Marriage should be a one-way ticket. You don’t invest in one side of this journey. It is more than starting the journey, finding out along the way that you don’t like the accommodations, and deciding to turn back around. No two-way tickets should be issued.
That’s why you need to resolve that divorce will not even be an option for your marriage. Take the word out of your vocabulary.
Does the Bible make allowance for divorce? Under certain circumstances, yes. While the Bible does permit divorce in some situations, it never promotes divorce.
Take a minute and read Matthew 19:1-9.
Jesus said divorce was permissible if adultery had taken place, but it was still better if reconciliation happened. Jesus wasn’t a fan of divorce and wanted marriages to be worked out.
Jesus informed these listeners that Moses provided an acceptable way to end marriages but it was not something he was thrilled about. It was a better alternative than what other men were doing with their wives of whom they grew weary. So while divorce was permitted, it was never promoted. Jesus allowed people to divorce on the basis of adultery, and Paul said that if an unbelieving spouse deserted the believing spouse, divorce was unavoidable (1 Cor. 7:15), but in both of these cases, the best possible scenario is the grace of God infect the relationship and save the marriage.
You might be ready to call it quits in your marriage. Maybe you have biblical grounds for divorce, but will you do the difficult thing and work at your marriage? Will you remove divorce as a possibility for you and decide today to strengthen the marriage you have?
Travis Agnew serves as the Lead Pastor of Rocky Creek Church in Greenville, SC. His most recent book is Just (About) Married.
And what does it say of adulterers who do not wish to reconcile with their families? Am I damned because he chose to cheat and he chose not to work things out?
Definitely not. This passage is saying that it is acceptable for a divorce to take place of adultery has transpired and someone is not willing to work it out. “As far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” Rom. 12:18