Divorce

One of the favorite things I have found that non-believers and some Christians will use against each other when comparing lives is divorce.

Your a Christian but you are divorced, how is that? Isn't divorce a sin? Aren't you committing Biblical adultery by being remarried?

The divorce rate for the first marriage in America is 41%. (Courtesy of divorcerate.com) There are stats on there for second and third marriage, but this argument is based on the premise of the first divorce causing the sin, so that is where I will focus. 

Jesus says in the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5:31-32, 

 “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Which is where Christ says it is that we should divorce for adultery, but 1 Corinthians 7:12-13 also gives us a different reason that I feel it is acceptable.

To the rest I say (I, not the Lord) that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her.If any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever, and he consents to live with her, she should not divorce him.

These scriptures say if you are married to an unbeliever who consents to to stay with you, you should remain married. The key phrasing here is "consents to live with", if they do not consent to live with you then, I feel,  God is not going to hold a divorce in violation of His laws. These scriptures, along with a few others also show other legitimate reasons for divorce, such as spouse abuse. There is reason to ever hit your husband or wife and abusing them in clear violation of God's law and repeatedly doing it show's someone who is not a true believer or follower of God's laws related to marriage. 

Colossians 3:19 Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them.

2 Timothy 3:1-8 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty.  For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,  heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good,  treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,  having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.  For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.  Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith.

James 1:19-20 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

Colossians 3:18-21 Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.

These scriptures tell us that husbands and wives are to be respectful to each other, abuse of any kind is anything but respectful. 2 Timothy tells us to avoid such people, if God expects us to avoid this type of person how can assume He wants us to stay in a marriage with someone like this who will not change their ways. 

Divorce is another subject that Christians need to study and devote time to. Even if we never intend on getting divorced, you never know what will happen or who will come needing advice. 

I am on my second and final marriage. My divorce in the first marriage was unquestionably Biblically legal and my wife now is an amazing woman whom I would be lost without and I look forward to giving her the rest of my life.

With the reduction of God in our country that we are experiencing, we are seeing more and more people seeing divorce is just a step that is easier than working through in a marriage. It is not this, divorce is serious because it is not only breaking a sacred promise between husband and wife, but it is our way of dissolving that Godly union where two become one in God's eyes and we do not have the authority to break that because we are bored with this person, or we are at a struggle point with finances, etc. 

God will permit divorces, but it has to be a result of a direct disregard or violation of one of His laws of marriage and love. 

Abortion

Today is the 40th anniversary of Roe vs Wade. I am going to discuss abortion and my interpretation of the scriptures.

This is another one of those hot button topics in society that has little or no middle ground with anyone. Any opinions expressed are mine and the most important part of these blogs are the scriptures because if you will listen God will interpret the scriptures for you.

 The question that truly surrounds it is simply at what point does human life begin? Is a fetus alive or is it in some other state while in utero where it's heart beats and it's limbs and organs form but it is not yet a human life.
My response to the above statements are that human life begins at conception. When the sperm and unite, and if the embryo forms ok and is allowed to develop into maturity what will it become? Without a doubt everyone can agree it will become a little baby person. Not any kind of creature, animal, or plant. Which says to me that human life begins at conception. While it is forming it will grow a heart and that heart will beat  just like mine and yours.

The question we should really focus on when looking to answer whether abortion is morally acceptable or not is, "At what point does God acknowledge the fetus?". The Bible tells us right and wrong in black and white, I have seen no grey in the Book.

The answer to this is God knows us from the moment we are formed. He not only knows us, but has formed us to become what He has planned for our lives. We have to accept that pregnancy is not the result of the father, the mother, or both; it is the result of God's will.

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. (Psalm 139:13)
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart. (Jeremiah 1:5)
This is what the Lord says - he who made you, who formed you in the womb. (Isaiah 44:2)

• You can set there and say that, but you don't have to deal with what I do. You don't have a child that is disabled or born with a birth defect.

  That would be correct. God has blessed with with 6 amazing kids and 1 of them does have his own challenges to face. He has Asperger's Syndrome, which is a form of Autism. He is super intelligent and I would not change anything about him if I could. That has helped to make him his on own person. This too me, is not a disability at all for him. It has resulted is some parenting style changes but any parent with more than one kid knows you have to take a slightly different approach anyway. Back to topic.

I am sure raising a child with physical or mental challenges can be very difficult, but there is a reason God permitted them to be born that way. We just have to trust God because there is a purpose for that child whether to lead others to Christ themselves or serve as a reminder that we should always honor and obey God's will.

• What if the mother is going to die if the child is carried to term and birth is attempted. 

This is a terrible diagnosis to receive from any doctor, but this is also a test of faith. God knows exactly when each and every person that is now or is to come will perish. He knows when they are going to be born. Again, I have never been remotely close to this situation myself, but if it is our time to go it doesn't matter if we are driving in a car, giving birth, or setting on the couch we will go. If it is not our time it will not happen.

A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest. (Ecclesiastes 3:2)

• Rape Pregnancy

Rape is a horrible crime that no one should ever have to endure. The mother, in this situation, is a very unfortunate victim. They are not the only victim, the child is also a victim. Their father is not only a sad, sick individual who will most likely never have anything to do with them; but most likely the child will not know who they are or they will know and know the circumstances of their conception. Not sure which would be worse. 
God allowed the conception for some reason, and we should not take away the life and the opportunity for that child to grow and live because they are the product of a bad situation. Again God allowed that pregnancy to occur for some reason and we have to trust God in doing what is best.

I know there are lots of more topics within this and many more things could be said about each one of these, but I am not here to write a book; just a blog. Also I am sure this one will have lots of feedback and opinions, I look forward to the interaction and views just remember I did not write to make anyone angry and I request any feedback to be polite and courteous.