Reader, this topic is both sensitive and controversial for all the wrong reasons. Here at TGM we are bible literalists, and we teach the exact word of God as written, without bias or denominational influence. Some of our members have firsthand horrible experiences at the hand of independent fundamentalist churches and the error they teach on biblical divorce and remarriage, and unfortunately, we would class some of their teachings as emotional abuse.
Across all the questions and concerns we have on the topic, the overwhelming majority of cases will be a person telling us their Pastor or leader has told them they are not allowed to either divorce or remarry. In some cases, this may be true, but in some cases it is false. We then must ask, why would a Pastor or Leader take such a position? There seems to be, in a lot of these churches some class system. The elitists and their children who are all only married once, are on some Hollier level than the dirtier Christians who have divorced and remarried, and we find this disgusting. When these leaders attempt to make a biblical case against all valid biblical remarriage they fail miserably.
Our Statement
There is a stark difference between the Old Testament and the New Testament here, and there are many false teachings from scripture used to control their congregation. We thought it valuable to clear up any misunderstandings before we present you with your biblical options on divorce and remarriage,
TGM teaches:
- God hates Divorce, and it should be avoided at all costs within one’s control.
- The Old Testament rules on marriage and divorce do not apply to a Christian today.
- The precise law on divorce and remarriage as found in the av1611 King James version of the bible.
- Marriage is the joining of the flesh with flesh, it is not attained by a ceremony
Divorce & Remarriage In Scripture
- 1 Corinthians 7:27 Art thou bound unto a wife? seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? seek not a wife.
Here we have a blanket instruction from Paul, we should not seek a divorce if we are married. So we say that’s it, no divorce allowed? Not so, Paul goes on to give us some biblical justification to divorce if we choose,
- 1 Corinthians 7:15 But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace.
Biblical divorce and remarriage without sin is Authorized here for the believer who’s unbelieving spouse deserts them.
- 1 Corinthians 7:5 Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.
Here we have a biblical statement that when a believer departs without consent, that is an action of fraud. The bible opens the door here to remarriage and divorce for the deserted believer.
- Matthew 19:9 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.
Man or woman, saved or unsaved, can divorce their spouse and biblically remarry if their spouse has committed adultery.
- Romans 7:2 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.
The bible obviously authorizes remarriage after the death of a spouse.
Our Teaching
In respect to biblical divorce and remarriage, TGM teaches the following:
- If you are a saved wife, and your unsaved husband leaves you for any reason, and will not reconcile, you are authorized to divorce and remarry.
- If you are a saved husband, and your unsaved wife leaves you for any reason, and will not reconcile, you are authorized to divorce and remarry.
- If you are a saved wife, and your saved husband departs, you are called to reconcile, or remain married but separate.
- If you are a saved husband, and your saved wife departs, you are called to reconcile, or remain married but separate.
- If your spouse commits adultery, you are authorized to divorce and remarry.
- If your spouse passes away, you are authorized to remarry.
God’s word is clear, and his instruction to his elders are direct, we should under all circumstances do whatever we can to encourage reconciliation to our spouse. Divorce is not God’s preferred option in any case.
Common Reasons used to Divorce
- Lack of Love
- Distrust
- Hardness of the heart
- Loneliness
- Unhappiness
- Lack of Intimacy
- The law of the land
- Property and Wealth
The biblical covenant of marriage is NOT based on any of these. Often our hearts lead us in a direction that is not based on truth, but on feelings. The bible has an interesting verse on this topic,
Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
If I were to ask you if you valued honesty as a personal trait, I’m sure you would say yes. The covenant of marriage requires a human to make the most important, irreversible promise they can make to another human. I’m sure you have heard of something like this,
“To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish till death do us part. And hereto I pledge you, my faithfulness.”
This is a promise, a promise to not divorce, a promise not to use any of the common reasons used to divorce. Here you must make a choice, how important is the promise you made to your spouse and will you stand by it?
The Unforgivable Forgivable
- 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
- Matthew 26:28 For this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
- Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
The message is clear, adultery and fornication were forgiven at the cross, to say otherwise is absurd. If you are divorced, have remarried, remarried multiple times without biblical justification, forgiveness of your sin awaits you just like any other sin. If you are remarried without biblical justification, there is a path to God accepting and blessing your marriage and using you for his purpose. He calls you to repent which means to change ones mind, promise to never again consider divorce, seek Gods forgiveness for your error, and we assure you that you will be as clean as snow in the eyes of God now and into the future.
Carefully we must make a few statements to you if you are considering unbiblical remarriage. There are serious consequences for you to deal with, and just because you can potentially attain forgiveness does not mean you should proceed.
- Proverbs 6:32 But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.
Reader adultery destroys the soul. Unbiblical remarriage destroy the soul. There are consequences you will face that you do not even know about. Yes, they can be repaired but we urge you to read the list above of unbiblical reasons used to divorce, make sure you are not using these reasons as “justification”. Ensure you are not being lead by the heart and immerse yourself in biblical truth whilst making these crucial life decisions.
TGM is here for you. If you need guidance or help during this difficult time, reach out to us we’d love to be a blessing in your life.