How Can I Be Right with God After a Divorce?

Dear Mike,
I was previously divorced. I have heard that the only way for me to be right with God is to leave (or divorce) my current husband/wife (from my second marriage). Otherwise I have not truly repented.

Repentance is not restitution. Restitution (what you owe to God for disobeying His law) has been made by Jesus on the cross. Repentance means to turn around, a change of heart, from disobeying God and not caring to wanting to obey God with all your heart. This is the work of the Holy Spirit in you. You have been saved by faith in Jesus expressed in your baptism. Why are you going back to "fix" things by adherence to Law, and a law instituted by the faulty opinions of men?

My advice is to strive to be a holy man/woman now and into the future. You are married legally in the eyes of society and thus you are married before God and He expects you to succeed in your marriage and offer it as a sacrifice of thanksgiving each day. He's given you another chance, what an insult to Him if you would divorce again to achieve His righteousness. That's the devil's type of plan.

Dealing with Divorce

Difficult Issues // Biblical Answers

This series will examine the various causes for divorce and how to cope when you or someone close is going through a divorce as well as recovering from a broken marriage.

View →

Bible Solutions to Divorce Problems

In the heat of the battle false issues have been raised. Those of us who oppose this tradition are regularly accused of condoning divorce. But as the smoke clears the real issues to be dealt with emerge clearly. Christians must make a responsible study of the Bible on the subject to determine whether Jesus said what the traditionalists say He did and whether the apostles taught this as well. If He said it and the apostles taught what He said, then the traditional view is right. If not, then the traditional view is wrong. It’s as simple as that.

View →