our spouse! It's not good to use your spouse as the scapegoat when you know the right thing to do.

 

[arunangelo]

Why do you think marrige is so important to God? Why is it that God established this instutution that unites a man and a women into one flesh? Think about it. Let me know what you come up with so we can discuss this concept.

Marriage is a covenant of love between a man and a woman, in which each surrenders one self completely and unconditionally to the other in a spirit of sacrifice, selflessness and service to form a unit of life. Furthermore, when they as a unit surrender their lives to parenthood by leaving their physical union fully open to receiving children, they make their physical union an act love. Therefore, such a union is holy, because, it mirrors God’s life-giving love for us.Marriage, therefore, is God's love expressed in human relationship

In marriage, spouses leave their parents and unite with each other (Mark 10:7) to become one flesh (Gen.2: 24). Because, it is a covenant of love, and God is love (1 John4:8), it is a covenant of God; and no one can separate what God has joined together (Matt 19:6). It therefore, cannot be broken and rejection of marriage covenant is rejection God. God therefore, hates divorce (Malachi 2:16) and is not pleased with the offerings of those who divorce their spouse (Malachi 2: 13-14). Furthermore, although marriage covenant can be rejected in divorce, it can never be broken. Therefore, remarriage after divorce is adultery (Luke 16:18).

Divorce is absolutely prohibited by the Gospels (Mk 10:11-12, Luke 6:18; Matthew 5: 31-32). In Matthew’s gospel there appears to be an exception. The exception in the Greek text is inappropriate contenteia (which means incest or fornication), and not moiceia (which means adultery). In the Mosaic Law (Lv 18:6-18) certain types of marriages between close relatives were unlawful, because, they were regarded as incest (inappropriate contenteia). Certain rabbis, however, allowed gentile converts to Judaism to remain in such marriages. The Greek word for this exemption in Matthew’s gospel is against such permissiveness for gentile converts to Christianity.

 

[Crazy Liz]

[mod hat]

Moving this thread from General Theology to Christian Philosophy & Ethics.

[/mod hat]

 

[BrokenGhost]

thats Philosophy

 

[Cajun Huguenot]

Should not we be faithful in our marriage, even if our spouse is not?
God always stays faithful to His covenant with us. When we were unfaithful to Him, He brought us healing by sacrificing His own life. The Lord told Hosea (Hosea 3:1), to return to his wife although she was an adulteress. God further told him to love her as the Lord loves the Israelites, though they were unfaithful to Him.

Adultery is a legitimate reason for divorce. Marriage is a covenant and adultery is a covenant-destroying act, so divorce is allowed in such a situation. In the Old Covenant the adulterers were to be stoned to death, in fact many of the death penalties in the Old Covenant were set up to protect the biblical family.

Divorce is biblical when adultery takes place. We find this spelled out in the New Testament Scriptures. Reconciliation may be a better option, but it is not always the case.

Coram Deo,
Kenith

 

[Crazy Liz]

thats Philosophy

Thanks.

Edited.

 

[Gukkor]

Faithfulness is an act of the self. It survives or dies independent of whether it is reciprocated (though some may try to use lack of reciprocation as an excuse for their unfaithfulness).

As for adultery, even if it is committed, we should by no means be quick to break the marriage. Personally, I would only divorce an adulterous spouse if she truly loved another instead of me and expressed this through unfaithfulness. My wife should not be my prisoner, and I will not make her such. Momentary acts of lust are entirely less significant to me, though of course I would not be happy.