" Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, "
" nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. "
" And such WERE some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the spirit of our God. "
( 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 )" Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. "
( 2 Corinthians 5:17 )I received a letter some time ago from a lady asking if her marriage to a divorced man doomed her to hell. This is so important a question that I want to share my answer so that perhaps some other person may benefit as well. This was my answer ( with a few minor changes ):
Dear Arlene, ( not her real name )
Let's take it from the beginning. It is good that you recognize the Bible as your authoritative source for answers about life, and right and wrong. If your religious upbringing was Bible based, that's a real plus also.
In the book of Romans, the apostle Paul writes ( chapter 5 verse 12 ), " Therefore just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned. " We are all sinners, whether we are brought up in a religious home or not. The fact that you may have made a profession of faith, or have been baptized, or joined a church, doesn't change the fact that you are a sinner. ( And, so is everyone else. )
Like most religious people, you probably have tried to do what is right, and obeyed what you knew were God's commandments. And, like the rest of us, you have had times that for whatever reason, you slipped up, or yielded to temptation. The sin nature lies in all of us, and trying our very best to avoid sin, simply doesn't work.
Paul wrote to the Corinthians in chapter 6 verse 11 of 1 Corinthians ( and I praise God just about every day for this verse ), " And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. " Paul is writing of the fact that we are powerless to save ourselves. But God can save us, by giving us a changed heart that wants to serve Him and obey Him!
In the Old Testament, Jeremiah wrote ( chapter 31: 31-34 ) " Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah...but this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days says the Lord. I will put my law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. " You cannot put God's law into your mind or write it on your heart. Your religious leader,- priest, minister, elder, evangelist, or whatever, cannot do this for you either. I cannot do this for you. No church or ceremony can do it either. Only God can do it. Therefore He is the one to go to,- for a new mind, a new heart, and a new life.
It is possible that your marriage was permissible, if your husband was a christian, and the " innocent " party in the divorce. We are told that if a christian is left by a non christian, he/she is not under bondage.
( 1 Cor. 7:15 )If not, you are guilty of adultery. That does not mean that you are necessarily doomed to hell. Go back to 1 Corinthians chapter 6 again and look at the verses before verse 11. Look at verses 9 and 10. " ...Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. " Then the scripture goes on to say, " SUCH WERE SOME OF YOU ". In other words, when God changes your heart, you are not what you were! You are a new creation as 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, " ...If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. "
My advice is this. No matter what your past is. No matter how good or bad, you think you have been,- find a quiet time,, and a quite place, all by yourself. Then pray to God. Talk to Him, just as you would talk to me. Tell Him about your situation. Ask Him to give you a new heart and a new spirit. Christ's death on the cross made it possible for us, who aren't Jews, to partake of the new covenant. The promise, which Jeremiah was given ( Jeremiah 31:31-34 ) applies to us also.
When you married your present husband, you entered into a covenant. Sadly, many marriage officials don't explain this properly. Marriage is a convenant, which each of you make with God, even if you were married in a secular ceremony. Yes, you make a covenant to each other also, but that covenent is of lesser importance than the covenant, which you make with God. God expects you to honor this covenant with your present husband, as long as he lives with you.
I hope that you can somehow convey these truths to your husband. God wants to bless your marriage. If each of you becomes closer to God, you will become closer to each other.
Love in Him,
Pastor Tim
To learn more about Jesus' return, click here: Jesus is Coming Back Soon