Question:

I have a Christian friend who has been married four times, but she still considers herself married to her first husband, who has since remarried himself.  She is also considering divorcing the man she is married to now.  Would you say she was a Christian?

Answer:

First, She is wrong about still being married to her first husband.  Each divorce, no matter the cause, really terminated the marriage.  When Jesus met the woman by the well, He told her "you have had five husbands."  He clearly revealed that each divorce terminated the marriage, for she did not "have" five husbands, but she "had had" five husbands.

Secondly, about her wanting now to divorce husband number five, I think she would have a hard time explaining five divorces as a Christian. A Christian is a "Christian" based on "current lifestyle"!  The fact that a person claims to be a Christian, or "walked an aisle" or "prayed a prayer" or whatever, none of these things prove their Christianity, rather what is their "current" lifestyle--is it like Christ?  Is it growing in holiness?  If these divorces have been as a "Christian" then she needs to examine herself to see if she is in the faith, I would guess that she is unsaved.

Added to Bible Bulletin Board's "Tony Capoccia's Questions and Answers" by:

Tony Capoccia
Bible Bulletin Board
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Email: tony@biblebb.com
Online since 1986