Pam Padgett, member of the body of Christ
At the end of December my older sister, who lives in another state, called me to see how I was doing and to chat. We only talked about 15 minutes, and for a while after the conversation I thought everything was fine.
But then the Holy Spirit reminded me of something that was said.
My sister told me that one of my nieces, Katie, was divorced from her first husband and had married someone else and now was happy. When she said this, I wanted to approve this adulterous marriage since Katie is happy. I didn't approve this, but there was a struggle within me.
Galatians 5:17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
All of this happened very quickly, and then the conversation went on to something else, and I didn't give this any thought.
But the following day the Holy Spirit reminded me of what Pat said about Katie, and I went back and reviewed scriptures about remarriage after divorce to get myself straight and strengthened in what God says about this.
And I sent the following to my sister:
December 29, 2023
Dear Pat,
When we spoke on the telephone yesterday, you told me that Katie and her first husband had broken up and that she had re-married another man, and that now she was happy.
Although this may sound “good” to us, the Bible tells us that if a divorced woman remarries, she commits adultery.
Romans 7:2-3 For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.
We’re told that a woman should not leave her husband, but if she leaves her husband, she should remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband.
I Corinthians 7:10-11 (Paul writes) And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband: But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.
And if a man marries a divorced woman, he commits adultery.
Matthew 5:32 (Jesus said) 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.
So, we see that in God’s view, both Katie and her second husband committed adultery when they married.
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I sincerely want to conform my thinking and how I see things to what God tells us in the Bible. It is so important to keep things straight in our thinking, instead of clinging to what we, and those around us, may think.
Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Pam
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Pam says:
And I've been reminded of the following:
Matthew 26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
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(Comments by Joan Boney)
Christians have good hearts which have been transplanted by God to us and we have a purity from God, and we think we can visit with church going non-born again people without being harmed. It is like sheep wandering into wolves dens and rubbing against mouths of wolves. Often we have no idea we are in danger of being eaten alive by those people who fail to diligently conform to that which is in the Bible.
Ezekiel 36:26-27 God says: A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you:
... And I will put MY spirit within you, and cause you to walk in MY statutes, and ye shall keep MY judgments, and do them.When we who are born again, and then rub against people led by this world's thinking, we become polluted, and we have to be turned again to God's way. The Holy Spirit corrects our thinking.
I often pray:
Psalm 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. (after I have spoken to non-Bible people)
They have a way of turning the light switch to "off" and causing me to walk in their darkness until I sober up by that which the Holy Spirit brings to my mind!
Psalm 107
13 Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and HE saved them out of their distresses.
14 HE brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder.
14 HE brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder.
19 Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and HE saveth them out of their distresses.
20 He sent HIS word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.
20 He sent HIS word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.
I Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
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