Strengthen a Foundation of Marriage: The Vow

According to the results of Gallup Poll’s 2008 Values and Beliefs Survey released May 19, 70 percent of Americans now believe divorce is morally acceptable, surpassing the previous high of 67 percent in 2006.

While as a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ I can say that this is a result of man’s sin nature (Isaiah 64:6, Romans 3:10) and an ongoing fulfillment of the prophecy uttered by Christ (Matthew 24:12), I would like to focus at this point on one of many elements dealing with marriage: the vow.

Viewing the Vow

I began to contemplate the full meaning of a marital vow back in 1979 when pastoring an Assembly God Church in Eagle Mills, North Carolina. At that time, there was an undercurrent in the Assembles of God (AOG) to revamp the denomination’s rules regarding those seeking ministerial credentials, making it easier for some to acquire credentials despite past marital issues.

Back then, I sided with those who wanted to relax the rules. However, Dorcas, my wife, suggested that I prayerfully reconsider. So, I did. As I communed with God in my mind as to why the conservative thought in the AOG was steadfastly against the change, I felt God indicate to me that I should study what the Word of God said about vows, along with some other points about marriage.

Research did show that under the law of Moses a vow before God was quite solemn and could not be terminated, unless a male granted such authority to a female in his household. And, as most people know, the law of Moses permitted divorce.

A Crystallization by Christ

However, Christ made it very clear and plain that Moses permitted such things due to the hardness of the hearts of the Jews who lived centuries before His blessed advent. In His teaching on the subject in Matthew 19:3-12, He specifically focuses upon the Genesis account where God made husband and wife one flesh and fully indicates the union is to be inseparable. If one prayerfully studies the Holy Bible, they will see that certain laws and principles are established in Genesis and are upheld in the New Testament by the words of Christ and of the Holy Spirit through the NT writers, regardless of the Mosaic law. The union of one man and one woman for life is such a case.

Only Physical Death Dissolves the Vow

If one looks at the actual scriptures they will see only one thing dissolves a marital vow: physical death. Please note that I wrote “the actual scriptures.” Compare 1 Corinthians 7 in the King James Version (KJV) with some newer translations like the New International Version (NIV) and you will see the NIV and some others place the word “divorce” where the KJV does not. If you could read the actual Greek, you would see the KJV is closer to the Greek than many other versions. A person reading 1 Corinthians 7 in a newer version might come to the conclusion that Paul by the Holy Spirit states one may divorce an unbeliever if that person leaves. However, this could not possibly be true, because as he nears the end of his discourse on the matter, Paul writes by the Holy Spirit (verse 39), “The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; only in the Lord.” The same holds true for the husband, for there is neither male nor female in the eyes of God (Galatians 3:28).

Thus, it is apparent that the marital vow can only be dissolved by physical death.

The Value of the Vow

The first union (Adam and Eve) was activated by God and God alone. No other human was on hand to officially pronounce the couple as husband and wife. Nor is there any command or even a record throughout the more than 4,000 years of recorded history in the Holy Bible that a third-party human had to solemnize such events. This leaves me with the conclusion that the words of commitment uttered through one”s mouth were a focal point and binding.

In today’s society it is evident people make promises and take oaths and, in doing so, many lie. Most judges can attest to that fact. Sad to say, this temperament has found it’s way into the minds of many when they get married. Some enter into marriage without consideration to the solemnity of the vow, thinking their union can be trashed on paper in a court of law.

Then, there are some who enter into marriage without vocally committing to “until death do us part.” However, that does not negate the unchangeable rule in the Word of God that marriage continues until the physical death of a spouse.

Cracks in the Foundation

Throughout recent decades, the meaning of the vow, a foundation of marriage, has been weakened by both society and the nominal Church. For those who are my age and were taught in a Roman Catholic grade school like I was, you might remember a warning from your teachers that one of the tactics of communism, the main threat when I was younger, was to erode family values. While communism is no longer the threat it used to be, Satan most certainly is, and evidently enjoys bringing havoc to a lovely sacred institution that is to benefit all of society.

Let’s Mend the Cracks

Whether you are married or not, I encourage you to study what the Holy Bible, and only the Holy Bible says about marriage. I would strongly suggest you use the King James Version, especially for the NT passages. Never mind what the footnotes say in certain study Bibles. Just slowly, carefully and prayerfully read the passages as they are. You will discover the following:

• While divorce is mentioned, it is never authorized by God
• According to the words of Jesus Christ in Luke 16:18, it is evident divorce does not terminate a marriage union
• Only physical death dissolves a marriage

On that last point, the erroneous theory that the grace of God wipes out one’s past has been a major factor in nominal Christendom to water down the principles of marriage. It has brought reproach to the Name of Christ by some people claiming Christ as their Savior who avoid His command to forgive seven times seventy and divorce their spouse. While I have many articles on marriage, I have written a document on grace, divorce and remarriage which you might consider reading.

Once you see what the Word of God says about the marriage vow, I encourage you to do the following:

• Pray for yourself that, if you are married, you would commit yourself to your spouse as the Word of God indicates, and that your spouse would do likewise toward you
• Pray for others to read the Word of God for exactly what it says and live by it
• Ask God for true revival in all of our lives
• Actively tell others what the Word of God says about marriage

Finally, if you are a true Christian, pray that all who name the Name of Christ will live by His Words, especially when it comes to the marriage vow, for David, by the Holy Spirit writes in Psalm 11:3 “…if the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?”