Free Will Concerning Marriage and Divorce

8. Free Will Concerning Marriage and Divorce

"It hath been said, whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: (31) But I say unto you, that whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery."- Matthew 5:31-32

Notice that God says "whosoever."  It is never God's will for two Christians to seek a divorce.  It is sad today that many Christians are getting divorced.  This is totally unnecessary and against God's will, but is the result of one or both persons getting out of fellowship with the Lord.  Even though it is not God's will, it still happens many, many times.

I have a lot of friends, even some that were in Bible college, that are now divorced and yet they are saved people.  Years ago I attended a meeting and listened to a great evangelist.  This man has since been divorced and is now in the pastorate at a small church in one of the southern states.  This was not God's will--no matter what the reasons are--but, nevertheless, the divorce was obtained out of their own will, which was contrary to God's will.

God does reveal His will in His Word, the Bible, but He does not, in His sovereignty, over-ride the free will of man.  If that were not true, then there would never be a divorce and God would have controlled all the actions of the men in His service.  Rather, we find the free will of man making decisions sometimes contrary to the will of God.