Can Christian Marry.......Remarry---Conclusion

[Righttruth]

CONCLUSION
A man or a woman in a society either has to join a chain of continuity of life by finding completeness in marriage or join an order of discipleship devoted in serving the Lord fully for sublime spiritual life. These are the only best possible two choices in tune with the social and spiritual structures of the society. How one goes about them at any stage of his life is left to an individual.
Therefore, marriage, divorce and remarriage may identify a person in the first group (married) whereas seeking completeness with the Holy Spirit at any stage will identify that person in the second group (celibate). Both groups represent continuity though the second is spiritually superior that should be sought out at any stage of our life. Furthermore, it is our responsibility to maintain a continuity of both the chains to keep them effective and useful depending on which chain we belong to.
The relationships can be compared to two continuous chains (Marriage and celibacy). If any of the chain gets broken because of a defective link, it is our responsibility to get that mended by a suitable replacement. It may so happen in case of remarriage a couple may not want to repeat the mistakes of the past for their own good.
God divorced and turned away from His people. He virtually remarried under different conditions many times. When that is the case, what prevents a godly person from genuinely seeking divorce and remarriage when the other partner is unfair and incorrigible for any reasonable reconciliation, and also bent upon damaging the family unit as a whole in continuity driven by audacity and egoism?
We have an adage in our native language: ‘Devaru vara kottaruu poojari kodalla’ meaning ‘even when God blesses, the priest will not be willing’! In other words, the Bible says ‘yes’, but the Christendom says ‘no’!
God severed Dan and Ephraim from His presence (Revelation 7:4-8). He was only interested in the obedient remnant. Now all will be only through Christ to reach God. The worst and the first sin happened to be the disobedience of Eve. It is sinful to tolerate a disobedient wife.

It basically boils down to an individual decision when it comes to marriage, divorce and remarriage keeping in mind the importance of time and age factors involved. They should not be misled by convenient and unbalanced interpretations of the clergy or others.
To serve the Lord whole heartedly and fully, marriage is not preferred. If married, the couple should give up family relationship and obligations. However, married couple, maintaining honorable and righteous life, can contribute to the building of the Church.
One should allow God to judge us. Our personal Savior should lead us in our personal lives. We all know that Jesus is against the misuse of laws motivated by greed, selfishness, self-centeredness and self-glorification.
To maintain the integrity of the Church and to keep it above reproach, it would be in order if divorcees keep themselves out of the organizational duties and direct responsibilities of a Church. This is in tune with what Paul advocated, “But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak” (1 Corinthians 8:9).

Continuing further Paul also said,
“And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ” (v.12-12)
I believe there is a clear cut hierarchy in spiritual realm. This is seen in the book of Revelation by John.It may appear something like this-- not considering the several groups already mentioned in the book of Revelation for the time being:
God the Father, the Son, ( plus several groups listed in Revelation) people who practiced celibacy to serve the Lord, believers who were married, divorcees and remarried et al—all holding on to the faith in Jesus Christ through repentance, confession and transformation.

The purposeful life of any child is crystal clear: he/she should grow from childhood to seek the truth. It is found in the way and life of Jesus Christ. With a firm belief in Jesus, one should undergo an adult immersion baptism to imitate Jesus, to begin with.
If one is really strong, celibacy, poverty and freed from personal encumbrances should lead to the ministry and discipleship of Jesus attached to a monastery that is not immersed in idolatry and traditions. If one is weak, marriage relationship can be sought with wife helping the husband to fully utilize his talents to raise the family and also help the disciples of God and others.
If one wants to become disciple after marriage, marital relationship should end, and each one relates to the other with an agape love and begins serving God together as a brother and sister in Christ.
Discipleship is what one should strive for till the end, not satisfied with the support work from outside. That should be the final destination that everyone should work out for. One’s life should end with a total surrender in the love and service of the Lord. That is the goal one should focus on, and that should get top priority in one’s life.
Furthermore, it should be given utmost importance, setting aside and ignoring all other worldly achievements as of no spiritual value!
Therefore, marriage, divorce and remarriage are secondary aspects that should not come in the way of giving out fullest potential of every individual with the talents that he/she has been bestowed with. These three aspects should not bog down a person as if salvation depends on them! Unfortunately, Christendom has simply hyped the marriage arrangement ignoring the preaching of Jesus Christ that was followed subsequently by apostles, apostolic fathers and their successors.
Hence, one should set the priorities right by imitating Christ instead of glorifying carnal relationships that were meant for raising descendants.
I may not be wrong if I were to say that a divorcee or a remarried person is better placed than a person who gets drowned in an irredeemable and irreparable marriage bond with strictures and expectations imposed by the clergy, less learned Christians and religious ministers. The divorce might have been forced on a hapless woman, or it may be a last resort for a man who was married to an irresponsible and adamant wife! Having freed from a worst situation, what is wrong for a person to remarry hoping for a better relationship in the future.
That is exactly the essence of Christian life: to bury the past and look for a better future.

This may be seen as a corollary to what Jesus said, “Which of the two did the will of his father?" They said to Him, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you” (Matthew 21:31).
The one sided stand taken by the clergy and ministers for administering marriage and becoming helpless when it goes wrong can be compared to what Jesus said against the most religious people of His days:
“But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in” (Matthew 23:13); and “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves”(v.15).
Of course, divorce and remarriage are not something to be fancied or treated casually as a way out from previous obligations of a marriage. Only when one is just when it comes to divorce and remarriage, then only he will get approval of God. He cannot mock God on this account. He is finally accountable to God for all of his actions.

Concluded

 

[Dave L]

CONCLUSION
A man or a woman in a society either has to join a chain of continuity of life by finding completeness in marriage or join an order of discipleship devoted in serving the Lord fully for sublime spiritual life. These are the only best possible two choices in tune with the social and spiritual structures of the society. How one goes about them at any stage of his life is left to an individual.
Therefore, marriage, divorce and remarriage may identify a person in the first group (married) whereas seeking completeness with the Holy Spirit at any stage will identify that person in the second group (celibate). Both groups represent continuity though the second is spiritually superior that should be sought out at any stage of our life. Furthermore, it is our responsibility to maintain a continuity of both the chains to keep them effective and useful depending on which chain we belong to.
The relationships can be compared to two continuous chains (Marriage and celibacy). If any of the chain gets broken because of a defective link, it is our responsibility to get that mended by a suitable replacement. It may so happen in case of remarriage a couple may not want to repeat the mistakes of the past for their own good.
God divorced and turned away from His people. He virtually remarried under different conditions many times. When that is the case, what prevents a godly person from genuinely seeking divorce and remarriage when the other partner is unfair and incorrigible for any reasonable reconciliation, and also bent upon damaging the family unit as a whole in continuity driven by audacity and egoism?
We have an adage in our native language: ‘Devaru vara kottaruu poojari kodalla’ meaning ‘even when God blesses, the priest will not be willing’! In other words, the Bible says ‘yes’, but the Christendom says ‘no’!
God severed Dan and Ephraim from His presence (Revelation 7:4-8). He was only interested in the obedient remnant. Now all will be only through Christ to reach God. The worst and the first sin happened to be the disobedience of Eve. It is sinful to tolerate a disobedient wife.

It basically boils down to an individual decision when it comes to marriage, divorce and remarriage keeping in mind the importance of time and age factors involved. They should not be misled by convenient and unbalanced interpretations of the clergy or others.
To serve the Lord whole heartedly and fully, marriage is not preferred. If married, the couple should give up family relationship and obligations. However, married couple, maintaining honorable and righteous life, can contribute to the building of the Church.
One should allow God to judge us. Our personal Savior should lead us in our personal lives. We all know that Jesus is against the misuse of laws motivated by greed, selfishness, self-centeredness and self-glorification.
To maintain the integrity of the Church and to keep it above reproach, it would be in order if divorcees keep themselves out of the organizational duties and direct responsibilities of a Church. This is in tune with what Paul advocated, “But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak” (1 Corinthians 8:9).

Continuing further Paul also said,
“And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ” (v.12-12)
I believe there is a clear cut hierarchy in spiritual realm. This is seen in the book of Revelation by John.It may appear something like this-- not considering the several groups already mentioned in the book of Revelation for the time being:
God the Father, the Son, ( plus several groups listed in Revelation) people who practiced celibacy to serve the Lord, believers who were married, divorcees and remarried et al—all holding on to the faith in Jesus Christ through repentance, confession and transformation.

The purposeful life of any child is crystal clear: he/she should grow from childhood to seek the truth. It is found in the way and life of Jesus Christ. With a firm belief in Jesus, one should undergo an adult immersion baptism to imitate Jesus, to begin with.
If one is really strong, celibacy, poverty and freed from personal encumbrances should lead to the ministry and discipleship of Jesus attached to a monastery that is not immersed in idolatry and traditions. If one is weak, marriage relationship can be sought with wife helping the husband to fully utilize his talents to raise the family and also help the disciples of God and others.
If one wants to become disciple after marriage, marital relationship should end, and each one relates to the other with an agape love and begins serving God together as a brother and sister in Christ.
Discipleship is what one should strive for till the end, not satisfied with the support work from outside. That should be the final destination that everyone should work out for. One’s life should end with a total surrender in the love and service of the Lord. That is the goal one should focus on, and that should get top priority in one’s life.
Furthermore, it should be given utmost importance, setting aside and ignoring all other worldly achievements as of no spiritual value!
Therefore, marriage, divorce and remarriage are secondary aspects that should not come in the way of giving out fullest potential of every individual with the talents that he/she has been bestowed with. These three aspects should not bog down a person as if salvation depends on them! Unfortunately, Christendom has simply hyped the marriage arrangement ignoring the preaching of Jesus Christ that was followed subsequently by apostles, apostolic fathers and their successors.
Hence, one should set the priorities right by imitating Christ instead of glorifying carnal relationships that were meant for raising descendants.
I may not be wrong if I were to say that a divorcee or a remarried person is better placed than a person who gets drowned in an irredeemable and irreparable marriage bond with strictures and expectations imposed by the clergy, less learned Christians and religious ministers. The divorce might have been forced on a hapless woman, or it may be a last resort for a man who was married to an irresponsible and adamant wife! Having freed from a worst situation, what is wrong for a person to remarry hoping for a better relationship in the future.
That is exactly the essence of Christian life: to bury the past and look for a better future.

This may be seen as a corollary to what Jesus said, “Which of the two did the will of his father?" They said to Him, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you” (Matthew 21:31).
The one sided stand taken by the clergy and ministers for administering marriage and becoming helpless when it goes wrong can be compared to what Jesus said against the most religious people of His days:
“But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in” (Matthew 23:13); and “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves”(v.15).
Of course, divorce and remarriage are not something to be fancied or treated casually as a way out from previous obligations of a marriage. Only when one is just when it comes to divorce and remarriage, then only he will get approval of God. He cannot mock God on this account. He is finally accountable to God for all of his actions.

Concluded

As I see it, those who are truly born again God will keep. And those who are not might end up divorced and remarried = living in adultery.

 

[Righttruth]

As I see it, those who are truly born again God will keep. And those who are not might end up divorced and remarried = living in adultery.

Pretty harsh. It is easy to say for married people like us.

 

[jamesbond007]

As I see it, those who are truly born again God will keep. And those who are not might end up divorced and remarried = living in adultery.

I try to not judge others unless I am forced to.

I'm reminded of a story. There was a man who served on a jury trying a drunk driving case. In Califotnia, the legal limit is .08% BAC (blood alcohol concentration). The defendant had a BAC level twice the legal limit of. The judge carefully instructed the jury that their job was to determine if this woman had, in fact, broken the law. The case sounds like a slam-dunk, yes? This juror thought he'd be on his way to an early weekend and that they wouldn't have to deliberate longer than a few minutes.

However, in the jury room, a fellow male juror piped up, “I can drink that much and drive without any problem!” Someone else chimed in with similar comments. Some women said how nice the young woman seemed to be. She did "look" smartly dressed and innocent.

One can't judge a book by its cover this male juror said. He could not believe what he saw happening and saw his glorious early weekend slipping away. The other jurors were totally ignoring the judge’s instructions. So, after three hours of wrangling, like the 12 Angry Men movie (except it was seven men and five women), this man and another juror finally persuaded everyone of the woman’s guilt, except for one woman. She said, “I could never vote to convict her, because the Bible says, ‘Judge not, lest you be judged.’”

It was late in the day, and if the woman wasn't found guilty or not, then everyone would have to come back on Saturday. Thus, this man said to this woman, “None of us wants to come back tomorrow. We’re going to convict her, and you just keep quiet!” That’s how justice was served.

Even though I said, "I try not to judge others unless I am forced to," such as being on a jury, evaluating a job applicant, whether a stranger is trustworthy, accepting someone who decided on an abortion or practices homosexuality and so on, it's not easy to continuously adhere to that rule. I have judged others unfairly myself, i.e. prejudice. We all tend to judge people subconsciously. It's a self-defense mechanism.

Yet, Jesus said, “Do not judge so that you will not be judged” Matthew 7:1. One of the most disobeyed and misunderstood verses for Christians. Judgmental words eventually will flow out of a judgmental heart, but the sin begins in the heart. It is a manifestation of pride; we think that we are better than others are.

 

[Dave L]

I try to not judge others unless I am forced to.

I'm reminded of a story. There was a man who served on a jury trying a drunk driving case. In Califotnia, the legal limit is .08% BAC (blood alcohol concentration). The defendant had a BAC level twice the legal limit of. The judge carefully instructed the jury that their job was to determine if this woman had, in fact, broken the law. The case sounds like a slam-dunk, yes? This juror thought he'd be on his way to an early weekend and that they wouldn't have to deliberate longer than a few minutes.

However, in the jury room, a fellow male juror piped up, “I can drink that much and drive without any problem!” Someone else chimed in with similar comments. Some women said how nice the young woman seemed to be. She did "look" smartly dressed and innocent.

One can't judge a book by its cover this male juror said. He could not believe what he saw happening and saw his glorious early weekend slipping away. The other jurors were totally ignoring the judge’s instructions. So, after three hours of wrangling, like the 12 Angry Men movie (except it was seven men and five women), this man and another juror finally persuaded everyone of the woman’s guilt, except for one woman. She said, “I could never vote to convict her, because the Bible says, ‘Judge not, lest you be judged.’”

It was late in the day, and if the woman wasn't found guilty or not, then everyone would have to come back on Saturday. Thus, this man said to this woman, “None of us wants to come back tomorrow. We’re going to convict her, and you just keep quiet!” That’s how justice was served.

Even though I said, "I try not to judge others unless I am forced to," such as being on a jury, evaluating a job applicant, whether a stranger is trustworthy, accepting someone who decided on an abortion or practices homosexuality and so on, it's not easy to continuously adhere to that rule. I have judged others unfairly myself, i.e. prejudice. We all tend to judge people subconsciously. It's a self-defense mechanism.

Yet, Jesus said, “Do not judge so that you will not be judged” Matthew 7:1. One of the most disobeyed and misunderstood verses for Christians. Judgmental words eventually will flow out of a judgmental heart, but the sin begins in the heart. It is a manifestation of pride; we think that we are better than others are.

But divorce = unforgiveness on the part of the seeker. Divorce and remarriage is adultery and unrepentant sin remains unforgiven. And none of this is provided by the New Covenant.

 

[SPF]

But divorce = unforgiveness on the part of the seeker. Divorce and remarriage is adultery and unrepentant sin remains unforgiven. And none of this is provided by the New Covenant.

Of course thanks to Scripture we know this position is false.

Matthew 19:9 And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.”

The clear teaching here is that if a divorce occurs for any reason other than adultery, then remarriage constitutes adultery. Why? Simple, marriage between two believers forms a spiritual covenant which is sealed by God. Thus, there's more to breaking the covenant then simply deciding that one no longer wants to be married. Jesus teaches that unless the divorce occurs due to adultery, that upon remarriage, the person is committing adultery.

But how can a single person who gets married commit adultery? Simple, they can't. This means that when a divorce occurs for any reason other than adultery that even though society accepts them as legally separated, God does not. They are actually still married, still bound in the eyes of God. Therefore, remarriage constitutes adultery.

However, Jesus is clear that if the divorce IS due to adultery, remarriage will NOT constitute in adultery. Meaning, adultery is the one thing that is capable of severing the one flesh covenant that is formed between two believers when they marry.

Paul further expounds upon the uniqueness of marriage when he discusses the marriage relationship in the context of Christian and non-Christian:

1 Corinthians 7:13,14 If any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever, and he consents to live with her, she should not divorce him. For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.

For a person who truly loves the Lord and is seeking to honor and glorify Him with their life, their life should look and feel radically different than a person who is not a Christian. Therefore, Paul says to the Believing spouse that if the unbelieving spouse is willing to stay with them that they need to stay in the marriage. He assures them that God will honor the marriage even though half of the bond is coming from someone who doesn't know Christ.

However!

1 Corinthians 7:15 But if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so. In such cases the brother or sister is not enslaved. God has called you to peace.

Paul is also very clear in that if the unbelieving spouse wants to leave, that not only is it acceptable, but the Christian spouse is free to remarry. This further displays the uniqueness and covenant nature of marriage when it is between two Believers. Marriage was the first institute given to us by God, it preceded the law!

Marriage is the most intimate and deep type of relationship we can have with a person this side of heaven. The physical aspect of a marriage is the deepest and most intimate type of relationship we can have with a person this side of heaven. It is for this very reason that only physical adultery is capable of severing the one flesh covenant. Sex can be the most beautiful, deep, and meaningful act that we can share with our spouse. But it can also be the most devastating, gut wrenching, and harmful, destroying thing when not performed with one's spouse.

Dave, the sad, and I mean very sad irony of your legalistic, judgmental, unbiblical position is that you make yourself a hypocrite with how you judge and treat those who have appropriately remarried.