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Divorce and Remarriageby Herbert W. Armstrong AMERICA
LEADS THE WORLD IN DIVORCES. DIVORCE HAS BECOME THE NATION'S NUMBER ONE
SOCIAL AND LEGAL PROBLEM. THE CHANCES ARE ALMOST ONE IN THREE THAT YOUR
OWN MARRIAGE WILL END IN DIVORCE!
WHAT ARE THE REAL "BIBLE GROUNDS" FOR DIVORCE AND REMARRIAGE? WHAT'S THE TRUE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS ALARMING TREND?,
HERE'S
A COURAGEOUS STRAIGHT-FROM-THE-SHOULDER ARTICLE DARING TO TELL YOU THE
PLAIN TRUTH — AN ARTICLE THAT WILL DIRECTLY AFFECT NEARLY EVERY FOURTH
READER!
THE ALARMING rise in the divorce rate is not merely America's growing
"Tragedy" — it is America's growing SIN — a sin which America could
prevent, and for which she will PAY'
Every Fourth Home Affected!
In
telling you the PLAIN TRUTH on this vital subject, it is realized this
truth strikes home to every fourth reader.
It's
realized, too, that some will become offended at the TRUTH. It is not
our purpose, however, to offend people, but rather to please God and to
carry out His solemn commission to us: "CRY ALOUD, AND SPARE NOT! LIFT
UP THY VOICE LIKE A TRUMPET AND SHOW MY PEOPLE THEIR TRANSGRESSIONS,
AND THE HOUSE OF JACOB THEIR SINS!" (Isa. 58:1).
That
we must do, no matter whom it offends — and even though this sin
reaches into, perhaps, every fourth home This is an appalling national
sin that reaches, also, to high Heaven and threatens to destroy this
great nation and bring upon it the wrath of God.
But,
if this sin exists in every fourth home, THAT IS THE MOST IMPELLING
REASON FOR SENDING INTO THOSE HOMES GOD'S TRUTH!
Where GOD Places the Blame!
Do
you know where GOD places the blame for this colossal national sin? The
Eternal places it squarely on the PREACHERS who have neglected telling
the nation GOD'S TRUTH!
Listen to God's stinging indictment of the self-professing ministers!
"My people hath been lost sheep: their shepherds. (preachers) have caused them to go astray:" (Jer. 50:6).
In
this article we propose to give you the plain WORD OF GOD, straight
from the shoulder, hoping and praying you will not become angry at the
truth. Those who do take offense will be offended at GOD and His WORD,
because these laws are not ours, but GOD'S.
God's Laws Protect the HOME
Did
you ever realize that God's laws are designed primarily to do two
things — (1) keep people in a close and right relationship with GOD and
NEIGHBOR, and (2) protect the FAMILY — the HOME?
God
made the husband the head of the wife, and the parents the head over
their children. The fifth command protects this relationship: "Honor
thy father and thy mother." And, again:
"Thou shalt not commit ADULTERY!"
That command was given to PROTECT THE HOME! To prevent broken homes, juvenile delinquents, untrained children!
Marriage by God's Authority Only
Now
notice the first, original, fundamental, basic rule of all in the
husband and wife — the family — relationship.
When
God first created man upon the earth HE ordained the marriage union.
Marriage was not instituted by authority of a man-made court, or the
laws of a legislature or a congress.
Notice:
"And the Eternal GOD said, It is not good that the man should be alone;
I will make an help meet for him." (Gen. 2:18).
And
Jesus said: "... from the beginning of the creation God made them male
and female. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and
cleave to his wife; And they twain shall be ONE FLESH.... What
therefore GOD hath joined together, let not man put asunder.... And he
saith unto them, whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another,
committeth adultery against her. And if a woman shall put away her
husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery." (Mark
10:6-9, 11-12).
There is the FOUNDATION of the marriage union!
There is the BASIS of family life! There is the DIVINE LAW upon which the fate of the nation rests!
Did
you notice what that basis is? Almighty GOD, not a human legislative
body, created the human race — made us male and female. When it is
fully understood, and straightened in your mind, the whole question of
divorce and remarriage will be dear.
It is GOD, not man, who joins husband and wife together!
We
call marriage "HOLY matrimony," or "HOLY wedlock." Why? What makes it
HOLY? Only the fact that it is a DIVINE institution, ordained of GOD —
that it is GOD who joins the man and WOMAN as ONE FLESH. The minister
doesn't "tie the knot.
"The
minister, justice of the peace or other officer authorized by men,
merely conducts the ceremony. It is ALMIGHTY GOD who "ties the knot."
It is GOD who binds them as one flesh FOR LIFE.
It
pertains to "saved" and "unsaved" alike — to all races, creeds, and
colors. It is not an ordinance of the CHURCH — the marriage institution
started with CREATION, long before there was any church. It is for MALE
and FEMALE, regardless of the church. They become ONE FLESH, not one
spirit. From Creation to now, every man and woman who have taken each
other as man and wife have been JOINED TOGETHER as ONE FLESH by the
Eternal GOD for the remainder of their natural lives!
One thing, and one only, can break that marriage union — death!
Understand
that BASIC FOUNDATION of the marriage institution, and everything else
becomes clear. Marriage is not of human institution; it is not a
political, a civil, a legal, or even a church institution — it was
originated with Adam and Eve from Creation; it was instituted by GOD,
and not man; its authority is solely that of GOD, not man!
Therefore
MAN-MADE LAWS CONTRARY TO THOSE OF GOD HAVE NO AUTHORITY OVER MARRIAGE!
Its only binding laws are those of GOD. And GOD HAS NEVER GIVEN ANY
AUTHORITY WHATSOEVER FOR ANY BODY OF MEN, CIVIL, ECCLESIASTICAL OR
OTHER — WISE, TO LEGISLATE ON MARRIAGE CONTRARY TO HIS MARRIAGE LAWS!
Since
our human governments have legislated laws concerning marriage, and
since we are to be SUBJECT to the government that is over us (but
without breaking the laws of God), all couples naturally should satisfy
the man-made laws so far as they conform to those of God, by securing a
marriage license and having a legal ceremony properly recorded.
But
every state legislature which passes laws authorizing divorce and
remarriage is defying Almighty God, and HOLY WITHOUT AUTHORITY!
Any
human judge who grants a divorce based upon such unauthorized man-made
laws stands himself in contempt of the HIGHER court of the Eternal GOD!
Anyone
who procures a divorce from wife or husband from any such unauthorized
human court receives a divorce which is INVALID — not legal or binding
according to the LAWS OF GOD!
When
any person, holding such a "divorce," marries and lives with another,
THE WHOLE PROCEDURE IS WITHOUT AUTHORITY FROM GOD — and such a person
is NOT in fact or in God's sight married to this second husband or
wife, but instead is merely LIVING IN ADULTERY with this second person!
And
any professing minister of Jesus Christ who performs such a ceremony
involving such a divorced person is himself DOUBLY GUILTY, and will be
SO held in the final judgment!
Yes,
the MAIN REASON for SO much of this Legally licensed (by man) ADULTERY
in our land is the SILENCE of the ministers concerning the TRUTH —
their actual upholding and condoning of this SIN, their participation
in it!
One
incidental point should be made clear just here. The SIN is not the
ceremony alone, but the SEX RELATIONSHIP which CONTINUES after the
ceremony.
The Principle Scriptures
The basic Scriptures on the subject of marriage and divorce are these, in addition to those given above:
"It
hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a
writing of divorcement: but I (Jesus Christ) 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." (Mat. 5:31-32 — part of Jesus' sermon on
the Mount.)
"The
Pharisees also came unto Him, tempting Him, and saying unto Him, Is it
lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? And he answered
and said unto them, Have ye not read, that He which made them at the
beginning made them male and female, and said, For this cause shall a
man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they
twain shall be ONE FLESH? Wherefore they are no more twain, but ONE
flesh. What therefore GOD hath joined together, let not man put asunder
They say unto Him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of
divorcement, and to put her away? 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. 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." (Mat. 19:3-9).
Before
quoting the other Scriptures, let us examine these more closely. Here
are the ONLY TWO places in the New Testament where any exception
whatsoever is given. Here, then, is stated the ONLY "BIBLE GROUNDS" for
a second marriage (except, of course, after the death of a mate).
Notice,
in speaking to the Pharisees, Jesus went back to the very beginning of
creation for HIS AUTHORITY for the. laws of God respecting marriage.
The man — ordained laws in the nation Israel were contrary, and NOT
BINDING TODAY.
But He did make one exception: "except it be for FORNICATION."
What is "fornication"?
Is
it the same thing as adultery? NOT AT ALL! "Fornication" and "adultery"
are two altogether different things.
Here
is the Webster Dictionary definition: "Fornication — Illicit sexual
intercourse — on the part of an UNMARRIED person." " Adultery —
Voluntary sexual intercourse "'by a married man with another than his
wife or by a married woman with another than her husband."
"Fornication"
is committed BEFORE marriage, and only by an unmarried person. Adultery
is UNFAITHFULNESS to a husband or wife.
Why
did Jesus make this explanation about "except it be for fornication?"
He was speaking to the strict, legalistically minded hypocritical
Pharisees. They were questioning him so closely about the laws of
marriage in an effort to trap him. They were familiar with every detail
of the law. So to be explicit and legally exact in answering them,
Jesus here referred to the laws as recorded in Deut. 22:19 regarding
marriage.
These
laws provided that, if a man married a woman, and, after marriage found
she had not been a virgin in — that she had committed fornication
BEFORE marriage to him — he was allowed to put her away. It was not
actually a divorce but rather an ANNULMENT — a canceling out of the —
marriage. The man had been tricked-deceived-the victim of a fraud. He
had no way of knowing this until after the marriage ceremony. The
assumption is that God, having known it, NEVER JOINED TOGETHER this man
and woman at all. They are not bound in God's sight — the ceremony is
nullified, just as if it never had taken place. The man is left in the
status of not having been married at all. He is, then, free to marry,
just as if this fraudulent ceremony, now erased, had never occurred.
This
is NOT strictly speaking a DIVORCE, at all! It is not a separation,
divorcing, or putting asunder of a couple joined as ONE FLESH by God,
for in this case God never had joined them as one. WHAT God has
actually joined together as ONE FLESH, God will not, and commands man
not to separate. That is the principle.
The Old Testament Example
Turn just briefly to the Old Testament Scriptures.
"If
any man take a wife, and go in unto her and hate her, and give
occasions of speech against her, and bring up an evil name upon her,
and say, I took this woman, and when I came to her, I found her not a
maid: Then shall the father of the damsel, and her mother, take and
bring forth the tokens of the damsel's virginity unto the elders of the
city in the gate: ... and the elders of that city shall take that man
and chastise him; ... because he hath brought an evil name upon a
virgin of Israel: and SHE SHALL BE HIS WIFE; HE MAY NOT PUT HER AWAY
ALL HIS DAYS." (Deut. 22:13-19).
Notice,
his EXCUSE for putting her away was that she was not a virgin — that
she had committed fornication BEFORE marriage to him. But in case the
man accused her falsely and attempted by a lie to free himself from the
marriage, the man was fined and punished and forced to take the woman
as his wife FOR THE REMAINDER OF HIS LIFE — because in this case she
was a pure woman, NOT guilty of fornication but a virgin, and SO GOD
HAD JOINED THEM FOR LIFE, AND NO DIVORCE WAS PERMITTED FOR ANY CAUSE
WHATSOEVER.
But, in case such a man rightly accused the woman he had married, notice how the law operates:
"But
if this thing be true, and the tokens of virginity be not found for the
damsel: then they shall bring out the damsel to the door of her
father's house, and the men of her city shall stone her with stones
that she die: because she hath wrought folly in Israel, to play the
whore in her father's (not her husband's) house." Verses 20-21
This
shows, too, how serious the sin of fornication is regarded by God.
Today general estimates are that perhaps two out of three young women,
and perhaps nine out of ten young men have been guilty of fornication
before marriage! Yes, this is FOLLY IN ISRAEL TODAY! One a great
proportion of young people today do not even consider seriously! This
is just one of our popularly condoned SINS that is bringing DOOM to
America today!
This
shows HOW FAR this nation has drifted from God, and the low ebb of our
morals! And it paves the way for that still more serious sin, ADULTERY,
with our national rampage of divorce and remarriage!
The NEW Testament Example
The New Testament example of this is in the case of the birth of Jesus Christ Himself.
These
Christ — rejecting Pharisees, knowing that Joseph was not the real
father of Jesus, and rejecting the truth that HE was conceived of the
Holy Spirit, sneered at Him: "We be not born of fornication." (John
8:41). By this they insinuated that His mother Mary was guilty of
fornication BEFORE marriage, and Jesus of being illegitimately born.
Plainly, they understood the meaning of "fornication" to be an act
committed BEFORE marriage.
And
at first, even Joseph, Mary's husband, believed Mary to be guilty of
fornication, and "with child" as a result, not knowing Jesus was
begotten not by any human father, but by GOD thru the Holy Spirit.
"Now
the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as His mother Mary was
espoused (married) to Joseph, before they came together, she was found
with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband (they were
already married, not just engaged), being a just man, and not willing
to make her a public example (according to the law of Deut. 22:20-21)
was minded to put her away privately. But while he thought on these
things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream,
saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy
wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost." (Mat.
1:18-20).
Now
notice carefully! Joseph knew God's laws regarding marriage. He
supposed Mary guilty of fornication — an act committed BEFORE marriage.
And he was going to put her away "before they came together" —
immediately! The point I want you to catch here is that IF he were to
take advantage of this one exception of fornication, he must do it
BEFORE HE LIVED WITH HER AS A WIFE. He must not accept her as a wife at
all, but before he does, if she is a fornicatress and he wishes to put
her away, the marriage must be SET ASIDE — erased, annulled.
But
a man can, if he wishes, accept the woman he has married as his wife
and live with her, in which case the union becomes valid in God's
sight, and they are then BOUND TO EACH OTHER FOR LIFE. Undoubtedly, in
a day of low morals and prevalent promiscuity before marriage such as
exists today, the best course in such a case would be to forgive the
sin of fornication, accept the wife or husband, in which case the
marriage becomes binding, and live together.
A
man or woman is not barred from marriage for life because of
fornication. Altho it is a sin, and very serious in God's sight, it is
a sin that can be forgiven upon repentance by the blood of Christ, and
it would be better, when two are in love, to forgive if either or both
are guilty of fornication, and make the marriage binding.
Someone
will be bound to bring up the question: What if it is the MAN who was
guilty of fornication — can the woman put HIM away in the same manner?
While the Scriptures are silent on this specifically, yet it is my
judgment, and I believe I have the mind of God, that, since God has no
double standard, and is no respecter of persons, that this law applies
exactly the same to either sex.
Another
question bound to arise: What if this fornication is not discovered
for, say, two years, or ten or twenty years? Can the injured man or
woman after all that time put away the mate on the grounds of something
that happened BEFORE marriage? Again, while the Scriptures do not cover
this point specifically, the PRINCIPLE revealed is that a marriage may
be SET ASIDE when this pre-marital sin is discovered after marriage,
but "before they come together," as specifically illustrated in the
case of Joseph and Mary. In such a case the man must not live with the
woman as his wife at all, pr the woman with the man if he is the guilty
one. But, if they do take each other in the marriage relationship and
live together as husband and wife, they are then JOINED BY GOD, legally
married, and there can be NO DIVORCE.
Certainly
a man could not, for instance, continue to live with a wife as long as
he pleases, KNOWING she had been a fornicatress, with a ready excuse
any time he decides he would like to get rid of her. If he accepts her
HE IS BOUND TO HER FOR LIFE, and she to him if she accepts him. If a
man or woman knows the other has been guilty of fornication, and
marries anyway, then THERE ARE NO GROUNDS WHATEVER FOR DIVORCE. The
only grounds are when the innocent party was deceived and defrauded.
Thus
the ONE EXCEPTION mentioned by Jesus is not actually grounds for a
divorce and remarriage at all — but merely the annulling, or erasing,
of a ceremony in which the parties were not actually joined by God at
all.
Adultery Not Bible Grounds
I
have heard many people speak of "adultery" as "the Bible grounds for
divorce." It will come as a great surprise to many, therefore, that
ADULTERY is no grounds whatever for divorce! There are NO GROUNDS
WHATSOEVER for divorce and remarriage, once joined by God for life!
Consider, now, the other principal New Testament Scriptures on the
question:
"And
He said unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry
another, committeth adultery against her. And if a woman shall put away
her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery." (Mark
10:11-12). Notice, it does not say adultery in the ceremony," but
"committeth" — that is, IS NOW COMMITTING adultery by sex relationship
with one to whom he or she is not married in God's sight.
"Whosoever
putteth away his wife and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and
whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband commiteth
adultery." (Luke 16:18).
Is One Bound to a Sinning Mate?
A
listener asks if he is bound to live with a non-Christian and sinning
wife. The answer is, he is BOUND to her by marriage, and therefore is
not free as long as she lives to marry any other woman, but he is not
required to live with her-he may live apart from her, and remain
unmarried, except to her.
Here is the Scripture on the point:
"And
unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife
depart from her husband: but and if she depart. let her remain
unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put
away his wife." (I Cor. 7:10-11). It applies equally whether man or
woman.
Further:
"If any brother (Christian) bath a wife that believeth not, and she be
pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away. And the woman
(Christian) which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be
pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him.
...But
if the unbelieving depart, let him (or her) depart. A brother or a
sister is not under bondage in such cases." (Verses 12-15).
It
is a COMMAND of God (II Cor. 6:14) that Christians shall not marry
unbelievers, and trouble nearly always results when this command is
broken. But IF one is married to an unbeliever, the marriage is a
physical, not a spiritual union, and they are then BOUND as long as
they live. The Christian is not forced, however, to live with the
unbelieving mate, but must, in that case, live as one single. There are
no grounds for divorce and remarriage.
Again,
in I Cor. 7:39: "The wife is 'BOUND by the law as long as her husband
liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to
whom she will; only in the Lord."
Now
Romans 7:2-3: "For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law
to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is
loosed from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband
liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an
adultress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from the law; so
that she is no adultress, though she be married to another man."
Some
have written me that they were not converted when they divorced, or
married, or remarried, arguing that since they were not then Christians
the marriage didn't "count," or, that since the divorce and remarriage
occurred before conversion, and the knowledge of the truth, that God
should wink at it, and asking if it is not right for them to now
continue living with one divorced. I repeat, MARRIAGE IS A FLESH UNION,
instituted by GOD at Creation, before there was any Church — it applies
for ALL PEOPLE, from Creation, thru all dispensations and ages, and is
for Egyptian, Russians, Chinese or Indian, as well as for American and
Canadian — it applies to the unconverted as well as the converted. The
only exception is that a converted person should avoid marrying an
unconverted.
If
a man was a thief before he was converted, is it right for him to
continue stealing after conversion? Nonsense! The converted person must
REPENT of sin — must QUIT SINNING — and living with one divorced and
actually bound by God's law to another is LIVING IN ADULTERY.
Jesus was talking at a well to a Gentile woman from Samaria.
"I
have no husband," answered the woman. Jesus said, "Thou hast well said,
I have no husband: for thou hast had: five 'husbands'; and he whom thou
now hath IS NOT THY HUSBAND in that said thou truly." (John 4:16-18).
She was a divorced and remarried woman, and the man she lived with was
NOT HER HUSBAND, tho she had "married" him. Hollywood is full of such
women today!
John
the Baptist finally paid with his life, because as a faithful servant
of God he warned King Herod that it was not lawful for him to have his
brother Phillip's wife. Josephus tells us Herod had divorced his wife
and married Philip's wife, who in turn had divorced Philip.
WHAT, Then, Shall We Do?
I
know full well that literally THOUSANDS will read this article, who
have been divorced and remarried, or have married a divorced person. I
know only too well that the question will come to thousands of you, for
the first time: "Well, then, if I am living in adultery, WHAT SHALL I
DO?"
My
heart goes out to all such people. Being human, I wish I could spare
them God's answer, but God helping me, I can't! He has called me to
"Cry aloud, and SPARE NOT, and show my people their sins." He has
called me to TURN YOU FROM YOUR SINS — that that isn't often pleasant
for me, or easy for you' It is the greater pity that most such people
are the innocent victims of either false teaching, or lack of teaching.
GOD HOLDS THE PROFESSING MINISTERS TO BLAME!
But,
hard as it may be to have to say it, all I can say as a faithful
minister of Jesus Christ is: "COME OUT OF SIN" and "QUIT LIVING IN SIN!"
Adultery
is SIN — and if one of the two parties, or both, has been divorced, and
the previous husband or wife is still living, then the present
"marriage" is not a marriage at all in GOD'S SIGHT — you are STILL
BOUND BY GOD to the one from whom you were divorced, and the one you
now live with is NOT your husband or your wife, but merely the one with
whom you are LIVING IN ADULTERY!
Yes,
I know, all kinds of complications arise. There is property involved.
Perhaps there are children. Perhaps there is, now, a home with children
by this second marriage. And it SEEMS wrong and unjust in human eyes to
break it up. So human beings usually begin to argue that God isn't
fair, and try to find a way around God's commands! But "there is a way
that seemeth RIGHT to a man, but the end thereof are the WAYS OF
DEATH." So says God's Word! We are to obey God, not human reasoning. No
matter how it looks to us, no matter how we reason, GOD'S WAYS AND THE
LAWS ARE ALWAYS RIGHT — MORE FAIR BY FAR — THAN THE WAYS THAT SEEM
RIGHT TO US!
And
remember, God's laws are not made to break up homes, but to establish
and PROTECT them — and if it SEEMS to human reason that in rectifying
these sins homes might be broken up, I can only remind you that it was
the original DIVORCE which broke up a God — established home, and the
home made by divorced persons is a home founded on ADULTERY, ugly as
this fact may seem.
Marriage
is not taken seriously enough in America today. Young people are not
taught to realize its serious responsibility — that it is FOR LIFE. Too
many marriages should never have been made, in the first place. But,
once made, they are BINDING! Too few know the difference between LOVE
and LUST. We are attempting to found the American home today upon
IGNORANCE, CARELESSNESS, AND SIN. No wonder we are becoming a nation of
broken homes and juvenile delinquents!
God
help all who are guilty of this sin, innocent of intentional wrong
through ignorance of GOD'S TRUTH and His ETERNAL LAWS, to have the
courage to PUT THIS SIN OUT OF THEIR LIVES, and to quit living in
ADULTERY!
God
help all such not to put human reasoning, or the false advice of
ministers, in the place of the PLAIN LAWS OF GOD! It makes no
difference how we REASON, as to what is fair or unfair — it makes no
difference how many MEN professing to be ministers of Jesus Christ
advise you otherwise, THE MARRIAGE LAWS WERE ORDAINED BY GOD; they were
ordained AT CREATION; they are binding UPON ALL MEN AND WOMEN OF ALL
RACES, IN ALL AGES, WHETHER BELIEVER OR UNBELIEVER; GOD'S LAWS ARE
INEXORABLE AND CANNOT BE CHANGED; AND LIVING IN A MARRIAGE AFTER
DIVORCE IS LIVING IN ADULTERY — THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS — AND ALL THE
HUMAN REASONING AND ASSURANCES OF THIS WORLD'S MINISTERS WILL BE OF NO
AVAIL IN THE JUDGMENT!
It
cannot be denied that, once entangled in this violation of God's
marriage laws, an apparent injustice may be brought on innocent people
by now OBEYING God's commands.
BUT
I STILL SAY THAT NO MATTER HOW IT MAY APPEAR, NO MATTER HOW WE HUMANS
MAY REASON, IT IS ALWAYS BETTER, IN EVERY INDIVIDUAL CIRCUMSTANCE, TO
FOLLOW THE LAWS OF GOD AND OBEY HIS COMMANDS!
Yes,
the horrible thing about sin is that the innocent suffer with the
guilty. Penalties from past sins cannot always be avoided. But to
continue in sin only brings further penalties!
What
so few seem to realize is that THESE LAWS OF GOD ARE LIVING THINGS!
These laws are actually IN MOTION! They were instituted and set in
motion to BRING US HAPPINESS and to PROTECT our happiness. We never
fare better by following some other way of human reasoning, no matter
how the special circumstances of an individual case may APPEAR.
If
we dare to break these laws of God, WE SUFFER! These laws are active,
living things — and THEY CRACK DOWN ON us when they are disobeyed! They
are INVISIBLE laws. Perhaps it may SEEM to a man some other way is the
better way. But always, in all cases, that other way that seemeth RIGHT
to a man will only bring on more unhappiness and suffering!
God
who instituted these laws IS ABLE TO ALTER CIRCUMSTANCES SO as to BLESS
those who put their faith in Him by following HIS ways, and obeying HIS
laws, instead of the traditions, customs, and reasonings of mortal
humans! Of course, where sins have been committed, there are penalties.
But STILL the lesser of the two evils is to OBEY GOD'S LAWS in regard
to the marriage relationship! If you permit human reason to lead you
into transgressing them, no matter how RIGHT that course may SEEM to
you, God's INEXORABLE LAWS WILL PUNISH YOU and you will suffer far more
— be far more unhappy. Trust God — turn to Him — OBEY HIM — quit living
in adultery; or, if you were contemplating a divorce and remarriage,
put away that temptation — AND SEE WHETHER THE ALMIGHTY CREATOR IS NOT
ABLE TO WORK CIRCUMSTANCES OUT TO A REALLY HAPPY SOLUTION!
Suffering
and unhappiness come ONLY from living contrary to God's laws! Happiness
can come ONLY by living according to them. May God help each one to SEE
this basic TRUTH — TO FEAR to go contrary to it — to PUT HIS FAITH IN
GOD!