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Ephesians Chapter 6 speaks of arming yourself with your Spiritual weapons. These weapons share a common theme: Knowledge. If you do not spend time in God's Word, how will you be prepared to give an account of why you are saved? How can you minister to people or evangelize without understanding God's will? "D-I-V-O-R-C-E" Does the Bible allow divorce? God's view: "I hate divorce," says the LORD God of Israel, "and I hate a man's covering himself with violence as well as with his garment," says the LORD Almighty. So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith. (Malachi 2:16, NIV) Divorce is a breaking of faith. Jesus's View: Now In Matthew 19, Jesus told the Jews that divorce did not exist originally (for this reason, an wo(man) shall leave her/his parents, and find a spouse, and the two of them will become one flesh -Old Testament Law), but that Moses allowed it because their hearts were hard. Here are two passages about divorce to consider: Deuteronomy 24:1-4 "If a man marries a woman who becomes displeasing to him because he finds something indecent about her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house, and if after she leaves his house she becomes the wife of another man, and her second husband dislikes her and writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house, or if he dies, then her first husband, who divorced her, is not allowed to marry her again after she has been defiled. That would be detestable in the eyes of the LORD. Do not bring sin upon the land the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance. Jeremiah 3:8 "I gave faithless Israel her certificate of divorce and sent her away because of all her adulteries. Yet I saw that her unfaithful sister Judah had no fear; she also went out and committed adultery." Adultery is a breaking of faith Paul's View: 1 Corinthians 7 does not state that voluntary leaving is acceptable. Verses 8 and 9 are for singles and widowers. If you can, stay single. If temptation is causing you to stumble, get married. Verses 10-11 are for married Christians. Stay married. You shouldn't leave, but if you do, you are still married. Verses 12-15 are for married couples where one is not a believer. Notice that the believer cannot initiate the divorce. But also notice that if the unbeliever leaves, the covenant has been broken, and the believer is not bound to stay married. Leaving a marriage is a breaking of faith. The Greek word for "fornication" is "porneia", which means harlotry (including adultery and incest); figuratively, idolatry: The NKJ renders "fornication" as "sexual immorality". The NIV renders it as "marital unfaithfulness/infidelity". "Infidelity" is a breaking of a covenant (or promise). "Adultery" is a married person that has sex outside of marriage with another person (former President Clinton, for example). "Fornication" is sex between single adults. Adultery and Idolatry have common behavioral patterns, so when you see Adultery, think Idolatry and Infidelity (If you are following other gods (like Money, Work, Television, the Internet), you have broken the covenant with God). Brethren, God does not like divorce. Jesus does not like divorce. Paul did not sanction divorce. The admonition to you is not be unequally yoked. This means you have a responsibility to let God choose your mate. If they don't know Jesus, run. If they can't pray, run. If they can't tell you where a church is, run. And even if they can, test the spirit. Ask God for guidance.
Please note that God is a loving God. He does not want to see his children suffer.
If you are in a marriage, and your spouse has broken the marital covenant, you do not have to stay married. That includes abuse (physical or mental).
Seek help. Seek shelter. Seek God.
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