Satan is doing his utmost in destroying people. He is going "as a roaring lion," walking "about, seeking whom he may devour." 1 Peter 5:8. One of his greatest attacks is now launched against the family. Every where we go, we see husbands and wives separating from each other and causing turmoil in the families. All this makes Satan happy because in this way, he is leading many to eternal ruin.

In this very time when the family is constantly attacked, God has His messengers working to avert His impending judgments: "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: And he shall turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse." Malachi 4:5, 6. In these verses, God has prophesied that before He comes again, those who are represented by faithful Elijah will do a work in restoring the family.

Lest we misunderstand the work of Elijah, God sent another man to prepare the way for the first coming of Christ in the same manner that this Elijah will before the second. Jesus conversed with the multitude that followed Him concerning John the Baptist: "What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet. . . And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come." Matthew 11:7-14. John the Baptist was also the fulfillment of that prophecy in Malachi.

If we want to identify the modern person or people ["Those who are to prepare the way for the second coming of Christ are represented by faithful Elijah, as John came in the spirit of Elijah to prepare the way for Christ’s first advent." Vol. 3, Testimonies for the Church, p. 62:1] that are represented by Elijah in Malachi, it is worthy for us to examine the lives of both these men.

Both received great persecution. Although Elijah never fell a victim to that wicked Jezebel, John did fall to the wicked Jezebel of his time. This story is recorded in Matthew 14. But, why did John lose his head to Herod and Herodias? We know that John spoke against sins and faithfully rebuked it when he saw it, but what really rocked the boat? We read: "For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias’ sake, his brother Philip’s wife. For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her. And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet." Matthew 14:3-5. John spoke against the breaking up of the family, and because of this, speaking against divorce and remarriage, he was beheaded.

Let’s keep in mind that John’s reproof to Herod came before Herod married Herodias. "Herod was affected as he listened to the powerful, pointed testimonies of John, and with deep interest he inquired what he must do to become his disciple. John was acquainted with the fact that he was about to marry his brother’s wife, while her husband was yet living, and faithfully told Herod that this was not lawful. Herod was unwilling to make any sacrifice. He married his brother’s wife, and through her influence, seized John and put him in prison, intending however to release him." Early Writings, p. 154:2.

We as God’s remnant people, should not be fearful if we meet with ridicule because of our stand against the breaking up of families. We should stand as flint when we are opposed to the divorces and remarriages that are so prominent in the world and in the Christian churches generally for the one who represented our work was beheaded because of His stand.

Before we proceed with our message in reference to divorce and remarriage, let us understand the work of restoration generally that is to take place. God had said to ancient Israel: "Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein." Jeremiah 6:16.

God did not ask Israel to walk in any old way but in the OLD and ANCIENT ways. It was only under these conditions that they were to find their long needed rest. But, like many today, they refused to walk according to God’s way and the result was their captivity in Babylon and eventually their dispersion by the Romans and their loss of the spiritual birthright which was given to the Gentiles.

Although they refused, God sent Jesus Christ into this world to renew that promise of rest. He said: "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30. It is interesting to note that this promised rest to the weary soul in not unconditional. It is promised to us only if we take Christ’s "yoke." If we refuse the yoke, we refuse the rest.

What is Jesus referring to when He speaks of a yoke that we must wear? If we understood our previous verse correctly, our answer is quite evident. Jeremiah quoted the Lord as saying that following the old and ancient paths will result in rest for the weary soul. This is the same promise as that made by Jesus. Therefore, the yoke that we are to bear is following the ancient paths.

Today, as in the day of Jeremiah and Christ, we carry the same message of reformation or restoration. We as Adventists realize the application of Isaiah 58:12 to our time: "And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in." Clearly, this is that message of reformation. "The age in which we live calls for reformatory action." Vol. 4, Testimonies, p. 488:3.

Before we proceed in understanding what we are to reform, let us understand the word reformation. In the first place, this word begins with the root word form. The verb "form" basically means to make, create, or to construct. In the beginning, God created man; and everything associated with man was perfect. Unfortunately, mankind sinned and therefore deformed the original creation of God. But, God in His love and mercy, decided to make man all over again and make him into the same image of His original creation. Hence, we add the prefix "re" to "form" to give this idea. Therefore, we have the word, "reform." But, this job of making man all over again is not one that happens overnight. Therefore, we add the suffix "ation" which is defined as "action or process of." So the word reformation, simply means the process of making man all over again as he was in the very beginning. Whenever we have in mind to make some type of reformation on a specific point, we must carefully examine God’s original plan and teach that as the state which we are to achieve. And this is not just a good idea for which to strive, it is a requirement.

We are told to be "Looking for and hasting the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat." 2 Peter 3:12[mgn]. This hasting the coming of Christ is not just by gathering more church members. Rather, it is in restoring truth to the same way as was in the very beginning. The same apostle, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, says: "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began." Acts 3:19-21.

Will this restitution of all things take place before Jesus comes? It must because the Bible does not lie. And further, the Spirit of Prophecy confirms this: "In the time of the end every divine institution is to be restored." Prophets and Kings, p. 678:2. We have God’s word against man’s; and knowing those odds, I opt for God’s word.

For that matter, Jesus is waiting for the fulfillment of these verses before He can come again the second time. "Christ is waiting with longing desire for the manifestation of Himself in His church. When the character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced in His people, then He will come to claim them as His own." Christ’s Object Lessons, p. 69:1.

Now notice the word "every." Every means more than one. Although only the Sabbath is mentioned in that paragraph in Prophets and Kings, we must understand, by the language involved, that there is more to this than just the Sabbath. Unfortunately, we, as Adventists, have not been able to look too far beyond the Sabbath because we felt that that was the most prominent. But, something else should have its equal share - the other divine institutions.

Notice this important Testimony: "He [Christ] referred them to the blessed days of Eden, when God pronounced all things ‘very good.’ Then marriage and the Sabbath had their origin, twin institutions for the glory of God in the benefit of humanity." Mount of Blessings, p. 63:2. These share an equality since they are twins. Even more, the marriage was created before the Sabbath - a day before.

All of this makes a great sense. The restoration of the marriage, as originally intended by God, is to take a prominent place in the message of Reformation in our time, the time of the end. Therefore, that people that present this message are like faithful John the Baptist who would not hesitate to call the sin of adultery by its right name even if it costs them their earthly lives.

In the beginning, "God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth." Genesis 1:26-28.

Our first parents were not made like the animals. "And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. . . And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. . . And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed." Genesis 2:7, 18, 21-25.

These verses clearly reveal God’s original plan in the marriage relation. God made the man and woman and they two were to become one. No provision was made for divorce. But, as usual, Satan had success in perverting this idea even among God’s people. Therefore, "Jesus came to our world to rectify mistakes and to restore the moral image of God in man. Wrong sentiments in regard to marriage had found a place in the minds of the teachers of Israel. They were making of none effect the sacred institution of marriage. Man was becoming so hardhearted that he would for the most trivial excuse separate from his wife, or, if he chose, he would separate her from the children and send her away. This was considered a great disgrace and was often accompanied by the most acute suffering on the part of the discarded one." Adventist Home, p. 341:1.

"Christ came to correct these evils, and His first miracle was wrought on the occasion of the marriage. Thus He announced to the world that marriage when kept pure and undefiled is a sacred institution." Adventist Home, p. 341:2. Jesus was a real reformer. Since He is the complete system of truth, let us examine His stand to see what we should believe on divorce and remarriage.

"And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him. And he answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you? And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away. And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept. But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife; And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. And in the house his disciples asked him again of the same matter. And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her. And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery." Mark 10:2-12.

Let us examine this text, especially that part in bold. If a man divorces his wife and marries another he is committing adultery against her and therefore is the guilty spouse. If a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she also is guilty of adultery and therefore is the guilty spouse. In either case, the guilty spouse is pointed out.

Now, the greatest question asked is in reference to the innocent spouse. Once the one is called guilty, DOES THE INNOCENT SPOUSE HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMARRY?

These are not new questions. They were asked in the time of Christ so we can rest assured that His answers are the correct ones. "And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him. And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God. The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it. And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail." Luke 16:14-17.

Quite obviously, the Pharisees had a great problem in showing that they had a high regard for the law of God and yet they were disobeying that very law. So just to make sure they understood Him, He gave them an example in the very next verse: "Whosoever putteth away his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery."

Here we have a man that divorces his wife and marries another. Just like in the text in Mark, he is considered the guilty spouse and his wife the innocent one. BUT it goes further. It speaks about the innocent party where Mark kept silent. She is not in adultery as is her husband. But it clearly says that if she, the innocent party marries, the one who marries her is committing adultery. It is still considered an adulterous relationship. So according to these Bible texts, if one is divorced and then remarries, regardless of their innocence or guilt, that person is committing adultery.

There is no question as to the meaning of Christ in the texts we have already looked at. Now, let us remember that in the Bible there are no contradictions. Sometimes we, because of our frail human nature, may misunderstand a text, but it is not the Bible that is contradicting itself. Therefore, we must earnestly pray and seek the Lord diligently and compare Scripture with Scripture to resolve these apparent contradictions. And so it is with these verses.

"And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these sayings, he departed from Galilee, and came into the coasts of Judaea beyond Jordan; And great multitudes followed him; and he healed them there. The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female." Matthew 19:1-4.

The Pharisees thought to have another controversy with Christ, and they were hoping to catch Him on this point: "Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause." But Jesus did not point them back to some tradition of the fathers. Jesus did not point them back to the time of David when even he, a man of God, had more than one wife. Jesus did not point them back even to the time of Moses or Abraham. Jesus pointed them back to the very beginning. Jesus was restoring the marriage as it was in the garden of Eden: "he which made them at the beginning."

And what was it like back then in the beginning? "For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." Matthew 19:5, 6. What judge, what minister, what church counsel, or what man or woman is greater than God. Which one of them can separate what God had joined together? Is anyone here of greater authority than God Himself?

When a man and woman marry each other, they are no longer two, they are one. How long? Till the man sees another woman? Till the woman sees another man? How long? We will see, later, the meaning of the vow "Till Death Do Us Part."

In the beginning, there was no divorce and remarriage but the complete family unit that the Elijah people are to restore. For this reason, God hates divorce: "And this have ye done again, covering the altar of the Lord with tears, with weeping, and with crying out, insomuch that he regardeth not the offering any more, or receiveth it with good will at your hand.

"Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the Lord hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant. And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit, And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let no one deal treacherously against the wife of his youth. For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the LORD of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously." Malachi 2:13-16.

If we are true Christians, we will also hate the things that God hates and love the things He loves. In this case this is speaking of divorce. It is interesting to note that although they are divorced, these verses state very clearly that the wife is still his companion.

Oh! But what about Moses? "They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement and to put her away?" Matthew 19:7. They thought they had Him then. They really thought they were sly. But Jesus, the author of what Moses wrote, knew just what Moses meant.

Let us look at precisely what Moses said about divorce. "When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house. And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man’s wife. And if the latter husband hate her, and write her a bill of divorcement, and giveth it in her hand, and sendeth her out of his house; or if the latter husband die, which took her to be his wife; Her former husband, which sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled; for that is abomination before the LORD: and thou shalt not cause the land to sin, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance." Deuteronomy 24:1-4.

The "uncleanness" mentioned in this law is not adultery. We know this because of Leviticus 20:10: "And the man that committeth adultery with another man’s wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death." In the case of adultery, the guilty spouse was put to death. There was no divorce necessary.

Neither could this have reference to fornication committed before marriage because there was a law concerning that as well. "But if this thing be true, and the tokens of virginity be not found for the damsel: Then they shall bring out the damsel to the door of her father’s house, and the men of her city shall stone her with stones that she die: because she hath wrought folly in Israel, to play the whore in her father’s house: so shalt thou put evil away from among you." Deuteronomy 22:20, 21.

Although this law allowed divorce and remarriage, it was still called sin; for if the woman’s second husband died or divorced her, she could not return to her first husband because she was "defiled." Deuteronomy 24:4. And what does it mean to be "defiled"? The same as adultery: "Moreover thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbour’s wife, to defile thyself with her." Leviticus 18:20. The law of Moses permitted divorce and remarriage on grounds other than adultery but still called it sin and adultery.

In reality this was permission to sin. So why did God tell the people through Moses that they could do a little bit of sinning? Again we turn to our Bibles for that very answer: "Because they had not executed my judgments, but had despised my statutes, and had polluted my sabbaths, and their eyes were after their fathers’ idols. Wherefore I gave them also statutes that were not good and judgments whereby they should not live." Ezekiel 20:24, 25. Jesus gave the same answer in the very chapter we are considering, Matthew 19:8: "He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so." Jesus again referred them back to the beginning when there was no divorce at all.

Before this permission granted Israel because of the hardness of their hearts, every vow that was made between a couple was till death do us part under all circumstances. Jesus, in Matthew 19, only rids Christians of the permission granted in Deuteronomy but does not change the law since Edenic times in.

Before we deal with verse 9 of Matthew 19, let us examine Matthew 5:31, 32: "It had been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery."

Sometimes we read verses too fast and miss the meaning of that verse and then misunderstand and misapply it. So lets take it slowly. In the first verse, Jesus mentions the permission granted to Israel through Moses. Matthew 5:32 tells what Jesus is saying. So let’s read that one again: "But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery."

Here we have a man divorcing his wife. If he does this for any reason other than fornication or adultery, he is actually causing the woman to commit adultery. How is that? Because when a person is dumped from a marriage relationship, they are easy prey to others. They are looking for affection and soon they are found wanting to get married again. This goes for either the man or the woman. Now, if the man divorces her because of unfaithfulness, he cannot be the cause of her adultery because she had already done that. In either case, whoever marries the person divorced [whether because of adultery or any other reason] "committeth adultery."

Now let us take a look at Matthew 19:9: "And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery."

The Bible is always in total agreement with itself even in this case. Notice the last part of the verse: "whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery." In all circumstances, whether the man divorced her because she had already committed adultery or whether he himself is the guilty spouse by divorcing her and marrying another, the second marriage, before the first spouse’s death, is called adultery.

What about the first part of that verse? "And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery." Again, we’ll let the Bible answer that question: "And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord. Let not the wife depart from her husband: But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife." 1 Corinthians 7:10, 11.

What does Paul mean when he says "yet not I, but the Lord"? Does he mean that all the rest of the epistle is his own opinion? Not at all for Paul is speaking and writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit: "For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God which effectually worketh also in you that believe." 1 Thessalonians 2:13. Therefore, he is doing so as the spirit of prophecy in that time. And what is the spirit of prophecy? "Worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." Revelation 19:10.

So the spirit of prophecy, working through Paul, is nothing less than the "testimony of Jesus." So by those words "yet not I, but the Lord," the apostle does not mean that the rest of the words are not the Lord’s. He must be referring to the time when the Lord Jesus was on earth as opposed to speaking through the spirit of prophecy.

So then, that great apostle says that when Jesus was on earth, His teaching was: "Let not the wife depart from her husband: But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife." Rather than frail humanity interpreting the meaning of Jesus in Matthew 19:9, we allow Inspiration to do so. With this understanding, we can see clearly that the Bible does not contradict itself. If there is to be a separation, that is all that it is - a separation. The reason being is because they are married together in the sight of God "Till Death Do Us Part."

For how long? "Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband. So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man." Romans 7:1-3.

There are many persons who have divorced and remarried in the time when they were totally ignorant of this Bible law. They thought they were keeping in harmony with the teachings of the various denominations. For this reason, the Apostle writes: "For I speak to them that know the law." He is not addressing those that do not know this point.

That point aside, these verses are in total agreement with the previous texts. If a person is married with another while the other spouse is living, he is living in adultery. And why is this? Because "when thou shalt vow a vow unto the Lord thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it: for the LORD thy God will surely require it of thee; and it would be sin in thee. But if thou shalt forbear to vow, it shall be no sin in thee." Deuteronomy 23:21, 22. If a couple come to the point that they vow a vow, a marriage vow, then, till death parts them, they are married to each other so long as life shall last.

"In the youthful mind, marriage is clothed with romance, and it is difficult to divest it of this feature, with which imagination covers it, and to impress the mind with a sense of the weighty responsibilities involved in the marriage vow. This vow links the destinies of the two individuals with bonds which nought but the hand of death should sever." Vol. 4, Testimonies for the Church, p. 507:0.

"Every marriage engagement should be carefully considered, for marriage is a step taken for life. Both the man and the woman should carefully consider whether they can cleave to each other through the vicissitudes of life as long as they both shall live." Adventist Home, p. 340:2.

Because of this, the disciples strongly: "His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry. But he said unto them, All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given. For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother’s womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuches, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it." Matthew 19:10-12.

Jesus "answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female." Not satisfied with His answer, the Pharisees referred to that great prophet which they professed to believe saying: "why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?" The reason for Moses’s writing of that command was "because of the hardness of your hearts. . . but from the beginning it was not so." Matthew 19:4-8.

Jesus wanted to fix their attention to the perfection in the beginning; and even Moses, in the very permission granting divorce and remarriage, condemned that very act by calling the latter condition defiled or adultery (cf. Deuteronomy 24:4; Leviticus 18:20).

Many statements of the Spirit of Prophecy, as already quoted, show clearly that marriage is a step taken for life. During her life time, some were not happy with this position and they fell into sin. One such case was later partially published in Selected Messages Vol. 2, pp. 339 - 340 which seemingly justified a remarriage. I will quote from the actual letter as released in the book entitled: Testimonies on Sexual Behavior, Adultery, and Divorce, pp. 67-74. "In regard to the marriage of your daughter with Walter C, I see where you are troubled. But the marriage took place with your consent, and your daughter, knowing all about him, accepted him as her husband; and now I can see no reason why you should carry any burden over this matter. Your daughter loves Walter C, and it may be that this marriage is in the order of God in order that both Walter and your daughter may have a richer Christian experience and be built up where they are deficient." Testimonies on Sexual Behavior, Adultery, and Divorce, pp. 67:3.

"Walter did not put his wife away. She left him, and put him away, and married another man. I see nothing in the Scripture that forbids him to marry again in the Lord. He has a right to the affection of a woman who, knowing his physical defect, shall choose to give him her love. The time has come when a sterile condition is not the worst condition to be in." Testimonies on Sexual Behavior, Adultery, and Divorce, pp. 68:2.

"I am truly sorry that you have taken upon yourself unnecessary burdens. Do you not see that in separating Walter and your daughter, you would create two evils instead of curing one?" Testimonies on Sexual Behavior, Adultery, and Divorce, pp. 73:3.

As Moses in his permission quietly called the second marriage adultery, so the Spirit of Prophecy quietly called this relationship an evil. This shows, as did the writings of Moses, that this permission was given "because of the hardness of your hearts"; that this was one of those "statutes that were not good."

In the beginning of the letter, Sister White wrote: "It may be that this marriage is in the order of God." This even leaves the permission in doubt. Scarcely fifteen years were to pass when their lives were to be miserable—definitely the evil mentioned in the latter part of the letter. "But in spite of the fact that they made a happy beginning, the union ended in separation. In 1910, W. C. White sent a letter to a relative requesting him and his wife to be father and mother to L, who were then living in Colorado.

"W. C. White commented that she had separated from her husband and was now making a new life for herself, not wanting to remain under his control.

"It was better for her to work hard and suffer some hardships than to ask for financial aid from one who was so dictatorial and domineering. She also became convinced that for her spiritual welfare it was better for her to be as much as possible separated from J.’" Marriage, Divorce and Remarriage in the Writings of Ellen G. White, by Elbio Pereyra, pp. 22, 23.

"From the light that God has given me, fornication and adultery are estimated by a large number of the first-day Adventists as sins which God winks at." Vol. 2, Testimonies for the Church, pp. 449:1-450:0. The modern media has definitely exposed this with several of the recent scandals. But these false teachers are not really hypocrites. They teach that the law was done away with and their lifestyle shows that they practice what they preach.

"Warnings and reproofs are not given to the erring among Seventh-day Adventists because their lives are more blameworthy than are the lives of professed Christians of the nominal churches, nor because their example or their acts are worse than those of the Adventists who will not yield obedience to the claims of God’s law, but because they have great light, and have by their profession taken their position as God’s special chosen people, having the law of God written in their hearts." Vol. 2, Testimonies, p. 452:1.

"Not all who profess to keep the commandments of God possess their bodies in sanctification and honor. The most solemn message ever committed to mortals has been entrusted to this people, and they can have a powerful influence if they will be sanctified by it. They profess to be standing upon the elevated platform of eternal truth, keeping all of God’s commandments; therefore, if they indulge in sin, if they commit fornication and adultery, their crime is of tenfold greater magnitude than is that of the classes I have named, who do not acknowledge the law of God as binding upon them. In a peculiar sense do those who profess to keep God’s law dishonor Him and reproach the truth by transgressing its precepts." Vol. 2, Testimonies for the Church, pp. 450-451.

"It was the prevalence of this very sin, fornication, among ancient Israel, which brought upon them the signal manifestation of God’s displeasure." Vol. 2, Testimonies for the Church, p. 451:1.

"As we approach the close of time, as the people of God stand upon the borders of the heavenly Canaan, Satan will, as of old, redouble his efforts to prevent them from entering the goodly land. He lays his snares for every soul. It is not the ignorant and uncultured merely that need to be guarded; he will prepare his temptations for those in the highest positions, in the most holy office; if he can lead them to pollute their souls, he can through them destroy many. And he employs the same agents now as he employed three thousand years ago. By worldly friendships, by the charms of beauty, by pleasure seeking, mirth, feasting, or the wine cup, he tempts to the violation of the seventh commandment." Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 457-458.

"The word of the Lord, spoken through His servants, is received by many with questionings and fears. And many will defer their obedience to the warning and reproofs given, waiting till every shadow of uncertainty is removed from their minds. The unbelief that demands perfect knowledge will never yield to the evidence that God is pleased to give. He requires of His people faith that rests upon the weight of evidence, not upon perfect knowledge. Those followers of Christ who accept the light that God sends them must obey the voice of God speaking to them when there are many other voices crying out against it. It requires discernment to distinguish the voice of God.

"Those who will not act when the Lord calls upon them, but who wait for more certain evidence and more favorable opportunities, will walk in darkness, for the light will be withdrawn. The evidence given one day, if rejected, may never be repeated." Vol. 3, Testimonies for the Church, p. 258:2, 3.

In comparing Scripture with Scripture, in viewing all these texts with a heart willing to do the will of God, we can come up with only one conclusion and that is that when a couple is married, they do so till death parts them both. If some things come that are irreconcilable such as adultery, there is either a miracle done in the family so that there is reconciliation or there is a separation. But, nowhere in the Bible do we find room to complicate the problem to an even greater degree by committing adultery by remarrying so long as the other partner is alive.

"The grace of Christ, and this alone, can make this institution what God designed it should be - an agent for the blessing and uplifting of humanity. And thus the families of earth, in their unity and peace and love, may represent the family of heaven.

"Now, as in Christ’s day, the condition of society presents a sad comment upon heaven’s ideal of this sacred relation. Yet even for those who have found bitterness and disappointment where they had hoped for companionship and joy, the gospel of Christ offers a solace. The patience and gentleness which His Spirit can impart will sweeten the bitter lot. The heart in which Christ dwells will be so filled, so satisfied, with His love that it will not be consumed with longing to attract sympathy and attention to itself. And through the surrender of the soul to God, His wisdom can accomplish what human wisdom fails to do. Through the revelation of His grace, hearts that were once indifferent or estranged may be united in bonds that are firmer and more enduring than those of earth—the golden bonds of a love that will bear the test of trial." Mount of Blessings, p. 65:1, 2.

Please note: some might be saved outside the church. "I was shown that you had been wrong in sympathizing with E. The course you have taken in regard to him has injured your influence, and has greatly injured the cause of God. It is impossible for E to be fellowshipped by the church of God. He has placed himself where he cannot be helped by the church, where he can have no communion with nor voice in the church. He has placed himself there in the face of light and truth. He has stubbornly chosen his own course, and refused to listen to reproof. He has followed the inclinations of his corrupt heart, has violated the holy law of God, and has disgraced the cause of present truth. If he repents ever so heartily, the church must let his case alone. If he goes to heaven, it must be alone, without the fellowship of the church. A standing rebuke from God and the church must ever rest upon him, that the standard of morality be not lowered to the very dust. The Lord is displeased with your course in these things." Vol. 1, Testimonies for the Church, p. 215:1.