Judge Greg Mathis. I would have to say that this is the reality show judge (and I use the term Judge loosely) that dredges in the lowest of the lowest in "court" cases.
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Plaintiff-"Judge",
(OK, stop right there. In court I believe the correct way to address the judge is Your Honor, Sir, or even Judge Mathis, but not just Judge....at least not in Virginia. Things may be different in Detroit or California).
Anyway...
Plaintiff- "Judge, I was in love with the defendant. She was a wonderful woman. We both have strong Christian values. We felt a strong attraction but we abstained from any sort of "physical relationship" (I changed his exact wording there) because of our relationship with God."
"We got married in about a year and things went fine for a while but then she started to have problems with my use of Crack.".
Judge- "Let me get this straight. Your Christian values prevented you from a physical relationship (yes,Ii changed the wording again), but you had no problem passing around the Crack Pipe?".
blah blah blah blah blah
Plaintiff- "We ended up getting divorced but we are still friends and still have a physical relationship.".
blah blah blah blah
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ok, here's my question. I would love to receive your comments on this from a Biblical view.
First of all, obviously the Bible makes no secret of the laws of God regarding pre-marital sex. no question there.
I am not as well versed with my Bible as many of you. I know there are negative verses regarding drinking and I believe there are negative verses regarding certain drugs.
Question- Although it is illegal, immoral, dangerous and wrong....is smoking crack a sin?
STOP RIGHT THERE! I am in no way considering taking up such a habit....(had to get that straight immediately). I am just curious and I know that there are quite a few of my readers that will have much more insight on this than I do.
Question- I know the Bible frowns on divorce but is it a sin? (Quick Thank You God For Forgiveness). Also, what about having a physical relationship with the EX, AFTER the divorce? ALSO, if divorce IS a sin, then would a physical relationship, with an ex, still be considered being with your husband or wife?
Question- If you remarry, are you committing adultery?
I'm pretty sure (though not completely sure....because I am seldom completely sure on anything), that some of this isn't addressed in the Bible so I'm just wondering your opinions. Although Bible verses to back it up are great too.
AGAIN, I'm not going this route...really, (REALLY, REALLY, REALLY). I'm just curious.
I would love your input.
After all, Monkeys Can't ALWAYS be Funny. Sometimes they are just curious.
(Good thing Cats aren't funny. You know what curiously does to them!).
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22 comments:
Leviticus 10:9 says to abstain from wine and strong drink before entering the tabernacle of the lord.
Numbers 6:3 gives instructions for a Nazarite to avoid all forms grapes and anything from there vine.
And Deuteronomy 14:26 says:
And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth: and thou shalt eat there before the LORD thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou, and thine household,
Jesus addresses the topic of divorce and adultery there after in Matthew 5:31-32 “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce. 32But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.
This is echoed in Matthew 19 several times and again in Mark.
In 1 Corinthians 7:11 Paul gives his opinion on the subject. And he clearly states it is his opinion and not God's.
One last thing; In California the proper way to address a judge is "Your Dudeship."
Ephesians 5- Be imitators of God, therefore as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person- such a man is an idolater- has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them.
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitful deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful to even mention what the disobedient do in secret.
But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you."
Be very careful then, how you live- not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The rest of the chapter gives instruction to the husband and wife relationship.
Remember the post I wrote on sanctification- the process we undergo, as we are being made like Christ, from our first moment of belief in Jesus to our dying breath? Choosing to love another as Christ has loved us and choosing righteousness, are the absolute most difficult things for any human being to do. It is not our nature to do this! Whenever we do choose to turn from a sinful thing (and study of the word of God will definately bring clarity to what those things are)we can be sure the Holy Spirit, that resides in the heart of every believer, is working powerfully in us.
Bottom line: We need a Savior. As long as we live in this world, we'll battle every day the desires of our sinful hearts- Timothy Keller, in his book Counterfiet Gods", calls our hearts "idol factories". If I can just have this, if I can just do this- I'll be happy, I'll be okay, I'll feel better.... We'll never make it, never be free from the pain of poor choices, without Jesus Christ- submitting our desires for ourselves for His desire for us.
It's painful, this cutting off of branches that bear no fruit...(John 15:2)
I know. I'm in the middle of losing a limb right now, I've grabbed hold of the shears half-way through the cut. I'm trying to let go...
Okay,
so I don't have my bible in front of me and my kids are playing with scissors, so I think I need to make this brief. I do not know everything about the Bible.
In Malachai, God says, "I hate divorce." Usually if God hates something, I would say it's a sin. He permits it in certain circumstances like in agregious circumstances (like unfaithfulness), but only because we live in a fallen world. And having a physical relationship after you get a divorce? WHY? If you are not loving the person to stay with them, why do you want to be near them like that? That's just messed up!
Smoking cracking is just dumb. I don't care if it's not a sin. But since our body is a temple of the holy spirit (1 corinthians), why would you want to ruin His house?
Okay, now I better get back to my children and their scissors and now we've added glue! What am I thinking? Oh, my 20 month old just stcuk the scissors in his mouth! GOTTA GO!
Greg Mathis is my favorite!
Why is HH speaking in Elizabethan dialect?? Oh, I bet that's the way God talks! COOL!
2 Things:
God hates divorce, not the divorced.
..and, the Bible says a lot of things.
ok so this is so randomly not in line with your questions because I agree with everything your bloggy friends have already said. I went over to visit 2thinks like you suggested and I love her blog! The Cher clip brings back a few memories. Ever think about having Sean Cassidy or the BEEGees as your special guest? :) Go ahead, laugh, I know you want to....
so I'm totally opinionated.
Sorry about that. I need to base my thoughts more on what the Bible says instead of waht I think! But I don't think I'm that off base this time. I will just try to be kinder in what I say!
I don't believe the term Crack pipe is ever used in the Bible but there is some general guidance about abusing our bodies.
There are lots of sins in the Bible. I am going to get some verses and then state my case on this one. :) You sure know how to stir up hornets don't you. :)
I'm not going to comment on whether each thing is sin or not because your other commenters have already done a fabulous job. However, I see things from this vantage point in Matthew 22:35-40:
One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law? Jesus replied, " 'Love the Lord your God with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second it like it:'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
Whether it's sin or not, it's awfully hard to love God with all your mind if it's a slave to crack. And it's really hard to love your neighbor as yourself if you're seeking your own physical pleasure, but not caring about how it impacts the other person. It's utterly impossible to love God with all your heart if you are joining in with the ways of the world that doesn't know Him. In Matthew 22:35-40, Jesus didn't refer to it as optional, but as commandments. Isn't disobedience to those commandments sin?
To add fuel to the fire, let's look at I Corinthians 13 and remember what love really is:
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, IT IS NOT SELF-SEEKING, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hpes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
I guess I'm less concerned by the individual sins and far more concerned that the person seems to give no place for the love of God. Personally, I want to be right in the heart of God's love and His will, not teetering on the edge or hanging on the outskirts as close to the world as I can get by with and still call myself a Christian.
Anyway, I doubt I answered your question, but this is my viewpoint. You asked some great questions by the way!
Sidenote: The word verification on your blog says "empti". That's the life this man is leading, but not the one God wants for him. But you knew that already.
P.S. I had difficulty posting that last comment and somehow the part from Matthew 22 about loving God with all your heart got omitted. But you can look it up and see the whole passage.
Wow you sure ask the hard questions!! :O
I'm going to go read everyone elses comments then come back.
Just as I suspected. Everyone else has pretty much said it all. I love Bonita's answer. She really nailed it.
The Pharisees lived intensely by the letter of the law but they missed the heart of the law. If you tell your kids to look both ways before they cross the street and they look both ways but then walk out in front of an approaching vehicle. They missed the heart of your instruction. This is what we often do to justify doing what we want and not what we should.
We are saved by grace but obedience is proof of our salvation. We need to know what the Bible says so that we can work in cooperation with Jesus in the sanctification process. If you tell your children to behave right but you don't teach them what is right behavior and what is wrong behavior then how can they choose right behavior over wrong behavior?
Matthew 19:4-6 says ""Haven't you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female,'and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate."
Even though there are areas in the Bible that allow for divorce, God would rather have us not divorce. (There is a whole nother topic in that sentence so lets just view this as a non-abusive type relationship.)
The heart of that command is in God's concern for us. "The two become one flesh." "let man not separate." What happens if you separate (tear, rip, cut, sever) your own flesh? Divorce causes that within your heart.
The Bible doesn't talk of drugs but it speaks a lot of being drunk. Getting drunk affects our thinking, reaction, mood, attitude, behavior, and decision making. Drugs do the same thing.
2 Timothy 1:7 says "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." and 1 Peter 4:7 says "The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray." When we are drunk or on drugs, we are not clear minded or of a sound mind.
You just want everyone to write their posts in your comment section. :)
Hey, I think you are really great too! Yes I do.
See where it says "comment has been deleted by the author". That was me. I thought when Blase wrote: 2 Things, he meant 2 Thinks, so I thought he was saying, "Look 2 Thinks, the Bible says a lot of things....etc.", so I wrote to defend myself. Then I thought, you know, I think he really only meant 2 Things- as in, I, Blase, have two things to say and here they are- one..., two.....
Whew! I almost started a war over here.
Great comments over here. Another thing to add, is that Jesus expects us to obey the laws of the land as long as they are not against his word, and crack is against the law. So, there. (Yes, I have gotten a speeding ticket before, why do you ask?)
I think if you get too hung up in the laws you miss the grace. BUT Faith without works is dead. The Bible says we will be judged by our fruit. So if this guy is doing drugs and having sex with his ex, would you call that "good fruit?" No. Anyone can see these things are wrong. Even as sinners we recognize what is inappropriate. We need to be producing good fruit so that when others see us, they get a glimpse of the glory of God.
1 Peter 2:12 - - Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
p.s. on remarriage:
Matthew 5:32
But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.
Matthew 19:9
I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery."
The bible is clear that this is adultery unless the spouse cheated on you. However, God is a god of mercy & grace and forgives us.
"Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means!" (Romans 6:1-2) We don't do the sin just because we know we have grace, but we can rest in the grace if we are truly repentant of the sin.
There will be a pop quiz on this tomorrow. :)
Wow! You guys are great!
You realize that this may have to become a regular feature. You also realize that over here, regular means anything from every other day to once a year.
Thanks for the outstanding answers!!
Wow...Blogger lost my response!?! I was right before Chatty Kelly.... what happened?
Not going to recreate it, but suffice it to say that you have plenty of facts to support God's viewpoint on the whole thing.
I even thanked you for putting this out there, as I didn't get to church on Sunday with my tummy-bugged child and reflecting on God's Word was really worshipful!
Hope you get this!
Partridge Family Reunion on Today SHow tomorrow (Tuesday, march 2).
Thought you'd want to watch.
-Kelly
This was a real education!
I totally loved reading all your responses.
Great discussion. Enjoyed your post and the input. Stir away, friend. Your blog is never boring!!
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