GOD’S WILL FOR MARRIAGE, DIVORCE & REMARRIAGE The divorce rate in the US is higher than 50%. Many marriages have been doomed from the start simply because either the husband or the wife [or both] did not take the time to study God's will in these matters, as it is revealed in the Bible. Had they done so, they would have found that God has given definite responsibilities to both the man and the woman in a scriptural marriage. They also would have discovered that He has strictly regulated marriage and divorce -- that we do not have the right to marry, divorce and remarry at will.

GOD’S WILL FOR MARRIAGE, DIVORCE & REMARRIAGE While some have no scriptural right to be married, others have no scriptural right to be divorced. God's thoughts must always be respected above our own. "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9).

GOD’S WILL FOR MARRIAGE, DIVORCE & REMARRIAGE GOD’S ATTITUDE TOWARD DIVORCE ELIGIBILITY FOR SCRIPTURAL MARRIAGE GOD’S WILL FOR THE SCRIPTURALLY MARRIED

GOD’S ATTITUDE TOWARD DIVORCE A.God hates divorce. "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." (Mal. 2:16). "So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate." (Matt. 19:6). 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. But 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 Cor. 7:10- 13).

GOD’S ATTITUDE TOWARD DIVORCE A.God hates divorce. B.One who divorces his/her spouse for any cause other than fornication [sexual unfaithfulness] and marries another is guilty of adultery. "And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery." (Matt. 19:9a)

GOD’S ATTITUDE TOWARD DIVORCE A.God hates divorce. B.One who divorces his/her spouse for any cause other than fornication [sexual unfaithfulness] and marries another is guilty of adultery. C.One who divorces his/her spouse for fornication and marries another is not guilty of adultery. "And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery." (Matt. 19:9a)

GOD’S ATTITUDE TOWARD DIVORCE A.God hates divorce. B.One who divorces his/her spouse for any cause other than fornication [sexual unfaithfulness] and marries another is guilty of adultery. C.One who divorces his/her spouse for fornication and marries another is not guilty of adultery. D.One who is divorced by his/her spouse and marries another is guilty of adultery. "...and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery." (Matt. 19:9b).

GOD’S ATTITUDE TOWARD DIVORCE A.God hates divorce. B.One who divorces his/her spouse for any cause other than fornication [sexual unfaithfulness] and marries another is guilty of adultery. C.One who divorces his/her spouse for fornication and marries another is not guilty of adultery. D.One who is divorced by his/her spouse and marries another is guilty of adultery. "...and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery." (Matt. 5:32b).

GOD’S ATTITUDE TOWARD DIVORCE A.God hates divorce. B.One who divorces his/her spouse for any cause other than fornication [sexual unfaithfulness] and marries another is guilty of adultery. C.One who divorces his/her spouse for fornication and marries another is not guilty of adultery. D.One who is divorced by his/her spouse and marries another is guilty of adultery. "...and whoever marries her who is divorced from her husband commits adultery." (Luke 16:18b)

ELIGIBILITY FOR SCRIPTURAL MARRIAGE A. Those who are eligible for marriage. 1.Those who have never been married. Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: "It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman." But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. (1 Cor. 7:1-2, ESV)

ELIGIBILITY FOR SCRIPTURAL MARRIAGE A. Those who are eligible for marriage. 1.Those who have never been married. 2.Those who have been married but their previous spouses are dead. So then if, while her husband lives, she marries another man, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from that law, so that she is no adulteress, though she has married another man. (Rom. 7:3)

ELIGIBILITY FOR SCRIPTURAL MARRIAGE A. Those who are eligible for marriage. 1.Those who have never been married. 2.Those who have been married but their previous spouses are dead. 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. (1 Cor. 7:39)

ELIGIBILITY FOR SCRIPTURAL MARRIAGE A. Those who are eligible for marriage. 1.Those who have never been married. 2.Those who have been married but their previous spouses are dead. 3.Those who have been married but divorced their previous spouses for fornication. "And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery." (Matt. 19:9a)

ELIGIBILITY FOR SCRIPTURAL MARRIAGE A. Those who are eligible for marriage. 1.Those who have never been married. 2.Those who have been married but their previous spouses are dead. 3.Those who have been married but divorced their previous spouses for fornication. 4.Those who are reconciling after a divorce. 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 Cor. 7:10-11)

ELIGIBILITY FOR SCRIPTURAL MARRIAGE B.Those who are not eligible for marriage. 1.Those who divorced their previous scriptural spouses for any reason other than fornication. "And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery." (Matt. 19:9a)

ELIGIBILITY FOR SCRIPTURAL MARRIAGE B.Those who are not eligible for marriage. 1.Those who divorced their previous scriptural spouses for any reason other than fornication. 2.Those who were divorced by their previous scriptural spouses for any reason. "...and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery." (Matt. 19:9b). "...and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery." (Matt. 5:32). "...and whoever marries her who is divorced from her husband commits adultery." (Luke 16:18)

ELIGIBILITY FOR SCRIPTURAL MARRIAGE B.Those who are not eligible for marriage. 1.Those who divorced their previous scriptural spouses for any reason other than fornication. 2.Those who were divorced by their previous scriptural spouses for any reason. 3.Unless their previous spouses are dead. 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. (1 Cor. 7:39)

GOD’S WILL FOR THOSE WHO ARE SCRIPTURALLY MARRIED A.It is God's will for a scripturally married couple to: 1.Be married for life. And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. And Adam said:

GOD’S WILL FOR THOSE WHO ARE SCRIPTURALLY MARRIED A.It is God's will for a scripturally married couple to: 1.Be married for life. "This is now bone of my bones And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man." Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. (Gen. 2:21-24)

GOD’S WILL FOR THOSE WHO ARE SCRIPTURALLY MARRIED A.It is God's will for a scripturally married couple to: 1.Be married for life. And He answered and said to them, "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." (Matt. 19:5-6)

GOD’S WILL FOR THOSE WHO ARE SCRIPTURALLY MARRIED A.It is God's will for a scripturally married couple to: 1.Be married for life. Or do you not know, brethren (for I speak to those who know the law), that the law has dominion over a man as long as he lives? For the woman who has a husband is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives. But if the husband dies, she is released from the law of her husband. (Rom. 7:1-2)

GOD’S WILL FOR THOSE WHO ARE SCRIPTURALLY MARRIED A.It is God's will for a scripturally married couple to: 1.Be married for life. 2.Satisfy one another's desires for sex and/or intimacy. Let the husband render to his wife the affection due her, and likewise also the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. And likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Do not deprive one another....

GOD’S WILL FOR THOSE WHO ARE SCRIPTURALLY MARRIED A.It is God's will for a scripturally married couple to: 1.Be married for life. 2.Satisfy one another's desires for sex and/or intimacy.... except with consent for a time, that you may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again so that Satan does not tempt you because of your lack of self- control. (1 Cor. 7:3-5).

GOD’S WILL FOR THOSE WHO ARE SCRIPTURALLY MARRIED A.It is God's will for a scripturally married couple to: 1.Be married for life. 2.Satisfy one another's desires for sex and/or intimacy. Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge. (Heb. 13:4).

GOD’S WILL FOR THOSE WHO ARE SCRIPTURALLY MARRIED B.It is God's will for a scriptural husband to: 1.Be the head of his wife. But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. (1 Cor. 11:3) For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. (Eph. 5:23).

GOD’S WILL FOR THOSE WHO ARE SCRIPTURALLY MARRIED B.It is God's will for a scriptural husband to: 1.Be the head of his wife. 2.Love—see to the needs of—his wife. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she...

GOD’S WILL FOR THOSE WHO ARE SCRIPTURALLY MARRIED B.It is God's will for a scriptural husband to: 1.Be the head of his wife. 2.Love—see to the needs of—his wife....should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the...

GOD’S WILL FOR THOSE WHO ARE SCRIPTURALLY MARRIED B.It is God's will for a scriptural husband to: 1.Be the head of his wife. 2.Love—see to the needs of—his wife.... two shall become one flesh." This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. (Eph. 5:24-33)

GOD’S WILL FOR THOSE WHO ARE SCRIPTURALLY MARRIED B.It is God's will for a scriptural husband to: 1.Be the head of his wife. 2.Love—see to the needs of—his wife. Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter toward them. (Col. 3:19)

GOD’S WILL FOR THOSE WHO ARE SCRIPTURALLY MARRIED B.It is God's will for a scriptural husband to: 1.Be the head of his wife. 2.Love—see to the needs of—his wife. 3.Give honor to his wife. Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered. (1 Peter 3:7).

GOD’S WILL FOR THOSE WHO ARE SCRIPTURALLY MARRIED B.It is God's will for a scriptural husband to: 1.Be the head of his wife. 2.Love—see to the needs of—his wife. 3.Give honor to his wife. 4.Provide for his family. But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. (1 Tim. 5:8).

GOD’S WILL FOR THOSE WHO ARE SCRIPTURALLY MARRIED C.It is God's will for a scriptural wife to: 1.Submit to her husband. Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. (Eph. 5:22-24)

GOD’S WILL FOR THOSE WHO ARE SCRIPTURALLY MARRIED C.It is God's will for a scriptural wife to: 1.Submit to her husband. Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. (Col. 3:18)

GOD’S WILL FOR THOSE WHO ARE SCRIPTURALLY MARRIED C.It is God's will for a scriptural wife to: 1.Submit to her husband. Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives. (1 Peter 3:1)

GOD’S WILL FOR THOSE WHO ARE SCRIPTURALLY MARRIED C.It is God's will for a scriptural wife to: 1.Submit to her husband. 2.Reverence—respect—her husband. Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. (Eph. 5:33).

GOD’S WILL FOR THOSE WHO ARE SCRIPTURALLY MARRIED C.It is God's will for a scriptural wife to: 1.Submit to her husband. 2.Reverence—respect—her husband. 3.Love—give tender affection to—her husband....the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things-- that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children. (Titus 2:3-4)

GOD’S WILL FOR THOSE WHO ARE SCRIPTURALLY MARRIED C.It is God's will for a scriptural wife to: 1.Submit to her husband. 2.Reverence—respect—her husband. 3.Love—give tender affection to—her husband. 4.Be a "homemaker" and "manage the house."...to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed. (Titus 2:5).

GOD’S WILL FOR THOSE WHO ARE SCRIPTURALLY MARRIED C.It is God's will for a scriptural wife to: 1.Submit to her husband. 2.Reverence—respect—her husband. 3.Love—give tender affection to—her husband. 4.Be a "homemaker" and "manage the house." Therefore I desire that the younger widows marry, bear children, manage the house, give no opportunity to the adversary to speak reproachfully. (1 Tim. 5:14).

CLOSING OBSERVATIONS Those who are not eligible for scriptural marriage should not marry. Those who are eligible for scriptural marriage should not make the mistake of marrying someone who is not eligible. Those who are in scriptural marriages should not divorce for any reason other than fornication. Those who are in unscriptural marriages should not remain in them because Jesus said they will be committing adultery.