Is It a Sin to Get Divorced?

If you are asking whether your divorce is a sin, you are likely carrying more than a question. You may be carrying shame, or grief, or fear about what God thinks of you now. Perhaps you feel marked, or you wonder whether you can ever be fully at home among God’s people again. Please hear this first: you are welcome to come to Christ exactly as you are. He does not turn away anyone who comes to Him, and His grace is deeper than your worst failure. Whatever brought you here, you are not outside His reach, and you are not beyond His mercy.

If you are in danger, or if you are having thoughts of harming yourself, please reach out for help right now. In the United States and Canada call or text 988. In the United Kingdom and Ireland call Samaritans on 116 123. In Australia call Lifeline on 13 11 14. Anywhere else, visit findahelpline.com or call your local emergency number.

Now to the question itself. Scripture treats marriage as a covenant made before God, meant to last for life, and divorce as a grief, never part of God’s original design. What faithful Christians have differed on for centuries is a narrower question: exactly when divorce is a sin, when it is permitted, and whether remarriage is possible afterwards. This article sets out the main views on that disputed question fairly. It does not take a side on those disputed parts, because honest believers read the same passages and reach different conclusions.

What does the Bible actually say about divorce?

The Old Testament law allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and send his wife away (Deuteronomy 24:1-4). This was a concession, not a command. It regulated something already happening in a hard-hearted world.

When the Pharisees asked Jesus about divorce, He pointed back to creation:

Jesus answered, “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.” — Matthew 19:4-6 (BSB)

In the same conversation Jesus spoke of an exception: “But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, brings adultery upon her” (Matthew 5:32, BSB). The apostle Paul also addressed a situation where an unbelieving spouse leaves (1 Corinthians 7:15). Christians read these passages in different ways, and how they fit together with Jesus’ words in Mark and Luke is one of the disputed points.

So the Bible speaks clearly about God’s design for marriage and about the seriousness of divorce. It also speaks into real situations of betrayal and abandonment. Faithful believers weigh these together differently.

What are the main Christian views on divorce and remarriage?

Christians have read these passages in different ways for a long time. Here are the main views, fairly stated.

The view that divorce is never permitted for any reason. Some Christians hold that marriage is indissoluble, and that Jesus’ words in Mark 10:11-12 and Luke 16:18, which mention no exception, rule out divorce entirely. On this view, a couple may separate in extreme circumstances, but the marriage bond remains, and remarriage while the first spouse lives is adultery.

The view that divorce is permitted only for sexual immorality or abandonment. Many Protestants hold that Jesus’ exception in Matthew 5:32 and 19:9 allows divorce when a spouse has committed sexual immorality, and that Paul’s teaching in 1 Corinthians 7:15 allows it when an unbelieving spouse walks away. On this view, remarriage may be possible in these cases. The reasoning is that the marriage covenant has already been broken by the offending party.

The view that divorce is permitted but remarriage is not. Some Christians, including many in the early church and some today, accept that separation may be necessary for serious reasons, but hold that remarriage while the first spouse lives is adultery, based on passages such as Mark 10:11-12 and Luke 16:18.

The view that divorce is never God’s will but is sometimes the lesser of two evils. Some pastors and theologians argue that in a fallen world, divorce may be the least harmful path in situations of abuse, abandonment, or persistent unfaithfulness, even though it was never God’s intention. They point to God’s compassion for the vulnerable and His hatred of violence.

The Roman Catholic view. The Catholic Church teaches that a valid sacramental marriage cannot be dissolved by divorce. It allows for separation in serious circumstances, and it has a process for declaring a marriage null from the beginning (annulment). This is a different category from divorce. Orthodox Christians have a somewhat different approach, allowing divorce and remarriage in certain cases as an act of mercy, while still upholding marriage as a lifelong union.

All these views take Scripture seriously. They differ on how to weigh Jesus’ exception, Paul’s teaching, and the broader biblical themes of covenant, mercy, and human hardness of heart.

What do all Christians agree on?

Despite these differences, there is much that all faithful Christians affirm together.

• Marriage is God’s good design, a covenant between one man and one woman, meant to reflect Christ’s love for the church, and meant to last for life.
• Divorce is always a grief. God says, “For I hate divorce, says the LORD, the God of Israel” (Malachi 2:16, BSB). This does not mean God hates divorced people. It means He hates the breaking of what He joined.
• No one is required to stay in danger. If you are being abused, please talk with a pastor or a trusted believer, and consider speaking with a doctor or a licensed counsellor. God cares about your safety.
• Every sin, including any sin involved in a divorce, can be forgiven through Christ. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9, BSB).
• The church should be a place of healing for the divorced, not a place of shame. Jesus welcomed the broken and the outcast, and so should we.

How should I think about my own situation?

If you are divorced, or considering divorce, the most important thing is not to get the abstract answer right. It is to bring your whole heart before God.

Ask yourself honest questions. Was there unfaithfulness? Was there abandonment? Was there danger? Were you the one who left, and if so, why? These questions matter, not so you can condemn yourself, but so you can tell the truth to God and to a trusted believer.

Scripture says the LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit (Psalm 34:18). God is not waiting for you to clean yourself up before He will listen. He is near right now.

If you have sinned in your marriage or in your divorce, confess it. Not to earn forgiveness, but to receive it. Christ died for sinners. That includes you, and it includes your former spouse.

If you have been sinned against, you are not required to pretend it did not happen. You can grieve. You can set boundaries. You can forgive over time, as God gives you strength. Forgiveness does not mean staying in harm’s way.

What about remarriage?

This is one of the most disputed questions among Christians, and this article will not settle it for you. Some churches allow remarriage after a biblical divorce. Others do not. Some pastors will counsel you to wait and seek God’s direction. Others will encourage you to marry again if you desire.

What all agree on is that any future marriage should be entered with seriousness, prayer, and counsel from mature believers. If you are considering remarriage, speak with a pastor who can help you think through your situation in light of Scripture.

And if you are already remarried, know that God’s grace is not exhausted. You are not beyond His reach. Bring your marriage to Him and ask Him to make it honouring to Him.

Where does grace meet you today?

Wherever you are in this, the gospel is the same. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23, BSB). That verse includes everyone. No divorced person is a special category of sinner. We all need the same Saviour.

Jesus said that the one who comes to Him He will never drive away (John 6:37). If you come to Him, He will not turn you away.

So come. Confess what needs confessing. Receive what He promises. Then take the next honest step: perhaps an apology, perhaps restitution, perhaps seeking reconciliation where it is safe and possible, perhaps simply resting in His forgiveness and letting go of shame.

If you are in danger or in crisis, please reach out again. In the United States and Canada call or text 988. In the United Kingdom and Ireland call Samaritans on 116 123. In Australia call Lifeline on 13 11 14. Anywhere else, visit findahelpline.com or call your local emergency number.

Finally, do not walk this road alone. Find a local church where the Bible is taught faithfully and where you can be known. Speak with a pastor. Let other believers pray with you and for you. God’s grace is real, and He gives it through His Word, through prayer, and through His people.

Questions people ask

Does God forgive me for getting divorced?

Yes. If you confess your sin, God is faithful and just to forgive you and cleanse you from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). No sin is beyond His grace, and He does not turn away anyone who comes to Him in Christ.

Can I remarry after a divorce and still be a Christian?

Christians differ on this. Some churches allow remarriage after a divorce for sexual immorality or abandonment, while others do not. What all agree on is that any remarriage should be entered prayerfully and with counsel from mature believers.

What if my spouse abused me? Am I required to stay?

No one is required to stay in danger. It is wise to talk with a pastor or a trusted believer, and to speak with a doctor or a licensed counsellor. God cares about your safety.

Is divorce itself always a sin?

Scripture treats divorce as a grief and a departure from God’s design, but faithful Christians differ on when it is sinful and when it is permitted. The Bible speaks clearly about God’s hatred of divorce (Malachi 2:16) while also allowing for exceptions (Matthew 5:32; 1 Corinthians 7:15).