What is wrong? Are not true followers of Jesus Christ supposed to be the light of the world and the salt of the Earth? Are not true followers of Jesus Christ supposed to be living according to God's laws and principles? Are not true followers of Jesus Christ supposed to be different from the world? What does God say about divorce? Is the behavior of the "so-called" Christian community as it relates to divorce acceptable to God?

Termination of the Marriage Covenant

When a man and woman marry, they enter into a covenant that is terminated when either one dies, as it is written in Romans 7: 2-3:

"...by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage. So then, if she marries another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress, even though she marries another man."

What about termination of the marriage covenant when both parties are alive?

A husband and his wife are united for life, except in the case of adultery, which is the only acceptable cause for divorce as Jesus Christ said to His followers in Matthew 19: 3-9,

"Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?"  

"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. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate."

"Why then," they asked, "did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?"

Jesus replied, "Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery."

Abusive Relationships

Sometimes a marriage may become so physically and/or emotionally abusive that the abused spouse's life or well being is threatened. When one's life or well-being is threaten, one may separate from the abusive spouse - however, the marital covenant is still valid and neither the husband or wife may remarry, as is written in 1 Corinthians 7: 10-11,

"To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife."

Married to An Unbeliever

If a true follower of Jesus Christ is married to an unbeliever, what impact does this union have on the marriage covenant? Can the believer divorce the unbeliever just because of his/her unbelief? The applicable principles to be followed can be found in 1 Corinthians 7: 12-16,

"To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. But if the unbeliever leaves, let him do so. A believing man or woman is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace. How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?"

If I Remarry, Would I Be Committing Adultery?

Many "so-called" Christians divorce and remarry without giving their actions a second thought. We need to be mindful of this fact - we may be legally married to someone and yet be living in adultery. Furthermore, we may continue living in such adulterous relationships while we attend church regularly, belong to a ministry, and sing in the choir - fully believing that we are "full of the Holy Spirit". Eventually we may even die in such adulterous relationships. Please be warned as is stated in 1 Corinthians 6: 9-11

"If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?

For we know him who said, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," and again, "The Lord will judge his people." It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you stood your ground in a great contest in the face of suffering. Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions. So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For in just a very little while, "He who is coming will come and will not delay. But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him." But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved."