YOU DON’T COMPLETE ME: WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT DIVORCE AND REMARRIAGE

March 14, 2025

BIG IDEA

“Marriage is a covenant relationship designed by God to model His faithful love for us.”

GOD’S ORIGINAL DESIGN FOR MARRIAGE

[Genesis 2:24] “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”

• “Marriage is a covenant, not a contract.”
• “A covenant is a permanent relationship built on promises, not just feelings.”

WHAT JESUS SAID ABOUT DIVORCE

[Matthew 19:3-6] “The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, ‘Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?’ And He answered and said to them, ‘Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”

3️⃣ BIBLICAL REASONS FOR DIVORCE:

1️⃣ Sexual Immorality [Matthew 19:9] “And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.”

• “Sexual unfaithfulness breaks the one-flesh union.”

2️⃣ Abandonment by an Unbelieving Spouse [1 Corinthians 7:15] “But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart; a brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. But God has called us to peace.”

• “When an unbelieving spouse abandons the marriage, God doesn’t require you to be held hostage.”

3️⃣ Abuse

• “God values your safety more than the institution of marriage.”
• “Abuse violates the covenant of protection and love.”

GOD’S HEART TOWARD DIVORCE

[Malachi 2:16] “For the Lord God of Israel says that He hates divorce, for it covers one’s garment with violence.”

• “God hates divorce not because He’s against you, but because He’s for you.”
• “God hates divorce because of what it does to people He loves.”

GRACE FOR THE DIVORCED

[John 4:17-18] “The woman answered and said, ‘I have no husband.’ Jesus said to her, ‘You have well said, “I have no husband,” for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly.'”

• “Jesus didn’t condemn the woman at the well—He offered her living water.”
• “Your relational history doesn’t disqualify you from God’s purposes.”

REGARDING REMARRIAGE

[Romans 8:1] “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”

• “The blood of Jesus is powerful enough to cleanse all sin—including divorce.”
• “God is the God of second chances.”

PRACTICAL WISDOM

1️⃣ For Those Considering Divorce:

• “Have you done everything possible to save your marriage?”
• “Seek godly counsel before making any decisions.”
• “Focus on your own heart issues before pointing fingers.”

2️⃣ For Those Who Are Divorced:

• “Receive God’s grace and forgiveness.”
• “Allow God to heal your heart before pursuing another relationship.”
• “Find your identity in Christ, not in your marital status.”

3️⃣ For Those Considering Remarriage:

• “Has there been genuine healing and growth?”
• “Are you spiritually aligned with this person?”
• “Have you resolved issues from your previous marriage?”

FINAL ENCOURAGEMENT

[Isaiah 61:3] “To console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”

• “God specializes in restoration and redemption.”
• “Your story isn’t over—it’s just entering a new chapter.”

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