Grace Audio Treasures

Below is a comprehensive list of New Testament verses on divorce and remarriage. The early Church, many Reformers, and faithful expositors have affirmed that the marriage covenant is a life-long bond that only death dissolves, in accordance with God's original design.This view takes seriously the whole counsel of Scripture, and sees the so-called "exception clauses" not as permissions to remarry, but as acknowledgments of sin and concessions to a fallen world—without dissolving the marriage bond.1. Matthew 5:31–32"It has been said, 'Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.'But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery."Explanation:Jesus upholds the permanence of marriage. Divorce leads to adultery, and remarriage while the first spouse lives is always adultery. The "exception clause" refers to the reason why one may separate—not a license to remarry. The union remains intact in God's sight.2. Matthew 19:3–9"…I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery."Explanation:Jesus' response to the Pharisees reaffirms God's creation design for marriage: "What God has joined together, let no one separate." The "exception clause" here does not grant permission to remarry—it simply recognizes that sexual immorality may lead to separation, but it does not dissolve the marriage bond. Remarriage is still called adultery.3. Mark 10:2–12"Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her.And if she divorces her husband and

"Hold me up--and I shall be safe!" Psalm 119:117The first lesson we have to learn, is that without Divine help we cannot stand; and that with it we cannot fall. We must cultivate a spirit of lowly dependence and conscious weakness.We need a mightier strength than our own, which shall curb all this evil nature of ours, and restrain us from sin's deceits.When God's Spirit comes into a man's heart, He will deaden his desires after the world and forbidden ways. He will make us love and desire blessed and holier objects. He who has been fed on "the hidden manna" will not be likely to hanker after the leeks and onions that grew in the Nile mud in Egypt, however strong their smell and pungent their taste. He who has tasted the higher sweetnesses of God, will have his heart's desires after worldly delights strangely deadened and cooled. My heart, touched by the indwelling Spirit of God, will turn to Him--and I shall find little sweetness in the otherwise tempting delicacies that earth can offer.God desires to cleanse us from the filth of the swine trough, and the rags of our exile--and clothe us in fine linen, clean and white. If you will submit yourself into His hands, He will give you abilities to detect the serpents in the flowers, and new resolution to shake off the vipers into the fire. "Hold me up--and I shall be safe!" Psalm 119:117

Happiness is the magic charm that the world is eagerly in search of. But the believer in Christ is its only possessor. He has found it--and found it in Jesus. He has found it in a renunciation of self-righteousness, and in a humble reception of Jesus. There is no true happiness outside of Jesus! What true happiness can the heart feel while . . .   it is spiritually dead,   its sins are unpardoned,   it is under condemnation,   and exposed to the wrath of a holy and just God? Oh reader, do not dream of happiness, until you have gone as a repenting sinner to the cross of Christ!You may be a son or a daughter of affliction. In this furnace you may be chosen, and through this furnace, it may be the Lord's holy will that you should pass all your days. You may be a child of poverty, possessing but little of this world's comforts--and you feel lonely, neglected, and despised.Yet oh, look up Christian! You are precious in God's sight! You are as dear to Him as the pupil of His eye. His heart yearns over you with more than a mother's exquisite fondness for her child, because He has loved you with an everlasting love! And to the praise of the glory of His grace, He has accepted you in the Beloved. Realize this, and though . . .   rough and thorny your path may be,   and fiery your furnace,   and deep your poverty,   and lonely your situation--you shall experience a peace and a happiness to which the world around you is an utter stranger."Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid."    John 14:27 "Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked

Revelation 7:16–17, "Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their Shepherd; He will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."What a sweet and glorious promise this is for the weary pilgrim in this valley of tears! In this fallen world, we are often burdened with trials, afflictions, and sorrows. The scorching heat of life's troubles beats down upon our fainting souls. But here, the Lord lifts our eyes beyond the veil of suffering, to the land where tears are no more.The heat of affliction scorches us here, but it shall never touch us there. The irksome wilderness is left behind, and the weary march is ended. No more scorching trials, no more burning temptations--only the cool, refreshing presence of the Lamb who has loved us and given Himself for us!The Lamb, once slain for our sins, now reigns at the center of Heaven's throne. And He is still our Shepherd! He, who laid down His life for His sheep, now leads them to the ever-flowing springs of divine refreshment.Never again will we lack. Never again will sorrow press upon our hearts. Every wound shall be healed by His own hand, and every tear wiped away by God Himself! Can you grasp the tenderness of this promise? The infinite, sovereign Lord stoops to dry the tears of His redeemed people! The fullness of His presence, the sweetness of His love, and the satisfaction of His glory--shall be our portion forever.Press on, dear saint! The journey is hard, but one moment with Jesus, will make amends for all. Let this promise be . . . your

Matthew 5:3, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven."What is poverty of spirit? It is the opposite of that haughty, self-assertive, and self-sufficient disposition that the world so much desires and praises. To be poor in spirit, is to realize that I have nothing, I am nothing, I can do nothing--to please the holy God. Poverty of spirit is evident in a person, when he is brought into the dust before God, to acknowledge his utter helplessness. It is the first experiential evidence of a Divine work of grace within the soul, and corresponds to the initial awakening of the prodigal son in the far country, when he "began to be in need." (Luke 15:14)The world calls the strong, the self-sufficient, and the self-reliant "blessed." But the Lord Jesus Christ, the King of Glory, pronounces a paradox--true blessedness belongs only to the poor in spirit! These are those who see themselves as utterly destitute sinners before God. They have been stripped of all self-righteousness and self-sufficiency, standing before their Maker with empty hands, knowing they have nothing to offer God but their sin and need.To be "poor in spirit" is to humble one's self under the mighty hand of God. It is to see our sin, our guilt, our defilement, and our utter inability to save ourselves. It is to cry out with the tax collector, "God, have mercy on me, the sinner!" (Luke 18:13). It is to confess, like Isaiah, "Woe is me, for I am undone! For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord almighty!" (Isaiah 6:5). Such a condition is not something we naturally seek, for in our pride, we all claim some worthiness before God.But the Holy Spirit opens our blind eyes to see the

Colossians 3:1-4, "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory."Christian, you have been raised with Christ! No longer are you bound to the fading, worthless pleasures of this world. Your citizenship is in Heaven, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. Lift up your eyes! Your Savior is not here among the dying things of earth--He is enthroned in glory, ruling over all things for the good of His people.Why then, should your heart grovel in the dust of this poor fleeting world? Set your affections upon the risen Christ, who is seated at the right hand of God, ruling in majesty, interceding for you, and preparing a place for you. The world beckons with its empty promises . . . riches that rust, honor that fades, pleasures that perish. But Christ offers eternal treasures, unfading glory and unspeakable joy!Dear saint, the storms of life may rage, and tempests may threaten, but nothing can snatch you from the omnipotent hand of the Lord Jesus Christ! You are eternally secure in Him.And what of the future? The day is coming when your life will be revealed in the full splendor of the dazzling brilliance of Christ-likeness. O Christian, let this hope sustain you! Every sorrow will be swallowed in victory, and every trial will be forgotten in the light of His presence.Weary pilgrim, fix your mind on Christ, and set your heart on Heaven. Live for Christ, long for Chris

Philippians 1:21, "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." The apostle Paul saw his entire existence through the lens of his Savior. If he lived, it was for Christ's glory; if he died, it was for Christ's presence. Either way, he was wholly surrendered to Christ! Christ was the source, the substance, and the goal of his life."To live is Christ." What does this mean? It means that Christ is the purpose of our lives, the joy of our hearts, and the strength of our souls. Whether in trials or triumphs, in sorrows or joys, Christ is the center of all we do. Our lives are not our own--they are His! To a man who lives for Christ, nothing is secular--everything is sacred. To draw nearer to Christ is his life's ambition; to glorify Christ is his daily business; to live for Christ is his greatest joy.But then Paul adds, "to die is gain." How can death--the dreaded enemy of mankind--be gain? To the world, death is the worst possible loss--it is the end of all earthly hopes and dreams. But for the believer, death is simply the doorway into eternal, unbroken fellowship with Christ! It is the shedding of all sin, the end of all suffering, and the entrance into the fullness of joy in our Savior's presence. To die is to be with Christ, to behold Him in all His glory, and to rest in His love forever. No more pain, no more tears--only Christ, in the fullness of His beauty and glory!Dear Christian, do not fear what the world fears. Your life is Christ's, and your death is but a passage into His presence, to a glory beyond imagining. Take heart! Your life is Christ, your death is gain, and your eternity is secure in His loving hands.Live for Christ today, and long for the

"You are . . . a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God,that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light." 1 Peter 2:9This verse is both a comfort and a challenge. It reminds every genuine Christian of their identity in Christ and the purpose for which they were redeemed.First, Peter declares that believers are a chosen people. Our election is not based on our merit, works, or foreseen faith--but solely on God's sovereign grace! (Ephesians 1:4–5). This humbles us, for we were not chosen because of anything in us--but in spite of our unworthiness. God's love is set upon His people from eternity past, and this should fill us with deep assurance and joy. If God has chosen us, He will surely keep us (John 10:28–29).Next, Peter states that Christians are a royal priesthood. Under the Old Covenant, priests were set apart to intercede before God. Now, in Christ, all believers are priests--we have direct access to God through our Mediator, Jesus Christ (Hebrews 4:16). But with this privilege comes responsibility. As priests, we are called to offer up spiritual sacrifices--our lives, our praise, and our obedience (Romans 12:1; Hebrews 13:15). We do not live for ourselves, but for the glory of our King.We are also a holy nation.Holiness is not optional for God's people. To be holy means to be set apart from sin, and set apart unto God. In justification, He has made us holy in Christ. In sanctification, He is making us holy in our daily lives. This verse challenges us--do we live as citizens of heaven, or are we entangled in the world's ways? (Philippians 3:20; 1 John 2:15-17)

John 4:13-14, "Everyone who drinks this water, will be thirsty again; but whoever drinks the water I give him, will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."We see in these words of Jesus, the mirage of worldly satisfaction. The world offers a thousand fleeting pleasures, each promising contentment, but leaving the soul emptier than before. Wealth, success, romance, entertainment--these are the unsatisfying waters of this world, and those who drink them will always thirst again. Many chase after these things, believing that if they only had a little more--more money, more fame, more indulgence--that they would finally be fulfilled. King Solomon testifies that this is a vain pursuit: "Meaningless! Meaningless! Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless!" Ecclesiastes 1:2Sinful pleasures, though they may be sweet in the mouth, are bitter in the belly. They are poisoned wells, that lead only to destruction! Those who seek their satisfaction in these noxious things, will find that they have exchanged their everlasting souls for poor fleeting trifles. Their end is eternal thirst--eternal regret--eternal torment in Hell. Jesus Himself warns us: "What will it profit a man, if he gains the whole world, and loses his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" Mark 8:36Yet Jesus offers something infinitely greater--living water. This is not a temporary refreshment that fades away, but a perpetual spring welling up to eternal life. Those who drink of this water will never thirst again, for in Jesus all the soul's deepest needs are met. Those whom Jesus has truly saved, have experienced the fle

absolute sovereignty of God extends to all things, including wars, disasters and plagues. Scripture testifies that these events are neither random nor outside of His control. God ordains all things, including calamities. Nothing happens outside His sovereign decree. Yet, while God decrees and governs all things, He remains perfectly holy and unstained by sin."Come and see the works of the Lord; the desolations He has brought on the earth!" (Psalm 46:8)From the decimating earthquake, to the devouring fire; from the devastating tsunami, to the deadly plague;from the volcanic eruption, to the destructive hurricane--the Bible clearly teaches that all what we call "natural disasters" fall under the sovereign decree of Almighty God. He governs all of His creation according to His decreed will--yet He remains unstained by sin, executing His sovereign purposes in justice, wisdom and righteousness."Does disaster come to a city, unless the Lord has done it?" (Amos 3:6)When the earth quakes beneath us, let us not attribute it to chance, or accident, or laws of nature--but to Him who alone shakes the pillars thereof. Storms at sea, earthquakes on land, and tempests in the sky--are but the outstretched rod of Jehovah, calling men to repentance and reminding them that He alone is God!Though God ordains all these events, He remains holy and without sin. "God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all." (1 John 1:5). He does not do evil, nor can He be accused of injustice. God's purposes are always just and righteous. "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?" (Genesis 18:25).Let us, therefore acknowledge God's sovereign hand in all things, bow in reverenc