3 Scriptures That Give Us The Answer

If you are a Christian contemplating divorce, you are probably struggling with a lot of tough questions. Have I done everything I can to save my marriage? Isn’t marriage sacred in the eyes of God? What about my children — will a divorce show them that marriage isn’t really forever, as the Bible says?

In times like this, the first place to turn is your Bible. What does the Bible say about divorce? There are 3 Bible scriptures that tell us.

Deuteronomy, Ch 24, v.1-4
As Moses leads his people to Canaan, he reminds them of God’s laws. Regarding divorce,  he says, “If a man doesn’t like something about his wife, he may write a letter stating that he has divorced her, give her the letter, and send her away. If she then remarries, and the second husband divorces her or dies, the former husband may not marry her again, for she has been defiled; this would bring guilt upon the land the Lord your God is giving you.”

Ok, we admit…this is not a huge help. So let’s turn to the New Testament and see what Jesus has to say.

Matthew Ch. 5, v 31-32
“The law of Moses says, ‘If anyone wants to be rid of his wife, he can divorce her merely by giving her a letter of dismissal.  But I (Jesus), say that a man who divorces his wife, except for fornication, causes her to commit adultery if she marries again. And he who marries her commits adultery.”

Here, Jesus is saying that a man can’t just divorce his wife for any old reason. In fact, the ONLY reason Jesus gives as permission for divorce is ‘fornication’ — meaning, if she is unfaithful.

Keep in mind that this was recorded by a man (Matthew) and, at that time, women were not heard from much. If we take what Jesus said and look to the present day, our opinion is that He would grant the same permissions for a woman whose husband had been unfaithful. Now, infidelity in and of itself doesn’t have to lead to divorce…but we’ll get to that later.

1Corinthians, Ch 7, v 10-16
Here, Paul reiterates some of the same attitudes about divorce, but adds that if a Christian woman is married to a non-Christian, she should stay with him in the hope of converting him to Christianity (and likewise for Christian men married to non-Christian women). In v.15, he adds “But if a husband or wife who is not a Christian is eager to leave, divorce is permitted. In such cases the Christian husband or wife should not insist that the other stay, for God wants his people to live in peace and harmony.”

So, according to the Bible, divorce is permissible only in cases of adultery, or if one partner is a non-Christian and wants to leave.

Where Does That Leave You?
As a Christian in an unhappy marriage, what then are your options? Are you doomed to remain in an unfulfilling relationship forever?

Luckily, no.

We said we’d come back to infidelity — in our experience, cheating is not the end of a marriage (or at least, it doesn’t have to be). Often times, adultery is but a symptom of deeper problems in the relationship…and as we all know, problems can be fixed, especially with God’s help.

Divorce Is Not The Answer
The Bible does not approve of divorce, except in two specific cases. God intended marriage to be forever. Indeed, you intended the very same when you stood before Him and made your vows. Divorce is not pleasing in His eyes, nor is it a pleasant experience for you.

But there is hope. No matter where your marriage is right now, you can save it — even if you and God are the only ones who seem to want to!

As Christians, we know that God has a plan for us, and that plan includes our marriages — so it makes sense that He wants us to do whatever we can to make things right. And that takes more than just prayers — it takes action.

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