Specific answers to questions in these puzzling times.
Please note: Many of these answers are under rewrite.
Question Twelve: I got saved, married an unbeliever and have since found out that what I did was wrong. I want to repent. If a person who married an unqualified Christian spouse is in a state of sin (adultery), and they should in fact leave, shouldn’t I then leave my unqualified spouse?
Answer:
Click Here for the Answer
Question Thirteen: Hey! How about some resources to help me though whatever?
Answer: Sure! They are as follows...
Mystery Site #1
Mystery Site #2
Mystery Site #3
Answer: The RC church feels that everyone within their church is saved therefore they treat the people’s marriage contracts the same way the Bible would treat the covenant between believers. This is noble, but wrong. If anyone has grown up in the RC church (Like I have), they will note that not all people born within the catholic church are Christian. (This is true in most any church). Thus, for our purposes here, if you are a RC, and you are a Christian, according to the Bible you may get divorced and remarried if your unbelieving spouse has left you, but that’s pretty much it. The RC church will probably not agree with you (unless you cough up a lot of money for an annulment). So it might be best to leave the church, or else be ready to dole out a lot of money and take your chances with the bishop. (and BTW you really can’t reform an institution that big and vast. People have tried... and some have died. Also, the catholic church is noted for it’s hypocrisy in this area. If you left the church to get civil divorce and get remarried I promise you, your marriage is legitimate in the eyes of God and He is not going to curse you).
Question Fifteen: Both my spouse and I are on our second marriages. The reason for my divorce was because my unbelieving spouse left me. However the reason for my current spouses divorce was on the grounds of adultery. (but both the spouses were Christian). Is our marriage legitimate?
Answer: Read the answer to question #2.
Question Sixteen: I still do not understand the concept of a marriage which is “under the law.”
Answer: Think of it as a marriage that is not “under grace”. The New Testament contracts these two concepts (read Romans and Galatians) and the Christian is not to act and speak as one who is legalistic and judgmental (i.e. under the law), but rather speak and act as someone who is merciful and forgiving (i.e. under grace). If you are UNDER something you are looking UP to it, whatever it is. For example, if you cherish the golden rule, it’s something of a goal to shoot for, you LOOK UP to it. Therefore, because you LOOK UP to it you are in effect UNDER IT. The same holds true with anything, including the LAW of Moses. If you follow it, you are looking UP to it and in doing so you are placing yourself UNDER it rather than ABOVE it where Christians are to dwell.
In other words we, as Christians, are not to follow the Laws of Moses (i.e. justice over mercy, divorce the adulterer), but the Law of Christ (i.e. mercy over justice, forgive the adulterer). They are both laws but one is a HIGHER law. That is the Law of Christ. Again, you are not under the laws of Moses, but under the laws (or commandments) of Christ. (see 1 John, and Revelation ‘keep his testimonies)
So how does this relate to a 2nd marriage covenant? Well, if you LOOK UP to the Laws of Moses (i.e. the previous Christian vs. Christian divorce was on the basis of sin - adultery) in establishing the legitimacy of your new, 2nd marriage covenant (i.e. with another Christian), you had better start following all the Laws of Moses in your relationship or their will be repercussions for you, THE SAME WAY THERE WAS REPERCUSSIONS FOR YOUR EX-SPOUSE when they broke this one particular law set forth by Jesus. (see Question 37).
You see, God’s judgment is very very relative. As we judge so to we will be judged. A marriage that is established on the grounds of a previous marriages failure in following the Law, is itself, under a potential judgment of God if it’s participants do not live up to all the requirements of the same and other Laws of Moses. This kind of marriage is not the kind of marriage anyone would desire. It’s like an ax hanging over ones head all the time. One wants a marriage where God cuts them some slack. A marriage the He will bless, not curse.
“ for as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse, for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all the things written in the book of the law to perform them...However the Law is not of faith, on the contrary, He who practices them shall live by them” Galatians 3:10,12
It’s ridiculous to live (i.e have a marriage that is based under the law) when the laws purpose was only to lead one to a forgiving Christ (Galatians 3:24). It’s like regressing, going in a circle only to end up where you started from before you regressed. It’s better for the betrayed to forgive and forget than to not to. It’s better for you to stay where you are (i.e. with a cheating spouse), rather than going on to another relationship. (again see question 37)
Question Seventeen: From what I’ve read so far my marriage is one that is the product of a hard heart toward a previous spouse and I now see that I am UNDER the law too. You’re right, I do keep saying “well, the law of Moses says this on the subject” or Jesus (whom I now see as speaking to people under the law) I find myself saying “Jesus said this or that on the subject”. Why did God allow me to go ahead and marry my spouse. We’ve been married many years and have children and I love my spouse deeply. What am I to do.
Answer: In scripture often time you see God speaking once, maybe twice on a subject and that’s pretty much it. He relies on the Priest, Pastors, Prophets and even the Teachers to continue propagating the message to get the people “in line” for LIFES SAKE. (i.e. not have them dwell in areas of death) It’s their job, they have responsibilities and it’s just the way the system works. They are expected to function. You will find that there are many instances in scripture where they are chasten by God for not doing their job and in the chastening God often points out the results of them not doing it. Tragedy galore.
Take for example Uzzih touching the ark. The priest were the only ones that were suppose to touch it yet when he touched it -and died - David got upset.. The reason he died - David later found out - was because the priests were not doing their job - literally - as well as even in a teaching manner. David had to find out what the deal was.
Also, there is one instance where the work of God was so neglected, because of judgment and the like, that the people even forgot where the book of the Law was that they were responsible to. When they found it they were very upset for they saw that they were doing things they should not be doing. And you know what ? they were still held responsible - by God - to it’s contents (ignorance of the law is no excuse) and were expected to correct their behavior. The covenant was still good.
God expects people today to follow His word just as they did under the Old Covenant. God may send someone to correct people in a prophetic sense. But remember what Abraham said to the person who was in hell in the story in Luke. ‘They (his dead family) have Moses and the prophets if they don’t listen to them they won’t listen even if someone rises (comes back) from the dead. God’s word is supreme.
Look to your past and see if God was there in some fashion warning you against what you did. He probably was, through a person or a scripture. But you shrugged it off. Maybe it was just a warning in your Spirit.
Today God is raising up a new generation that really functions in the giftings of the Spirit. They are doing their jobs like I am here. Hopefully they will correct the problems of many generations of leadership that have not done theirs. When God’s word is applied to a situation - in a corrective sense - there is often pain. David’s wifes ‘husband’ cried when she was taken away from him yet it was the right thing to do. If the church is to function correctly it needs to be in order. Jesus does indeed visit it (see Revelation), and some of the visits He says will be bad visits if correction is not made in particular situations. (see Revelation) CHURCHES DO HAVE BAD VISITATIONS. Judgment on the world begins at the house of God. Many pastors don’t believe this, nor people God sends to them, yet these BAD VISITATIONS explain a heck of a lot. Anyway, my word to you is to repent.
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You can also sell the work at a profit if you wish, just having these works circulating in the world is reward enough for me).
Again, this is an open source web site. The code (as well as content) is free to all. Feel free to tinker, dabble and fiddle around with both code and content. God is a very creative Spirit. Who knows what kind of page(s) you will develop. Also, who knows what kind of influential tracts or books you may write. (If you want you can change the sentence structures around and put this sites content in your own words. Then put your name on the book or tract and shop it around to some publishers. Most of this sites content is desperately in need of rewrite so putting your name on a rewritten work is probably a good idea, actually a very good idea).
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P.S. If you copy these pages to a server make sure you place your own e-mail address on the pages so people will know whom to write if they have any questions (you can also leave my e-mail address on them if you wish (i.e. StevenMRyan@cs.com), but as of now I don’t have the time to answer everyone’s questions so I think your e-mail address would be a better idea).
Thus you can have your own web site [Angelfire (Lycos ) offers free web pages as well as many other sites Click here and ask around].
Periodically I will update the links on these pages. Below you will find the dates of the ‘last update’ of a particular page. If you wish you can use the below “updates” as a guide to update your own pages or you can update your own at you own discretion.
Feel free to improve on any of the pages you copy.
Also, feel free to use this entire sites content (Music, Theology, Divorce and Remarriage etc.) in any way you wish (for example: if you wish to publish a page in whole or in part in another medium (let’s say in tract or book form), you have my permission to do so (and you don’t have to inform me or put my name on the work).
You can also sell the work at a profit if you wish, just having these works circulating in the world is reward enough for me).
Again, this is an open source web site. The code (as well as content) is free to all. Feel free to tinker, dabble and fiddle around with both code and content. God is a very creative Spirit. Who knows what kind of page(s) you will develop. Also, who knows what kind of influential tracts or books you may write. (If you want you can change the sentence structures around and put this sites content in your own words. Then put your name on the book or tract and shop it around to some publishers. Most of this sites content is desperately in need of rewrite so putting your name on a rewritten work is probably a good idea, actually a very good idea).
May God bless you in your efforts.
P.S. If you copy these pages to a server make sure you place your own e-mail address on the pages so people will know whom to write if they have any questions (you can also leave my e-mail address on them if you wish (i.e. StevenMRyan@cs.com), but as of now I don’t have the time to answer everyone’s questions so I think your e-mail address would be a better idea).
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