““Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it. and sold all that he had and bought it. ” ” (Matthew 13:45–46, ESV)(Matthew 13:45–46, ESV)

““Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow himself and take up his cross and follow me. me. ” ” (Matthew 16:24, ESV)(Matthew 16:24, ESV)

““When a man takes a wife and marries When a man takes a wife and marries her, if then she finds no favor in his eyes her, if then she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some indecency because he has found some indecency in her, and he writes her a certificate of in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house, and she sends her out of his house, and she departs out of his house, departs out of his house, ” ” (Deuteronomy 24:1, ESV)(Deuteronomy 24:1, ESV)

““He answered, “Have you not read that He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” joined together, let not man separate.” ” ” (Matthew 19:4–6)(Matthew 19:4–6)

““So God created man in his own image, So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. male and female he created them. ” ” (Genesis 1:27, ESV)(Genesis 1:27, ESV)

““Therefore a man shall leave his father Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. and they shall become one flesh. ” ” (Genesis 2:24, ESV)(Genesis 2:24, ESV)

““They said to him, “Why then did Moses They said to him, “Why then did Moses command one to give a certificate of command one to give a certificate of divorce and to send her away?” divorce and to send her away?” ” ” (Matthew 19:7, ESV)(Matthew 19:7, ESV)

““For all who rely on works of the law are For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” and do them.” ” ” (Galatians 3:10, ESV)(Galatians 3:10, ESV)

““Christ redeemed us from the curse of Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— hanged on a tree”— ” ” (Galatians 3:13)(Galatians 3:13)

““He said to them, “Because of your He said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. And I say to beginning it was not so. And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.” another, commits adultery.” ” ” (Matthew 19:8–9)(Matthew 19:8–9)

““Even the most heinous grounds for Even the most heinous grounds for divorce are also grounds for divorce are also grounds for forgiveness.” forgiveness.”

––Jerry JenkinsJerry Jenkins

““She saw that for all the adulteries of She saw that for all the adulteries of that faithless one, Israel, I had sent her that faithless one, Israel, I had sent her away with a decree of divorce. Yet her away with a decree of divorce. Yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but she too went and played the whore. but she too went and played the whore. ” ” (Jeremiah 3:8, ESV)(Jeremiah 3:8, ESV)

““Love bears all things, believes all Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. As for things. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. knowledge, it will pass away. ” ” (1 (1 Corinthians 13:7–8, ESV)Corinthians 13:7–8, ESV)

““I think that a good picture of a I think that a good picture of a marriage that is based on the ministry marriage that is based on the ministry of reconciliation. Strong Christian of reconciliation. Strong Christian marriages will still be stuck by lightningmarriages will still be stuck by lightning—sexual temptation, communication —sexual temptation, communication problems, frustrations, unrealized problems, frustrations, unrealized expectations—but if the marriages are expectations—but if the marriages are heavily watered with an unwavering heavily watered with an unwavering commitment to please God above commitment to please God above everything else, the conditions won’t be everything else, the conditions won’t be ripe for a devastating fire to follow the ripe for a devastating fire to follow the lightning strike. lightning strike. ””

——Gary Thomas, Gary Thomas, Sacred MarriageSacred Marriage

““The disciples said to him, “If such is the The disciples said to him, “If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.” But he said to them, “Not not to marry.” But he said to them, “Not everyone can receive this saying, but everyone can receive this saying, but only those to whom it is given. only those to whom it is given. ” ” (Matthew 19:10–11, ESV)(Matthew 19:10–11, ESV)

““Now concerning the matters about Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: “It is good for a man which you wrote: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a not to have sexual relations with a woman.” But because of the temptation woman.” But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her have his own wife and each woman her own husband. ” own husband. ” (1 Corinthians 7:1–2, (1 Corinthians 7:1–2, ESV)ESV)

““For there are eunuchs who have been For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who is kingdom of heaven. Let the one who is able to receive this receive it.” able to receive this receive it.” ” ” (Matthew 19:12, ESV)(Matthew 19:12, ESV)

““Then children were brought to him that Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, pray. The disciples rebuked the people, but Jesus said, “Let the little children but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.” And he laid his hands on them heaven.” And he laid his hands on them and went away. and went away. ” ” (Matthew 19:13–15, (Matthew 19:13–15, ESV)ESV)