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NASB | Matthew 19:9 "And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery." |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Matthew 19:9 "I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery." |
Bible Question (short): I'm confused about salvation |
Question (full): I appreciate your explanation but please explain something to me. What's confusing to me is the notion of forgiveness. Why would Jesus say that "he who marries her who is divorced commits adultery"? (Mat 19:9). He even told the adulterous wife to "go and sin no more". I don't believe Jesus was inconsistent during his ministry. What he said early on was not contradicted by what he said later. My observation has been that from a practical perspective, many Christians find themselves caught in what I refer to as the "cycle of sin". This cycle consists of committing a sin, praying for forgiveness, living ok for a while then sinning again - repeating the cycle. An example of this is the "pedofile priest" situation in the Catholic Church. A priest commits a sin; is admonished; he prays for forgiveness; resumes his Church duties and ultimately sins again - thus repeating the cycle. Under the notion of forgiveness, it is said that you "become a new creature". But unfortunately in my opinion, some have taken this "too literally" and that's why the "pedofile priests" have been able to continue the "cycle of sin". So I'm confused. Why did Jesus state these rules for living if he knew you would not be held accountable? Is there a limit to the "cycle of sin"? How many times can one "knowingly" sin, seek forgiveness, et al and get a way with it? In the senario presented, my interpretation would have been that the "illegally" divorced wife would be required to follow 1 Cor 7:10-11. Mat 19:9 clearly states that "anyone who marries her who is divorced commits adultery". So in the situation in which one commits the sin anyway, what should one do? Go and sin no more! My understanding(?) is that receiving salvation wipes away the sin - puts you in a restored state prior to the sin. So in this case,"go and sin no more" would mean remain single or reconcile to your husband. If you become a widow in the mean time, you will be free to remarry. I would also hope that your husband would be willing to reconcile with you and end the state of adultery he is in. Some will say that this is harsh. However, my response would be to say "Just because your husband sinned doesn't mean that you have to sin also and risk your salvation". Or as others have put it, "Two wrongs don't make a right". If Jesus sacrificed his life for you, the least you can do is make the necessary sacrifices to remain righteous. |