Divorce & Remarriage - God's Design? (part 3)

Remarriage
On the issue of remarriage, the Bible is clear on the condition in which one could remarry. 1 Corinthians 7:39 and Romans 7:2 said that we are free to marry another if our spouse dies. Likewise, in 1 Corinthians 7:10-11 couples who separated are instructed not to remarry. In Romans 7:3, Matthew 5:32, and again in Matthew 19:9, Mark 10:11 and Luke 16:18, those who separate from their spouse and marry another person while their spouse is still alive are said to commit adultery. God’s word is loud and clear on this issue, and yet the remarriage rate among Christians in the US according to statistics is a staggering 82% and higher than the 66% among non-Christians. I was told that in Australia, 60% of Christians who divorced remarry.

“God in his forgiveness and love won’t continue to punish a divorcee.”, “God wants us to be happy”, “It’s not for us to judge them but to love and have compassion on them.” or “The spiritual bond of a husband and wife is broken once they’re divorced.” are all common reasons for supporting remarriage. It’s true that God’s nature means that we’re forgiven the guilt of being divorced, but it doesn’t say we’re exempt from the consequences (or cost if you like) for taking that action. God has forgiven our sins and therefore we aren’t punished for that, but we’re bound by the consequences which come with that, and in this case it’s the prohibition of remarriage unless the spouse dies, not to mention other consequences of family, personal and financial issues that may follow.

Of course, I myself had difficulty with what the Bible says at first. Because like some put it, it seems so cruel. But as I thought more about the issue, I began to understand the reasons behind the Bible’s strict stance. If remarriage is an option,

• It encourages non-commitment and reliance on self to solve our immediate problems
• It doesn’t encourage humility, often required in a sticky situation to seek God and think of others better than ourselves
• It forever takes away the opportunity for reconciliation and God’s purpose for marriage.

As for the spiritual bond being broken, I found no mention in the Bible about this. When God established His covenant with the Israelites, it was a lasting promise. Numerous times, the Israelites abandoned God and worshipped other gods and were referred to as adulterers. I wonder if it isn’t similar that, when we place our adoration, love, devotion and commitment on someone else (remarry), rather than the one we originally married, we commit adultery. But we find nowhere in the Bible that indicates the Israelites' rebellion has in anyway broken the covenant or their spiritual bond with God. In the same way, a marriage covenant is an everlasting covenant for the couple who God put together. That one of them decided to end or shift their attention away from the relationship doesn’t make it invalid. Our human law says it’s finished, but in God’s law and design, it doesn’t end until one of them dies.