The Bible not only presents divine ideals but also sin-caused realities. In the Old Testament, divorce and remarriage were permitted under specific regulations. The question is whether or not any of these guidelines are applicable today within the context of the New Testament. Two instances demonstrate that divorce can, under certain conditions, be considered scriptural today.
1. When One Partner Develops a Pattern of Sexual Immorality
Christ said, “And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, (fornication) and marries another, commits adultery” (Matthew 19:9). Several observations should be noted:
Throughout the Christian life, we are faced with questions. We hope that these brief biblical responses to pastoral and theological issues, as well as questions that are frequently asked about day-to-day life, will prove helpful.
If you are seeking direction concerning a personal circumstance in your life, you may find some guidance among these responses. However, we strongly encourage you to utilize your local church leadership for face-to-face advice and biblical counsel.
Some of the issues are not considered core doctrines of Christianity. While we advocate the viewpoints expressed, we understand that some believers may disagree based upon interpretive or …
“Tired nature’s sweet restorer, balmy sleep,” is essential to the health and vigor of body and mind. But our moral and spiritual natures need no sleep. Love, faith, hope, humility need never slumber. Hence in Heaven we shall be able to serve God day and night. The spiritual will have the supremacy. The untiring will be forever active.
In the 9th verse of the previous chapter Israel is trying to wake up Jehovah. “Awake, awake; put on strength, O arm of the Lord.” The words of our text is God’s answer to that prayer. “Awake, awake; put on thy strength, …
Jesus said, “I go to prepare a place for you.” Heaven is, therefore, a locality. In just what part of the universe it is located, we do not know. Astronomers say that all the stars and planets seem to be revolving around a great distant center. That center may be heaven. It is not this earth, for then Jesus would have said, “I remain to prepare a place for you.” When He said, “I go,” He meant that He would leave the earth for some other place.
It is a cosmopolitan place. “I beheld, and lo, a great multitude which …
This word which is translated “Praise ye the Lord,” occurs, as I have counted, twenty-four times in the Book of Psalms, and four times in the nineteenth chapter of Revelation making twenty-eight times altogether in the Bible. In the Psalms it is the Hallelujah of earth and in Revelation it is the Hallelujah of heaven. It is a word which cannot be translated by one word in any other language, and is, therefore, transferred. It is the same in Greek, Latin, German, French, Italian, Dutch and English. It looks as if all nations were practicing for the Hallelujah chorus of …
God is purposeful. He has reasons for allowing this recession to come to America. No doubt He has many purposes, but surely one of His primary goals is the spiritual growth of His people. If we miss what He wants to teach us, we will only become cynical and begin to doubt His love and care.
The first lesson is the most obvious: He wants us to learn that He is with us not just during prosperity but also in times of adversity. When there was famine in the land and Isaac …
The subject of trust, or rather lack of trust, is in the headlines these days. I’m writing at a time when new allegations of sexual abuse by priests are being reported every day. Hundreds of people are coming forward to say that someone they trusted — indeed, someone who supposedly represented the highest degree of integrity — deceived them.
We’ve all heard of the Enron debacle. We are told that when the wealthy knew the ship was sinking, they bailed out on well-endowed life rafts and left the common investor to float on the open sea. One retiree said that …
The Great White Throne Judgment When Terrified Multitudes Stand Before God Unprepared
There is no topic as terrifying as the Great White Throne Judgment…but what do we really know about it? Let’s look at Revelation 20:11-15 together.
Who is on this majestic throne?
We can be sure that Jesus is sitting on this throne, for God has “committed all judgment unto the Son” (John 5:22). Jesus is now the Judge of all the unredeemed. His throne is great, majestic, and being white, signifies His holy justice and impartiality.
If you can’t say yes to that simple question, you can’t affirm you are “walking with God,” which happens to be the greatest honor imaginable. Jesus, who had all power, would rise up before daybreak to commune with His Heavenly Father. Can we do any less?
D.L. Moody, who founded The Moody Church and Moody Bible Institute, was a great evangelist, but also a humble man who sought God with all of his heart. Read his words on daily time with God carefully: “A man can no more take in a supply of …
“Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life” (Proverbs 4:23, ESV).
What Entertains Us?
A recent article in the Chicago Tribune uncovered what I believe to be the most serious threat to the Christian Home. The headline read, “Media Options Swamp Nation.” The bottom line is that the average American spends 9.6 hours a day inhaling media: watching television, going to the movies and surfing the Internet. Two months of every year are spent just watching TV; we have 392 cable channels to choose from and 40,000 DVD titles.
