What God says through all the scriptures about marriage is that there is an ideal, a perfect way for relationships to exist between men and women. That way is to become one flesh.

He wants man to raise his sights, to stop living in the permissive way allowed because of the hardness of hearts, and to begin to live according to the way of the Lord. He wants us to elevate our sights to His level.

However, thank God, if you have messed up, made a mistake, and failed in marriage, you do not have to stay in the muck and mire. You do not have to be guilty ridden and condemned and live lonely and alone for the rest of your life.

Traditional religious doctrine is trying to say that Jesus forgave the woman taken in adultery, but He will not forgive you your mistake! Even if He did not stone her, why did Jesus not condemn the woman and tell her she could not marry again?

Why did He not say, "You dirty thing, you. You have messed up right in the face of the law. Just suffer the rest of your life, and always remember that you committed this act of adultery."

That is what many ministers and many churches are saying you have to do because you messed up a relationship when maybe you were not even saved yet. Now you are trying to "sin no more" and make your life right.

But you cannot do it, because God is not going to forgive a divorce. He forgave a woman taken in adultery, but He will not forget a divorce.

God's best is that you marry and stay married. But that is assuming that you know the Word, are committed to the Word, and love the Word enough to make whatever adjustment necessary for the Word to have first place in your life.

If both people in a marriage do that, there is no way they cannot have a successful relationship.

Source: The Christian Family by Frederick K.C. Price
Excerpt permission granted by Faith One Publishing