1 Corinthians 7:7-9
1 Now for the matters you wrote about: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.”
2 But since sexual immorality is occurring, each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband.
3 The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband.
4 The wife does not have authority over her own body but yields it to her husband. In the same way, the husband does not have authority over his own body but yields it to his wife.
5 Do not deprive each other except perhaps by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
6 I say this as a concession, not as a command.
7 I wish that all of you were as I am. But each of you has your own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that.
8 Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I do.
9 But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
10 To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband.
11 But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife.
Many people do not stay
for the rest of their lives.
God commands us to stay married, if at all possible.
In most cases, Christians should not
(v. 10).
“Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason 4 “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ 5 and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? 6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” 7 “Why then,” they asked, “did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?” 8 Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. 9 I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.” —Matthew 19:3-9
In most cases, divorced Christians have only
options (v. 11).
stay
(v. 11a).
with your former spouse (v. 11b).
There are
to God’s command to stay married.
- Jesus allowed for divorce and remarriage for
.
“I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.” —Matthew 19:9
“If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife—with the wife of his neighbor—both the adulterer and the adulteress are to be put to death.” —Leviticus 20:10
- Scripture allows for divorce to protect from
.
“Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning.” —Matthew 19:8
Big Idea: Do everything you can to
married.
Be
about whom you marry.
Don’t give up on your marriage just because you are
.
If you must divorce your spouse, stay
for as long as your spouse is.