Divorce, Security, and Rapture


Fellow	ship > Divorce, Security, and Rapture

God hates divorce. "For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that He hateth putting away" (Malachi 2:16). Today, with divorce as common in the Professed Church as it is in the world, we should not think it strange that the Almighty is angry with the Church. "Hear the Word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land" (Hosea 4:1). Horatius Bonar once said, "I looked for the Church and I found it in the world; I looked for the world, and alas, I found it in the Church." This must have been Malachi's heart cry when the Holy Spirit caused him to write against the professed Godly: "14 Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the LORD hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant. 15 And did not He make one? Yet had He the residue of the Spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a Godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth" (Malachi 2:14-15).

Who has not heard the teachings of our LORD Jesus Christ on divorce? "Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery" (Luke 16:18). The words are explicit, and misinterpretation can only be derived with great difficulty. "8 He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so. 9 And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery" (Matthew 19:8-9). Jesus represented divorce essentially as the gateway to marrying again, which He plainly labelled as the sin of adultery. "Thou shalt not commit adultery" (Exodus 20:14).

John the Baptist lost his head because he preached against the ungodly conduct and example of Herod, the secular king of the Jews. "17 For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife: for he had married her. 18 For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife" (Mark 6:17-18). But, what about the great mass of divorced people in the Church? John the Baptist insisted that the people who professed to repent, should demonstrate it by their conduct. "Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance" (Matthew 3:8). Must they discontinue their new marriage to demonstrate their repentance? "9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the Kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the Name of the LORD Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God" (1Corinthians 6:9-11). No, another divorce will not solve the problem of the first divorce and the subsequent marriage. "Art thou bound unto a wife? seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? seek not a wife" (7:27). But, they must take a stand against divorce, and refuse for themselves and the Body the luxury of failure in marriage. "What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder" (Mark 10:9).

And, the divorced Believer ought to remain chaste, even if reconciliation to the former spouse is not possible. "10 And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the LORD, Let not the wife depart from her husband: 11 But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife" (1 Corinthians 7:10-11). If God can lead a Christian to be single and not sorry, then a divorced Believer can look to the same God for the strength to remain chaste and useful to the LORD. "According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love" (Ephesians 1:4). After all, even happily married Believers may understand that as the LORD's coming draws near, and the "time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives be as though they had none" (1Corinthians 7:29). Instead, we ought to strive to "attend upon the LORD without distraction" (7:35).

What does this discussion of divorce have to do with the Eternal Security of the Believer? "28 And I give unto them Eternal Life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand. 29 My Father, which gave them Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father's hand" (John 10:28-29). First, there is security for those who are trusting Christ, while there is insecurity for all those who are abiding in disobedience and sin. "3 And hereby we do know that we know Him, if we keep His Commandments. 4 He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His Commandments, is a liar, and the Truth is not in him" (1John 2:3-4). Second, no man-- self included-- can truthfully call Jesus LORD, while abiding in disobedience. "And why call ye Me, LORD, LORD, and do not the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46). Third, the testimony of sonship is only given by the Spirit to those walking in loving obedience. "14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. 15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of Adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. 16 The Spirit Itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God" (Romans 8:14-16). Finally, those walking in present disobedience and unbelief, have no right to assure themselves of their security or sonship, regardless of their past history of obedience. "26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the Truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, 27 But a certain fearful looking for of Judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries" (Hebrews 10:26-27).

And, how does divorce and the Eternal Security of the Believer connect with the Rapture? "Much every way" (Romans 3:2). We, as Believers in the LORD Jesus Christ, who "are the body of Christ, and members in particular" (1Corinthians 12:27), are betrothed to the LORD Jesus Christ, who is the Heavenly Bridegroom. "For I am jealous over you with Godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ" (2Corinthians 11:2). As we approach the culminating events of the Second Coming of the LORD Jesus Christ, i.e., "Looking for that Blessed Hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:13), we are counting on the fact that the KING of Kings, and LORD of Lords, "Who is the blessed and only Potentate" (1Timothy 6:15), will deliver us from the coming events of the Tribulation Week, from "all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man" (Luke 21:36). Also, we look forward to the coming Marriage Supper of the Lamb, and we're His Bride! How could we celebrate that Marriage Supper with Him, if He were to divorce us-- as Joseph was minded to put away Mary, who was "espoused to Joseph" when she was "found with child of the Holy Ghost" (Matthew 1:18)? "7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to Him: for the Marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready. 8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of Saints" (Revelation 19:7-8).

Now, the conclusion of the matter. If the Almighty believes in divorce, then He does not believe in the Eternal Security of the Believer. But, "God is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man, that He should repent: hath He said, and shall He not do it? or hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good?" (Numbers 23:19). For, if He does not have to honor the sanctity of the marriage, neither does He have to honor the security of the Believer's eternal relationship to Himself. But, the Eternal Jehovah has said, "For as the heavens are higher than the Earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:9). If He honors the marriage relationship, i.e., "Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge" (Hebrews 13:4), then He will honor His Personal relationship to the Believer, i.e, no man shall "pluck them out of My hand" (John 10:28).

If our Heavenly Bridegroom would divorce Himself from us, then we would never have to discuss the reality of the Rapture. "Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the LORD in the air: and so shall we ever be with the LORD" (1Thessalonians 4:17). But, He will not abandon us nor allow His Bride to be abused by Satan or the Antichrist, but "will keep [them] from the Hour of Temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the Earth" (Revelation 3:10). He will honor His pledge to deliver His Bride from the coming horrors of the Judgments of the Tribulation Week. "Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man" (Luke 21:36). His Word is His bond, and "all the Promises of God in Him are yea, and in Him Amen, unto the glory of God by us" (2Corinthians 1:20).

We have but to trust and obey our Heavenly Bridegroom. "He brought me to the Banqueting House, and His banner over me was love" (Song of Solomon 2:4). He will "do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the Power that worketh in us" (Ephesians 3:20).

Maranatha!

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Related Topic:

Divorce and Remarriage ---New Window
by Tom and Katie Stewart
"They are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder" (Matthew 19:6).

"Many Christians mistakenly think that fornication has been sanctioned as God's grounds for divorce. Not so. There are no Godly grounds for divorce. Laodiceans loudly proclaim, 'God does endorse divorce 'for the cause of fornication' (Matthew 5:32)'... let's study the passage IN CONTEXT... God puts families together-- it is ONLY man who tears them apart. 'For God is not the Author of confusion, but of Peace' (1Corinthians 14:33)... But peace and contentment only come to those who obey God. 'There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked' (Isaiah 57:21). You cannot cut corners with the LORD and think that your family will enjoy each other's company and share a happy life together, without ordering your steps aright and letting God have control of every aspect. 'Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it' (Psalm 127:1)."

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