AgapeFocus APPLYING GOD'S SOLUTIONS TO HUMAN PROBLEMS

No man or woman should enter into marriage deceitfully; otherwise such marriages are not true marriages! A life time relationship should not be taken carelessly. God watches over all of us and He cannot be deceived. Each person shall give account to God. Marriage should not be handled loosely as to allow it to make us guilty before God. Where guilt exists, there must be repentance for healing and refreshing to take place. Neither POLYGAMY nor POLYANDRY is good or right. Marriage is honourable in all and the bed undefiled, but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge[Hebrews 13:4]. God does heal marriages today. He heals broken minds and hearts. He is the Restorer and Healer.
1. When God established marriage, He meant it for life time, till physical death parts the couple. Let God be true and all others liars. [Genesis 2:23-25; Romans 7:1-3; Malachi 2:14-16; Mark 10:2-12;]. What God has joined together, let not man put asunder[Let NO man/ woman/ family/ culture/ religion/ parliament/ legislature/ government/ law court put asunder.].
2. Can God heal sick, corrupted marriages? YES! If human beings would allow God by inviting Him in and patiently waiting for Him to do His miraculous operation. No case is too advanced for healing or beyond healing. Humility and true repentance can lead to wonderful, positive results. Examples do abound today of what God is doing. Divorce is not a remedy. Remember the example of the woman of Sychar in Samaria, who met Jesus at the well. That lady had five previous husbands and the sixth man she was having relationship with then was not her husband! [John 4:6-42]. If divorces gave any solution that woman should not have had up to six men in her life before she had miraculous encounter with Jesus. We were not told what happened to the lady afterwards, but if she ever married again I would expect that to have been a stable marriage because her life had been renewed and her focus brightened.
3. When God is at the centre of a marriage, problems are easily overcome. God never promised us that we would not have challenges or problems, but He assures us in every area of our lives that we would overcome problems. No one should build castles out of problems and make use of such castles as excuses for initiating divorce! Bring all your anxieties; all your worries; all your hurts; all your experiences of rejection; all the verbal and psychological abuses; all your broken hearts; all your own failures towards your spouses too; bring them all to JESUS! Jesus turns all sorrows into joy. Jesus will lift off the problems that weigh you down. Call upon Him without delay and wait for His miraculous operation! He truly cares [Matthew 11:28-30].
4. Do you seek forgiveness from God? Do you quickly forgive others when they offend you, even after their apologies? [Matthew 6:12; 7:12;]. Where in the Bible is it written that the sin of adultery cannot be forgiven? Many have used adultery as the basis for divorcing their spouses. God did not say that adultery should not be forgiven. When God said He hates divorce, it is implied that there is a remedy. Remedy for divorce is to stay faithful. Remedy for divorce is to stay vigilant and be our spouses keepers[not as spies, but as loving carers and watchers]. Remedy for divorce is to make yourself more pleasing and attractive to your spouse now that the ring is on your fingers and you have each other! Remedy for divorce is to submit to one another. On sexual intimacy each person should remember that his or her spouse should never be refused sex, except in rare cases of giving oneself to prayer and fasting. I would add also that by mutual consent it should be assessed that physical weakness as in tiredness arising from work or long travel could be a temporary excuse. The cure for that should be adequate rest. Shortly after child birth sexual intimacy may be postponed till the woman regains strength. No room should be given to temptation from Satan as a result of negligence on sexual intimacy. Brother Paul rightly states this in his epistle[1 Corinthians 7:3-6]. The stubborness or hardness of people’s hearts was the reason in Moses days why divorce was permitted, when adultery was reported. God never condoned adultery. The Israelites were very frequent with their spiritual adultery through abominable relationships and idolatrous practices. They were punished for such dirty practices, but when they cried out for mercy and repented, God forgave them many times and He restored them back into clean, fresh renewed relationship. God also restored their fortunes. Who can be likened to the LORD, the Almighty God, Who forgives sins and iniquities? Who are you to refuse forgiveness to your spouse? Are you wiser or more righteous or holier than God?
Remedy for divorce is to uphold your family altar of worship, reading of the Bible, meditation, prayer and thanksgiving everyday. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. [Psalms 119; Psalms 107: Micah 7:18-20; Colossians 3:16-17].
The only unforgivable sin is to reject Jesus Christ. Another remedy for divorce is humility before each other. TALK together in turns and LISTEN to each other. The seniority of the man as husband and father makes him the biggest servant at home and not the task master! The humility of your husband should never be taken for granted. Accord to him the honour due to him as the head who is as Christ to you. As a mark of humility it is not too difficult to say and mean sorry when wrong or when you offend each other. Because you are married, work out your marriage with love. It takes the two to work out their marriage successfully. GOD is ever faithful, His Word is true and cannot be undermined. In marriage God wants each couple to win. True love honours, trusts, serves, obeys, endures, gives and forgives. [1 Corinthians 13: 4-7]. As a Christian couple God expects you to make your marriage honourable and successful. Grace be with you.