Matthew 5:31-32“Furthermore it has been said,

“whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.” But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.”

The “D” Word

Matthew 5:31-32

Matthew 19:4-6“Have you not read that He who

made them at the beginning made them male and female, and said, “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh?” So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.

What Marriage isMarriage is between and man and a womanMarriage is for lifeMarriage takes 2 people and makes them 1Marriage is a VOW or PROMISE before God

◦I promise to love thee…for better or worse◦In sickness and health◦Richer or poorer◦Till death do us part

The Divorce ProblemThe divorce rate of Non-Christians = 50%The divorce rate of Christians = 50%

We need to know what God says about Marriage, Divorce, and Remarriage

We have all been affected by divorce in some way and divorce was just as common in Jesus day as it is today

Matthew 5:31“Furthermore it has been said,

“whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.”

Certificate of DivorceComes from the law of Moses – Deut 24:1-4

This was a concession made by God because of their hard hearts. Never what God intended.

It was used to prevent “quick” divorces

The problem is that the VOWS were not taken seriously

Rabbi Shammai and Rabbi HillelShammai – the only reason you can get a

divorce is if your spouse commits adultery

Hillel – You can get a divorce from your wife for any reason even if they just burned dinner

Which one do you think the people liked?

Matthew 5:32But I say to you that whoever

divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.”

Why? Cheating on your vows

Malachi 2:16For the LORD God of Israel says That He hates divorce

Why? Divorce is breaking a promise and God refuses to break promises.

And God expects us to be like Him

The ExceptionBut I say to you that whoever

divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.”

There is no way to fix the marriage if they have already run off from the marriage

1 Corinthians 7:10-11“Now to the married I command, yet not

I but the Lord: A wife is not to depart from her husband. But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife.”

1 Corinthians 7:10-11“Now to the married I command, yet not

I but the Lord: A wife is not to depart from her husband. But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife.”

This is a quote from JesusThis is a marriage between 2 ChristiansNotice there is no mention of Adultery

1 Corinthians 7:10-11“Now to the married I command, yet not

I but the Lord: A wife is not to depart from her husband. But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife.”

This is a quote from JesusThis is a marriage between 2 ChristiansNotice there is no mention of Adultery

1 Corinthians 7:12-13But to the rest I, not the Lord say: If any

brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her. And a woman who has a husband who does not believe, if he is willing to live with her, let her not divorce him.

1 Corinthians 7:12-13But to the rest I, not the Lord say: If any

brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her. And a woman who has a husband who does not believe, if he is willing to live with her, let her not divorce him.

But what if they do not want to stay married to a Christian?

1 Corinthians 7:15But if the unbeliever departs, let him

depart; a brother or sister is not under bondage in such cases.

1 Corinthians 7:15But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart; a

brother or sister is not under bondage in such cases.

What does the word “BONDAGE” mean?Free from the marriage bond?Free from the rules of marriage by Jesus

meaning you can marry anyone you want?

Paul is not even thinking about remarriage here

George GeorgettaNot a Christian ChristianDivorces Georgetta over her cooking

According to 1 Corinthians 7:15, Georgetta is permitted to grant George the divorce

NOTE: there is no adultery committed here like Jesus said was the only reason for divorce in Matthew 5:31-32

Georgetta wants to get remarriedBut if the unbeliever departs, let him depart;

a brother or sister is not under bondage in such cases. – 1 Corinthians 7:15

Who will she marry?A good Christian man?

But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual

immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is

divorced commits adultery. Matthew 5:32

Not Under BondageThis means free from the marriage vows Not free of the rules of remarriage by Jesus

This is why Paul spends the next 20 verses exhorting the positives of being single because he realizes what he has just said

This illustrates the importance of marrying a Christian…who understands Jesus’ commands

1 Corinthians 7:39What if your spouse dies?“A wife is bound by law as long as her

husband lives; but if her husband dies, she is at liberty to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord.”

This is the first time Paul brings up remarriage.

1. God hates divorce – We must keep our vows

2. God allows you to divorce your spouse and remarry only if your spouse has committed adultery.

3. If you divorce your spouse for any reason other than adultery you must remain single or go back to your spouse

4. If your spouse dies you can remarry, but they must be a Christian.