THE DIVINE DESIGN: LOVE FOR LIFE

“But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery” – Matthew 5:32

Notwithstanding the warped nature of the times, the DIVINE DESIGN for MARRIAGE is LOVE for LIFE – relentless love! Marriage is a life-time commitment. In a day when the sanctity of marriage is under severe attack, what are we to make of the Words of our Lord in Matthew 5? We discover that God’s intention for marriage is not what we commonly see in our day. God intends marriage for life. Youths of today need to reconsider their relationships in this light, prior to signing the dotted lines. A broken courtship is better than a broken marriage. Marriage is not only a commitment between two individuals of opposite sex, it is also a vow before God.

Due to sin and the fall, the marriage vow often goes through trying times and seasons of great pressure. However, for the Christian couple who are determined to obey God's Word, He gives grace to wade through the floods and weather the rough storms of life. No couple is exempt from such times, but all who have weathered those storms experience a strengthening in their relationship to one another. The Christian home is meant to be a haven, and for a couple who are committed first of all to Christ, and then to one another, it can truly become “heaven on earth” despite intermittent times of trials and troubles.

Does the fact that the divine design for marriage is ‘Love for Life’ then condemn those who are divorced or separated to a lifetime of regret and pain? Certainly not! What of those who have divorced and remarried? Are they condemned by these Words of Christ? No! First of all, there is more to this subject in God's Word than what appears in only one passage of Scripture. Second, there is a place of forgiveness in God: we must forgive the sins of one another, as Christ forgives ours!

There are circumstances in which divorce could be an inevitable option. For example, when the lives of the children are endangered, due to an abusive parent, the other parent must protect the lives of the children. The same would apply when the life of one of the partners is endangered. The single parent in his or her case would require the love and support of the Christian community; friends to encourage them to protect the children, and to raise them in a Godly environment to be obedient to God's Word. This is not the ideal, but in a blighted world of sin, it is a better option than enduring spousal abuse!

The essence of the Lord’s instructions is that: those who are unmarried must carefully and prayerfully consider their relationships. Marriage is a marathon race that demands adequate preparation. Those who are married must seek to guard their personal relationship with Christ, and then their relationship with their spouse. By the grace of God, they need to pray for one another and seek strength, healing, and restoration in difficult times. The Lord Jesus Christ specialises in sweetening the marital wine and making it fresh and nourishing again (Jh.2:10-11). For those whose spouse has been unfaithful, divorce should not be the automatic recourse. If possible, the conversion of the spouse or their reconciliation to God is to be sought. Of course, some wounds are really very deep, but God blesses those who desire to recommit themselves to Him and to each other.

Life can be difficult; sin can be wearisome – our own sin as well as the sins of others. But when, by God's grace, we seek closeness to Christ, He’ll lead us through the valleys. Marriage for life is God's ideal. Yes, the times are evil, but they will not last forever. God, our Heavenly Father has promised that a time is coming when all of the things of this life will pass away. There will be no more death, no more sorrow, and no more pain. May the Lord hasten that day, and count us worthy to partake therein, in Jesus name!