But to the married I give instructions, not I, but the Lord, that the wife should not leave her husband (but if she does leave, she must remain unmarried, or else be reconciled to her husband), and that the husband should not divorce his wife. But to the rest I say, not the Lord, that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he must not divorce her. And a woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, she must not send her husband away. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy. Yet if the unbelieving one leaves, let him leave; the brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us to peace. For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?

It’s Complicated: Relationships, Clarity, Identity

…the wife should not leave her husband…the husband should not divorce his wife. v. 10

Because of your hardness of heart Moses permitted you to divorce your wives; but from the beginning it has not been this way. And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.

The Dream Stage

The Disappointment Stage

The Discovery Stage

The Distress Stage

The Devotion Stage

…but if she does leave, she must remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband. v. 11

Remain unmarried or be reconciled.

Stand. Move. Join.

And a woman who has an unbelieving husband and he consents to live with her, she must not send her husband away. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through the wife… v. 13-14

True salvation means that a person is changed fundamentally when they come to Christ.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold new things have come.

Or 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 effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.

Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?

…yet if the unbelieving one leaves, let him leave; the brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us to peace. v. 15

In Scripture, the bond of marriage is dissolved only by death (Romans 7:2), adultery (Matthew 19:9) and the unbeliever abandoning a Christian spouse (1 Corinthians 7:15), and in those cases remarriage is not forbidden.