5. God honors the law We have already proven that there are two cases in which to view the marriage vow. The first is between sinners, and the second is between believers. If the marriage vow is a holy institution, then how could God honor it between sinners? He honors the marriage because He honors the law. God views them as married because He honors the law, but he does not "sanctify" the marriage per se because He only does so when at least one spouse is a believer (1 Corinthians 7). In the same way, how could God honor the Writing of Divorcement, if Jesus revealed that since the beginning it was never God�s will for anyone to divorce at all, except for fornication? He honored it because he honors the law. Jesus validated the Writing because He honored the law. So in Matthew 5:32, if the woman is put away through no fault of her own for every cause, and we know that the very act of her being put away dissolves the marriage, then God does no longer view that woman as that man�s wife any longer, but ONLY BECAUSE HE HONORS THE LAW. It is the same thing here with a man committing adultery in his heart, or actually committing the very act. In the heart of God, they are both just as bad. In view of the legal side of it, however, they are not. So I believe that what Jesus is referring to when he says that the husband causes his wife to commit adultery, even though they are no longer married, is that he honors the divorce as legitimate because of the law, but in His heart, they have no grounds for divorce, and so He views them as if they should still be married. In other words, God doesn�t honor divorce for every cause, but since he honors the law, he honors the divorce itself, just not the grounds. Now if adultery is the breaking of the covenant bond, and we know that doing anything against our conscience is sin, then it makes sense to us what Jesus is trying to say.
The husband causes, or forces his wife to betray and break apart the covenant bond between them. He also forces her to sin against her own conscience. God doesn�t honor the grounds for the divorce, even though he honors the divorce itself because of the law. So, it is the heart of God, which is the context. Jesus is showing this because he is speaking of divorce in terms with Adam and Eve in Genesis, thereby showing the heart of God, and not the legality of it.
So here we step back and see that the context in which Jesus speaks in verse 32 is from the view of the heart of God, and not the legality or justness of God. In the heart of God, the husband who puts away his wife forces her to commit adultery, or betray their marriage bond by having to break away from that bond and marry another, even though there is no grounds for her to no longer be that man�s wife. So in the heart of God, this is the same as adultery, just as it is for a man to lust after a woman in his heart. She is not charged with adultery directly, but indirectly. The man who marries her as far as the heart of God is concerned, is marrying another man�s wife, because there was never any grounds for the divorce. It is not meant to imply that he is committing perpetual adultery in any way, and neither is it implying the idea of a perpetual marriage. Jesus is sharing the heart of God. He is stating that God is very displeased when people divorce for any reason other than fornication, and that when they do, in His heart, it is the same as committing adultery against one another, and also against Him, because the vows involve God.
VI. Concluding the Matter Paul concludes the matter to the fullest again in 1 Corinthians 7:28-29. He says that we should be content to leave our past under the blood and go on for God in verse 28. Notice to whom he is speaking at the end of verse 28. He is speaking to a man who is divorced! And he says that it would be better for the man not to seek a wife, and then in verse 29, he is still speaking to the same man when he says, "but and if thou marry," (just as he had said but and if thou divorce earlier in the chapter), THOU HAST NOT SINNED. He is talking about REMARRIAGE. It is in the next sentence when he refers to virgins that he is speaking of marriage for the first time. He concludes by saying that whether remarried or married either one, that we would have trouble in the flesh, and that it is better, as Jesus said, to remain unmarried. However, he says "I spare you". Paul knew the number of people that could actually live life without being married was very slim, and Jesus even said that. But he makes it all to clear, that there is no sin in marrying, or remarrying, especially when a man or woman has done all they can to repent of whatever they did that was wrong.
In summary, we should all leave our pasts under the blood. Repent for any part you had in your divorce. Try to restore what you can in the sight of God. His grace is sufficient, and let�s go on for God!