Matthew 5: 31-32 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%205&version=NIV)
31 “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’[f] 32 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.
God’s plan for Adam and Eve was that they live a sinless life together and that they produce children who too would live a sinless life. We all know how that turned out. They disobeyed God and ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil and one of their son’s murdered his brother. I was told once that the first sin was the sin of wanting “more”. In today’s society I believe that that sin is getting stronger and stronger. As we live in a life of fast computers, fast food, fast cars and fast planes, we seem to want more. Even the clock and the calendar seem to be moving faster and we want more time.
The verses we are looking at today may seem a little harsh and unfair especially if you are one that has been divorced or married a divorced woman. But you should not feel any worse than the person who wants more time, more money, or more influence. The sin of more comes within us, we were born with it, just as it says in Romans 3:23 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%203:23&version=NIV).
3 Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?”
4 “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’[a] 5 and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’[b]? 6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”
7 “Why then,” they asked, “did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?”
8 Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. 9 I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”
10 The disciples said to him, “If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry.”
11 Jesus replied, “Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given. 12 For there are eunuchs who were born that way, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others—and there are those who choose to live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.” (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2019&version=NIV)
Another time Jesus was questioned by the Pharisees when they asked a question concerning the greatest commandment,
Matthew 22:36 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Matthew 22:37-39 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b] 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2022:36%20-%2040&version=NIV)
If we all followed these commands there would be no need to speak about divorce, adultery, or any other sin because it all comes down to loving God first, loving others second, and putting ourselves last. We seem to get that order mixed up just like Adam and Eve did in the perfect Garden of Eden. The beautiful thing about it all is that God had a plan for our sinful nature and He came in the form of man, Jesus, the Son of God, to set His captives free.
Romans 10:9
9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%2010:9&version=NIV)
What a glorious message! Jesus lived a sinless life but carried the cross that He was crucified on for our sins. All we have to do is to confess that He is Lord and believe in our heart that God raised Him from the dead and we will be saved! Saved from the sin that weighs us down, free from the guilt, we are free! Seek Him daily and thank Him for His precious gift of salvation. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MbcYyOsF50)
Seeking Him with all my heart,
Sheila
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