I have thought long and hard on the Kim Davis story, and this post is my thoughts put into words.
I understand Kim’s religious conviction as to why she refused to issue
same-sex marriage. I understand Kim’s own marital history. I understand
that Kim Davis believes she is a new Christian. I understand that Kim Davis was
targeted by certain individuals who demand the same rights that she
deserves. I understand that certain individuals that demand tolerance
will not tolerate those who do not tolerate their behavior. I understand
that freedom of religion is only applicable when certain people are
offended by it.
I understand that government of the United States
is slowly falling away from the tenets of the Constitution and the Bill
of Rights. I understand that political correctness is supplanting
freedom of speech. I understand that God has been kicked out of schools.
I understand that the moral fiber of the world is fast deteriorating. I
understand the Lord’s words when he said, “Render therefore unto Caesar
the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's.”
I understand that apostasy must come first before the return of the
Lord Jesus Christ.
I also understand that marriage definition
was turned over to the governments many years ago by “reformers” who
believed marriage is a “civil thing”. I understand that religious
organizations and congregations are under 501c3 regulations. I
understand that marriage redefinition continued with the acceptance of
unilateral divorce laws in many of these congregations. I understand
that tenets of feminism have entered many congregations. I understand
that congregations do not stand together when key doctrinal issues such
as marriage are governed by culture.
I understand that governments, congregations, and radical groups are under the sovereignty of an Almighty God. I understand that a
marriage license and a divorce decree are just pieces of paper. I
understand that issuing pieces of paper and having us believe God
approves of them is silly. I understand that a marriage is not ordained
by God when any man, woman, pastor, judge, or government believes they can issue, perform, or
celebrate a marriage without His consent. Since I understand
that marriage is from above, no power in this universe can change the
definition of one man and one woman for life.
Kim Davis, like so many evangelicals who support her, is only guilty
of ignorance, unless she knowingly understood the holiness of marriage
and decided to keep her job anyway. If she is indeed ignorant of the
redefinition, which allowed her to divorce and remarry on several
occasions, then maybe the Holy Spirit will convict her. Once she
understands that the tenets of the evangelical church (Westminster Confession) has deceived her into believing
that remarriage is not adultery, perhaps then she will understand that
her civil position, as it pertains to issuing marriage licensees, has
nothing to do with God.
The point is that I believe that Kim
Davis is a religious person and not a disciple of Christ. I know,
because I was there too. I thought that you could uphold a marriage vow
by remaining unmarried. I too believed that my "marriage" (a remarriage after divorce) was “holy” and
“righteous”. The problem I had was viewing my marriage as if it was
ordained by God simply because a pastor told me so. The words of Luke
16:18 were ever so clear many months prior to exchanging vows with a
divorced woman who I had lived with months prior to the ceremony. I too received a marriage license to validate my adultery.
We both understood that there was clear scripture that pointed to her
remaining unmarried or to reconcile her marriage to her then separated
(not divorced) covenant husband (1 Cor 7:10,11). Instead, I thought that
I could date her, live with her, and go to church with her long before
the divorce papers were finalized. After all, it was the twenty-first
century, why would the antiquated and outdated values of remaining pure
have anything to do with what was right in my own eyes?
Everyone was
doing it…
I was forced into the hands of a merciful and gracious
God when my unlawful marriage crumbled due to me living a less than holy but very religious life. I was crushed when she was dolefully persuaded to enter
into a relationship with another man who was not her husband.
Self-analysis of a life that involved sexual immorality and the complete
humiliation of having to face the realities of a unilateral divorce was
more than enough to send me to my knees. I was a broken and contrite. That brokenness
caused me to see the futility of living a life without the covering of
Christ’s blood and His reconciling me to the Father.
It took me
nearly five years to see the significance of my relationship with a
woman who divorced from her first husband to enter into a twenty year
relationship with a man (me) who is not her husband, only to divorce me
and continue to live with another man who is not her husband. I too fell into the lie believing in Westminster Confessions, exceptions and privileges. I can
tell you that the five year process of sanctification afforded me to
understand the significance of marriage and how this pertains to
society, congregationalism, and the coming of the Lord. I will not
remain silent.
My prayer is that Kim Davis’ eyes and ears would
open to the truth of her current marriage and the full understanding of
covenant marriage. She does right by her convictions against same-sex
marriage, except her convictions should have brought her to realize that
she most likely issued marriage licenses to men and women who forfeited
their vows to divorce and remarry by believing God does not remain in a
covenant He designed. Kim Davis would have issued a marriage license to me
When Kim Davis realizes that the law of
marriage began before the fall of mankind into sin, she will see that
marriage is a representation of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. God
has designed marriage as one man and one woman to show us the frailties
of what it takes to seek Him and desire His providence over His
creation. It was by grace that God created man in His image, and then
created the perfect helpmeet so that man would not be alone. One cannot
say that they have a complete understanding of marriage after they come
to believe the Gospel. Marriage in its truest form, IS the Gospel.
In conclusion, I have weighed all the circumstances surrounding Kim
Davis and I have concluded that the decisions of this one woman have
brought to light the significance of marriage. Never mind the idea that she was exercising her religious freedom, that is not the point. Kim Davis has opened the door to people opening their Bibles and seeing what the Lord has to say about marriage. This story has the Holy Spirit bringing conviction to many who have been falsely led to believe that a one-flesh covenant marriage can end in divorce.
The evangelicals rail on
about how marriage is a sacred covenant, yet they have not repented of
turning marriage over to civil authorities, and they will not repent of
redefining marriage by initiating, performing, and participating in
adulterous unions. Kim Davis is a product of evangelical blindness and
she only needs to remove the plank out of her eyes to see that true
marriage definition need not be defended in court because true marriage
definition is a defense onto itself. One man and one woman for life.
The world will be watching if the evangelicals would repent of divorce
and remarriage, and stand firm on the permanence of marriage. The
permanence of marriage strips the civil authorities of definition and
administration of both marriage licenses and divorce certificates. The
permanence of marriage leaves no room for justification by hypocrisy.
The homosexual cannot defend their sin by pointing at the sins of those
who divorce and remarry into adultery. Lastly, the permanence of
marriage focuses on the grace and mercy of the Creator, and not on the
emotions and desires of His creation. Divorce, same-sex marriage, and
remarriage after divorce all focus on the desires and glorification of self, and never for glorifying God.
Heb 13:20,21 Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our
Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the
everlasting covenant. Make you perfect in every good work to do his
will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through
Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
In Christ's love,
Neil
WELL SAID NEIL
ReplyDeleteYes, only as far as it goes.
ReplyDeleteCosider, the adultery subsequent to divorce is Scriptural grounds for divorse. That we would not have people perform adultery simply to get a divorce, so we allow them to put aside their spouse.
Further, it is Scriptural for a man to have more than one wife, not that that is better, just allowed.
Otherwise you are correct.
God has the final Judgement in eternity.
P.S. the Google tag is wrong, my wife, Debbie, passed away.
Thank you for the comments, debareb. I have a few questions…Is adultery “within” a marriage a forgivable sin? If so, does 1 Cor 7:10,11 tend to lean towards restoration of the marriage based on the actions and instances of both spouses, and the accountability tenets set by Christ for His church (Matthew 18:15-17)? If there is clear scripture that defines the permanence of marriage, accountability to the sinner, and the actions of those who are in Christ, would this combine to make a case for forgiveness, repentance, reconciliation and restoration of a marriage? Also, which is applicable to the Gospel, divorce and remarriage, OR remaining in Christ, trusting in the Holy Spirit, praying for a prodigal spouse, and remaining obedient to the vow so that when the prodigal spouse repents, there can be true restoration of the marriage?
ReplyDeleteWhat many fail to take into account is the actions of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the sinner. This includes a spouse who commits adultery. Since evangelicals follow the Westminster Confession and not Christ, it makes it very simple to divorce, and in a sense, murder the other spouse so that they can remarry another. Rather it be about living in the Holy Spirit and remaining obedient to the vow you made before God, it is more about appeasing the flesh and giving into divorce laws (which include no-fault divorce totally governed without any involvement of the “clergy”) in order to remarry another.
If a man is commanded not to divorce his wife (1 Cor 7:10,11), would it be scriptural for you to have more than one wife? If the Lord is saying the law of marriage is from the beginning, then it would seem that according to your understanding, God should have made a few wives for Adam, and not just one. Then there is the matter of 1 Timothy 3:2 and Titus 1:6. The requirements of an elder is one wife, not several.
As for the reference to the Google tag. I am unclear as to why you wrote this, other than it may have to do with you being associated with Kim Davis? Is this true? If so, adultery involves you “remarrying” a person who has a living covenant spouse. A marriage in the Lord (1 Cor 7:39) involves you marrying a widow, or a single, never married woman.