“And Jesus said to them, ‘Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female.'” Mark 10:5-6
March 11, 2024
Any discussion about divorce must begin with marriage. Jesus asserts that God’s standards for marriage, divorce, and remarriage are rooted in His creation ordinance. It was human sin that struck a blow against the divine ideal. Hardness (rebellion against God’s moral will) of heart is at the root of divorce. Divorce came only as a concession to sin. It was not required nor was it instituted by God. The regulation of divorce in Deuteronomy 24:1-4 was the lesser of two evils. It was to keep divorce from burning away the life of Israel, a merciful concession for the sake of the woman.
God’s ideal is to fulfill His purposes in a man and woman committed to one another in the marriage bond. There are words of grace and mercy for those who have a divorce in their past. That will be addressed later. What is crucial is for the church to establish a counter-culture. We are to be the walking embodiment of the truth of God. Is there unity in your marital relationship? God is giving married Christians the opportunity to adorn the gospel through lovingly loyal marriages.
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Prayer for the married:
“O Lord of the marriage covenant, make my marriage stronger in my will to overcome the enemies of oneness in heart and mind, oneness in body, and unity in God.”