Monday, November 14, 2022

Marriage

by Guy LaMar

Worldly marriages were not bound by God, and subsequent divorces could be forgiven.

Judgment is now on us – the living Church of God – not upon this world. With the unconverted, marriages in this world are recognized and bound by mankind. Marriages are “recognized” by God to be “unbound” when legally processed by State courts. The Church, therefore, recognizes the legality of divorces of those who are not members of the living Church of God.

In 1 Corinthians, the Apostle Paul speaks to the unmarried and widows. He also speaks to the married. And, he also speaks to the “rest.”

If a converted man has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she is NOT causing trouble and disrupting the marriage because of the man’s faith and religion, and if she is pleased to live with him, then he MUST NOT divorce her. He, in this respect, has no grounds for divorce. Likewise, the woman in God’s living Church, if she has an unbelieving husband, and he is willing to live with her despite his faith and religion, she shall not leave him on this grounds.

However, if the unbelieving person leaves – cutting off the marriage because of the Church member’s faith and religion – let him or her depart.

The believing Church member is given grounds for divorce:

  • Adultery.
  • Unequally yoked partner in the faith.
  • Abandonment. To be connected is to be together. If there is an understanding that the partner has to go off to work for a while somewhere else that is acceptable.
  • Physical or mental abuse.

If a Church member has been newly converted, and the spouse refuses to live with him or her because of their faith or religion – that is grounds for divorce, in the eyes of God.

If both are members of the living Church of God, and one “falls away,” turns bitter against the faith of TRUTH, and refuses to live as husband or wife with the still loyal member of God’s Church – this is grounds for divorce, in the eyes of God. In this case, the embittered spouse has become an unbeliever.

To be sanctified because of the converted spouse is ONLY when they both are able to dwell together.

The Apostle Paul gives us an important REASON for the converted spouse to CONTINUE in the marriage if the unconverted spouse is willing.

“For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise [IN THE EYES OF GOD] your children would be unclean, but now they are holy – 1 Corinthians 7:14.

The word sanctified does not mean made sanctimonious. Sanctified means “set apart” or put in a separate category.

They are “set apart” – like when Patriarch Noah was able to save his wife, his sons, and daughters-in-law, because of his righteousness.

Recall: When the LORD God drove Adam and Eve out of the garden of Eden and placed a cherubim at the east of the garden, and a flaming sword to guard the Way to the tree of Life (which represents the HOLY SPIRIT). The LORD God said, in effect: ‘You have made your decision. You have rebelled against Me, denied Me as your God, your Revealer of knowledge and wisdom, your Ruler. Therefore, I sentence you and the world after you – which shall be born from you – to be CUT OFF from Me. Except for a very FEW of whom I shall call out of this world into My service to prepare for the KINGDOM OF GOD.’

Our Lord Jesus Christ reiterates this when He says, ’ No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day [on the resurrection day] – John 6:44.

The ancient kingdom of Israel was specially called by the LORD God for a special purpose – even though they were still cut off from the Way to the tree of Life (the Holy Spirit).

So, the unconverted spouse is – in the eyes of God – sanctified [Strong’s Concordance #37 – “to sanctify, set apart, make holy”]. NOT NECESSARILY CALLED BY FATHER GOD TO RECEIVE HIS HOLY SPIRIT OR SPIRITUAL CONVERSION – but simply sanctified in the eyes of God. The unconverted spouse is “set aside” – neither converted nor called of Father God for special service unto Him, but sanctified. They are FREE to SEEK the LORD God if they will. And this same sanctification applies to the children of the unconverted spouse.

They certainly may be taught by the concerted parent and reach spiritual maturity. And, if they are to seek conversion, they would no longer be cut off from the LORD God.

Notice 1 Corinthians chapter 7 – “For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?”

If the husband or wife – who is a member of God’s living Church – divorces (for any reason other than what was covered earlier) the unconverted spouse who is more than willing to continue in the marriage, then that Church member has placed the unconverted spouse in the “cut off” category – whereas the unconverted spouse could have been saved for eternal life in God’s Kingdom.

A converted member of God’s living Church should only marry another converted member! This is God’s Way.

“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 Corinthians 7:39.

God’s living word says that a converted person should NOT marry an unconverted person. If they marry anyway – they have gone against God’s immutable word!

Just because a person has bits and pieces of biblical understanding DOES NOT make that person converted. They would certainly be in a mild portion of the conversion process. The majority of the time, this type of marriage is out of lust – often youthful lust. The converted spouse MUST ASK ALMIGHTY GOD FOR FORGIVENESS! However, the converted spouse has entered into a marriage covenant that is binding unto death. God’s living word shows us that there is a vast difference between “converted” and “unconverted.”

A converted person is being judged by God now – and is responsible unto God now. The unconverted person will be judged in the “great white throne judgment” – the second resurrection. A converted person is BOUND BY GOD to keep the marriage covenant.

In ancient Corinth, there were people coming into the Church of God who were in multiple marriages, along with extra-marital relationships.

What was the Apostle Paul’s admonishment!?

The Apostle Paul – through the Spirit of God – shows us that the LORD God forgives all our past sins upon true repentance, true baptism, and the laying on of hands – conversion. The present status of their marriage covenant and vow was ratified by God. At conversion, a true Christian is accepted by the LORD God in the status in which they are called. The Apostle Paul’s admonishment is that they stay with the one to whom they were married – whether that spouse is converted or unconverted – except for the reasons given above.

“But as God has distributed to each one, as the Lord has called each one, so let him walk. And so I ordain in all the churches. … 20) Let each one remain in the same calling in which he was called. … 24) Brethren, let each one remain with God in that state in which he was called – 1 Corinthians 7:17, 20, 24.

Again, those who are within God’s living Church are being judged now.

It DOES NOT MATTER if the original marriage took place before a clerk of a circuit court, judge, or even a mainstream so-called Christian church.

When Father God called both partners, they came into God’s living Church already married. Their baptismal vows ratified their marriage vow – making them fully accountable to God at this present time. And, according to God’s living word, they are admonished to remain with God in that state unto death. Again, when Father God calls one of the spouses into His Church, they both have a covenant unto death.

“BUT TO THE REST I, not the Lord, say: If any brother [a member of the living Church of God] has a wife who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her” – 1 Corinthians 7:12.

The converted person SHOULD DO everything humanly and spiritually possible to build a godly relationship with their unconverted spouse.

Now, if a converted person were to decide to divorce their unconverted spouse who was more than willing to live with their converted spouse, then that converted person would NOT BE FREE TO REMARRY. Because the marriage would still remain bound – in the eyes of God.

Now, in the case in which the unconverted spouse leaves the marriage – i.e., breaks the marriage covenant, the converted mate may remarry in the eyes of God – he or she is no longer bound. The LORD God certainly does not intend that the innocent spouse’s life be on permanent hold.

“But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart; a brother or a sister [members of the living Church of God] IS NOT UNDER BONDAGE in such cases. But God has called us to peace” – 1 Corinthians 7:15.

The LORD God desires and makes it possible for the converted person to live a normal married life (ONLY TO A CONVERTED SPOUSE) – wherein they can grow spiritually in God’s grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, along with growing in godly character.

Now, in cases of porneia, or sexual immorality, prostitution, or marital unfaithfulness.

Our Lord Jesus Christ gave porneia as a grounds for nullifying a marriage. The Greek word porneia refers to prostitution, with the related terms porne and pornos referring to female and male prostitutes, respectively. 1

It is a case of fraud within the marriage. When discovered (in nearly all cases) immediately after marriage, it simply meant that God – knowing of this fraud – had actually not bound the marriage. And what followed therefore was an annulment - an annulment ends a marriage that was invalid from the start. However, this DID NOT APPLY in cases of marriage between unconverted people. Because the LORD God had not bound them anyway, they were bound by man’s law. And any divorce or remarriage is in accordance with man’s law.

Now, the living Church of God would not apply this annulment if the couple had continued living together for a period of time.

Of course, there are other types of marital fraud – such as being forced into marriage at the end of a shotgun.

Now, the matter of fornication BEFORE marriage CAN NOT BE USED AS GROUNDS FOR DIVORCE AND REMARRIAGE!

Our Lord Jesus Christ plainly says, ’ But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason EXCEPT SEXUAL IMMORALITY [fornication; hence prostitution, or marital unfaithfulness] causes her to commit adultery; …’ – Matthew 5:32.

Such a person who divorces their spouse for any reason EXCEPT SEXUAL IMMORALITY is guilty – in the eyes of God – of causing their divorced spouse to commit adultery. A person who therefore marries such a person is living a life of polygamy! The LORD God WILL NOT honor such a wicked and vile union. Such a marriage is of Satan the Devil. NOT of God! □


1) "Porneia ." Encyclopedia of Sex and Gender: Culture Society History. . Encyclopedia.com. 8 Nov. 2022 <https://www.encyclopedia.com>. Retrieved 14 November 2022.

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