Does God Forgive Divorce?

As a Christian, it is common to question "does God forgive divorce". This is understandable because many of us have been taught that God hates divorce and marriage is forever. The article below can give you insight if you are in turmoil about the decision to divorce.

A Christian Right To Divorce

by Stephen Gola, Bible teacher and preacher

There is a godly Christian right to divorce for every marriage! God said to the author, "Son sit down, I want to teach you about divorce." Many divorced people feel they've let God down. But no more! God Himself has spoken on their behalf.

Not Every Marriage is Blessed

We tend to think that EVERY marriage is blessed and seen as holy by God because of what we’ve been taught, but not every marriage is! God does not call holy that which is unholy. God desires us to be like Himself, to be able to “...distinguish between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean” (Leviticus 10:10). If we do not have this discernment, we can make or continue in a fatal marriage. 

Unsanctified Marriages

Many people stay trapped for years in marriages that God will not bless. Many are abused slaves to their spouse. They cry out, “Why doesn’t God bless our marriage?” Blessings are given to the person who will call upon Him, love Him, and put Him first. God does bless us as much as He can, but many times it falls far short of what we really need because we block God.

Some unsanctified marriages may have a partner who is a homosexual or lesbian. Some husbands even rape their wives. Other marriage partners may be having sex with animals.

Others may be very abusive or having sexual pleasures with their children or someone else’s children. Some marriages have deteriorated over time, while others may have been bad from the start. Some unsanctified marriages may not have any outward manifestations of uncleanness at first.

Some of the more common things that cause a marriage partner to be unclean are alcoholism, drugs, lustful sex, or a party spirit. The Bible has much to say about being a part of these things. Examples in the Bible are found in Ephesians 5:3-12, 1Corinthians 6:9-11, and 1Corinthians 5:1-13.

People live and die without ever experiencing the blessings that God pronounces on a sanctified marriage. They feel trapped and so continue in abusive situations because of what they have been taught (or not taught). For example, you may have been taught that once you’ve been married you can never get a divorce because “God hates divorce”, no matter how wrong, abusive, or unholy the marriage is.

The truth is, God is more for the divorce than He is for the marriage. But He IS able to change a heart to stop the unclean and unrighteous acts if that person will call out and yield their life totally to Him. 

Article submitted by DivorceHope.com, and is an excerpt from Divorce: God's Will? This book provides an in depth discussion on divorce and remarriage as it relates to the Christian marriage, as well as highlighting important thoughts about being subservient within a marriage, interracial marriages, and more. There are also many helpful articles for Christians facing divorce at this site.

Here are some more articles that you may find helpful during this stressful time:

Christian Support For Divorce

Should You Be Married For Life

Divorce and the Bible

Real Marriage vs Wedding Vows

Practicing Forgiveness