H’s Repentance from Remarriage Adultery

H has asked that her name and location be removed.

Her husband is referred to as B.

February 7, 2012

Dear Friends,

As you already know, there have been some significant changes in my life over the past few years. Due to being knowledgeable of B’s and my marriage concerns before the Lord, I believed it important to let you know about what has taken place recently.

Since our purposeful separation before God (that you have been aware of since March 22, 2008), we have now rightfully dissolved our marriage before God through a divorce as a final step in our repentance and obedience before our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 10:4-6).

The following is a testimony of the Lord’s work in my heart over the past few years in my sincere search for the truth on this eternal life-and-death subject.

At the time of my marriage to B, I did not rightfully understand the Scriptural commands concerning divorce and remarriage, and I had not been counseled that our type of remarriage after a divorce from a first living spouse was considered adultery in God’s eyes. Needless to say, when I had first heard that my marriage to B was adultery in God’s eyes, I was extremely shocked and began to diligently search the Scriptures to see if this was so (These Scriptures will be referenced throughout my testimony: Deuteronomy 24:1-4; Jeremiah 3:1; Malachi 2:14; Matthew 5:31-32, 19:1-12; Mark 10:1-12; Luke 16:18; John 8:1-11; Romans 7:1-3; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, 7:10-17,39; 2 Corinthians 12:21-13:1-3; Galatians 5:19-21; Hebrews 13:4; James 4:4-10). The search and prayerful study of these Scriptures very clearly defined God’s commands regarding marriage, divorce, and remarriage and painfully proved that my marriage to B was adultery and sin before God. God specifically commands me in His Word – {1 Corinthians 7:10, 11 “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 {Romans 7:1-3 “Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? 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.} The Lord has shown me that the husband is not to divorce his wife, and the wife is not to leave her husband; and if the wife was to leave her husband, she is to remain unmarried while her husband still lives or be reconciled to her husband. The Lord has also shown me that this husband and wife He speaks of is the man and the woman who left their father and mother and made a covenant marriage agreement for the first time before God that binds them to each other in God’s eyes until death (Matthew 19:1-12; Mark 10:1-12; 1 Corinthians 7:39).

Before God, as you know, B was not my first husband, and I was not B’s first wife. I now understand that in God’s eyes my only husband is still my first husband, of whom I divorced many years ago. From that time until now, I was supposed to remain unmarried or reconcile my marriage with my husband because to do otherwise would make me an adulteress before God (1 Corinthians 7: 10-16; Romans 7:1-3). I did not know these Biblical truths, and from the time of my divorce from my first husband I did not remain unmarried, and my husband has since married another woman. Also, since the time of B’s divorce from his first wife, his wife has also remarried another man. Despite these facts, B and I are to remain faithfully unmarried or be reconciled to our first spouses because our divorces did not dissolve our first marriage covenant agreement before God, though the law of the land granted it along with permission to remarry (Matthew 5:31-32; 19:1-12; Mark 10: 1-12, Luke 16:18). As a Born Again Christian believer, my God’s laws are to supersede man’s law (Matthew 19:1-12; Mark 10:1-12). Scripturally, I now know God only allows for remarriage if one is a widow with no living spouse (1 Corinthians 7:8-9, 39), or the first husband and wife return to their first marriage because they have reconciled their relationship and are in God’s eyes restoring their original covenant marriage before Him (Deuteronomy 24:1-4; Jeremiah 3:1; Malachi 2:14; 1 Corinthians 7:10-16). It is clear to me now, as a believer, that I needed to repent of my remarriage before God and follow His command to forsake this sin that God clearly calls adultery, regardless of the fact that I did not know my Lord at the time of my divorce from my first husband (See Note Following Letter: 2 Corinthians 12:21-13:1-3). I truly believe and now understand that the Lord had always intended for me—from the beginning of my relationship with Him and irrespective of my subsequent lack of spiritual understanding since my conversion—to walk with Him in an unmarried state as a repentant wife in faithfulness to my first living husband or be a reconciled wife to my first living husband whom I divorced (1 Corinthians 7: 10, 11, 16, 17).

In conclusion, B and I should never have been married. It was clear to both of us that a Biblical divorce was needed before God in order to reconcile our relationship with Him. I believe that God is always right (Psalm 33:4 and Psalm 145:17; Romans 3:4). I believe God means what He says. I love Him and want to obey Him (John 14: 15, 21-24; 1 John 1: 5-10-2: 1-6). I do not want a heart of unbelief or to be found denying my Lord’s words (Titus 1:16; 2 Peter 2: 1-2; Jude 4). [denying – Greek Concordance #720-to contradict, i.e. disavow, reject, abnegate: – deny, refuse]

I want to also share that this divorce was not contentious. The reason for our divorce was to reconcile our personal relationships with God so that we would be in right standing with Him before our passing from this life to the next when we will meet the Lord face to face (John 8: 1-11; 1 Corinthians 6: 9-10;
2 Corinthians 12:21-13:1-3; Galatians 5:19-21; Hebrews 13:4; James 4:4-10). This divorce was done with forgiveness and Christ-like love toward one another with an emphasis on not hurting the other. It was done in righteousness caring for the other and their spiritual needs rightfully before God.

As an additional part of my obedience before the Lord, I will be returning to my original lawful marital name in the near future.

I pray this letter finds you well.

In Christian Love,

H

(All Scriptures taken from the authorized (KJV) King James Version and Used Abingdon’s Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)

Note:
2 Corinthians 12:21 – 13:3 “And lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and that I shall bewail many which have sinned already (proamartano), and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness which they have committed (prasso).
13:1 – “This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.
13: 2 – “I told you before, and foretell you, as if I were present, the second time; and being absent now I write to them which heretofore have sinned (proamartano), and to all other, that, if I come again, I will not spare:
13:3 – “Since ye seek a proof of Christ speaking in me, which to you-ward is not weak, but is mighty in you.”

Greek translation for (proamartano): (From Abingdon’s Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
[Greek Concordance #4258. proamartanw proamartano, pro-am-ar-tan’-o
from 4253 and 264; to sin previously (to conversion):–sin already, heretofore sin. ]

Greek Translation for (prasso): (From Abingdon’s Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
[Greek Concordance #4238. prassw prasso, pras’-so
a primary verb; to “practise”, i.e. perform repeatedly or habitually (thus differing from 4160, which properly refers to a single act); by implication, to execute, accomplish, etc.; specially, to collect (dues), fare (personally):–commit, deeds, do, exact, keep, require, use arts.]