No. 1634 What about Christian leaders who have remarried?

No. 1634

What about Christian leaders who have remarried?

Some time ago I heard "Pastor" Sigurd Bylund from Troens Ord Sandefjord speak.
Where he repeated time after time that he had been divorced and remarried many times.
All the greater grace, forgiveness and meeting with Jesus.
This is a failed Christianity, where one opens oneself up to a life of debauchery. It is a mock Christianity and a mockery of all who want to follow Jesus and God's word closely!
Claiming to have more marriages, to have more "God's grace" waiting is in direct contradiction to scripture.
This is a distortion of God's word and God's grace.

Jude 4 For some people have crept in among us. They are such as were written down in ancient times for this judgment. They pervert the grace of God into lasciviousness and deny the only One, the Lord Jehovah, and also the Lord Jesus Christ.

screenshot from YouTube

God does not discriminate between people, but Christian leaders lead others to fall with their lifestyle, claims author Øyvind Kleiveland.

It is not uncommon for Norwegian churches to have Christian leaders who have been married several times, and many Christians wonder how to deal with this.
Can God use them, even though they are living in what the Bible calls adultery?
What does the Bible really say about such situations?

God uses fallen people

It is important to understand that God often uses people - despite their mistakes and shortcomings. I am an example of that.

The Bible shows us many examples of God working through imperfect people. David is a good example, even after sinning gravely with Bathsheba, he repented and God continued to use him.

In the same way, God can use Christian leaders who are living in their second, third or fourth marriage.
God, in his grace, uses us all despite our shortcomings.

God Calls Us to Holiness

Although God may use such leaders, it does not mean that their lives are in harmony with the guidelines for leadership found in the Bible. The Bible says that marriage is eternal, and the bond lasts as long as both spouses live. Jesus said that “what God has joined together, let no man put asunder” (Matthew 19:6). This covenant is broken by those who remarry while their first spouse is still living.

Luke 16:18 says, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery.” This means that remarrying while a person’s first spouse is still living is adultery.

Remarriage is the same as adultery

The Bible clearly states that adultery is remarrying while one’s first spouse is still living. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 says that fornicators and adulterers will not inherit the kingdom of God. This includes those who remarry after being separated, because their marriage remains valid as long as their first mate is alive.
Galatians 5:19-21 speaks of the works of the flesh, which include fornication and adultery. The Bible says that Christian leaders are engaging in the works of the flesh when they remarry while their first mate is alive, and according to the Bible, this is serious.

How should we deal with such leaders?

While God may use such leaders, it is important to understand that they are not behaving in the way that God requires. According to the Bible, an elder is to be “the husband of one wife”
(1 Timothy 3:2), and they are to serve as examples to the flock.

This means that Christian leaders must live in harmony with God’s plan for marriage.

Leaders who are married to someone else while their first mate is still alive do not accurately reflect God’s will for marriage.

God’s Call to Repent

Even if a Christian leader is living in sin in a relationship that the Bible calls the works of the flesh and adultery, there is still hope.

God’s grace is great, and He calls all of us to repent. Repenting means not only accepting that you have done something wrong, but also changing your lifestyle so that you live in harmony with God’s will.

1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” This also applies to those who have been married more than once. God can provide forgiveness and restoration for those who turn from sin. This means stopping what one is doing, as Jesus commanded the woman at the well: “Go and sin no more” (John 8:11).

Conclusion

As Christians, we must be aware that the Bible sets very high standards for those who are to lead the church. The Bible says that if a leader is living in a second, third, or fourth marriage while the first spouse is still alive, they are engaging in adultery, which the Bible defines as the works of the flesh.

That is, they are living in the flesh, not in the Spirit. A leader cannot be a good example to the church when he or she is living in the flesh. God calls leaders to be examples of how to live a life in the Spirit. It is necessary to break the vicious cycle that occurs when Christian leaders drag other people into sin through their lifestyle.

 Therefore, as Christians, we should not have such leaders in our congregations until they have shown sincere repentance and ended relationships that the Bible describes as adultery.

Although everyone who repents can receive God's grace, we must adhere to the rules of the Bible and demand that our leaders behave in accordance with God's will. It is important to take seriously that a leader who lives in sin cannot lead God's people on the right path.
He should be a model, pattern and example for the congregation.
1 Pet. 5. 2 So be shepherds of the flock of God that is among you, overseeing it - not by compulsion, but willingly. And not for corrupt gain, but eagerly.
3 Neither should you be lords over those entrusted to you by God, but it should happen by being examples to the flock.

Øyvind Kleiveland has written, among other things, the marriage book “Den store fallgruven”.

Related links:

 http://the-heavenly-blog.janchristensen.net/2014/06/no-718-gods-word-says-that-remarriage.html

 http://the-heavenly-blog.janchristensen.net/2014/06/no-822-questions-to-yvind-olav-sydow.html

 http://the-heavenly-blog.janchristensen.net/2014/01/nr-652-yvind-kleveland-divorced-will.html