Of course, a person may become a victim of another's desire to put him or her away, for which he or she cannot be held responsible. A Christian who is married to an unbeliever may come to the time when the unbelieving companion seeks a divorce. This is regrettable whenever it happens inasmuch as they will remain one flesh so long as they both shall live, but it may be unavoidable for the Christian, who certainly should not be condemned. But it would not be right for the Christian to initiate the divorce from one to whom the promise was made to cleave unto until parted by death. In his letter to the church at Corinth, Paul addressed the issue of believers being married to unbelieving companions. He wrote, "If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away. And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him." (1 Corinthians 7:12-13) He went on to say, "But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or sister is not under bondage in such cases." (v. 15) The unbeliever would bear the blame for such a separation inasmuch as it would be initiated by him and not by the believer. It should be borne in mind that such a separation would in no way annul the marriage. The two who become one flesh will remain one flesh until separated by death.

Now we are aware that man's laws have created conditions where within the legal framework of such laws men and women may divorce and remarry many times to many different companions. This has brought about entanglements in marriage according to civil law which are not always easy to resolve when a person decides to return to the law of God. A person may desire to abandon a relationship which the laws of man call a valid marriage and return to his or her true partner with whom they are one flesh. But to do so without a divorce from that marriage which civil law recognizes as valid would place that person in violation of civil law. In such case a divorce serves a useful purpose for a public and civil denunciation of a relationship which according to divine law was illegal all the while. For the situations of this nature the Church has recommended a divorce through the years.

But for Christians who are lawfully married according to divine law to decide they no longer want to be married to their companions and so seek divorce, is to regard the covenant of marriage much too lightly. It seem easy for us to drift into an acceptance of worldly trends, but we must continually check ourselves by the standard of God's Holy Word.

We must not allow the world to mold our thinking. The Church is the pillar and ground of the truth, and we bear the responsibility for setting the record straight at a time when Satan is making such a powerful onslaught against the institution of marriage. If we become negligent in this matter, who will lift up God's standard? We dare not fail! (77th Annual Assembly 1982, M.A. Tomlinson, General Overseer's Annual Address to The Church of God)