It was once an oft preached about sin. The church of my childhood would boot members out if they remarried after divorce. If physical abuse was involved, pastors urged the abusee to stick in the marriage.
Pastors lost their credentials if they divorced. Even if they fought the divorce, much less remarried. Divorced folks could not get remarried except for adultery. Now divorced folks remarry and not a word is said. They serve in church leadership. They rant about gay folks getting married.
What has changed is the church has apostatized in many ways and left the faith. The signs of the true church are the right preaching of the word, the proper administration of the sacraments and discipline of sin and rebellion against God and his word. Some might add the regulative principle which allows only worship forms which can be proven from scripture. Psalm singing is one. Divorce is allowed for hardness of heart but from the beginning it was not so. Those who would follow our lords example will forgive and reconcile no matter the sin. If the sin is unbearable or the offended party cannot find forgiveness One may divorce but then he or she may not remarry for the lord says that in doing so one commits continual adultery which cannot be repented of for the illegitimate marriage continues till death perhaps. This makes a mockery of a true marriage. Better then to reconcile than divorce or if (god forbid) divorced not to remarry. As the first post said the historical position of the Christian church is that offenders Lose their office if any and membership or communion. What true Christian would what to face those consequences?The modern churches failure to recognize and discipline offenders makes the argument against it being a true church of our lord and saviour. Far from discipline the current church accomadates , encourages and puts bad aids on the grievous wounds of this vile sin. This is a woeful time in church history. May the lord hear our prayers for Revival . May we repent of our own grievous sins and encourage others to do so. I believe this is the seminal issue of our day. Either we are wrong or 2000 years of church history and polity are wrong.
May the lord guide us forward to glorify him alone.
2 Thessalonians 2:10-11 says, "He [The Antichrist] will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them. So God will cause them to be greatly deceived, and they will believe these lies." (Brackets mine.)
