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Volume 12 ... #8
The Flesh is Weak ... and Wrong
Pam Padgett ... member of body of Christ
Many years ago, I went to college with a young man named David. After we graduated we stayed in touch with each other. He identified himself as a Christian, and referred to me as his "little sis". This was a very strong fleshly "tie" for me to David.
A few years later, he met a young woman and they decided to marry. When he told me about this, he mentioned she was divorced. I warned him of the adultery they would commit according to scripture. He told me how "nice" she was and how much I would like her. He also said something about her previous marriage, I think that she wasn't married very long. But I told him these things didn't matter, that according to the Bible they would commit adultery.
During one conversation he asked me to go to dinner with them at a restaurant so I could meet her.
I'm sure I didn't pray about going, and I foolishly went to the restaurant and met her.
She indeed had a very pleasant personality and I did like her.
They were so friendly to me as we talked over dinner and I very much wanted to go along with them in thinking it was okay for them to marry.
They invited me to the wedding and I considered going and even what I might get them for a wedding gift!
But when I laid all this out before God, the Holy Spirit kept drawing my attention to the scriptures which tell of the adultery they would commit.
I really had to focus on these scriptures concerning divorce/remarriage, and cling to them to keep from being swept away by my flesh.
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Mt. 5:32 ... Jesus says ... 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.
3 forms of sin:
- the husband of the faithful wife, will be the cause of her adultery if he divorces her and she remarries
- the faithful wife will commit adultery if she remarries
- the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery
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Mt. 19:3-9 ... The Pharisees also came unto HIM, tempting HIM, and saying unto HIM, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?
And HE (Jesus) answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that HE which made them at the beginning made them male and female, 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.
They say unto HIM, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?
HE saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.
And I (Jesus) 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.
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I Cor. 7:10-11 ... Paul to the NT church ... 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.
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Some days after this dinner David and I spoke again on the phone. He asked me how I liked this young woman. I told him I thought she was very friendly, but that still, according to the Bible, they would commit adultery if they married. It was much harder for me to tell him this after having gone to dinner with them.
I didn't go to the wedding, and never again heard from David.
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Comments by Joan Boney ... a woman contacted me and wanted to tell me the circumstances of her mother's divorce and remarriage. I turned to God with this and heard: "Focus on the scriptures not on the circumstances."
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