“I hate divorce,” says the Lord God of Israel. (Malachi 2:16a)
Almost fifty percent of all marriages end in divorce. Even a greater percentages of second marriages end in divorce. So about half of you may not believe that this subject applies to you or to your life as a Christian. Well on behalf of those of us who suffer from divorce, I urge you to read on. There is a message here for all of us.
No stronger language can be found in the Bible than God’s position on divorce. He is absolute that marriage was intended to be a life-long covenant between Him and the husband and wife. Anything short of that position falls short of His standard for us. In other words, divorce is sin and sin can stand between God and us for all of eternity. Or can it?
I can tell you from experience that there can be no more troubling of a spiritual matter for the Christian whose marital relationship has succumbed to divorce, but still, many people look for the https://www.singaporedivorcelawyer.com.sg/. God never wavers from His unyielding decree that divorce is wrong. And the Christian, who seeks refuge in His word will find that God is resolute about divorce and does not change. While He is a forgiving and merciful God, His hatred of divorce is never be softened for any reason. Strangely enough, Christians who suffer from the fallout of divorce understand God’s position much more clearly than the Christian who has never experienced the pain of divorce.
The Bible clearly permits divorce under certain circumstances such as infidelity. But it never condones the pain and suffering that come with it. That’s why God hates it so much.
I was divorced in 1992 and have two children who came from that marriage. My son, Mark, lives with me, and my daughter, Victoria, lives with her mother in North Carolina.
Last year, Victoria was able to spend a long weekend with me, something that I’ve learned to treasure. We had not seen each other for several weeks, and even then, our time together had to be shared with others. We were unable to share the intimacy that as father and daughter we both wanted and needed. This time, our visit was different. We had a loving time together and really enjoyed the company other’s other. Just before Victoria left to return to her mother in North Carolina, she visited a little time with me in my office. I want her to have some understanding and appreciation for what I do, so I often let her accompany me to the office. It’s a treat for me and she really enjoys it. While she was playing along beside me on the floor, she wrote me a letter. Although short, it was most powerful in emotion. It simply said: “Dear Dad: I wish I could see you more times. Love, Victoria.”
You bet I understand why God hates divorce. I placed that letter on my office wall to remind me, not of my pain, but of her pain. And if that’s not enough, each time my son returns from a visit with his mother, he cries himself to sleep with her picture clutched tightly in his hands. What did they ever do to deserve that kind of pain?
Jesus said: “Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for such is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 19:14) Sadly, while God has already forgiven me for the sin of divorce, I’m not sure I will ever be able to fully forgive myself for pain that I brought to their lives.
Well, to those of you who are Christians but have never experienced divorce, what does this have to do with you? The undivorced Christian can often be so unforgiving of the divorced Christian. Please look beyond our sin and welcome us into your church. We are really no different from you and while our sin of divorce may bring distinction to our lives, those of you who reject us bring equal distinction to your lives. Jesus warns in John 8 that no one sin is worse than another sin when he said: “If any of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” (John 8:7) We earnestly need, and deserve, your Christian love.
Finally, to those of you who continue to live with the consequences of divorce and have repented, God has already forgiven you. Take what remains from that broken life and dedicate it to God. Interestingly, Jesus also had something to say to you in John 8: “…Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.” (John 8:11)
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