In a world where divorce now affects at least one marriage in five, no church can long remain distant from the problem. The Good News about Jesus must inevitably attract some of those whose divorce has left them with emotional hurts and a poverty of spirit, to which only Jesus can minister.

The church must learn to cope with these people. They are not social "untouchables". They are real people, with the same deep need for the healing touch of Jesus on their lives as any of the rest of us. Some of them have been so deeply hurt that the fear of further rejection makes it almost impossible to accept even the love of Jesus.

Those who must deal with them will need that rare mixture of compassion and courage which can be gentle and sensitive to the emotions of the wounded and yet, at the same time remain uncompromising that the only real answers for the future begin with conviction of sin, faith in the Cross, life-changing repentance, and total surrender to the Lordship of Jesus.

It is not within the scope of this study to consider in detail the many special problems of the divorced. It is certainly recognised that those problems exist. We may not be insensitive to the needs of the wounded heart for emotional healing from destructive feelings such as guilt, worthlessness, loneliness, despair, fear and bitterness. Nor may we ignore the many areas in which a one-parent family will need financial help or time- consuming practical support from a caring church fellowship.

However, whilst acknowledging the reality of those needs, we must never forget that the church's role of support must also extend to encouragement in facing and accepting that, so far as marriage is concerned, there are only two options for their future life :-
(1) to remain single,
OR
(2) to be reconciled with their spouse. (1 Cor. 7:11)

For many reasons, some valid, some not, reconciliation may not always be possible, at least for the present. Sometimes it is never possible. In either case, remaining single is not only possible for the Christian, but essential, for Jesus says remarriage to another would be adultery. Only the death of the first partner can change that.

Where a potential marriage breakdown, or even a divorce situation, arises between two church members, it sometimes happens that one partner wishes to be reconciled and the other does not. In such a case, any refusal to be reconciled is itself a sin which the church will have to deal with, if persisted in. In extreme cases, the church's last resort is withdrawal of fellowship. (Matt. 18:15-18 & 1 Cor. 5:9-13)

Perhaps, when all else has failed, this might bring the one concerned to an awareness of their need to forgive, as a basis of receiving their own forgiveness (Matt. 6:14 & 18:35)

For additional comment on the subject of disfellowship, see the section in Chapter 15 headed "Withdrawal Of Fellowship".