"And I say unto you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery." (Matthew 19:9)
With these words Jesus teaches us His will regarding allowable divorce and remarriage. They are not difficult to understand. We can readily see that Jesus gave only one just cause which allows for divorce and remarriage, namely, fornication. And, we may just as readily see that this allowance has been given to only one party - the one who divorces his or her mate because that mate has committed sexual immorality. Jesus said that when one divorces his (or her) spouse for a cause other than fornication, and then remarries, he (she) commits adultery. We rightly conclude that the person who is divorced (put away) may not remarry without committing adultery, since Jesus said that the person who marries a divorced (put away) person commits adultery. The straightforward statement of our Lord is not without its detractors today. When forty percent of American marriages are ending in divorce, it is not difficult to see that marriage is not being held in its proper honor (Heb. 13:4). Unfortunately, many of the subsequent remarriages, according to Jesus’ teaching, is adultery. Christians are not immune from attempts to nullify the force of Jesus’ teaching. I received a bulletin which chronicled four commonly heard attempts to ease the force of Matthew 19:9 and allow remarriages where divorces have occurred for reasons other than the cause of fornication. I want to share them with you. Please understand, these reasons are being offered by some Christians to justify remarriages which are unlawful according to Matthew 19:9. They are used to claim that the violators of Matthew 19:9 are nevertheless in a right condition with God. We must be aware of these subtle efforts which deny our Master’s teaching. Attempt # 1: David was not told to give up Bathsheba. That is true. But Bathsheba had no living husband (2 Sam. 11:14-21). Romans 7:2 says "For the woman who has a husband is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives. But if the husband dies, she is released from the law of her husband." David’s adultery and murderous act is in no way exonerated by the fact that he retained Bathsheba as his wife. David was convicted of his sins and he repented of them (2 Sam. 12:7-13; Psa. 32:5). That David continued to care for and be married to this woman after the death of her husband in no way comforts adulterous remarriages today. Attempt # 2: You cannot make restitution in all cases. It is true that one cannot undo some things he has done. But when he can, he should (cf. Exo. 22:1; Lev. 6:1-7; Num. 5:5-10; Ezek. 33:15). Is not this part of the fruit of repentance taught by John (Lk. 3:8-15) and Paul (Acts 26:20)? Surely we do not believe that when one repents of an adulterous remarriage that he may then continue to live in that sinful relationship? What sort of repentance is that? Remember, where there is genuine repentance there will be a cessation of the sin (Rev. 9:20-21). Attempt # 3: One cannot live in adultery. This view is set forth to say that adultery is an act, not something in which one lives or "walks." But Jesus used the present tense "commits" when describing the adultery of the one who remarries after a divorce for a cause other than fornication. The Greek present tense indicates the present state of the remarried person. As to the possibility of living in adultery, Colossians 3:5-7 teaches that it is indeed possible. Here, fornication is among the sins which one is to "put to death" (v. 5). (Fornication is the general term for sexual immorality which includes adultery.) In speaking of these sins, Paul said "in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them" (v. 7). The adultery of an unscriptural remarriage is indeed an ongoing sinful condition. Attempt # 4: When one repents, baptism will wash an unscriptural marriage away. No brethren, baptism washes away sin, not wives! It does not change a sinful action into a godly one. The thief is forgiven of his theft when he repents, but baptism does not make thievery righteous! He must stop stealing! When a homosexual repents, his forbidden relationship does not become approved. He cannot continue in it with God's blessing! Neither can the adulterer continue in an adulterous remarriage after baptism and have God's favor. Baptism does not change the nature of sin, it washes away the sinner's past sin. But the sinner must "come out and be separate," or more sin is committed. The wisdom of men cannot compare withstand the wisdom of God (1 Cor. 1:18-25). Let us be content with and strengthened by the incomparable truth of Almighty God!