MARRIAGE: FAILURE

A. Marriage is a Divine Institution.

B. Many people think that they should not be blamed for their weakness or their failures in the matter of marriage. However, you choose this marriage partner of your own volition, and as such marriage is your responsibility.

C. One of THREE things can result when a marriage fails:

1. First: Sticking it out. This usually occurs because of children (couple simply lives in a rather grim fashion) but it is also done for other reasons.

2. Second: Separation (no right of remarriage). There is a difference biblically between the concept of divorce and that of separation. Our state law of legal separation often confuses the biblical issue. Biblical separation is any justified separation, but separation DOES NOT give the right of remarriage, only reconciliation to the marriage partner. Reasons for separation are related to her divine unalienable rights.

a. Husband beats the wife.

b. Her life is in danger.

c. Her children are in danger.

3. Third: Divorce (right of remarriage). This word means “freedom to remarry”. Wherever the Bible gives the right of divorces, it gives the freedom to remarry, with one exception – Dt 24:4.

D. In certain cases a woman has to leave divine institution of marriage (#2) to get back under the divine institution of volition (#1) because some men have so removed the wife’s volition that she is no longer free – he becomes a slave. Being the head of the house does not give a man the right to enslave his wife. He is not the head of the human race.

E. If the marriage bond is broken in a mixed marriage, God only allows it to be done by the unbelieving mate, 1 Cor 7:15.