Are we still Christians if we divorce and remarry?
The scriptures are clear about divorce. In Malachi 2:16 we read, “For I hate divorce,” says the Lord…”. Of course, it was the Lord who instituted marriage at the very beginning. We read in Genesis 2:24, “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” ONE FLESH! In marriage, two become one. Genesis 5:2 tells us, “Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.” The Lord called ‘their’ name Adam. He saw them as ONE person.
The Lord Jesus said in Matthew 19:5-6, “For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.” Marriage is an act of God joining two into one. He does not want anyone undoing His marvelous work.
With that said, let me make it as clear as possible. Our salvation does not depend upon our behavior. Our salvation is a gift from God to those who put their FAITH in the Lord Jesus Christ. We read in Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: IT IS THE GIFT OF GOD: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” We did nothing to earn our salvation and the Lord has promised us that “neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39).
The Lord Jesus promised us, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” (Hebrews 13:5). We are assured in Romans 8:1, “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” NO CONDEMNATION, or judgment to those who have put their faith in Christ Jesus.
It is certainly true that we often disappoint the Lord with our unfaithfulness, and He is grieved at our behavior when we disobey. He tells us in His word to, “SIN NOT.” (Exodus 20:20, 1 Corinthians 15:34, Ephesians 4:6, and more.) We read in 1 John 2:1, “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” The Lord urges us to refrain from sin, but if we do sin, the Lord Jesus Christ is our advocate. On this verse, C.I. Scofield comments, “Advocacy is that work of Jesus Christ for sinning saints which He carries on with the Father whereby, because of the eternal efficacy of His own sacrifice, He restores them to fellowship.”
There may be situations where divorce and remarriage are not sinful acts, but it still grieves the heart of the Lord when it happens. However, we are saved by grace and we are kept by grace. (376.4)