A publication of the:
Butler church of Christ
Our meeting location is:
201 5th Ave.
Butler, PA 16001
724-287-0628 (building) / 724-282-9417
(home/office)
Assembling Times:
Sunday Bible Class - 9:30 AM
Sunday Worship – 10:30 AM
Wednesday Bible Class – 7:00 PM
Editor / Preacher –
Brian A. Yeager
Check out the web site:
(I Corinthians 10:31 and I Peter 4:11)
When going to a shopping mall and browsing around, the clerk may at some
point ask you if you need help. Typically (not wanting to be bothered),
we might answer that clerk by saying that we are “just looking”.
In response the clerk might say “take your time”. We
are people who always want to and need to, know the time. Life revolves
around time. For everything there is a time (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8).
From the very beginning of the existence of this earth and life upon it,
time was a measure used. Each of God’s movements in creation was
measured by the day in which He finished those things (Genesis 1:5; 8;
13; 19; 23; 31; and 2:2). There is one common problem folks do not
seem to realize about time. That problem is that time is not ours
to take. From the beginning (Genesis 1:1) until the end of this earth
(II Peter 3:10), time has always been God’s to give and take.
God has been very longsuffering towards mankind. From the sin of Adam and Eve (Genesis 3), to the days of Noah (Genesis 6-8), even unto the dispensation in which we currently live; God has given opportunities for man to reconcile ourselves to Him. Notice the inspired words of the Apostle Peter: (II Peter 3:9) “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” We are on God’s time. That time will end unexpectedly at God’s will (Matthew 24:35-36). So, is time really something we can take or give?
Using Our Time Wisely
(Ephesians 5:15-16) “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” Time is valuable. Our walk through this limited time of life needs to be careful. God has expressed several times through his word that human life is short. (Job 7:1) “Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth? are not his days also like the days of an hireling?” (Job 14:14) “If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.” (Proverbs 27:1) “Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.” (James 4:13-14) “Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.”
Seeing as how life is short and our goal in this life is to please God (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14), what should we do with our time in using it wisely? That seems to be a simple question and the answer is equally simple. We should be spending our time obeying God (Matthew 7:21). However, people have different approaches on how to do that. Felix had the idea of obeying God at a convenient time (Acts 24:25). Of course, if today is not convenient in pleasing the Lord tomorrow will not be either. If time is spent in making excuses on why not to obey God, then that denial of obedience becomes easier and easier to use.
Then there are the ones who spend their time obeying God as it so fits their schedules and needs. Some want to follow, but only after they take care of some “family business” (Matthew 8:21). Others want to follow Jesus, but first they have to part ways with things and people they will leave behind (Luke 9:61). Some cannot follow Jesus because their possessions stand in the way (Luke 18:18-23). The simple truth of the matter is that we need to be willing to follow the lead of our Savior without excuses and delays.
Conclusion
Jesus wants more than your valuable spare time. Jesus wants your life (Matthew 10:38-39). So, instead of setting your clock – set your heart. Now is the acceptable wake-up time. This article may be your wake-up call. Set your heart fully upon the Lord and dedicate your life to Him. In so doing, you will be favorably rewarded in eternity (II Corinthians 5:10). However, just as a farmer spends time in his field preparing for the harvest, if you spend no time planting for the Lord you will reap exactly what you have sown (Galatians 6:7-8). In conclusion, how much of your time is given to you by God and how do you think He wants you to use what He has given to you (Matthew 22:37)?
A new spin on an old doctrine has come about. The old “waiting game” or “mental divorce” doctrine is being respun and redefined by men such as Tim Haile. Tim, and others who are teaching these new twists on mental divorce, have redefined some terms, dressed up their arguments with a little Greek, and called their doctrine something different. However, it is still the same old “waiting game” doctrine on divorce and remarriage. Tim says: “Some brethren are teaching that a man's adultery is rendered totally irrelevant if it is committed after his departure from his wife or after he has taken some ungodly civil divorce action against her. Not so!” (http://www.biblebanner.com/articles/mdr/mk10text.htm)
Can the Cause Come After the Effect?
According to Jesus Christ, Tim has some things flipped around. (Matthew 19:9) “And I 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.” The only cause for a scriptural divorce is fornication. The innocent party then has a right to put away their fornicating mate. That is Jesus’ exception to the one man / one woman for life command (Matthew 19:5-6). Now the question; can a marriage be put asunder by man and yet still remain intact in God’s eyes so that there can be a second putting away? More clearly stated; does God recognize that a man and a woman have exited a marriage by breaking their vows through a civil divorce?
(I 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.” Notice that Paul here uses the word “unmarried”. If you have a shoelace that is now untied that means it is no longer in the state of being tied. The prefix “un” means that something is the opposite of another. If you are unmarried you are the opposite of married. That does not remove that they have no right to another mate. Paul pointed out that the rights they have are just to each other. Paul did not say remain unmarried, but still married in God’s sight, and just wait for one or the other to commit the act of fornication thus freeing the more celibate one to remarry. You just cannot end something that has already ended, for a second time.
Conclusion
This is a rather short article. However, the issue of the “waiting game” does not need a long answer. The cause of a scriptural divorce (fornication) cannot occur when there is no marriage to end for that cause. People are sinning when they end their marriage for reasons other than fornication (Malachi 2:16 and Mark 10:9), but that does not mean that God does not recognize an unscriptural divorce. This old “God does not see an unscriptural divorce” argument just does not hold water. God even sees unscriptural marriages. Notice: (Matthew 5:32) “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 (CF. Romans 7:2-3).”
Brethren need to stop looking for loopholes to allow the put away to be
able to remarry. Losing one’s soul for a marriage is not logical.
Brethren need to begin preaching the need for married couples to remain
married and when they come upon issues that threaten that marriage to work
through them. The “I was innocent, put away for an unscriptural cause,
but now can put away my spouse” idea is absurd. The cause of fornication
allowing one to put away their mate cannot occur after the effect of divorce
has already taken place. The cause at the time of departure stands
as the cause of divorce. If they desire to remarry let them reconcile
(I Corinthians 7:11).