As the Scriptures say, "A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one." (Ephesians 5:31 NLT).

"A wife is married to her husband as long as he lives. If her husband dies, she is free to marry whomever she wishes, but this must be a marriage acceptable to the Lord." (1 Corinthians 7:39 NLT).

"When a woman marries, the law binds her to her husband as long as he is alive. But if he dies, the laws of marriage no longer apply to her. So while her husband is alive, she would be committing adultery if she married another man. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law and does not commit adultery when she remarries." (Romans 7:2-3 NLT).

"Now, for those who are married I have a direct command from the Lord. A wife must not leave her husband. But if she does leave him, let her remain single or else go back to him. And the husband must not leave his wife." (1 Corinthians 7:10-11 NLT).

Apparently Paul didn't think it was necessary to repeat himself, but if he had, it would read:

"But if he does leave her, let him remain single or else go back to her".

Continuing, in Paul's letter to the church at Ephesus, he explains why the "one-flesh union" is so important:

As the Scriptures say, "A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one." This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one" (Ephesians 5:31-32 NLT).

The "one-flesh union" between a man and his wife is a picture of the "one-spirit union" between Christ and the church. In the Bible, the natural side of a parable is always true and helps us understand the spiritual side. If we change or distort the natural side of the equation, the "one-flesh union", then we must also change or distort the spiritual side of the equation, the "one-spirit union" ... and where would this leave us in terms of the Gospel? Shamar --- think about it! Be careful to consider all circumstances and possible consequences! An advocate of remarriage after divorce or marriage to a divorced person must modify the Gospel to allow another “lord (or lords) of our life” to COEXIST with the Lord Jesus Christ, thus creating a condition called “spiritual adultery”!

THE "GREAT MYSTERY": MARRIAGE AND SALVATION

God designed MARRIAGE this way:

A man leaves his father and mother and exchanges vows with his wife in the presence of witnesses. When the husband and wife consummate the marriage, the LORD God creates a genuine "one-flesh union", joining the husband to his wife for as long as they both shall live. Jesus said, "Since they are no longer two but one, let no one separate them, for God has joined them together." (Matthew 19:6 NLT) The Expanded Translation of the Greek New Testament makes it even clearer: "Therefore, that which God once and for all yoked together, let man not be separating." (Matthew 19:6 ETGNT)

You can choose to break your marriage contract in a court of law and you can choose to remarry, but that divorce decree and remarriage license cannot cancel or break the genuine "one-flesh union" that the LORD God created! The divorce decree and remarriage license are on Earth; the "one-flesh-union" that the Lord God creates is in Heaven.

The only thing that divorce and remarriage or marriage to a divorced person can accomplish is the creation of your own man-made or counterfeit "one-flesh union" (or "unions" in the case of multiple divorces and remarriages) existing in addition to the original genuine "one-flesh union" the LORD God created. The CO-EXISTENCE of a GENUINE"one-flesh union" and a COUNTERFEIT "one-flesh union" results in a CONTINUING UNFAITHFULNESS OR STATE OF ADULTERY. Now, that might bring a temporary degree of happiness, but can not bring the true peace and joy of God and even more importantly, it can jeopardize your salvation!

The Pharisees were divorcing and remarrying at will and even tried to use the "command to divorce" of Moses to excuse their unfaithfulness. Jesus told it like it was, that Moses "permitted" divorce because of the hardness and wickedness of their heart. Apparently there were some believers in the church at Corinth who were also thinking they could live outside of God's plan and purpose for them. The Apostle Paul was impressed to write a letter to the Corinthian church:

"Don't you know that those who do wrong will have no share in the Kingdom of God? Don't fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, who are idol worshipers, adulterers, male prostitutes, homosexuals, thieves, greedy people, drunkards, abusers, and swindlers --- none of these will have a share in the Kingdom of God! ... Don't you realize that your bodies are actually parts of Christ? Should a man take his body, which belongs to Christ, and join it to a prostitute? Never! And don't you know that if a man joins himself to a prostitute, he becomes one body with her? For the Scriptures say, "The two are united into one". But the person who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. Run away from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does, for sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. Or don't you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God has bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body" (1 Corinthians 6:9-10, 15-20 NLT).

God designed SALVATION this way:

A man or woman, boy or girl, guided by God's Holy Spirit, leaves the attachments of the world, the flesh and the devil, and follows [Greek: akoloutheo: to be in the same way with; to accompany (spec. as a disciple)] Jesus Christ, publicly professing their faith in him as Saviour and Lord, vowing to remain true and faithful. At that time, "the person who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him." (1 Corinthians 6:17 NLT). Thus they are "born from above" (John 3:3). Only God is able to create this genuine "one-spirit union".

By the way, to follow Jesus means far more than simply saying you are a Christian. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary gives these definitions: 1-to go, proceed, or come after; 2-to engage in as a calling or way of life; and 3-a: to be or act in accordance with and b:to accept as authority :OBEY.

The Holy Bible refers to the church as "the bride" and to Jesus Christ as "the bridegroom". The church is looking forward to that "blessed hope" of the return of the bridegroom, Jesus, and being taken to be with him for eternity. Only those in the church who have Christ's Spirit within (i.e. a genuine "One-Spirit Union") will qualify.

Obviously, those who reject Jesus can not possess his Spirit. Less obviously, those who have professed their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ but don't possess Christ's Spirit because of "spiritual adultery", will also be left out. We're not to be the judge of another person's salvation but God, who is just and who knows the heart, will judge righteously.

In Matthew 24, Jesus speaks with his disciples about the signs of his return and the perilous times to come. He speaks also of the faithful and unfaithful servants. Then in Matthew 25, he tells the story of the ten virgins.

"At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. At midnight the cry rang out: 'Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!' Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.' 'No', they replied 'there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.' But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. Later the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. Later the others also came. 'Sir! Sir! they said. 'Open the door for us!" But he replied, 'I tell you the truth. I don't know you.' Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour. (Matthew 25:1-13 NIV)

From all appearances, our lives might be exemplary but if anyone lacks the indwelling presence of God's Holy Spirit when Jesus returns for his church, that person will be left behind. It's imperative that we remain willing for God to do his work in our lives as the Apostle Paul wrote to the Philippian church:

"And now that I am away you must be even more careful to put into action God's saving work in your lives, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. For God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey him and the power to do what pleases him." (Philippians 2: 12-13 NLT).

Chapter 3 The Challenging Passages

Key to translations used in this article: NLT  New Living Translation; KJV  King James Version; NIV  New International Version; NAS  New American Standard; ETGNT  Wuest's Expanded Translation Greek New Testament