Let No-One Put Asunder

You probably already know what this mini-sermon is about before I even finish this first sentence. Well, you are right, it's about marriage. Now in this message, I’m talking about the biblical definition and Christian view of marriage, not the secular view and what today’s society wants marriage to be. A Biblical marriage is one that takes place between a man and a woman that is blessed in sight of God. The Bible clearly defines what marriage is in Matthew 19:4-6 “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female, and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”and also in Ephesians 5:31 ESV Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”

Now marriage is also described as a holy covenant before God. The Bible says this in Malachi 2:14 ESV Because the Lord was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. Marriage in this sense is a serious institution that was designed and ordained by God since the beginning of time in the Book of Genesis with Adam and Eve. Marriage is a lifetime of a loving and monogamous commitment between a husband and a wife and is supposed to terminate at the passing of one of the spouses. Therefore, the two parties agree to spend the rest of their lives together forsaking all others. By saying, “I do” means telling your spouse,“I won’t” (cheating in this sense).

Now, let’s move onto the reality of marriage. Marriage is the blending of two different personalities with different wants, needs, and desires. Marriage is challenging. Marriage is hard work. Marriage is probably one of the hardest human relationships to maintain. In spite of this marriage is still a beautiful thing. It’s wonderful to have a spouse to share life and love with. There are many marriages that do last for 25, 30, or 40+ years. It seems with some married couples the flames of love they share for each other never flame out.

Now, I truly wished that all marriages were this loving, this concrete, and could withstand the worst of times. You see, marriage is not always rainbows and fireworks like you see on TV or in the movies. Sometimes marriage is not always everlasting. The same flames of martial love, as described earlier, do sometimes flame out or become smoldering ashes.

Unfortunately, here is a sobering reality, according to the website worldpopulationreview.com, the United States, which has the 6th highest divorce rate in the world, about 50% of married couples end in divorce, 60% of second marriages end in divorce, and 73% of all third marriages end in divorce. Now that we know a high percentage of marriages do end in divorce; the concept of divorce was never in the grand design of God's plan for marriage. The Bible says in Malachi 2:16 NKJV “For the Lord God of Israel says That He hates divorce, For it covers one’s garment with violence,” Says the Lord of hosts. “Therefore take heed to your spirit, That you do not deal treacherously.”God’s desire is for marriages to stay intact.

Also, in the New Testament, Jesus stated the authorized reason for divorce in Matthew 19:9 I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.” Jesus does have a valid point. Adultery that takes place in a marriage breaks the vows that a husband and wife have pledged to each other. It rips apart the sealed bonds that have developed in the marriage. Adultery destroys the existence and the innocence of the blessed marriage.

I do believe there are other situations that happen in modern day marriages the Bible doesn’t specifically address. I believe that God would allow for a divorce for consistent sexual abuse, physical abuse, and willful abandonment of the affected spouse or their children. A spouse should leave an environment where they are being abused and tormented by an unrepentant spouse.

Besides adultery, family violence is also a major contributor to divorce. The Bible says in Psalms 11:5 The Lord examines the righteous, but the wicked, those who love violence, he hates with a passion. Violence and abuse in a marriage should never be tolerated and will never be accepted by God. If there is violence involved, the affected spouse should flee immediately.

Now, God does have the divine ability to bring healing and restoration to any marriage; but it requires the involvement of three parties for this to happen: God, the husband, and the wife. Broken marriages can be restored by God, prayer, forgiveness, repentance, pastoral counseling and professional marriage therapy. Yet again, it takes the open hearts and willingness of both spouses for a broken marriage to heal.