Volume 31 – 1990 (PDF) - Searching The Scriptures

conditions of marriage or divorce than he can about
how to become a Christian. God, in His divine revelation
to man (the Bible), has set forth those conditions
which make a marriage right; therefore, man is forbidden
to alter those conditions. He must not venture to
change with his unholy hands that which God has
made sacred and holy. The same God who made the
rules for entrance into the church and the rules that
govern the church, also made the laws which govern
marriage.
What constitutes a sinful relationship in marriage?
Jesus taught in Matthew 19: 9: "... Whosoever shall
put away his wife, except for fornication, and shall
marry another, committeth adultery: and he that
marrieth her when she is put away committeth
adultery. " Thus, he who puts away his mate for a
cause other than for-nication, and marries another
commits adultery. like-wise, when one marries her
who is put away also commits adultery. It is a
violation of God's law on marriage and divorce,
therefore it constitutes an adulterous and sinful
relationship. Individuals who con-tinue in this
relationship are LIVING in sin. Paul wrote to the
brethren in Colosse: "Put to death there-fore your
members which are upon the earth: fornica-tion,
uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetous-ness,
which is idolatry; for which things' sake cometh the
wrath of God upon the sons of disobedience:
wherein ye also once walked, when ye LIVED (emphasis
mine, H. H. ) in these things" (Col. 3: 5-7).
The relationship of the alien to the laws of God on
marriage is dealt with by another author in this special
issue. But let us observe that brethren seem to have
less difficulty in understanding what the relationship
is when two people divorce and remarry for an unscriptural
reason AFTER they became Christians, than
they do about two people in that situation BEFORE
they became Christians. Brother R. L. Whiteside very
ably commented: "It is argued that aliens may divorce
for any cause, and remarry; and then all their sins,
including their loose marriages, are forgiven when
they obey the gospel... If their marriage was a sin, can
they repent of that sin and still continue in it? If they
were living in adultery, are we to be told that obedience,
or rather a form of obedience, of the gospel
changed adultery into a virtue? Where would such a
theory lead? If a man steals a car, rides it to meeting,
and then goes through the form of obedience of the
gospel would that act make his possession right in the
sight of God?
"It is argued also that, as the alien is not in a
covenant relationship with the Lord, the Lord takes no
notice of what he does; and that, not being under the
law, he violates no law. But if that sort of reasoning is
true, what makes an alien a sinner at all? Shall we
teach the alien that, no matter what he does, he
commits no sin? If he commits no sin, wherein is he a
sinner, and why does he need a Savior, and how can he
be baptized for the remission of sins? Here we leave the
matter for the reader's reflection till another time."
(Gospel Advocate, July 18, 1935).
All sinful relationships must be repented of whether
they exist among people out of the church (aliens) or
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those in the church. There is no double standard. Repentance
stands squarely between Godly sorrow and reformation
of life and applies to all — aliens and children of
God. John the Baptist told the Pharisees and Sadducees
coming to him to, "bring forth therefore fruit worthy of
repentance" (Matt. 3: 8). The fruit of repentance is seen in
a changed life. The Jews on the day of Pentecost asked
Peter and the other apostles, "brethren, what shall we
do?" (Acts 2: 37). Peter commanded them to repent and be
baptized for the remission of their sins (vs. 38). Their
repentance is seen by their fruit. "They then that received
his word were baptized: (v. 41). In Acts 8: 22, Simon, an
erring child of God, was told to repent and pray. In either
case, whether one is a child of God or an alien, he must
repent and repentance demands a turning away from sin
(ceasing to continue in it), bringing forth fruit worthy of
repentance. Any sinful relationship should be severed,
including an adulterous marriage. Herod was living with
Herodias, his brother Philip's wife. John told him, "It is
not lawful for you to have her" (Matt. 14: 4). It should be
obvious to all as to what would be necessary for this sinful
relationship to cease. It would have to be dissolved.
In Ezra 10: 1-19 we are told of Israelites who had
transgressed the law of God by marrying foreign women.
Concerning this matter, "Ezra prayed and made a confession,
weeping and casting himself down before God" and
"the people wept very sore" (v. 1). They confessed their
sins and said, "yet now there is hope for Israel concerning
this" (v. 2). Then they said, "Now therefore let us make a
covenant with out God to put away all the wives, and such
as are born to them... and let it be done according to God's
law" (v 3).
God's law of pardon is equally strong for both the alien
and the erring child of God. The blood of Jesus washes
away all the sins of the obedient alien (Acts 22: 16) and
those of the penitent child of God (1 Jno. 1: 7-9). As
repentance is required of the erring child of God, it is also
required of the alien who comes to God. In either case,
repentance requires the dissolving of an adulterous relationship,
if it exists. Please consider: if an alien who has
been baptized, can continue to live in an adulterous
relationship that began BEFORE his baptism because
the blood of Christ has washed away his sins, then we ask:
why cannot the child of God continue in an adulterous
relationship AFTER he has repented and prayed? (Acts
8: 22). The blood of Christ washes away his sins too, so why
the difference?
When learning the truth that the word of God teaches,
sincere people who are earnestly trying to go to heaven
will dissolve any unscriptural relationship in which they
find themselves. We acknowledge that it is not an easy
thing to do. Much heartache and sorrow are sure to follow,
but by doing the will of the Lord, precious souls will be
insured of a home with God forever.
The grace and mercy of God have not been considered
in this treatise, because they are not in the realm of
human beings. How far down the hand of God's grace and
mercy will be extended at the day of judgment, we do not
know. It must reach a long ways down to include any of us.
Man has no prerogative in this matter. Our responsibility
is to teach the truth of God's word. We must plead the law
of God, and if there is any clemency, it belongs to God the