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Do you believe that a woman who remarries lives in a constant state of adultery? In the eyes of God, am I still married to my first husband? My first husband and I were both Christians at the time of our divorce. I am plagued with guilt over this and plagued with guilt because so much of the divorce was my fault for not being a stronger Christian at the time and not handling the situation better.
Hi Elizabeth,
I certainly understand your concern. The best answer I can give is to consider what happened to David. It is not the same situation as he committed adultery and murder and no divorce was involved. However, he confessed his sins to the Lord. Bathsheba had Solomon who was the next king of Israel and Nathan who is in the genealogy of the Lord Jesus.
The Bible does not specifically address this matter. It does not appear if you consider what happened to David that he was continuing to commit adultery.
I wish I could be more specific, but it appears he repented and confessed his sins to the Lord and of course was forgiven.
For the believer, all their sins are forgiven when they are saved. Believers can sin as 1 John 1:8-10 clearly state. Verse 9 says that "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9) This was written to Christians (1 John 2:1) It is normally understood that the statement "cleanse us from all unrighteousness" would mean that the Lord would give the strength to overcome the sin so that a believer would not go on committing it.
It would accomplished nothing to leave your present husband, therefore you should focus on faithfully living your life for the Lord and serving him. Clearly you cannot change the past but you can honor the Lord by living for Him in your present marriage.
I hope this helps. God's grace is sufficient and let Him guide your life (Eph. 5:18).
Cooper Abrams
Romans 12:1-2
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| Rating(1-10) | Knowledgeability = 10 | Clarity of Response = 10 | Politeness = 10 |
| Comment | Thank you so much. I had recently read something by someone who claimed that people who were remarried lived in a perpetual state of adultery. His reasoning was that the marriage vow is a covenant that can never be broken in the eyes of God. He also believes we should separate from our current marriage partners to try to reconcile with the first marriage partner. Your response has helped me and is what I was always taught. I grew up in a fundamentalist church and was taught essentially what you stated, but the doubt was beginning to haunt me. Elizabeth | ||
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Answers by Expert:
Cooper P. Abrams III
Expertise
Independent Fundamental Baptist missionary and pastor, ThB, MBS. I began pastoring in 1981, and have taught in churches, a Bible college, and a Bible Institute. I have written numerous articles on various subjects from a biblical perspective and many are posted on my web site Bible Truth ( http://www.bible-truth.org ). Bible Truth receives over sixty thousand visits per month. Since 1998 I have answered Bible related questions via e-mail. My answers are straight forward and biblical. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE -----DO NOT ASK A QUESTION AND THEN NOT READ THE ANSWER! ABOUT FOUR IN TEN QUESTIONS ASKED ARE NEVER READ. I FREELY GIVE MY TIME TO GIVE HELPFUL ANSWERS. OFTEN THE ANSWER WILL REQUIRE AS MUCH AS A HOUR OR MORE TO RESEARCH AND THEN TO FORMULATE THE REPLY. IF YOU SEND A QUESTION PLEASE BE THOUGHTFUL ENOUGH TAKE THE TIME TO READ IT. MOST PEOPLE DO...BUT ALL SHOULD. THANKS
Experience
I have been a pastor since 1981 and a Independent Baptist missionary church planter since 1986. I have seen the Lord establish four Bible believing churches in Utah. My web site Bible Truth ( http:\\bible-truth.org ) continues to grow presently over 60,000 visits per month. The materials on the web site are mostly written by myself and contain sermons, Bible commentaries, articles on various biblical subjects.
Publications
- Appeared on Grizzly Adams DVD documentary "End Times: How Close Are We?" (http://www.grizzlyadams.com/Public/ChristianDVDs/index.cfm?productID=49).
- Article "Are Mormons Christians" "O Timothy Magazine" Way of Life Literature (http://www.wayoflife.org/files/9959c77e05b303248173195e72476459-60.html)
Education/Credentials
ThB and MBS from Piedmont Baptist College, Winston-Salem, NC
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