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 Are you an Adulterer?

Romans 2:17-24

Indeed you are called a Jew and rest on the Law and make your boast in God, and know His will, and approve the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the Law, and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, an instructor to the foolish, a teacher of babes, having the form of knowledge and truth in the Law. You therefore who teach another, do you teach yourself? You who preach that a man should not steal, do you steal? You who say, do not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples. You who make your boast in the Law, do you dishonor God through breaking the Law? For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you, as it is written.

There is a call going out throughout the churches of the land to stand up and fight. Today it is for the marriage act that is upcoming. While there is no doubt that the forces of darkness are rising and that all the institutions that good people hold dear are under attack, we have to ask the question, why is this happening, for we all agree that it is horrifying and wrong.

If we are to be successful in holding back the forces of darkness, we must understand our enemy and his strengths, just how he managed to take so much ground in such a short time. It is vital to know this answer, for in the answer to that question lies the seed of victory against the onslaught. The common answer that is put forward is that American Christians disengaged from the political system, was not involved, therefore the enemy was able to take much ground. This is such a sweet delusion that the enemy has perpetrated on the church and its leaders. It makes so much sense on so many levels, people can understand it and they can rally behind the clarion call. If the reason for our unfortunate position today is that we took ourselves out of the political fray, then the answer is obvious, we must enter the political fray and take back what we have lost. This is an excellent trap, snare, set by the enemy and good people everywhere are rushing headlong into the pit that has been so skillfully dug for them.

Today's enemies are the homosexuals, Liberals, socialists amongst many. They, supposedly, are the cause of all our ails, and our lack of participation in the democratic process. Isn't it great that we have a visible enemy to blame, and for our part, all we have to do to fix it is get reengaged in the political process.........and, oh that's right.....don't forget to pray, we must not forget this important "caveat."

Isaiah 58:8-10

Then your light shall break forth like the morning, your healing shall spring forth speedily, and your righteousness shall go before you: The glory of the Lord shall be your rearguard. Then you shall cry out and the Lord will answer; You shall cry and He will say "Here I am." If you take away the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness. If you extend your soul to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted soul, then your light shall dawn in the darkness and your darkness shall be like the noonday."

Today, we point the finger. It is one of the ways we believe that we can "save our country." And yet, according to Leviticus 4:17 the fingers purpose was for dipping in the blood of purification and forgiveness, not for identifying enemies. As Christians we know who our enemy is. We know that the world is wicked and that it will climax in wickedness and then the Son of Man will make His appearance. Our concern is not with how wicked the world is, but what is the state of the church.

Imagine our light is controlled by a dimmer switch. If the switch is turned down low, what happens? By the exact amount the light is decreased, then the darkness increases. Why is the darkness increasing? Because the light is decreasing. Now, what does that mean in practical terms in the church? Take marriage for instance, since that is the subject at hand. By many polls, including Barna's, the divorce rate in the church is the same, and in some categories, greater than that of the world. We have lost our legitimacy to be an example of what is good to the world, for they laugh and blaspheme us for we are the same as them if not worse.

A lot divorces within the church are for reasons outside of Biblical legitimacy. The Bible clearly tells us that in those circumstances, if a man or woman remarries, then he is an adulterer and a bigamist. Where is the leadership from the church on this issue? When the Bible asks us "do you commit adultery," then it is trying to expose hypocrisy. If we will not deal with these issues within our own house, then our house is in disorder and we cannot lead. Do not expect the Lord to bless a house that is in disorder for ......

"When I shut up the heaven and there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and call their senators, oh sorry, misprint, it should have read, turn from their wicked ways then I will hear from heaven and forgive their sin and heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:15)

If we turn from our wicked ways as a church, if we begin to lead from the front and by example, then only then will the power of God move through this land. It is not enough to appeal to the law if we are law breakers, first we must put that right and a great revival must flow through what we call the church, a revival of repentance, a revival seed, watered with the tears of a repentant people who have pulled down the high places of worship of idols in their own lives, who have chosen this day to follow what is right in the sight of the lord and not what is right in their own eyes. Then the word of God in Psalm 81:13-14 will make perfect sense as He talks to the children of Israel, not the wicked world .........................

Oh that my people would listen to Me. That Israel would walk in My ways! I would subdue their enemies and turn My hand against their adversaries.

 2006/1/31 22:56









 Re: Are you an Adulterer?

Hi Frank,

Fairly recently, we have discussed adultery, divorce and remarriage in some detail, and it has been done her prior to that. But I don't think you're seeking a discussion of those points again.... you're saying we should turn back to the Lord, not 'back' to our political leaders, if we want to see the light increase and the darkness decrease.

I hope there is also a willingness to let some people leave their hypocritical pasts behind, and an [i]acceptance[/i] that there can be a new start on the basis of real honesty with God.



 2006/2/1 5:53
lastblast
Member



Joined: 2004/10/16
Posts: 528
Michigan

 Re: Are you an Adulterer?

http://www.marriagesforlife.com/page/page/2440201.htm

Brother, there are men in the church, very learned, well-respected men, who are speaking up against this sin within the church. I just came back from a conference and I'm telling you, it was powerful and encouraging to know that there is a "remnant"----out of every denomination-----that desires to follow the Lord and purge out of ourselves all hypocrisies as they become known. If we are to preach a BELIEVEABLE message that Christ transforms, we must live it through obedience and putting self down so HE is lifted up for the world to see. Blessings in Him, Cindy


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Cindy

 2006/2/1 7:50Profile
Graftedbranc
Member



Joined: 2005/11/8
Posts: 619


 Re:

One thing I have not found among those who are strong on this point is what "repentance" involves regarding those who have divorced and remarried and are "living in adultry".

Does genuine repentance involve divorcing the present wife and reconciling with the first wife? And what of those whose spouses have also remaired?

It is one thing to boldly state a problem in the church, but few venture to advance any solution to the problem, At least outwardly. It seems rather they are content to stand on their high moral ground and take up stones.

Considering the woman at the well in John 4 who had been married 5 times and was living with a man, did He council her to return to her 1st husband and be reconciled?

As far as I can see, He revealed her sin but offered the Water of Life to drink and she went away amazed saying, "Come see a man who told me all that I have done. Is this not the Christ?"

And to the woman caught in the act of Adultry,He said, "Go and sin no more".

Graftedbranch

 2006/2/1 15:47Profile
ryanelijah
Member



Joined: 2006/1/30
Posts: 23


 Re:

I believe repentance involves turning from your sin, and doing everything God asks you to do in order to 'right this wrong'. However, I don't believe God would condone sin in order that someone would repent. There is always a Holy way to repent, one without fault or wrong.

To divorce a spouse is wrong, and God hates it, although He has given a specific reason where He will allow it. (Although, I personally don't believe that is the best solution...) Regardless, I don't believe Jesus would ever condone divorcing someone, breaking up another family and destroying lives and hearts, in order to "reconcile" with the previous spouse. Whatever appropriate God led reconciliation will be done, but all the while the current marriage will be honored and lifted up to God for His guidance. I don't believe God would encourage anyone to even as much as dishonor their current spouse in the name of repentance.

It just doesn't seem biblical?! What do you think?

 2006/2/1 15:57Profile
Graftedbranc
Member



Joined: 2005/11/8
Posts: 619


 Re:

Amen

Graftedbranch

 2006/2/1 15:59Profile
PreachParsly
Member



Joined: 2005/1/14
Posts: 2164
Arkansas

 Re:

I've been musing on this topic lately. Some say that if you have been divorced and remarried(to another) that you must divorce the one you are remarried to and either stay single or be reconciled back to the original.

It doesn's seen right to divorce the one you are married to, but are you still in adultery?


_________________
Josh Parsley

 2006/2/1 16:03Profile
PreachParsly
Member



Joined: 2005/1/14
Posts: 2164
Arkansas

 Re:

What does everyone think of this article? I ran across it on a website. Is it Biblical?
___________________________
Divorce and Remarriage



Divorce and remarriage is an area of intense controversy among Christians. It is admittedly a difficult and complex issue. Doctrinal positions on this issue range from "no divorce, no remarriage under any circumstances" to "divorce for any cause." We, at Consuming Fire Fellowship, offer this concise doctrinal statement which we feel reflects the spirit and letter of Scripture regarding this issue.

Marriage Is A Lifetime Contract In The Purpose of God.

Genesis 2:24 speaks of the man and woman “cleaving” to each other and "becoming one flesh." Thus, breaking a marriage is like rending the body apart.

The marriage contract is intended to be binding until death (I Corinthians 7:39).

Marriage is symbolic of Christ and His Church (Ephesians 5:31,32) who are bound together in an indissoluble union.

Divorce Is Sin And Should Never Be Practiced By Christians.

Malachi 2:16 says that the Lord hates divorce; the Lord Jesus reaffirms this in Matthew 19:3-9 (what "God hath joined together, let not man put asunder").

Nevertheless, should Christians be innocently abandoned and divorced by their spouses there is little they can do in our licentious and Christ-rejecting culture.

The Exception Clause: For Fornication.

The Lord Jesus names "fornication" as grounds for remarriage after one has been divorced (Matthew 19:3-9). However, what does our Lord mean when using the term "fornication?" The Greek word "pornea" translated "fornication" in Matthew 19 and Luke is used elsewhere in Scripture to denote "harlotry" (Luke 15:30); "incestuous relationships" (I Corinthians 5:1); "sodomite relationships" (Jude 1:7); "betrothal unfaithfulness" (Deuteronomy 22:13-21); and "marital unfaithfulness" (Proverbs 7:10-20; Hosea 2:2; Jeremiah 3:6-9; Ezekiel 16:28-34; 23:43-45), where adultery and fornication are used synonymously.

As shown above, the restricting of "fornication" to mean only "betrothal unfaithfulness" is to ignore its usage in other parts of the Bible.

Certainly, when Jesus cites "fornication" as an exception to His divine principles regarding divorce and remarriage He cannot be referring to single acts of sin. Why? Because elsewhere the Bible instructs Christians to forgive and to seek reconciliation, to love our enemies, and to even pray for those who despitefully use us. Therefore, we are of the opinion that what is meant in these passages refers to "perpetual adultery," or, being deserted by a spouse who then remarries another, thus committing continual adultery. There is no command in the Bible that marriage must be broken off for fornication or any other sin. There is a better course -- to forgive, and be reconciled (as in Hosea 1-3).

Desertion By An Unbeliever.

Desertion of a believing mate is addressed by the Apostle Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians (I Corinthians 7:15). The Apostle states that the believing mate "is not under bondage" in such cases. Again, we are of the opinion, based on the totality of Scripture, that "desertion" here refers to being abandoned, divorced, and the offending party remarrying another. Under these conditions the deserted Christian is not bound to the marriage contract.. This situation is in direct contrast to that of I Corinthians 7:11, where the "separated" believer is bound to the spouse. The same root word ("bound" or "bondage") is used in I Corinthians 7:27,39 where it refers to the marriage contract. Moreover, the incentive to remain with the unbelieving partner (i.e., that the unbelieving partner is sanctified by the unbelieving spouse) is nullified when the unbelieving partner deserts.

Two Christians joined in wedlock do not have grounds for divorce outside of fornication. Allowance is made for "separation," but there is no allowance for divorce ("putting away") or remarriage ("let her remain unmarried"). The reason stated is that the door must always be open for "reconciliation."

Scriptural Divorce Gives a Right To Remarry.

Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 24:1,2 which clearly states that a right to divorce means a right to remarry (Matthew 19:8).

Since a Scriptural divorce is a dissolution of marriage, the Scripturally divorced person is an unmarried person. When a former partner marries, the other party is automatically freed from the bonds of that marriage, regardless of where the guilt lies, and thus is free to remarry.

Remarriage is not permitted for desertion of a believer by a believer, unless the deserting party remarries (thus committing adultery and breaking the marriage bond).

Remarriage is not permitted in the absence of fornication or desertion of a believer by a believer where the divorced partner is still living.

Remarriage is permitted when a former divorced partner is deceased.



Moral Failure, When Duly Repented Of, Cannot Bar The Offended From Fellowship.

When a person comes to Christ, he is forgiven of all failures in life, moral or otherwise (II Corinthians 5:17). Human obligations may continue, however. If he is divorced and remarried before salvation, he should remain in that new marriage, since to remarry the former spouse (even if possible) would be an abomination (Deuteronomy 24:3,4). If he is divorced without Scriptural cause and has not remarried and his spouse is not remarried, he may be reconciled to the former spouse or remain unmarried.

Unscripturally divorced persons or unscripturally remarried persons should not be barred from church fellowship if there is clear evidence of repentance.

The right hand of fellowship may be denied for those who deliberately obtain an unscriptural divorce or remarriage against counsel. When considering a divorced person for an official church position, the Elders must weight the facts of each case in order to determine eligibility.

Sanctity of Marriage.

We are as fully committed to the sacred character of marital commitments as other believers. We join with them in deploring the high divorce rate and the disintegration of family life. Our view of the Scriptures is not a careless yielding to the spirit of modern life, but a conscientious examination of the entire teaching of God's Word on this subject. Let us hope our Scriptural conscience is respected by those of differing views.


_________________
Josh Parsley

 2006/2/1 16:11Profile
ryanelijah
Member



Joined: 2006/1/30
Posts: 23


 Re:

Hmmm... good call. I don't know. But some people are going to get extremely angry with me for this, but here's my thoughts. (Most divorce happens for the stupidest reasons. I once heard a woman claim that she wanted to divorce her husband because he didn't turn the TV off during innappropriate commercials. Another woman claimed, "I've just never been attracted to him." All I can think is, if that guy is ever willing to take you back... you are lucky. I'm a girl, so I can say that easier than a guy...)

Anyway, all of that to say: I know all too well the pains of adultery. (Seems its everywhere, eh?) But the fact remains: Would it be better to work through problems with your current spouse, or to divorce because "technically" you're allowed and leave your children with a broken home. The funny thing is, even if you do divorce and remarry, there is NO GUARANTEE that your new spouse won't cheat. We are all vulnerable. I mean if David can fall, how can we say we are totally immune, right?

Don't get me wrong, I think it would be a healthy thing to do to separate, seek counseling etc. But if you are going to work on a relationship, and you will have to work on whatever relationship you chose to enter, why not work on the one that restores!

I don't want a technical salvation, and I don't want a technical way out of divorce. Think about Hosea. He had every technical reason to divorce!!!

Even still, I think one broken marriage due to adultery is more than enough, and to leave your second spouse and family seems silly to me!

But then again, I'm not in that position. I just really question what these people are getting taught by their leaders, and on top of that, as a woman, I would be deeply offended if the only reason my exhusband came back to me was because he didn't want to be in adultery with the woman he left me for. Seems silly...

 2006/2/1 16:20Profile
lastblast
Member



Joined: 2004/10/16
Posts: 528
Michigan

 Re:

Quote:
One thing I have not found among those who are strong on this point is what "repentance" involves regarding those who have divorced and remarried and are "living in adultry".




http://www.marriagesforlife.com/page/page/2440201.htm
At the conference I just attended (in the link I provided above), those speakers are most certainly not weak concerning what they believe and teach about repentance. They are as loving and Gentle as they can be when confronted with adulterous remarriages in their midst, but they do not compromise on what they believe the Word of God teaches on the matter.

There are many pastors today who will say privately that they DO believe remarriage is adultery (while a 1st spouse lives), yet they will not come out and say how one is to repent in such a case. Those who say that one is just to "confess" and continue living with the 2nd/3rd, etc spouse cannot show where the adultery turns into a lawful marriage in scripture...........which is very confusing to those who understand the nature of repentance and find themselves in these situations.

I know a woman who spoke to a very well known pastor recently. She is in the process of "leaving" her adulterous marriage (she was married previously). She can't see repentance being accomplished in any other way than by forsaking this adulterous relationship (that's what one does concerning "extra-marital" relationships). She sees herself still joined by God to her 1st husband........this marriage being adultery, not a binding marriage in the sight of God. This pastor told her she was sinning if she left this marriage---yet he had no scripture to show her where the adultery turned into a lawful, joined by God marriage. As a matter of fact, Rom. 7:2-3, I Cor. 7:39 seems to show that adultery/remarriage does NOT dissolve a previous marriage. She told me that to understand the nature of true repentance and have someone tell you to stay in a relationship the Lord called sin, having no scriptural support to verify this response, is utter confusion and contradiction to her.

I know most of us would feel much more comfortable if repentance in these situations only involved confession. However, the scriptures dealing with the nature of the original marriage bond cannot be ignored. In order to be fully confident one is NOT in sin, there needs to be biblical evidence that the sin somehow changes and that repentance works differently concerning this type of illicit relationship. Blessings in Him, Cindy


_________________
Cindy

 2006/2/1 16:51Profile





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