Marriage is a covenant that calls for maturity. Divorce is the enemy’s attack on God’s first institution, before the fall. And no-fault divorces opened the way for selfishness in today’s relationships. A successful marriage

demands a funeral for selfishness. Christians are to be the salt and light in our society; we take our lead from Christ, not the world. A reformation is needed regarding marriage and divorce. Jesus touches on the issue in Matthew 5:31-32, and revisits it again in chapter 19 toward the end of His earthly ministry. “Everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.” (v. 32) Deuteronomy 24:1-4 seems to indicate that Moses permitted divorce, but this isn’t a blanket authorization for Christians. It’s interesting that Christians claim the law when it suits their plans; and they claim grace when the law doesn’t fit. Jesus deals with the “Moses” issue in the later passage, emphasizing that divorce has never been God’s plan for His people. The bottom line is that every divorce is a failure of the relationship. During Jesus’ time, the people had wrongly come to the conclusion that a man could divorce his wife for anything that displeases him: just get a certificate of divorce; i.e. like “no-fault” divorces today. What is New Testament teaching on divorce? Read 1 Corinthians 7:10-16. The weight of Paul’s writing is toward (a) the permanency of marriage, (b) reconciliation if a divorce occurs, and (c) remaining single if reconciliation can’t be worked out. As a pastor, I have never given counsel to divorce, always leaving room to save the marriage. But if a couple did, and if they remarried, I received them under God’s grace. In most cases, there is greater chance of happiness in working through marital difficulty than in turning away by divorce.

Sin cera, Erik

Erik O. Garthe is Associate Pastor at Canton Baptist Church in Baltimore, Maryland.

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