It is typical for remarriage adulterers to cite polygamist King David in an attempt to justify their own remarriage (even though David was never remarried and Bathsheba was a widow when they married). Furthermore, such arguments are all nullified by what the PRECIOUS Lord Jesus, who knew all about King David, taught:
Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery (Luke 16:18).
He answered, "Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery" (Mark 10:11,12).
For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law of marriage. So then, if she marries another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress, even though she marries another man (Rom. 7:2,3).That same essential "until death do we part" scriptural truth (Mark 10:7-9) is repeated here:
A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord (1 Cor. 7:39).Divorce does not end a marriage. Only physical death ends a marriage. People often wonder how the aforementioned verses can parallel the exception clauses in Mt. 5:32 and 19:9 ("except for marital unfaithfulness"), but in their bewilderment, they all too often overlook Mt. 1:19. That verse is where Joseph was going to "divorce" Mary because he wrongly thought she was guilty of sexual sin during their betrothal, that is, BEFORE they were actually married. Again, Joseph was going to "divorce" Mary, which is the same Greek word found in Mt. 5:32 and 19:9, before they were actually married.
Furthermore, Jesus taught such remarriage adultery is a continuous tense sin. It is not a one-time sin, which can be confessed and forgotten about, all while continuing to indulge in sexual union. Such soul-damning adultery is committed every time sexual union occurs, because at least one of the two parties is still married to another living person. The lethal seriousness of unforgiven adultery is shown in 1 Cor. 6:9,10 and Rev. 21:8, where such sin will drag both parties to the lake of fire, just on that basis alone. What wolves in sheep's clothing say about the permissibility of remarriage after divorce does not change the written word of God, which forbids such practice and is detestable in God's sight.
John the Baptist was beheaded over his preaching about the illegitimate marriage between Herod and Herodias. The truth is, Herodias was still Philip's wife (Mt. 14:3,4; Mark 6:17-19). Hence, Herod and Herodias were committing adultery by their sexual union because their "marriage" was not legitimate before God.
For Herod himself had given orders to have John arrested, and he had him bound and put in prison. He did this because of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, whom he had married. For John had been saying to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife." (Mark 6:17,18)This vital message is not just for people in remarriage adultery now, who desperately need to repent and get forgiven, but also for single people before they become entangled in an emotional bear trap. Marriage is a very serious commitment; only death terminates the bonds of marriage. Marriage is not some trivial arrangement to try out only to have both parties go their own way and try again with different people when problems arise.
Finally, please know people in remarriage adultery are not cancelling out their adultery by going to church, praying, reading the bible, giving to the poor, soul winning or by any other church activity. Adulterers must stop their sexual union and seek God's forgiveness to be cleansed.
If you have found yourself in such an adulterous situation, which is condemned by God, you must act while you still can. If you die in your sins, you'll be eternally lost. There is no Once Saved Always Saved. Pass this teaching on to those you care about.
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