8TH NOVEMBER, 2024

PASTOR OLUBI JOHNSON

OVERCOMING DIVORCE, ADULTERY AND FORNICATION

Matthew 19:5-6,9
And said, 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… I say unto you, whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.

For the New Testament Christian, it is not the will of God for us to divorce (Matt. 19:3-12) except in the following cases:

  1. Adultery or fornication by either spouse (especially if they are unrepentant and continue in it). This is to protect the innocent spouse and un-born children from sexually transmitted diseases (especially AIDS in this end-time (Rom. 1:26-27; 2Tim. 3:1, 3)).
  2. Where the spouse is either an unbeliever or an unfaithful Christian who chooses to leave his or her spouse (1Cor. 7:13-15).

In the case where a spouse is divorced, either because of adultery or willful desertion, the Lord does not permit any other Christian to marry them. They are isolated from marrying unless and until they fully repent and their former spouses are remarried, or will not take them back, or are dead.

While adultery is not the unpardonable sin, God has made the consequence for divorce and adultery very severe (Rom. 11:22) to discourage Christians from adultery, fornication and divorce.

Today, so many Christians divorce for reasons other than the above and so are making ship-wreck (1Tim. 1:19) of their divine destinies.

God wants us to avoid adultery and divorce because it dishonors God in the sight of the world (2Sam. 12:14); destroys our physical bodies, sometimes causing premature physical death (1Cor. 6:18; 1Kg. 1:1-4); adversely, and in some cases, irreversibly affect our divine destinies and those of our children (Mal. 2:14-16).

How do we do this?

By making ourselves eunuchs by the Spirit at times in our lives when engaging in sexual activity would be wrong: outside marriage, and when your spouse is not available. Notice it is done by the Spirit.

1Thessalonians 4:3-4 KJV
For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour;

  1. You fill your heart and physical body with the life of God, by praying for the divine nature from promises in the Word (2Pet. 1:4; 2Cor. 4:10-11).
  2. Pray with all kinds of prayer in the Spirit (Eph. 6:18) as a daily and weekly habit to release the power of God in sufficient (2Cor. 12:9) measure into your will, mind, emotions and circumstances, to spiritually anesthetize you from negative sexual stimuli, through the lust of the eyes and the flesh (1Jn. 2:15; Eph. 2:2-3).
  3. Avoid reading, listening to or watching sexually suggestive or explicit (especially pornographic) books or programs on TV, the computer or mobile phone. Furthermore, do not stay alone with the opposite sex (who is not your spouse) in a secluded location where you could be tempted to have sex with them (1Thess. 5:22; 1Cor. 6:18).

If you do not do steps 1 and 2 properly, you will be doing step 3 by the natural human ability and determination alone.

You may fail in avoiding sexual immorality because of the physical and circumstantial pressure Satan can put you under, because you did not neutralize him and his power by the power of the Holy Spirit.

So, by using the life, power and wisdom of God by the Holy Spirit, you can and should avoid divorce and overcome adultery and fornication!

For more on today’s study visit:
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