Good day and welcome to the relationship segment of our blog. We are so
glad to have you join us today. This week’s topic is a much needed one
in a society that divorce is becoming rife. PK shares biblical truths on DIVORCE and God’s stance on it. This is a good one and we don’t wanna keep you away any longer…
Enjoy… WHEN DIVORCE IS THE ONLY OPTION preached by Pastor Kingsley
Okonkwo, and don’t forget to share…

Divorce is not an option in marriage for a child of God. That many people enter marriage with the mind set that if it does not work I will leave does not mean it is right. What is common is not necessarily right. As a child of God you should get your sense of right or wrong
from the Word.

Mal 2:13-14

“And this have ye done again, covering the altar of the Lord with
tears, with weeping, and with crying out, insomuch that he regardeth not
the offering any more, or receiveth it with good will at your hand. Yet
ye say, Wherefore? Because the Lord hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant.” KJV

What this scripture is saying is that marriage is not just for the man and the woman. Marriage, as much as it is for companionship, is also for procreation and one thing God looks forward to in a marriage founded upon His word is a seed. God has a stake in that marriage. He delights in seeing the family unit thrive. God hates divorce and so as a child of
God, the first step in the wrong direction is you entering marriage with the mind set that if it does not work, you can always leave. It is better not to marry than to marry and make a mess of the covenant of marriage and that is why as a single, you must be rooted in the word and in the
knowledge of what God say about marriage. Instead of using your single
years to dream about marriage, use it to arm yourself with enough resources that can help you succeed in marriage.

Marriage is a covenant. It is not an ordinary thing. Marriage is more than a ring on your finger and pictures on Social Media. Marriage is so much more. Before divorce becomes a thing in any marriage, there must have been signs and indications. Either one or both parties entered into marriage without a proper orientation of what marriage entails. If you are not mature especially spiritually, do not marry. Spiritual maturity is so important because marriage itself is spiritual. If you are not spiritually mature, you cannot know what love is, let alone know what marriage is or even what a covenant is.

Matt 19:11-12

“But Jesus said, “Not everyone is mature enough to live a married life.
It requires a certain aptitude and grace. Marriage isn’t for everyone.
Some, from birth seemingly, never give marriage a thought. Others never get asked — or accepted. And some decide not to get married for kingdom reasons. But if you’re capable of growing into the largeness of marriage, do it.” MSG

Marriage requires a certain level of maturity. If you cannot die to self, if you cannot forgive someone else’s wrongs, if you cannot think of yourself less and your spouse more, if you cannot endure insults, if you cannot submit, do not marry. Marriage is not compulsory.

Do not marry because your friends are getting married or because of pressure,
marry because you are convicted to. You will need that conviction in marriage. If you marry out of pressure or because of societal expectations, chances are that when tests and trials come up in
marriage, your first thought will be to leave. Marriage requires you to have a certain level of maturity, if you do not have it, do not get married.

Matt 19:1-12

“Then Jesus had completed these teachings, he left Galilee and crossed the region of Judea on the other side of the Jordan.
Great crowds followed him there, and he healed them. One day the
Pharisees were badgering him: “Is it legal for a man to divorce his wife
for any reason?”

He answered, “Haven’t you read in your Bible that the Creator originally made man and woman for each other, male and female?
And because of this, a man leaves father and mother and is firmly bonded to his wife, becoming one flesh — no longer two bodies but one. Because God created this organic union of the two sexes, no one should desecrate his art by cutting them apart.”

They shot back in rebuttal, “If that’s so, why did Moses give instructions for divorce papers and divorce procedures?”
Jesus said, “Moses provided for divorce as a concession to your
hardheartedness, but it is not part of God’s original plan.
I’m holding you to the original plan, and holding you liable for adultery if you divorce your faithful wife and then marry someone else.
I make an exception in cases where the spouse has committed adultery.”

Jesus’ disciples objected, “If those are the terms of marriage, we’re
stuck. Why get married?”
But Jesus said, “Not everyone is mature enough to live a married life.
It requires a certain aptitude and grace. Marriage isn’t for everyone.
Some, from birth seemingly, never give marriage a thought. Others never get asked — or accepted. And some decide not to get married for kingdom reasons. But if you’re capable of growing into the largeness of marriage, do it.” MSG

What this scripture is saying is that the primary reason people divorce is because of the hardness of their heart. If you make up your mind to make your marriage work, it will work. As Christians, NO reason is enough to justify divorce except for the case of adultery.

Matthew 19:9

“I’m holding you to the original plan, and holding you liable for
adultery if you divorce your faithful wife and then marry someone else.
I make an exception in cases where the spouse has committed adultery.” MSG

What Jesus is saying here that in case one party is unfaithful to the other by committing adultery then the other party can step out on the marry. He did not compulsorily state that divorce should come in once infidelity steps in. He said you can, meaning you can also choose not to divorce. A child of God called to a life of forgiveness understands that you can also give forgiveness instead of choosing to divorce.

Divorce should not even be an option if you understand forgiveness. An
unbeliever can choose to divorce and that without remorse but as a child of God, you can choose to forgive.

Your spouse cheated on you, you can work on it. Remarrying does not
solve the problem of infidelity. You can choose to forgive your spouse and work on the marriage.
Your spouse beat you, seek counsel and work on it. Now, in cases where it is life threatening, you can choose to separate for a while, while you seek counsel and wisdom to correct the damage.

There is always another option instead of divorce. Divorce should not even be the first thing that comes to your mind as a Christian and this is because you have made a vow before God:

For better or for worse.

People divorce because of the hardness of their hearts and this should not be so as a Christian. Your thinking tells on your heart, to change the nature of your heart, you change your thinking. If you can adjust your thinking to the fact that divorce will never be an option, then
when situations arise to test your marriage, a solution that will not be
divorce only will come.

Nollywood and Hollywood project fantasies in a lot of their movie. The
representation of love in most of those movies are not real. They show you what you want to see, they sell to you what you would like to hear.
Do not build your marriage on the expectations projected in movies. They
are not real. A lot of the love displayed in those movies cannot stand the test of time. A little disagreement comes up and the love flies out through the window.

1 Cor 13:4-7

“Love is patient and kind.
Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude.

It does not demand its own way.
It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.
It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out.

Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.” NLT

If couples can understand what real love is according to the word and build their marriage and life on the foundation of it, then broken marriages will reduce drastically. As a single, make up your mind to go into marriage informed about it by the word of God. Make up your mind to go into marriage with the mindset that this is going to be forever.

Invest in knowledge.

Attend seminars, buy tapes, listen to the word, apply the word.

You will agree with us that this was an amazing one. PLEASE share with
your friends online and let’s help marriages THRIVE God’s way.

If this blessed you, we encourage you to please share on all your social media handles. We would also love for you to fellowship with us at DAVID’S CHRISTIAN CENTRE

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Till next time, please say this COVENANT we have out loud with us,
AS DAVID NEVER LOST A BATTLE, SO WILL GOD’S WALK WITH ME BE…
AMEN!!!