Marriage, Divorce and Remarriage

Kenneth E. Hagin

Original title: Marriage, Divorce and Remarriage

Faith Library Publications
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction .....................................................................6
1. Marriage Divorce and Remarriage After Divorce ..........8
2. Who's Right, Paul or Jesus? .........................................21
3. The law of the Church - The Law of Love .....................32
4. The Vision of God for Marriage .....................................59
5. The Four Problems Between Husbands and Wives ......89
6.Home Life ......................................................................114
 COVER

Your wedding can become heaven on earth, for years there

has been much disagreement in the Church with respect to
marriage, divorce, and remarriage after divorce. As a result people
have been injured condemned and confused. Many people have
suffered silently thinking that God is angry of them or that God is
displeased with them because of their mistakes of the past.
But the truth is that our Father is full of goodness and mercy.
He is not holding you for what you did, your mistakes and the
mistakes of others can not prevent you from fulfilling God's plan
for your life.
In the book Marriage, Divorce and Remarriage, the Rev.
Kenneth E. Hagin offers comfort and help of the Word of God
concerning the problems related to marriage, divorce, and
remarriage after divorce. Rev. Hagin behind clarity and
understanding of the common misconceptions that has permeated
the Church on the subject.
Some of the responses that this book brings include:
If I was married I married again?
As a Christian I am free to marry whomever I want?
What are the four common problems among couples?
What is the marriage law, divorce, and remarriage that the
church has today?
What are the marital obligations that the husband and the
wife have toward one another?
If God joins two people in a marriage, they will always be one
flesh?
 MARRIAGE, DIVORCE AND NEW MARRIAGE
Today with the increase in divorces, many people are
searching for answers on how to create and maintain their own
successful and healthy marriage. They seek answers in many
different places - television, magazines and others. But the Bible is
best response supply the subject of marriage, divorce and
remarriage after divorce.
It is important to know and apply the Word of God says
concerning marriage for his own life. It is important that you do
not follow the world's way, but God's way is better. God's way is
the way of love. Through love the kind of God, you can see your
wedding become a bit of "heaven on earth".
The book Marriage, Divorce and Remarriage was written to
provide for you both a biblical teaching as a practical application
in this matter. If you just open your heart and your mind to the
Word of God in this book, you will notice that the light of truth
from God's Word shine into your heart, illuminating every part of
you.
No matter how you are in life - whether single, married, or
divorced - you can learn what God's Word says in regard to their
situation.
Believe what God's Word says and receive the results you
want.
 INTRODUCTION

In the days and times we live in, it is imperative that our

families are strong and secure. The two institutions that the devil
fight more than any other are the family and the Church. Thus it is
important to understand what the Word of God says concerning
the family.
God wants your marriage to succeed and that your family is a
place of love. Whether you are married or single, God wants your
life to be full of peace. When you get in line with the Word, you will
experience good results. You will see your home become like a
piece of heaven on earth!
This book is divided into six chapters. Chapter 1 focuses on
some common misunderstandings that people have concerning
what the Bible says about marriage, divorce and remarriage after
divorce. Notice what Jesus said in Matthew chapter 19, seems to
differ with what Paul said in I Corinthians chapter 7. And for
years, people have conflicted to discover the answer. In chapter 2
explain how to interpret these passages based on general rules of
biblical interpretation.
Chapter 3 then explain the law which is to govern the Body of
Christ today - the law of love. In any situation where you find
yourself now - married a Christian, married an unbeliever, is
deserted by a Christian, if abandoned by a spouse not saved or
single - you can start where you are and walk in God's love.
Chapter 4 talks in detail with respect to the vision of God for
marriage. Since the time when Adam sinned until Jesus Christ
came to redeem mankind, man has never been able to have the
divine model of marriage that God had planned the Garden of
Eden. The life and the nature of God were not in humanity at the
time. But today as men and women of God under the New
Covenant, we are able to fulfill God's vision for marriage. In this
chapter, dealing submission and authority area, specifically in the
marriage relationship, because of a bug that has been perpetuated
in the Body of Christ. Explain what it means to submit to one
another in the marriage relationship.
For over sixty-five, I have heard the problems that people face
in their marriages and families. I have discovered that all marriage
problems revolve around four things. In Chapter 5, we discuss
these four areas in detail and offer practical solutions to overcome
some problems in these areas.
In Chapter 6 we focus on the family. For his actions and his
words, you create an atmosphere in your home. When you give a
good example for their children and involve them in faith and love,
you are providing the right resources that will enable them to grow
as men and women of God.
Whether you are single, married or divorced this book is
designed to help you fulfill God's vision for your home. You can
have the wedding you want. You can have the family you want. By
simply understanding what God's Word says and then acting in
Word, you can experience the love and peace of God in your Home.
Chapter One
MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE A NEW MARRIAGE AFTER
DIVORCE

Because of the need of this hour, the conditions of our day,

and the Church's position, it is imperative that we address the
subject of marriage, divorce and remarriage after divorce. This is
the biggest problem of human relationships. Divorce and
remarriage after divorce have become a subject of debate
worldwide.
There are three main perspectives why I wrote this book.
First, I am writing as someone who knows the pain of a shattered
home. My father left my family when I was five years old. I know
what it is to grow up without a father. I saw the pain and put
pressure on a single mother trying to build their own family. My
own mother suffered horribly, about to suffer an emotional
breakdown and numerous suicide attempts.
I know the wounds that divorce can inflict a young heart. My
brother and I both hated our father for what he did, who planned
to kill him when we were old enough. I can certainly understand
why God said that He hates divorce (Malachi 2.14-16), because I
saw and experienced the suffering of the heart and the devastation
it causes.
Second, I also write as someone who knows the joy of a
wonderful marriage. At this time I am writing this book, I am
married for sixty-two years. I have seen the blessing of a marriage
in which love of God is the rule. I have experienced the benefits of
having a woman sent by God, a loved one with whom I am able to
walk to the end of life, sharing these blessings and challenges
together. We have struggled in life and in marriage, like any other
couple, but God cares for you continually. We never look for an
easy way out of wedlock. We have always waited for God to help
us, and He has helped us.
Third, I wrote as a minister of the Gospel, as someone who is
divinely commissioned to keep the Word of God as a supreme
leader and authority in all things. I have seen the pain, the
anguish, and the conviction that it has placed on the victims of
divorce as a result of misinterpretation of the scriptures, legalistic
beliefs and thoughts "religious." I saw those who thought they were
representatives of Christ when reproached the people who were
divorced or had remarried by treating them as "second-class
Christians" or as well as if they had committed the unpardonable
sin. However, they were not acting as Christ's mercy and grace
with which he ministered to the people.
On the other hand, seeing some couples who claim to be
Christians, but they treat the proposal of their marriages in a way
that whatever. I am not advocating this attitude of
"disengagement," the lack of consecration, which seems to be held
by many today in the circles of the churches.
Our problem is that we have been brought up in different
churches that teach different things, and we have not done
something thinking for ourselves. We have only accepted what
others have said. But I have always been a little different. I was
born and raised in the Baptist church, but in 1934, I received light
on the subject of Divine healing the sick bed, and saw that the
Bible taught a few things that my church did not teach at that
time.
From that day to this, I was never a person who follows the
doctrines of churches without studying by myself, because to
follow doctrines of churches almost went to the grave.
When was the bed of languishing as a teenage boy, my pastor
did not offer me any hope. He did not know about faith and
healing. He told me: "Just be patient, my boy; in a few days,
everything will be finished. "
As a young minister, I did not give much thought to the
subject of marriage, divorce and remarriage after divorce. Not
much reason to give attention to this matter. But three cases of
marriages, divorces and remarriages after divorce led some things
inside me and I began to reflect on the subject. Since then I have
consumed hours, days, months, and years on this subject! If I tried
to interpret First Corinthians 7 in the light of what Jesus said in
Matthew 19, would be hopelessly confused. This gives the
impression that Paul contradicts Jesus for giving an "exception"
that Jesus did not recognize. It was only after I saw some of the
situations of "real life", so I had to come to terms with this
apparent contradiction.
 First position - Unfaithful Wife
I was saved the bed of languishing at fifteen years old. I was
cured soon after my seventeenth birthday and then began to
minister. Those first two years I just preached where the doors
opened: in groups of young people on the streets, in the services in
chains, and prayer meetings in homes.
So when I was eighteen, I preached at a meeting with another
minister. We had saved many people in a given community. They
wanted to start a church and asked me to shepherd them. I
preached for six or seven weeks to decide whether or not to
shepherd the church. I decided I would.
There was a young man in that city whom he knew since he
was a small boy. He was ten years older than me.
This man was an adopted child. Although his parents have
educated nearly thirty-two different children, he was the only one
they have adopted. They just have educated others.
Well, the parents of this young man were friendly people.
They were church people, and I was glad that they were saved.
This young man was raised in the church. He later said to me:
"Really did not know I was not born again until around people Full
Gospel, and found it was just a church member."
When he was almost twenty-two years old, he married a
woman in the city. At that time I was only twelve years old, but in
a small town of 8,500 people, almost everyone knew everything
that was going on, and particularly things like that. This young
man made a living as a businessman. All trade those days was
certainly around the square. As a child, I remember to have heard
traders talk. They said: "For what reason, that great Christian
(they called him a Christian because he went to church) young
man married the woman? He does not know who she is? "Truly,
she was a prostitute.
In his quiet life, he was very naive. This woman simply held
and not released him because he thought the family name would
give you a bit of prestige. And then, they were married for four or
five years.
 During those years, almost everyone was talking about this
man on his back and laughing at him because this woman
continued to seek other men. And he, in his innocence, did not
seem to realize that something was wrong. Finally, she left the city
and fled with one of the men who had sought while married to this
man. No one heard from her again.
The heart of this man was wounded. He cried and cried. So
some of the other dealers began to say to him, and spoke what his
ex-wife had done. I was just a toddler at the time.
So when I was eighteen and he was twenty-eight, he told me
what was your reaction when traders talked to him about his wife.
He said, "Friend, hardly believe that. I began to consider the past,
and saw that they were right. I was just too naive. I saw nothing. "
After he divorced, he was saved in a Full Gospel Church in
the city. According to the doctrine of this church, he (as a divorced
person) could not marry again because he was a Christian. But if
he had been married before it was saved, this church would have
accepted.
I was only eighteen at the time and had not really studied the
subject of marriage and divorce, but inside me knew that those
doctrines were not right. I had learned to follow my spirit.
Something inside me told me that he would be able to remarry.
This man was not baptized in the Holy Spirit; He did not
speak in tongues. But it was saved and attending a Full Gospel
Church. He played the piano in church.
However, a certain lady, his girlfriend from high school,
moved to their city. She had never married. Someone invited her to
come to the Full Gospel Church, and she was saved. This lady
found out she was just a church member. She had not yet been
born again. Then she was saved. She was also a song, so she
played the piano a little, and then he played. They took turns. This
was all we had in those days - just a piano. We did not have a body
or anything else.
They began working together in music spending time with
each other. They rekindled high school dating. Not thinking
anything about it, they were the pastor to ask to marry them.
 He said, "Oh, no! You can not do this. You two would go to
hell! "
Well, I did not think he was right, but I was not arguing with
the pastor. I had learned to respect older people. And since I was
still a young man and had not yet sought in Scripture on the
subject of marriage, divorce and remarriage after divorce, just
stayed with my mouth shut.
Then the pastor who was opposed to their marriage came out
and another pastor took his place. Between the time that the
former pastor accepted a new church and the new pastor arrived
there, there was an interval of several weeks while preachers
guests came and preached. And during this interval, the couple
went ahead and got married.
When the new pastor arrived there, he did not know anything
about this couple. Then they continued as his musicians. They
continued teaching in Sunday School classes. They never bothered
anyone. They were correct with their work in the church. The new
pastor stood there for a period of time, and then God called him
elsewhere. Former pastor was invited back to pastor the church,
and he accepted.
By this time, I was pastoring a small church in Tom Bean,
Texas. And every now and then, returning to visit this church Full
Gospel. One day the pastor said to me: "You know, they're
married."
I said, "Yes, I know that."
He said: "The church is only a few years old, and rather than
cause a split, I just leave it." He thought they were wrong and
would go to hell when they died. But he did not want to cause a
split in the church.
Well, I was busy. I was not thinking much about it. I was
twenty years old, almost twenty-one years old. It was not too keen
on the subject, nor particularly interested on the subject of
marriage, much less about divorce and remarriage. I was busy
serving the Lord.
Later, I went back to visit, and realized that the pastor had a
look of concern on his face. I could tell something was bothering
him. It was very easy to recognize.
 I asked, "What's wrong?".
He said, "Well, I do not understand."
He said, "What do not you understand?".
He said, "Do you remember the couple in my church who
married after the man had been divorced? He had divorced, and
she had never married. So they were married. " Only I kept quiet
about all those things, not wanting to split the church in two.
He continued: "Well, this couple was attending a revival
meeting, and they both were baptized in the Holy Spirit while living
in adultery!"
I said, "They lived?"
He said, "Yes, my wife was praying for her at the altar when
she was filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in tongues.
And I was praying with him at the altar. He also received the Holy
Spirit and heard him speak in other languages. But I can not
understand this. Because God would baptize in the Holy Spirit, if
they were living in adultery? I was wondering that. "
Well, as I said, I was thinking to myself, but I kept my mouth
shut. I had learned to respect my older brothers.
She told him: "Did you imagine that?"
He said: "The only way I can imagine this [and you know it
must have been him 'imagining', not the Lord speaking to him] is
that God knew they were going anyway to hell when they died. It
just so blessed in all that he could in this life. "
Never said a word, but it got me thinking! I thought to myself.
This is stupid.
When I left the parsonage, I said to myself: "I will research
this matter thoroughly. I do not know what the Bible says on this
subject, because I have not really examined it. But I will search
carefully. "

Second position - Wives Husbands abandon the

It's another situation he knew that also motivated me to
study the subject of marriage, divorce and remarriage after divorce.
A pastor, a minister of the Gospel, was abandoned with five
 children when his wife ran off with another man. She had done it
twice before, and he took her back. I think he did it only because of
their children. But she finally left him and did not want to come
back. Then that pastor was left with five children.
The eldest son was probably 12 years old, and the youngest
was 18 months old. As long as he did not marry again, he would be
accepted and could still be a pastor in his denomination. But a
man who is between 35 and 40 years old and has five children
needs a wife. Those children needed a mother. Then he remarried.
And because he married was forced to give up that church he was
pastoring. He was a designation Full Gospel, but he had given his
certificate of membership. He was no longer in communion with
the other brothers.
What does this man do? God had called him to preach. Well,
he started having services in the auditorium of a school. People
began to come, and it was not long until he was hundred people. It
was not long until he had one of the largest churches in the city.
Many of the Full Gospel preachers were criticizing, they were
saying, "How can God bless you? He is living in adultery ". A pastor
of the same denomination of the Full Gospel told me: "After his
wife left him for the third time and got away with that fellow, I went
to help him if I could. His car was in the driveway. I knocked on
the front door, and no one answered. The children were at school,
except one who was eighteen months old. I knew that he should be
there because his car was parked in the driveway. Then I walked in
the back. I saw him on the balcony behind with that little child in
his arms, just crying. "
This pastor told me: "I could never criticize him. I knew that
these children needed a mother. He needed a wife. I did not
understand that. This does not necessarily agree with the teaching
he had received, but I would not criticize him. "
Soon after, we had a Bible conference Full Gospel. The leader
in our state was preaching. In his sermon he referred to this pastor
who had remarried after the divorce. He said the man's name, but
everyone knew who he was talking about. During the second day of
the Bible conference, some members of my church asked me about
it, because they had heard others talking about it. Then I repeat
what the leader of our state had said.
 The members of my church asked me, "Well, what do you
think about this?"
I said, "I am a young man. I just go along with the elders. "
Then I thought no more about it.
That weekend, my father and my mother came to visit my
wife and me, and after the Sunday evening worship, my wife and
my two children went home with them. And I would go to the
house of my in-laws after the Wednesday night service.
So I was in the pastoral home alone while my wife and two
children were in the house of my in-laws. At 10:15 at night, I
reached the switch and turned off the light. In the 1940s, the light
was hanging in the center of the room.
Then I knelt on the bed, because I was ready to lie down.
Well, it was very dark in the room when turned off the light. With
my eyes open, it was not possible to see anything. Then I knelt and
started praying. A word or two when my whole room had not told
lit, becoming clearer than if you had with the light on.
I could see all the furniture in the room. It was shining
brighter than the midday sun! The whole room lit up and heard a
voice say, "Who are you to criticism the servant of another?".
I said, "Lord, I do not criticize His servant."
The Lord said, "You did not say this and that about the
brother .........?". The Lord called him "brother."
I said, "No, not really said it. Was quoting Brother .......... I
was repeating what he said. "
The Lord said, "Well, when you repeated what he said, it was
the same thing as if you were saying."
In my defense I said, "Lord, you know, I thought he should
not have married again."
The Lord did not say a word about it. He said again: "Who are
you to criticism the servant of another man?"
I said, "Lord, is not no wrong? I mean, this is what Brother
.......... is saying, and this is what our churches teach. "
 He said, "Who are you to criticism the servant of another?".
He did not answer the question. Then he asked, "Is he your servant
and My servant?".
I replied: "If it is someone's servant, he is His servant. He is
definitely not mine! ".
The Lord said, "If it is my servant, who are you to criticize the
servant of another man? If he is my servant, I am able to do it up,
and I will raise it up. " (The Lord was just correcting me really
based on what the Bible says in Romans 14.4).
I said, "Lord, forgive me. I was wrong ". Then the light went
out. From that day to this, I have kept my mouth shut. But this
incident started making me think about the subject of marriage,
divorce and remarriage after divorce. I began to study God's Word
on this subject a little more. Then I began to ask some questions. I
asked certain denominations leaders what Paul meant in First
Corinthians Chapter 7.
They said, "We do not know."
I said, "Well, we should know."
I could not find a preacher or a minister who could explain I
Corinthians Chapter 7. I spoke with the most current Bible
teachers of those days. But none of them could explain. Each
dodged and said, "I do not know."
Think: Well, why do not we? So I sought the Word again
about marriage, divorce and remarriage after divorce. I had time
only to study this single subject all the time. I had to preach a
sermon on Sunday morning, Sunday night and Wednesday night. I
had to study elsewhere and do other things too. But in my free
time, I studied this subject.

Third position - Husbands who abandon the wives

Then a third incident happened, and it took me really to seek
the answer. The husband of my only sister left. Now I had already
spoken to him. I knew, of course, he was seeing other women,
gambling, drinking, and so on. But he had a family to look after.
After he left my sister with another woman, I was preaching
in Texas, and God spoke to me. I drove more than three thousand
 miles. There were no motorways in those days. I drove all night,
and then spotted.
He was a sales representative. As he was leaving a business
place, I said, "Doc, I want to talk to you." I spoke to him kindly and
with tears, "The Lord sent me here; He spoke to me. " He began to
cry. He cried more than me, tears were running from her eyes as
water flows from the tap.
He said: "I believe that. I know you. I have followed you for
years. I believe what you're saying. "
I said, "The Lord spoke to me and told me to come and talk to
you."
I told him about being saved. He said, "You're right. I know
you're right, but I will not do it. "
He said, "All right, Doc, so let me address another point of
view. If you do not want to be a Christian if you do not want to
serve God, at least make a change because of their children. Think
about your little kids. I came from a shattered home. I know the
misery. I know what happened to me. People everywhere spitting,
insulted, kicked and beat me. I was angry with everyone. "
He said: "I know you're right, but I will not do anything about
it."
I said, "Doc, if you can not be a Christian, at least for the
sake of their children, show some decency and respect. At least be
a decent human being. At least be a man. Come out with all the
women of the region. "
He jumped! He reacted as if I'd hit him with a whip. Then he
cried and sobbed saying, "I know you're right. I'm just a dog, but I
will stay this way. I want to stay that way. "
Then I said, "I did my best. I did what God told me to do. " He
left crying. I went back to my meeting. Between three and four
o'clock in the morning, I was lying on the floor auditorium of the
church, praying for him.
The Spirit of God said, "Get up here."
I got up and said, "Why?".
He said, "Do not pray more for him."
 I said, "Lord, he is lost, he is going to hell."
The Lord said, "I know that."
He said, "Well, what do you mean, 'do not pray more for
him'?".
The Lord said, "He's attached to their idols. You never read in
the Old Testament where I finally said; 'Ephraim let alone'? (See
Hosea 4:17). Never while you live, pray for him another prayer
because he is dying and going to hell. "
How does God know? I believe he knows the future better
than we know the past. I understand that Doc, my former brother
died at an early age cursing God.
Now my sister was left with five children. She had to work to
earn a living for them. Although Doc could afford to help her, he
never paid anything to cooperate in support of their children.
I helped them in everything I could. I did a lot for them, until
my sister finally find a good man, and they get married. According
to the teachings of my church, you know, she should not even
assume or imagine remarry. The Church believed that she was
living in adultery.
Well, they married well at Christmas time. They came to visit
us. Between Christmas and New Year's Day, they were with us in
our services. On the first Sunday of the New Year, I preached. My
sister was in the church for the first time, but because of all the
difficulties she had encountered, she left the church and was not
going. She was in a low state of spiritual communion.
Now, this manifestation seen only three times in my sixty-five
years of ministry. Almost at the time I was ending my sermon,
suddenly a light shone. The building was well lit, but it was like a
light bulb with a giant flash, and each person was temporarily
blinded. No one could say what happened because no one could
see anything. In other words, this happened as fast as I can snap
my fingers. Suddenly there were four or five people on the altar.
How they got there? We never understand how it happened.
My sister was sitting in the third seat. She was not close to
the corridor; she was in the middle seat. Now if someone came
from the bank, he would be bumping your knees. You would know
if someone was coming. But it happened so fast. And my sister was
one of the people who went immediately to the altar. She had never
been filled with the Holy Spirit nor spoken in tongues. But when I
saw her at the altar, she was speaking in tongues. The Lord not
only restored communion, but also filled with the Holy Spirit.
According to the church, she was not able to be filled with the
Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues. As the church, the Lord
should not have her baptized with the Holy Spirit. According to
church she was living in adultery. This actually led me to study
more the subject of marriage, divorce and remarriage after divorce.
My sister turned to the Lord on the first day of 1946. It took me
three years to find the answer, but I thought in 1949.

Chapter Two
WHO IS RIGHT, PAUL OR JESUS?

Then studied with biblical teachers leaders in Full Gospel

groups and other groups as well, to see what they had to say on
the subject of marriage, divorce and remarriage after divorce. So I
asked some leaders what they thought what Paul meant by certain
statements he made. I discovered that they were as confused as I
was.
They just said, "Well, just do not know." And some said,
"would follow Jesus instead of Paul." Amazed said, Who is right,
Paul or Jesus?
In 1957 he was preaching in California. I got the (newspaper)
Los Angeles Times and saw a man who was the Seminary of the
President in the northeastern United States was visiting Los
Angeles. His picture was in the newspaper's front page. So I
thought that he should be a man of importance. In the article, the
news informed the reason why this man had come to their city.
The man answered - saying it was partly for business and partly
for pleasure only.
While this man was in Los Angeles, he spoke in one of the
seminars there. He addressed the student body and teachers. The
(newspaper) Los Angeles Times covered his lecture at the full page
behind the first section of the newspaper. They covered his speech
completely. Because I was interested, I read carefully.
This man actually said, "I will bring up an old argument. If
you have not had training in the seminary, you do not necessarily
know this. But a war has been waged in theological circles these
last four years. This was discussed in high levels of education in
seminaries and universities. The question is: Who is right, Paul or
Jesus? ". What Paul says in First Corinthians chapter 7 seems to
contradict what Jesus said in Matthew chapter 19.
So the president of the seminary said, "Well, lean follow
Jesus." Now this sounds really good; this sounds truly religious. Of
course, we should follow Jesus. But who is right? Since the Bible
is inspired by the Holy Spirit, then both would have to be right.
Well, in me, the Holy Spirit spoke up and said, "They are both
right." Jesus is referring to the commandment given to the Jews,
and Paul is speaking to the Church. Jesus was precisely
interpreting the Mosaic Law concerning marriage, divorce and
remarriage to the Jews. And Paul was applying precisely the law of
love, concerning marriage, divorce and remarriage after divorce to
the church (see Mt 19:01 Co 7).
There is an answer. It's very simple. The Holy Spirit is the
teacher. He will teach you. He will bring to your remembrance all
things (John 14:26). I could see it so clear when he spoke to me.
So it was that the Holy Spirit said to me: "Jesus is speaking to the
Jews, and Paul is speaking to the church."
The Holy Spirit is trying to tell us things all the time but our
heads are in dominating instead of our spirits, and not heard. A
great lesson we need to learn and embrace the heart is that we
need to listen to the Holy Spirit. I see that there is a flaw or
deficiency among people of "faith" or people of the "Word." If we are
not careful, we forget about the Holy Spirit.

Rightly dividing the Word of God

Another shortcoming among many believers is that they do
not strive hard thinking or studying by themselves. Instead, they
just follow what someone else said.
 There are ministers who have taken texts out of context and
have made them say something that the Bible does not say. Can
anyone prove something that he wants to prove by taking a verse
or two out of a chapter and putting them in isolation.
You can make the Bible say anything you want it to say. But
when you read the whole context - the whole of scripture - then it
throws more light on the subject. Paul gave us a clue about how to
read the Bible in the letter to Timothy, a young minister and
spiritual son of Paul. Paul told Timothy in Second Timothy 2:15 to
study. Under the rules for studying, you have to think, is not it?
You know you can read without reflecting. You can read reviews of
a man. But to study, you have to think!
You have to hear this before. I have said this for fifty years,
and I keep saying. Do not accept something just because I said, or
because someone said. Study God's Word for yourself and see if
this is really what God's Word says. So you're not following what
Brother Hagin said or someone said. Are you following what God
said. Do not follow what anyone said, because preachers, like
anyone else, are in various stages of spiritual development. You
may be following a Christian baby, or even you may have
developed beyond. Paul told Timothy, a minister companion of the
Gospel of Jesus Christ, to study diligently and show themselves
approved to God (2 Tim 2:15).
If you take contrary to the consequences of this verse, a
person who does not study is not approved. God does not approve
a person who does not study. And He does not approve of his
ministry. This is why many ministers end a spiritual rubble.
What the rest of the verse says? "Study to show yourself
approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed,
rightly dividing THAT THE WORD OF TRUTH" (2 Timothy 2:15).
People often have problems because they did not correctly handle
the word of truth. Well, if it can be managed properly then it can
be handled wrongly.
While at first I was saved and I started in the ministry, I
heard someone give these general rules of interpretation of the
Bible, and was registered. Studying the Bible, always I ask myself,
"Who is this? About what they are talking about? And for those
who are talking about? "
 It is very easy to take some of the things God said and say,
"Well, now God is saying this." But you have to see to whom God is
speaking. Sometimes He was speaking to the Jews; and what he
said does not apply to all people.

Let's see in First Corinthians where Paul is writing to the

church at Corinth.

1 CORINTHIANS 10:32
Give none offense, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles,
nor to the church of God.

Note that there are three classes of people treated in the Word
of God: 1) The Jews, the covenant people of God; 2) The Church,
the very family of God; and 3) the Gentiles, the pagans people
(each person who is neither church nor Jew).

The Mosaic Law was Given to the Jews

God gave the Mosaic Law on marriage and divorce for only
the Jews. The Mosaic Law was never designed to rule the nations
that were around them and the Gentiles who lived among them.
Let's look in the Mosaic Law in Deuteronomy 24.

Deuteronomy 24.1-4
If a man takes a wife and marries her, and if it is not pleasing
to his eyes, because he had found something indecent in it, and if
it till you a divorce term, and giveth it in her hand, and say
goodbye to home; and she went out of your home, go and marry
another man; and this to bore, and draw you divorce term, and
give him in hand, and say goodbye to your house or if the latter
man who took her to be his wife, were to die, then her first
husband, who dismissed her, you can not make marry her to be
his wife, after that was contaminated because it is an abomination
before the Lord; thus shalt not sin the land which the Lord thy God
giveth thee for an inheritance.
 According to the Old Testament, a woman rarely had any say
in the choice of her husband. Her father sold to the man who
wished. If she liked the man, he would keep. If not, he had the
legal right under the Mosaic Law to return her to her father at the
price you bought it.
In Matthew 19, Jesus explained the Mosaic Law on marriage
and divorce for the Jews. He was speaking to the Jews. He was not
giving to the Gentiles the law that was to govern them. The
Gentiles were not under the Mosaic law - at that time or now. They
were never under it. And Jesus was not giving the Body of Christ
the law to govern them. Jesus was simply answering the question
of the Pharisees about the Mosaic law.
Let's read Matthew 19.

Matthew 19.1-3
And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these words,
he left Galilee and went to the territory of Judea, beyond Jordan.
They followed him great multitudes, and he healed them there.
Came to him some Pharisees and experienced, asking, Is it lawful
for a man to divorce his wife FOR ANY REASON?

The Pharisees asked Jesus whether it was legal for a man to

divorce his wife "for any reason" because they wanted to know if
Jesus agreed with the thought that a person could divorce for
various reasons. See people had questions about what Moses
meant when he talked about a man divorces a woman, after he
"discovered some impurity" in it (see Deut 24.1). One group
thought that the term "any impurity" referred to a wide range of
things. While another group thought that the phrase referred only
to sexual immorality.
Let's read on.

Matthew 19.4-9
Then, he said: Have you not read that the Creator from the
beginning, made them male and female, and said, For this cause
 shall a man leave father and mother and be joined to his wife,
becoming one flesh? So they are no longer two, but one flesh.
Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.
They said to him: Why did you then Moses give a certificate of
divorce and send her away? Jesus answered them: Because of the
hardness of your hearts is that Moses permitted you to divorce
your wives; however, it was not so from the beginning. But I say to
you, whoever divorces his wife, except for cause of fornication, and
marries another commits adultery and whoever marries her who is
divorced commits adultery.

Jesus answered the question of the Pharisees in Matthew

19.9. He made it clear that Moses is referring specifically
fornication and sexual sin.
But in First Corinthians 7:15 and 16, Paul introduces an
"exception" that Jesus did not mention. Paul said that if an
unbelieving spouse decides to leave the believing spouse, the
believing spouse is not under obligation to the wedding vow. This
is the view contradiction between Paul and Jesus. This is what has
caused so much confusion in the Body of Christ.
We must remember that Jesus was interpreting the Law of
Moses to the Jews, while Paul was showing how to apply the Law
of Love for the Church. In Matthew 19, Jesus was specifically
responding to a question of what was legal (according to the Law of
Moses). In First Corinthians 7, Paul is answering the question:
"What does love do?" What some have described as a contradiction
is not really contradictory.
Then Jesus reminded the Pharisees of a better law than that
of Moses. 19.6 In Matthew, Jesus repeats the statement and the
commandment that God gave to Adam in the beginning: "So they
are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined
together, let not man separate. " In Old Testament times, it was not
uncommon for a man to have a number of wives. Which one he
became one flesh? The man in his fallen state does not have the
love of God shed abroad in your heart. So you see, until Jesus
came to redeem mankind, no one could fulfill God's vision for
marriage because the man being dominated by the nature of sin,
did not have the life of God. But two born-again believers, filled
with the love of God can fulfill Matthew 19.6 and become one.
 So the Pharisees asked, "Why Moses gave them a letter of
divorce?" Jesus said he gave them permission to divorce because of
the hardness of their hearts (see Mt 19.8). But people born again,
this would not be so! The heart of a born again person was made
new.
In other words, the time that Adam sinned and fell until
Jesus Christ came to redeem mankind, the man had never been
able to have the divine kind of marriage that God had planned the
Garden of Eden. Why? Because they were not men born again
through the new birth, with the nature of God in them. Their
hearts had not been changed. The Jews were natural men living
under the Law, redeemed by the blood of bulls and goats. In
Matthew 19.9 Jesus said to the Jews under the Law: "... who
divorces his wife, except for cause of fornication, and marries
another commits adultery ...". Jesus did not say that to born-again
believers!
Let's read on.

MATTHEW 19.10-11
They said the disciples: If this is the condition of man in
relation to his wife, not good to marry. But Jesus answered them,
NOT ALL ARE ABLE TO RECEIVE THIS CONCEPT, BUT ONLY
THOSE WHO IS GIVEN.

See what the disciples said in verse 10 that it is not good to

marry. Now this verse is not given to everyone - only for those who
are given! Jesus said to them: "Not all men can receive this
concept." I want you to notice that this is not a commandment or a
law. Jesus called a "concept." Not all men can receive this concept.
This is the key. This is only given to those who can receive it.
Let's read the next verse.

MATTHEW 19:12
For there are eunuchs from birth; there are others to whom
men have made such; and there are others who themselves have
 made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven. WHO IS
ABLE TO ADMIT ADMIT.

In this sense, a eunuch is a castrated man - a private man's

testicles, or external genitalia. Some men are born this way. Some
are made this way by man. And others are made this way for the
kingdom of God.
Let's see the translation of Williams.

MATTHEW 19.10-12 (Williams)

The disciples said to Him: If this is the condition of man in
relation to his wife, there is no advantage in getting married. He
said to them, NOT EVERY MAN IS ABLE TO RECEIVE THIS
REGARD, but only those to whom the ability has been given.
Because some are born unable to marry; and there are some that
has been done by men; and there are others who did so, for the
kingdom of heaven. Who is able to admit admit.
So Jesus is saying that if a man is unable to marry because
he was born this way, it was done this way by man, or so done for
the kingdom of God, then it is good for him not to marry. See, this
concept is not for everyone. This is only for those who can accept
it. Not everyone can accept.
In the book of Romans, Paul explains how the Jews who have
entered the Body of Christ no longer live under the Law of Moses.

ROMANS 7.1-6
Do not you know, brothers for I speak to those who know the
law, that the law has dominion over a man all his life? [Paul is
talking to people who know the law]. Now the wife is bound by the
law [of Moses] to her husband while he lives; but if it dies, it will be
relieved of marital law. So that will be called an adulteress if, while
her husband lives, unite with another man; But if her husband
dies, she will be free from that law and is not an adulteress to
contract a new marriage. So, MY BROTHERS, it ALSO dead to the
Law [did you become dead to what he just finished saying],
through the body of Christ, to belong to another, namely, that he
 rose from the dead in order that bear fruit for God. For when we
were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the
law were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. But now
RELEASED BY LAW, having died to what we were held by, so that
we serve in newness of spirit and not in oldness of the letter.

Much suffering has been for innocent men and women who
are uninformed. God only guide marriages of His people! We have
tried to put men and women not saved under the Mosaic Law, but
they are not. And the Church is also not under the Mosaic Law.
Men who are born again enter the New Covenant. Those who
do not have the new birth, Jews and Gentiles, are not in the Body
of Christ, so they are not under the New Covenant Law - The Law
of Love. They could not keep it in any way. A person can not love
one another as Christ did, without the love of Christ in it. And a
person who has not been regenerated, or born again, does not have
this love. The love of God must be poured in one's heart by the
Holy Spirit (Rom 5.5).
The Old Testament was fulfilled in Jesus. Then the Mosaic
Law is not in effect today. To be a Jew under the law of the New
Covenant, it must be born again. Then neither kind nor have any
Jewish marriage law or divorce today, except the man of the law.
The Jew can try to save the old Mosaic Law, but he can not do it.
He could not, and he can never (Acts 15:10). Christ is risen and
fulfilled the Law.
Since 72 AD, there is not a high priest, an altar, or an
atonement of sacrificial offering to the Jews. The Jew must be born
again, like Gentil. The law of marriage and divorce given to Moses
was given only to the Jews. To the Jew it was applied to Jesus and
come to meet. Jesus ended the rule of the Mosaic Law, although
the Jews still try to live by the law.

The Non-Saved
The class of the unsaved have any marriage law or divorce?
Yes, the laws of men raised by civil governments govern those who
are not saved. The class of the unsaved is under the law of God?
No, they are not subject to God's law and may not be. They are by
nature enemies of God and His Laws.
Let's read Romans 8.7-9.

ROMANS 8.7-9
Therefore, the MEAT penchant is enmity against God,
THEREFORE IS NOT SUBJECT TO THE LAW OF GOD, neither
indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh can not please
God. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if so be that the
Spirit of God dwell in you. And if any man have not the Spirit of
Christ, it is none of his. "

The class of the unsaved is not subject to God's law, "neither

indeed can be" (verse 7). They are by nature enemies of God. And if
they are enemies of God, they are enemies of God's law. James
2:10 says, "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend
in one point, he is guilty of all."
Let's see Ephesians 2:11.

Ephesians 2:11
So, remember that once, you Gentiles in the flesh, called
Uncircumcision by those who call themselves circumcised in the
flesh by human hands;

Paul is writing to the Ephesian Church, which is of course a

church to Gentiles. But notice that he did not call more than
Gentiles.

Ephesians 2:12
At that time [when you were Gentiles in the flesh], were
without Christ, being aliens from Israel and strangers from the
covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the
world. ...
 Well, on this statement: "Therefore what God has joined
together, let not man separate." (Mt 19.6)? God only unites his own
people, not those of the world. Now, I do not know about you, but
here's something you would not do as a minister. Do not marry a
Christian with a non-Christian. God does not join one of His
children to a child of the devil. It simply would not do it.
If you join a Christian, a child of God, a son of the devil, you
will have problems. If a Christian marries a child of the devil,
Christians will have trouble with your father - the devil. He or she
is dominating its territory.

Member Churches
As for the members of the modern church? What marriage
law that they must be faithful? God does not deal with church
members. He deals with His sons and daughters. Just be a church
member does not make a person a child of God. I have been a
church member for many years before I became a child of God.
Church members may or may not be sons or daughters of God.
 Chapter Three
THE CHURCH OF LAW - THE LAW OF LOVE

I struggled with the subject of marriage, divorce, and

remarriage after divorce from 1937 to 1949 for a period of twelve.
And as I said, every time I encountered a different incident
concerning this subject, began studying again. When he could not
find the answer, give up that.
In the winter of 1949 I was sitting at my desk studying the
subject of marriage, divorce and remarriage after divorce when the
Lord spoke to me. I was reading I Corinthians 7, where Paul
answered the questions of the Church of the Corinthians with
regard to marriage and relationships.
I asked myself the question: "What marriage law, divorce and
remarriage after divorce is the church?"
And inside me, the Spirit of God said: "The Church has no!"
That puzzled me.
Without thinking, almost blurted out, "Why do not we?"
Inside me the Spirit of God told me: "If the New Testament
church had a marriage law, divorce and remarriage after divorce,
Paul would have given first Corinthians, but he did not, he gave?"
So the Church does not have a law. So I asked myself and the
Lord this question: "Because the Church has no marriage law,
divorce and remarriage after divorce?"
And within me the answer came back: "Because the Church
has only one law - the law of love." The law of love should not only
rule the marriage, but also the life of the believer. Romans 13:10
says: "Love does no wrong to a neighbor; so that compliance with
the law is love. "
The minute that impacted my spirit, without reading another
word of I Corinthians 7, saw a complete form of the end of a
chapter to another. He jumped alive. I got the answer!
I saw what Paul did. He took different cases that could exist
and interpreted in the light of the law of love. Everything became
so clear to me.
 You see, the Corinthians had written to Paul and asked him
some specific questions about celibacy, marriage, divorce and
remarriage after divorce. Paul says in First Corinthians 7.1: "As for
what you wrote, it is good for a man not to touch a woman." Paul
did not try to answer all questions that could be raised about these
issues. He was simply answering the specific questions in the light
of their own culture and circumstances.
There were certain problems they faced before that time, we
do not face today. Similarly, we may face some problems now that
they could not deal with them before. Paul answered each of his
questions by applying the law of love. In other words, he was
responsible for determining the answer to the question: "What does
love do?"
Jesus gave this law of love that was to govern the Body of
Christ in the final few chapters of John's Gospel Jesus is speaking
to the disciples just before going to Calvary. - Just before He died
for our sins and rise from the dead. Look, a new day was
beginning, and a new covenant was coming into existence. We will
see in John 13:34 and 35.

JOHN 13.34-35
NEW VOS Commandment I give you: love one another; as I
have loved you, that ye also love one another. This all will know
that you are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

God gave believers a new law. Jesus said, "A new

commandment I give you: Love one another." (John 13:34). How we
love each other? With the human and natural love? Oh no. This
human and natural love can change from night to day. We love
each other with the same kind of love that Christ loved us - the
love of the kind of God.

Married Christians
We love each other because love of Christ is poured into our
hearts (Rom 5.5). So shall all men know that we are His disciples,
because we love one another (John 13:35). Let's read 1 Corinthians
7 in the new commandment light.
 1 Corinthians 7 2.3
But because of the impurity, let every man have his own wife,
and each woman have her own husband. The husband give to his
wife her due, and likewise also the wife to her husband.

God does not want fornication - fornication or impurity in any

way, shape or kind - to be named among His people (Eph 5.3). So
what love the kind of God do? Love the kind of God gives. The
intended meaning of 1 Corinthians 7.3 is: "The husband give to his
wife her due, and likewise also the wife to her husband."
Then Paul interprets everything should happen in the
marriage relationship in light of the law of love. Because the Bible
does not talk about abstinence from one to another? We'll see in
the next verse.

1 Corinthians 7.4
The wife hath not power of her own body [authority over his
own body], but the husband [has authority over her body]; and
likewise also the husband hath not power of her own body, but the
wife [has authority over the man of her body]. "

Your body does not belong only to you. If you are a Christian
and is married, he also belongs to your spouse. Her husband's
body does not belong to him alone; his body also belongs to his
wife. And his wife's body does not belong only to her; her body also
belongs to her husband. Paul is interpreting this scripture in the
light of the law of love. What love the kind of God do?

1 Corinthians 7.5
Do not deprive each other [with sexual abstinence toward one
another], except perhaps by mutual consent [that is, the two
consenting to it], for a while, so you dedicardes to prayer [if both
consent]. ..
 Note that Paul is talking to husbands and wives who are
Christians. He says no to abstinence from one to each other,
except with the consent of both to this in order to pray and fast.

1 Corinthians 7.5
... Again, come together [have sex again], that Satan tempt
you not because of incontinence.

But since the period of fasting and prayer is finished, the

husband and the wife must join again, because this area is
particularly great temptation.

1 Corinthians 7.6
And I say this as a concession, not of commandment.

In other words, God did not ordain Paul to say this. He was
allowed by the Holy Spirit saying this because he was particularly
interpreting these scriptures in light of the law of love. Remember,
verse 2 says, "But because of the impurity, let every man have his
own wife, and each woman have her own husband." God is not
ordering any person to marry. Rather, he is saying to those who
are married to satisfy the sexual needs of the other person (as well
as their own needs). Let's read on:

1 Corinthians 7.7
I want all men to be such as I also am; however, each has of
God his own gift; one, in fact, one way; another and another.

Paul is not talking about gifts and talents, such as being

inclined to music or mechanically enabled. He's talking about
being single (particular celibacy) and marriage. It shows that any
condition is a gift from God. Paul says, "Every man has his own
gift," and Jesus says the same thing in Matthew 19:11 "... Not
everyone is able to receive this concept, but only those to whom it
is given."
The Amplified Bible says, "I wish that all men were as I am (in
this self-subject). But each has his own special gift from God, one
after this manner and another "(1 Cor 7.7). Do not take this
scripture out of context and do say something that is not saying. In
other words, Paul was saying that for some is given this gift so that
they can live without marriage and perfectly satisfied.

Christian Singles
After Paul speaks to those who are single. He says it's better
to marry than to be aflame with passion. He interprets the
situation in light of the law of love.

1 Corinthians 7.8,9
And the unmarried and widows I say that they would be good
if they remained in the state in which I live also. If, however, NOT
dominate, THAT CASEM; because it is better to marry than to burn
with passion. "

I remember that when driving a meeting for leading Bible

School, a man who knew more about the Bible than the rest of us.
He was pastor of the church where the meeting was being held. We
started talking about the subject of marriage, divorce and
remarriage after divorce. He had done a lot of research and study
on this subject.
Then this pastor said to me: "We have a young man and a
young woman here in the church which were both saved and filled
with the Holy Spirit. I performed the wedding ceremony. There was
no doubt about it, that God brought them together. " He
continued: "But over time, after two or three years of marriage, she
left him, divorced him and was involved with another man. She ran
off with another man, and never heard from her again. I do not
know where she is today. " Some people believe that if God unites
two people in marriage, so they are always one, no matter what
there is. Let's see what Paul says in First Corinthians 6.
 1 Corinthians 6.15,16
Know ye not that your bodies are members of Christ? And I
perhaps would take the members of Christ and make them
members whore? Absolutely not. Know ye not that the man who
joins a prostitute becomes one body with her? Because, as they
say, the two shall become one flesh. "

If Paul says that two people become one flesh, as this

husband and wife separated?
The next verse says: "But he that is joined unto the Lord is
one spirit with him." (1 Corinthians 6:17). If you are born again,
you are one spirit with the Lord. You may be separated from Him?
You can get lost? Yes!
If you believe that two people who God has joined together are
forever one flesh and can never be separated, then you also have to
believe in unconditional eternal security. You would have to believe
that anyone who backslide, that curse God or renounce Jesus,
she'd still be eternally united to the Lord, and never would be
separated from Him.
Now the young man whose wife left him was right to serve the
Lord. He continued to work in the church.
The pastor said, "Nearly three or four in the morning, there
were bumps in the parsonage door. I got out of bed and went to
open the door. This young man fell to the floor of my living room,
just screaming and crying. He had fallen [given sexual immorality]
".
Paul said in 1 Corinthians 7.9: "Because it is better to marry
than to burn with passion." He is speaking to Christian singles.
The young man who had fallen was not married. He had been
married, but he had gone through a divorce and was not married
at the time.
Well, the pastor prayed with him and managed to restore it.
The young man went on for many months, and the same thing
happened again. Then the pastor said, "I prayed and I could
restore it to God again." The Bible says that if someone is caught in
a fault, those who are spiritual should restore the surprised person
missing in the spirit of gentleness (Galatians 6.1).
Then the pastor sat down with him and said, "Young man, I
know this is not what you were taught growing up, when they first
came here to pastor, this was not what I taught. But I see the
Scriptures in a different light. Now you're just a young man. There
are many admirable young, beautiful and consecrated in our
church. Find one and get married! "
Remember that we interpret these situations in the light of
the law of love. What does love do? We have been so legalistic that
we have omitted God's love. So the young man found someone in
the church and remarried. "And the unmarried and widows I say
that they would be good if they remained in the state in which I
live also. If, however, did not dominate, they marry; because it is
better to marry than to burn with passion "(1 Cor 7.8,9).
He was driving a meeting in 1954 in East Texas. The pastor
was a young, with nearly twenty-five years old. He said to me,
"Brother Hagin, I have a man in my church who is a retired
colonel. He spent twenty-five years in the service and then retired.
He is now fifty-seven years old, and is the only child of a wealthy
family. His mother and father lived here and were close to their
eighties. He returned to take care of them. "
"Once he started coming to the meetings, he met a woman
and married. They have been married for a few years, and then his
wife left him for another man. Throughout his life, he belonged to a
denominational church, but had never been born again. "
"When he came back to take care of his mother and his
father, someone witnessed to him. He came to the Pentecostal
church and received Jesus as their Savior. Then he began to seek
to be filled with the Holy Spirit. There were different revival
meetings happening at that time, so he went to church every night.
He met a lady in a church he had gone. They were interested in
each other, and consequently, he asked to marry her. "
"They went to her pastor to marry, and her pastor asked the
colonel: Have you ever been married? Once he had been married
and divorced, this pastor said they could not marry. He quoted
scripture to them: "... Because, as they say: the two shall become
one flesh." (1 Corinthians 6:16). He said that Colonel had already
 become one flesh with his first wife, and if he marry another, he
would be sinning. "
However, the pastor of the colonel said to me: "He came to
me, and I told him I thought he was all right. What do you think
about this? "
I said, "No doubt it's all right for him to marry."
The colonel told me he loved this woman. She is a beautiful
Christian. He said he was not married because he needed a
woman. He was living right as a church member and had not
touched any woman for twenty-five years. He was not married
because of sex; he was married for companionship. The colonel's
pastor continued: "But he did not want her to go to hell. Once I
said I was all right, her pastor came to me; he was so angry. He
scolded me and dismissed me! "
Then the colonel's pastor asked me if I would talk to her
pastor to try to straighten things out. He said he would speak. We
spend two hours discussing this issue. And each time he brought a
scripture, I showed him wrong. He was furious, exasperated!
He said, "Now, wait a minute. We are brothers. If you can not
be a Christian, at least be a gentle man. " And he calmed down.
He said, "You're right, brother Hagin. Forgive me. I was
furious because I was being whipped by Scripture. You used the
Bible to refute every argument I had. I have one more scripture,
and if you bounce away from me this, I will argue that they can get
married. "
I said, "Okay, what is it?"
He said: "By marrying him with his first wife, God brought
them together. If they become one flesh, so how could they
separate? "He was referring to I Corinthians 6:16.
I said, "Surely I am glad for you to ask this question. Open
your Bible in First Corinthians 6 ".

1 Corinthians 6.15,16
Know ye not that your bodies are members of Christ? And I
perhaps would take the members of Christ and make them
members whore? Absolutely not. Know ye not that the man who
 joins a prostitute becomes one body with her? Because, as they
say, the two shall become one flesh.

Then told him: "Paul said that a person can be one flesh with
a prostitute. Remember how you used to tell us about the days
before you were saved? You would laugh and talk of how many
different women have you had as you separated from each?
According to this scripture, you have become one flesh with each of
them. First Corinthians 6:17 says: "But he that is joined unto the
Lord is one spirit with Him." If you believe that once united to a
person, without ever being able to separate, then you would also
have to believe in eternal security, because the one who is united
to the Lord becomes one spirit with Him. How could you be
separated from Him, no matter you do, or decide whether you are
one spirit? "
I knew him that he did not believe in unconditional eternal
security. In other words, a marriage can be dissolved and the two
are no longer one flesh, as well as the relationship of a person with
the Lord can be dissolved and they are no longer united spiritually.
When the pastor understood what this scripture meant, he said,
"My God, you hit back far each of my arguments. I will argue that
they can get married. " And he maintained.
In John chapter 4, Jesus said to the woman at the well to
bring her husband. She said to Jesus: "I have no husband." Jesus
replied, "You're right; you have no husband. But you have had five
husbands. "
If Jesus believed that a person could never be separated from
a spouse, He would have said: "You at present has five husbands".
Or, if he believed that a person is always attached to the first
person he or she was married, he would have said: "You only have
a husband, but her four other marriages were fraudulent." Jesus
recognized every one of her five husbands. You see, God recognizes
divorce and He is pleased with him or not.
 Divine Love in Marriage Relationship

Paul wrote First Corinthians to the church in Corinth. He was

talking to them remember the law of love. In a situation where
both husband and wife are Christians, the wife should not leave
her husband, nor her husband should send his wife away.

1 Corinthians 7.10-11
Now to the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, that
the wife should not separate from her husband (though, she were
to separate, to not marry or be reconciled to her husband); and
that the husband does not divorce his wife.

We interpret this as Paul did, in light of the law of love. Two

Christians who are married should remain the law of love. What
love do? I love him away his wife? No. Love leave her husband? No,
love would not. I'm not talking about the human and natural love;
I'm talking about the kind of love God.
First Corinthians chapter 13 says that love lasts forever and
is gentle. It is not selfish. Let's read verse 4 through 8 in the
Amplified Bible. So let's see what love would do.

1 Corinthians 13.4-8 (Amplified)

Love lasts forever, it is patient and kind; love is not envious or
jealous overflows, it is not proud or vainglorious, never shows
arrogant. Not conceited (arrogant and conceited with superb) and
does not act inconveniently. Love (God's love in us) does not insist
on its own rights or its own way, because it is not selfish; it is not
irritable, irascible or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done
to him (he does not pay attention to the injustice suffered). Does
not rejoice in unrighteousness and iniquity, but rejoices when right
and truth prevail. Love supports everything and all things that
come, and is always ready to believe the best of everyone, his hope
is firm under any circumstances, and it endures all things (without
weakening). Love never fails (never passes or becomes obsolete or
comes to an end) ...
 Love does not alienate her husband. This is what love would
do. I love the kind of God would not send his wife away.
Love is patient and is kind. Often people suffer, but they are
not gentle as are suffering. They just do it because they need. Love
does not seek its own interests. You can see how love heals evil in
the home? If both husband and wife are walking in the new
commandment of love of the kind of God, then their marriage will
fail not! Now reproaches and complaints have caused the
marriages fail. But this kind of love, Jesus never fails!

There has never been a true case of two Christians who

consistently walk in love going to the judge to divorce. Now, I did
not say that there has never been a case where two Christian
divorced. I said, "Two Christians who consistently walk in love."
According to First Corinthians 13.8, love never fails. Two
Christians are walking in love, then their marriage will not fail. If
both husband and wife are walking in love kind of God, neither
want a divorce. The atmosphere in their home will be so positive
that they will not want to leave this kind of marriage.
If you are having problems in your marriage and both are
Christians, you need to note 1 Cor 13.4-8 the Amplified Bible on a
piece of paper. After the two of you need to read each other every
morning before getting up and every night before going to bed. If
you read and act together in the Word, it will not be long until you
become home to the little piece of heaven on earth. And you can do
this, because you have the kind of love of God shed abroad in your
hearts (Rom 5.5).
I remember an admirable Christian who knew well. His wife
was saved, but had never been filled with the Holy Spirit. Even
being saved, she did not walk very involved with God. She was not
very devoted. This is dangerous. See, if you are not dedicated to
God and separate from the world, you're like a kid when it falls out
of bed. His mother heard the noise when he hits the ground and
enters hastily in his room: "What happened"
The little boy said, "Well, I fell out of bed."
She said, "How did you fall out of bed?".
 He said, "Well, I was so close to where I fell." He was so close
to the edge of the bed. Some people are saved and then they get so
close to where they may fall. They eventually fall the things of God.
Well, the wife of this Christian man I knew did just that. She
dropped the things of God and fled with another man with whom
she lived for many years. Now she was not divorced from her
husband. They had not divorced yet. She was just living with this
other man for almost seven years.
Of course, she did not want anything with your husband. And
he had every reason in the world to divorce her and remarry if he
wished. He even began to think about it.
But she came into contact with him and wanted to return to
God. She realized she was a weak person and that without it, she
would die and go to hell. She realized she needed him.
Well, considering the human and natural love, he had
nothing for her. She just nearly killed each part of the love he had
for her. The natural love is this way, but love the kind of God never
fails. It lasts forever.
Then he spoke to her: "From the standpoint of God's love, to
save his soul, and to avoid you go to hell, you receive back." Then
he took her back, even having absolutely no affection for her.
He acted in God's love that was in it. This is a tough and
important thing to do - take someone back after she wrong with
you in so many ways. There are not many people who can do this.
There are not many people who react in love of God as this type of
person.
Over time, I was invited to their house on one occasion, they
prepared a meal. I remember I saw them holding hands. They were
old people, and from time to time, they came from behind to give
each other a hug and a kiss. I could see when she looked at him,
she just loved him. I could see in her eyes such affection. She
respected him a lot. I saw intimacy between them. To the natural
love has been restored. Then she was saved and saved to go to hell,
and besides, their marriage was fully restored. We have to ask
ourselves the question: "What kind of love God would do?"
 A spouse not Save
Now Paul is taking a case of a marriage relationship where
one is Christian and the other is not Christian.
1 Corinthians 7.12-13
The more I say, not the Lord: If any brother has an
unbelieving wife, and she consents to live WITH HIM, not abandon;
and the woman who has unbelieving husband, and THIS
CONSENT TO LIVE WITH IT, do not leave her husband.

If an unbelieving wife is going out with other men, so she's

not pleased to live with her Christian husband. And if a Christian
husband is seeing other women, then he is not pleased to live with
his Christian wife. If an unbelieving husband is beating and
abusing of his Christian wife, then he is not pleased to live with
her. See the next verse.

1 Corinthians 7:15
But if the unbelieving [either the wife or husband] want to
depart, let him depart [him or her]; in such cases, it is not under
bondage or brother or a sister; God hath called us to peace.

If a Christian husband is not pleased to live with a Christian

wife, a Christian wife is not under obligation to wedding vows. She
may marry again - in the Lord, of course. She can marry another
Christian man. Or if an unbelieving wife is not pleased to live with
a Christian man, a Christian husband is not under obligation to
wedding vows. He can remarry.
There was a woman in our church whose husband was not
saved and had a mental problem. She told me once: "One night I
woke up, and he was right on me with a butcher knife. Freaked,
Hagin brother. What am I going to do? "
Well, I had spoken to him when his mind was good. He was
not against God, Jesus or the Church. He believed that the Bible is
true, and he mentally believe that Jesus is the Son of God. But he
was not ready to make a delivery. He told me to pray for him and
not give him up. But when I spoke to him, he simply was not
 interested. He did not want to personally accept Jesus as their
Savior.
Then something happened and your mind got worse. See, he
had the opportunity for many years to give his heart to God. But
he said: "No". And your poor, dear wife left him with a lot of
responsibility because he was not able to work and she had to take
care of the children. They were surviving on what they can and
what the church could give to them. She almost disoriented her
head. She became so overworked and so worried that she did not
know what he was doing.
We had to help her. Her husband had been in military service
during World War I, then we put in a VA hospital. He just went
from bad to worse. Finally, he died there. We raise an offer to help
her, and people brought groceries, and the blessed.
I'm sorry for many of those women who choose to stay in
such a situation. They are certain that they will have saved their
husbands, no matter what. But notice that it was not saved. If you
could ever have saved your spouse, then Paul would have spoken
thus in First Corinthians. He was writing under the inspiration of
the Spirit of God.

1 Corinthians 7:16
Because, as you know, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy
husband? Or, you know, O husband, whether you will save your
wife?

In other words, you can achieve your husband saved. If he is

pleased to live with you and take responsibility and his place, just
stick with it because you can get him to salvation. Or if his
unbelieving wife is pleased to live with you, you can take it to
salvation. Paul did not say that if you simply want to believe in
God, you will always get the spouse to be saved. God does not
invalidate the will of the person causing them to be saved
regardless of whether they wanting or not. He would not do that!
Many women suffer in some things because they think they
need to stay with their husbands. They think they are going to take
their husbands to salvation.
 A spouse Christian diverted
I remember another minister of the gospel whom he admired
greatly. He was a leader of a denomination of the Full Gospel, a
man who had been an official position. I was preaching in his
church. And he asked me, "Brother Hagin, what the Bible means
when it says, 'a believer is not under an obligation in certain
cases'?"
I said, "Well, the way I understand it is that a person in a
situation such, is not under obligation to wedding vows."
He said: "That's exactly what it means to understand as well.
No person in the whole world has been as firm as I have been
about marriage. See, I advanced under the old conservative line,
Pentecostal Holiness. And just accepted what she said. I was as
firm as nails on the subject. "
The minister lived exactly a large parsonage. The death of his
mother and her daughter who was divorced and had a young boy,
lived in the parsonage with it.
He said: "My daughter is twenty-eight years old. She is a
beautiful girl. Her mother was exceptionally beautiful. I do not
mean only beautiful; I mean beautiful. And the girl is the same way
- an exceptionally beautiful girl. "
He said, "Well, she grew up in our church. It was saved and
filled with the Spirit. Soon she met a young man whose family also
grew up in our church. He was a splendid family. The young man
was also saved, filled with the Spirit, and had been in church all
his life. They fell in love. After he graduated from high school, my
daughter received some education in business and went to work.
He began working as well. Truly, his family had business, and he
began to work as one. And then they got married. "
"Everyone said it was a perfect marriage. She became
pregnant. Well, he did not want children. They did not understand
about birth control as we do today. And then she had a boy. And
later, her husband came to see the boy, kissed his wife, and said
goodbye. We never saw him again. He just left. He disappeared ".
 "We heard two or three years after he started practicing
homosexual and was living that lifestyle. Now here I am, having
preached all my life against divorce and remarriage after divorce. "
"My daughter works; she earns good money. He is a very
intelligent woman. I tried to be a father to your kid, but I'm an old
man. That kid needs someone who can take you fishing and so on.
Pastor takes all my time. He needs someone who can play and play
with him. "
"Seeing my daughter sitting in her room and cry night after
night finally convinced me. One night I opened her door and said,
Leave here and go find a boyfriend! "
She said: "As a parent, you preach against divorce and
remarriage after divorce!"
He replied, "I do not care what I preach! It is God's will for
you to sit here and run out as an innocent victim! Go find
someone! Go stand in the middle of young people. "
She said, "Well, if I get to meet with someone, then I can fall
in love and consequently come to get married."
He said: "I know that, just go ahead and do it."
He said: "She did exactly what I suggested and now she is
finding a splendid man. Her son likes him too. This man had the
same kind of experience that my daughter had. While he was away
at work, his wife left him for another mate. He never heard from
her again. So now, my daughter and this man want to marry. "
The minister asked me what I thought about them getting
married. He said: "I think it's okay."
He said: "I think so. I have studied the subject. But there is
something I do not understand. First Corinthians 7:15 says, "But if
the unbeliever wants to depart, let him depart; in such cases, it is
not under bondage or brother or a sister; God hath called us to
peace. " Paul said that the believer is not under obligation to the
wedding vows if the unbelieving spouse his or her leaves him. But
in the situation of my daughter, her husband was a believer. "
I then introduced him 1 Timothy 5.8, where Paul wrote to
Timothy saying. "But if any provide not for his own, and specially
for those of house, he hath denied the faith and is worse than an
unbeliever" He's saying those believers who did not take care of
 their families and abandoned were worse than the infidels. They
were worse than unbelievers because they knew more. They had
been enlightened. They could not escape as easily as can a sinner,
as a sinner do not know enough to speak. It is the nature of sinful
act as he acts.
Along with these same lines, consider what Jesus said in
Matthew chapter 18.

MATTHEW 18.15-17
If your brother sins [against you], go argue with him between
thee and him alone. If he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy
brother. If, however, did not hear thee, take with you one or two
more, that the testimony of two or three witnesses every word may
be established. And if he does not hear them, tell it to the church;
and refuse to hear the church, let him be as gentle and collector.

There may be man who claims to be a Christian, but treats

his wife badly way, perhaps abusing her severely. The wife might
have asked her husband not to treat it that way. Other Christians,
including the pastor (representing the church), may have also
spoken with her husband. The wife should stay in a marriage
where a so-called "Christian husband" are putting emotional well-
being and her physical risk? Jesus said in Matthew 18:17 that the
offended person often disregards the advice, it is simply a wicked
man. In other words their behavior is like that of an unbeliever. He
is worse than an infidel.

Identifying with Christ

Have you ever heard someone say.. "? I'm trying to figure out
who I am" Some people leave the husband or wife of them to find
out who they are they are trying to establish the identity of them
This is nothing more than the human ego and diabolical pride. We
do not have to establish our own identity. Those who are born
again are identified with Christ.
 If you go back in history, Corinth was one of the most
licentious and immoral cities in the east. And that immorality
entered the Church. First Corinthians 5 says: "Usually, we hear
that there is immorality among you, and immorality such as is not
even among the Gentiles, that is, there are those who dare to have
a wife of his own father" (v.1). In other words, a child had taken his
stepmother, his father and was living with her. He was cohabiting
with her in open sin. Because Corinth was one of the most
immoral cities, this same immoral spirit had entered the Church.
I remember a RHEMA graduate who occasionally went on
long fasts. Each time he did, he came back with those crazy ideas.
Once he was in a fasting for 18 days, and he said the Lord told him
to send his wife back to her parents. Well, the Lord would never do
that. God is not undoing the homes.
Then his wife told him: "What's wrong What's wrong?"
He replied, "Well, we have different goals in life."
She said, "No, I have no other except help you in the ministry
I will go wherever you go This is my only goal..."
He said, "Well, I will not deliver you back to your parents God
spoke to me..."
She said, ".?. Tell me what's wrong What can I do love you I'll
change I believe that God put us together I'm wanting to change
Just tell me...."
In response he said: "No! There's nothing wrong with you We
have different goals in life.".

Matthew 19.3 says: "Is it lawful to divorce his wife for any
cause?" Having different "goals" is a biblical cause to send his wife
although not a major problem here is that he was not walking in
the light of the Word! . If he had only listened to what the Bible
says, it would have solved some of their problems. No matter how
much you fast, if you will not walk in the light of the Word, you'll
be walking in darkness.
Let's go back to the beginning. In Genesis chapter 2, we see
exactly how God thinks about marriage.
 Genesis 2.22-24
Then the rib which the LORD God had taken from man, made
he a woman and brought her. And the man said, This at last is
bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; will be called-Woman,
because the man was taken. Therefore a man leaves his father and
mother and be united to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

I think a lot of people confuse unite with leave his wife. But
the scripture says that a husband is to leave his father and his
mother, not his wife.
If you want to be in full communion with God, you will have
to walk in the light of His Word. If you do not walk in the light of
the Bible, you are in great darkness. The entrance of Your words
gives light (Ps 119,130). The Bible says that the husband is to
leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife (Gen. 2:24).

Stay Where You Are

Each case must be placed on its own merits. You can not just
establish an iron rule that will regulate any case. You have to learn
to interpret anything that is happening for the law of love. We will
continue in first Corinthians.

1 Corinthians 7.16-20
Because, as you know, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy
husband? Or, you know, O husband, whether you will save your
wife? Walk each as the Lord has distributed to him, each one as
God has called you. It's so ordain I in all churches. It was someone
called, being circumcised? Not undo the circumcision. It was
someone called, being uncircumcised? Do not be circumcised.
Circumcision itself is nothing; the uncircumcised also is nothing,
but what matters is saving ordinances of God. EACH STAY in the
same calling wherein he was called.

Therefore, we must interpret it in the context that Paul is

discussing. If you already married forty times, and you and your
present wife were saved, remain exactly where you are.
 Some people believe you have to go back to the first person
you married because you have become one flesh with her. Anyway,
how could you go back to him or her?

1 Corinthians 7.21-24
It was called a slave? Do not worry about it; but if you can
also become free, use it rather. Because what was called in the
Lord, being a slave, is free of the Lord; similarly, what was called,
being free, is a slave of Christ. By price were bought; do not
become slaves of men. Brothers, EACH STAY BEFORE what GOD
THAT WAS CALLED.

Now, see that Paul is still on the same subject. He is

interpreting the situation in light of the law of love. If you were
saved after you were already married, you will simply living for
God. You keep that husband and wife relationship. We will
continue to read.

1 Corinthians 7.25-26
With respect to virgins I have no commandment of the Lord;
but I give my opinion, as having received mercy of the Lord to be
faithful. I believe, because of this distressing situation, be good for
the man to stay as it is.

Notice that Paul is still in the same subject. Do not take these
verses out of context, but instead realize that Paul is using each of
these points to illustrate something about the subject of marriage.
Paul is giving his advice on the subject of marriage by the Spirit of
God to the man or woman who is a virgin, someone who had never
been married before. He said that in light of the law of love and
circumstances (the present difficult situation) in which they lived
at that time, was good for a man or a woman to remain a virgin.

1 Corinthians 7.27-28
 Are you married? Do not try to separate yourself. Are you free
from a wife? Seek not a wife. But if you marry, thus not sinned;
and also if a virgin marry, why does not sin. Still, such people
suffer distress in the flesh, and I want to spare you.

If a man is already married, he should get married to his wife.

But as Paul said, "Are you married? Do not try to separate
yourself. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek a wife "(1 Cor 7:27).
To separate from a wife who speaks of divorce. This can mean a
believing wife who left or apostate Christian woman who goes out
with another companion. But if the man who is "separated from
his wife" choose to remarry, he is not in sin (see 1 Cor 7:28).
Now in verse 28, Paul returns to speak to virgin (who had
never married). He interprets these conditions in the light of the
law of love. If a person marries a virgin, he or she is not sinning.
So Paul says.? "... Still, such people suffer distress in the
flesh, but I spare you" (1 Corinthians 7:28) What do you mean
"have anguish in the flesh" First Corinthians 7:28 in the Amplified
Bible says: "... so those who marry will have physical suffering and
land, and I would spare you that."
Let's read on.

1 Corinthians 7.29-35
But this I say, brethren, the time is short; what remains is
that not only are married as if they were not; but also those who
weep, as not weeping; and those who rejoice as though they
rejoiced not; and those who buy, as though they possessed; and
those who use the world as not abusing it; for the fashion of this
world passeth away. What I really want is that you be worry-free.
He that is unmarried cares for the things of the Lord, how to please
the Lord; but what married cares for the things of the world, how
to please his wife, and so is divided. Also the woman, both the
widow and the virgin cares for the things of the Lord, to be holy, so
in body and spirit; that married, however, worries about the things
of the world, how to please her husband. I say this on behalf of
your own interests; not that I want to ensnare you, but only for
what is becoming and you facilitate devote yourselves unhindered
to the Lord.

Paul is still speaking it is not a sin to marry. He is not trying

to put them under obligation. Jesus said the same thing in
Matthew 19:12: "For there are eunuchs born; there are others who
did such men; and there are others who themselves have made
themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's is able to admit.
admit ".
You see how this all becomes clear when you interpret
Scripture in light of the law of love? No matter what the past has
been, you can forget it and get on with God. You can stay where
you are called.
God has given us His wedding vision in His Word. So what we
need to do is take some time and strive to perfect our in marriage
in God's sight. We can start right where we are.
If you've been married forty times, forget about it. All this is
in the past. Stay where you are. Walk into the marriage of God's
vision. If you've never been married, find out what the Scripture
says before you get married, and you will know how to walk and
cause it to be successful from the start.

The Past Is Past

A church that pastoreie once, our pianist had a daughter
sixteen years of age he could also play the piano. Now the daughter
was not talented like her mother. The mother played the piano on
Sunday mornings, and the daughter played in Wednesday night.
The mother began to have some physical problems. The local
doctor sent her to a big city for treatment, and they found that she
had a tumor in his lung as big as a person's fist.
Returning to 1939 times, this was very serious. The type of
operation she needed was risky. Doctors had learned very little
since then, but at that time, the percentage of survival was small
for the condition she had. So they decided to apply X-ray
treatments. Treatments were allowed to paralyze that tumor. And if
it does not decrease, then the next step was an operation. She
traveled to this great city two vexes a week for these treatments.
 She never asked for prayer. She never asked me to anoint
with oil and lay hands on it. Her daughter came to the church to
play the piano when her mother could not come and say, "Pray for
Mom; she's not feeling well." Therefore all we prayed for her mother
in general. Or sometimes the husband came from her to church
and say, "Pray for my wife." And we prayed for her. But it never
came to a special prayer.
One Sunday morning I had just finished my message and the
word of the Lord came to me: "There is a woman I want to heal her
today before you go." Then simply told the congregation that the
Lord wanted to heal a woman before we despedíssemos. See, when
the Lord said this to me, we were raised, and I was about to fire
everyone.
We had three sessions of seats in our auditorium. A woman
stood up walked quickly down the hall. She started walking
forward. And inside me, I knew she was not the person. I said,
"You're not the person sister, but come and lay hands anyway
Healing belongs to you.".
Then almost at that moment, I saw the woman who played
the piano for us to hurry and come down. Inside me the Spirit of
God told me, "She's the one."
I said, "You're the one." And I laid my hands on it.
In a Tuesday she returned to the doctor for the treatment of
X-rays. She said to the doctor: "I want you to take a plate of my
lungs." The doctor wanted to know why.
She said: "Something happened. Go ahead and take a plate.
Then I speak. "
He did not want to, but she said, "I'm paying for it. Go ahead
and do it. " They took the plate. They had to wait all day for it to be
revealed. This took a long time in those days.
The doctor finally came out and said, "If it's all right, we
would like to take another plate. This does not cost anything to
you. This is on the house. " Then they took another. They ended up
taking five different plates in five different positions. After they
have finished taking and reveal all five, they called her husband.
They showed him the plate of one of them had taken with the
 growth firsthand. All five of them had recently taken showed no
growth. All five plates were cleaned!
They said, "We do not understand this. We would never have
believed it if we had this plaque to prove. " Then her husband told
the doctors what had happened.
They said, "Well, one thing to say about it; surely something
worked, not worked? ".
Some time later, she was witnessing the church. She said: "Of
course, you do not know about my past. But I was just convinced
that God would heal me. I knew I loved the Lord, but had married
and divorced four times. I did not have courage enough to come
here for the cure. "
But God was behind her in some way. When she was born
again, God forgave about his past. He had no knowledge of it. All
gone! And twenty-five years later, I spoke to her and everything
was fine!
I had a pastor friend who shared with me about three young
couples who he had in his church. All three were in their twenties
and thirties. They all came to their church and were saved. Over
time, one of the young men realized God calling him to preach.
Then the pastor tried to help him. It gave him the opportunity to
work with young people and teach some classes of Sunday school.
This pastor was not just the pastor of this church, but he was
also the priest of a particular denomination for part of Fort Worth.
There was another small church in the Fort Worth suburb that
was very little that needed a pastor. This happened many years ago
when Fort Worth was very small. The small church had only half a
dozen members about, and only twenty or thirty people appeared
in the services. So this pastor sent this young man of his church.
After being there for a year, he still had only five and twenty
or thirty people come to worship. Then he gave up. Before he quit,
he asked for a license because he needed to be able to perform
weddings and funerals. The organization that licenses asked him:
Are you married? Have you ever been divorced? And neither he nor
his wife had been divorced, so they gave him the license.
Well, another young couple from church this pastor also
noted the call to enter the ministry. Then he sent them to the
 pastor of that little church on the outskirts of Fort Worth. They
stayed almost a year and then left. The young man was also
licensed. They asked him the same questions they asked the first
young man, and he also said, "No problem. I've never been
divorced. "
Finally, the third couple realized the call to ministry. Thus the
pastor sent them to this little church. They had not been there for
six months and were already passing of hundred people. They
began to build a new building. He filled out the questionnaire. He
had never been divorced, but his wife had been. She was divorced
before being saved. Because of this, they would not give him the
license. They would not put the seal of approval of him. He also did
more for that church to everyone else.
The pastor helped him to be licensed by another organization.
He remained in that church and built it coming a few hundred.
The other two men who were graduates sat for almost thirty years,
doing nothing in the ministry. But God just blessed this man.
When people come to know the Lord, everything that
happened in the past is dead. First Corinthians Chapter 7 explains
that whatever state a man is when God's grace comes to him, he
must remain there. If he had been married and divorced three or
four times before you save and is now married, he should stay
exactly as it is and go with God. Similarly, if he is single, he should
not feel automatically compelled to marry. God meets us right
where we are.
 Chapter 4
GOD'S VISION FOR WEDDING

The vision of God for marriage is described in chapter 5 of

Ephesians. You can start in any situation you are - whether you're
single, married, divorced, or in a remarriage after divorce - and
follow God.

Ephesians 5.22-33
Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord; For the
husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the
church; and He is the Savior of the body. But as the church is
subject unto Christ, so let the wives be in everything to their
husbands. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the
church and gave Himself for her, that he might sanctify, having
cleansed her by the washing of water by the word, and to present
to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any
such thing, but holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to
love their wives as their own bodies. Who loves his wife loves
himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh; rather it nourishes
and cherishes it, as Christ does the church; because we are
members of his body. That is why a man will leave his father and
mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one
flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and
the church. Nevertheless, let every one of you also must love his
wife as himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

Paul tells husbands to love their wives. Well, obviously, they

have a natural love for each other, or they never would have
married first.
But Paul is not talking about the natural love here, because
he said, "... as Christ loved the church ..." (Eph 5:25). It is a way
beyond the natural. That goes beyond human love. Christ loved the
Church with love kind of God. It was the kind of love God in
operation.
This letter written to the Ephesians could not be applied to
sinners. A man is not saved could not love his wife as Christ loved
the Church. This would be impossible! He does not have this kind
of love into it. He has a natural and human love for his wife, but
not the kind of love God.
In the book of Ephesians, Paul is speaking to Christians
where both husbands and wives, are Christians. See that Christian
husbands have the potential to love their wives in a way that
sinners can not husbands love their wives, because God's love -
the love of the kind of God - has been poured into their hearts by
the Holy Spirit.
But the human and natural love can be selfish. Although the
love of God can be in your heart as a Christian, you may still be
selfish. If you are walking in more natural than spiritual, then your
love is selfish. You will be primarily interested in himself! But love
the kind of God is selfless.
The marriage of God's vision is revealed in Ephesians 5. What
you need to do is figure out where you are and build your marriage
in God's sight.
A good marriage does not just happen. You have to work on it
as well as you have to do something well. For example, you may be
called to the ministry, but he not only happens and happens, is
not automatic. Do you have something to do with it. The same is
true with the wedding!
When talking about marriage, often we started reading
Ephesians 5:22, where Paul speaks wives for them to submit to
their husbands. But if we go back a few verses, Paul gives
instructions for the Church of Ephesus.

Ephesians 5.18-22
And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled
with the Spirit, speaking to yourselves in psalms, singing and
making melody in your heart to the Lord with hymns and spiritual
songs, giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father
in name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of
reverence for Christ. Wives, submit to your husbands as to the
Lord;
 In verse 21, Paul speaks for the Church of Ephesus - telling
them to undergo each other. Then in verse 22, he enters the
marriage relationship.
If we take scripture out of place, you can make it say
anything you want it to say. People often cite verse 22 out of
context. They say, "Wives submit up to their own husbands as to
the Lord." They leave the impression that the man is a dictator of
the house, and women are expected to do everything the man says
to do. Well, if this is the case, the church expects us to be dictators
on each other, because in verse 21 tells the whole Church in
Ephesus "submit to one another." This would be chaotic.
So what Paul really mean? When he said: "Submitting to one
another" (Eph 5:21), he meant that we should give each other or go
well with each other. He did not mean for a person in the church to
be the dictator over the other, or each of the church is also a little
dictator. He meant that it is easy to undergo the domain of love.
Paul meant the same thing when he said in the following
verse: "Wives, submit to your own husbands."
Take, for taking a verse out of context, you can make a
scripture say something that really does not say.

Errors concerning the Submission

We will continue to read Ephesians Chapter 5.

Ephesians 5.23-25
Because HUSBAND IS THE WOMAN HEAD, even as Christ is
the head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. But as
the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be in everything
to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also
loved the church and gave himself up for her,

Every twenty-five or thirty years, it seems that again the same

mistake is everywhere. Some say they have a new revelation. The
last for some time and quiet down. Some come into error by over-
emphasize the fact that her husband is the head of the house.
Other people say that the wife is not to have a word, whatever.
They believe that the husband has the right to treat his wife like a
doormat.
I remember one time when my wife and I were having lunch
with a man and his wife. I realized that his wife did not say
anything. She was like a small child who was continually bullied.
In a period at the beginning of her marriage, she had been a school
teacher. But in time we met with them, she was so down; we could
detect that something was wrong with her.
As my wife and I visited them, I realized that her husband
dominated the conversation. My wife discovered the fact that his
wife was not saying anything. Then she worked the conversation
around, and finally the man's wife spoke up and said, "Brother
Hagin, do you think a wife has an opinion? I mean, she can speak
in your own home? "
I said, "Sure!" I realized that her husband launched a
withering look at me! I saw that the problem was made. He wanted
to dominate and control her. He wanted her to do exactly what he
was talking for her to do. She could not even talk, unless he
allowed to do.
At the end of the meal, the husband wanted me to pray for
his wife, because she was going to undergo an operation. She was
nervous and depressed. I was not surprised. She was living with
an asshole! A fellow like this is ridiculous. And really, the main
thing that was wrong with her, it was just his nerves.
As we see in this situation, we found that she could not speak
in his own home unless he gave permission for her. She could not
give his opinion on anything.
This man took some scripture out of context. And you can
easily see that you could hope these scriptures in Ephesians
chapter 5 and make them say that the husband is to dominate his
wife, if he wanted. But it's not what Scripture is saying, because if
you read the next verse he says "Husbands love your wives, even
as Christ also loved the church ..." (Eph 5:25). This was definitely
not the law of love that this man was showing!
Now, on another occasion, I remember a minister who invited
him to come preach at my church. We really did not need a
meeting, but we were only trying to help you. It got to the point
where he had no place to preach. He had two small children,
 almost the same age as our children. And then, I invited him to
help you. We raised an offer for him more than for any other
preacher in the church. We also bought for him and his wife some
clothes while they were there.
We started discussing this very subject submission while I
was near him. And I saw how he treated his wife and two young
children. He treated his wife in a bad way. She could not speak.
She had to do exactly what he was talking for her to do. He used
Ephesians 5:22, "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own
husbands as to the Lord." But he took the scripture out of context.
He forgot the next verse that reminds husbands to love their wives
as Christ loved the church.
I spoke to this poor man about his family. I told him he
needed to change the way he treated his wife and two children. I
said, "You will lose your children. They will grow up not knowing
anything about love. They will think that God is like you. "
He was able to preach well, although his life was not right
with God. And he was preaching - one of the best meetings we ever
had. More people were saved and baptized with the Holy Spirit
than at any other meeting.
He later became a church and I preached for him. I was in
the parsonage with him and his family. And I spoke to him again. I
remember that search the scriptures together. And he was the kind
of guy who thought he was always right and everyone else was
wrong. If you do not agree with him, he would put you down.
Well, he did not know the Word of God as I knew, then
dropped his every argument. He quoted a scripture, and I quoted
two. Finally, he came out of the scriptures and I was still citing
them.
In conclusion he said: "Well, I could be wrong. I think I'm not,
but I could be. "
We were eating at the table discussing these things, when he
answered a phone call. As a pastor, he had to visit someone. So
after he left us, his wife and his mother said, "This is the first time
we heard it imply that there is a possibility that he was wrong."
Well, I saw a transient change in him, but he returned to the
same dogmatic attitude, and dictatorial - whenever he was right.
 You could see it in his preaching. He thought he was right and
everyone else wrong.
His two sons findaram exactly as he said he would end. I told
him exactly what would happen if he continued to treat them
badly. I have not had a revelation. Just know what God's Word
says. There is a law of sowing and reaping that resonates in every
area of one's life.
Sometimes we stress the sowing and harvesting in connection
with giving finances. Well, this is true because Jesus said, "Give,
and up you will; good measure, pressed down, shaken, overflowing
generously give you; For with the same measure that ye have
measured you will measure as well. "(Luke 6:38). But see, the law
of sowing and reaping is true in all other areas of life too.
When your last child graduated from high school, they both
said: "We've had enough of this. Bye. We're going! "And they left.
His wife said: "I have borne it all these years. The children are
grown now. Bye. I'm going ".
To my knowledge, this man died near its 40-year-old. He was
found dead in bed, alone. He brought this on himself. And to my
knowledge, none of his children or his wife were serving God when
I heard the last time on them; they were not going to church for
years. They thought God was like him. The children grew up with
that idea, with that father image. They associated the image of God
the Father with the earthly father. But, thank God, he is not like
that father!

Mind your Wife

While preaching once, there was a case of another man who
had a small church. They had no singer in the church. Then the
husband and wife sing special songs; they were excellent singers.
They usually sang a special song each night just before the
moment when I preached.
I sat close to platform and then get up when it was time to
preach. I wanted to sit in front of the platform and hear them sing.
Because it was a very small building and they did not have a
sound system, really could not hear them very well there behind.
His special songs were so blessed. Well, during the hearing, his
 wife sat away from the platform because she had two children to
look after - had two and a half years old and the other was four
years old. They did not have a nursery, it was a small church.
Then he called to the platform to sing.
I realized that when she went to the platform, on the back of
pantyhose on her leg had a huge pulled wire. I do not know how
she managed to wear pantyhose that in that state! For day and
night I was there at the parsonage, and heard her asking him for
money to buy a pantyhose. Back in those days, you could buy a
pantyhose on less than a dollar.
Her husband spent money carelessly, never contributing to
give you money for a new pantyhose. He was always very well
dressed. And she had no clothes to go out with him. She could not
buy anything.
Then after three or four nights, he and I were in town one
day. I was driving and stopped in front of a clothing store. I gave
him some money and said, "I want you to go buy his wife a
pantyhose." He looked at me somewhat amazed.
I said, "If you do not love her as his wife to buy her a
pantyhose, I love her enough as the mother of those two young
children and a sister in the Lord I'm tired of seeing her go to the
platform. all night to help you sing with all the behind the half of
her leg had a huge wire pulled. "
This man was certainly not acting in love, spending their
money every day with himself. He could have used that money to
buy his wife several half pants.
Then he said to me: "Oh, do not I have the money I'll buy her
a pantyhose, wait for me!.."
I said, "You told her that he had no money."
He said, "Well, I had not really paid attention to what she was
talking about."
I said, "Why do not you look at the legs of his wife
Furthermore, she had spoken to you every day that she needed
half new pants I heard her asking you?.."
He said: "I thought she was just kidding."
 I said, "Go get her a pantyhose, because you have money, and
stop lying about it." Then he went to the store and bought her a
pantyhose.
Another pastor, and I was preaching, and something similar
happened. Even though it was during World War II and the prices
were frozen, he drove a new car and wore the finest suits. Well, he
had three children. The eldest was not old enough to go to school
yet; a child started school at age six at the time. The youngest was
just a baby, with only two or three months old.
His wife had some serious problems to sustain the pregnancy
of her last child. They thought she was going to lose it. So when
the baby was born, they made the delivery of the child by
Caesarean section.
So she was doing all the housework and cooking all meals. I
stayed at the parsonage and saw her doing all this, and even more
taking care of the three children. It was with those kids ready to go
to church and then once they went to church, she sat in the pew
beside her and managed safely with them to stay there until she
was singing with her husband. And the poor sister had no decent
clothes. Already he was well dressed from head to toe.
She was not very strong. She had not yet fully recovered. And
he was bothering her all the time, saying, "Why do not you do it
Why do not you do that" Nevertheless, she was so kind and gentle
with him.
She told me: "I have three children to look after, and even if
the meals are not ready just in time, the way he wants, he gets
angry and he quotes scripture that wives should submit to their
husbands."
One day she was washing away in the laundry rubbing the
old fashioned way. This is hard work; I had done this before. Then
he told her: "There is a laundry self-service here in town?"
She said, "Brother Hagin, there was one, but burned."
I said, "Why do not you get someone to wash the clothes for
you?"
She said: "There is a lady in the church that has a maid who
works for her She offered to pay her to do the washing, but my
husband said. No, we will not do it."
 I said, "Go ahead and talk to her to have employed it here I'll
pay for it.".
She said, "Oh, no he will not like it."
I told her I would talk to him. I could tell she was scared of
him. A wife should not be afraid of her husband, especially if he is
a preacher! Obviously, this man was not walking in love.
I'm not afraid of Jesus. The love and respect. The bow, but
I'm not afraid of Him. Why? Because I know he loves me. The Bible
says that husbands should love their wives as Christ loved the
church (Ephesians 5:25).
Then he said to her husband: "She would not take the money,
because they could say that she's scared she almost began to
shake You should not let his wife do all this work, she is not
physically able to do so She did not... It is recovered from that
operation. "
He said, "Well what's a woman to do?"
My flesh wanted to slap him. I did not care if he was a
preacher. Even with a fellow like this you have to walk in love and
put flesh into submission.
So I took money from my wallet and said to him: "Why do not
you go to another city and leads to the laundry yourself, one of
those self-service laundries you have a good car?".
"I can not do almost anything a woman's work!"
A fellow like this is very ignorant; it's a miracle someone does
not have to come and talk to him to get well and get out of the rain!
Then I mentioned the woman in your church who volunteered
to do the washing of clothes for her. Then I offered him my money,
and he said, "I have money."
Then he said:.. "Listen, if you do not love enough as his wife
and the mother of his children to look after her, I love her enough
as a sister in the Lord" He reluctantly agreed to do the washing So
some time later he took another woman. The home was destroyed
and his ministry ended.
The husband should love his wife just as Christ loves the
Church. The husband must feed and take care of his wife as Christ
takes care of His own Body. The husband takes care of the health
and happiness of his wife for putting her first. He loves you better
than yourself. And she loves him with the love of the kind of God.
God must have loved us more than He loved Himself, because
He gave His own Son while we were still sinners (John 3:16; Rom
5.8). Others will know that we are disciples of Jesus Christ
because of the love we have with one another (John 13:35).

Walk in Love
If a wife can not do anything without her husband gave her
permission, so she could not be saved until her husband allowed
her to be saved. She could not go to heaven without her husband
allowed. She could not receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit
without his permit. It could not have answered their prayers
without it allowed the same way. We also know many women who
have become great prayer warriors and their husbands have not
been saved or are poor examples of a Christian.
In the history of Smith Wigglesworth's life, he said he owed
his ministry to his wife. Before he began to preach, his profession
was plumber. He grew cold and was not going to church much. He
has become completely unmanageable. He told his wife one day:
"You are there in that church all the time you could fit to take his
bed there.".
She said, "No, Smith, do not go there every time I go there
only three times a week I did not neglect you, and I do not neglect
the children you know...".
He said: "The Bible says that man is the head of the house
and that wives must obey their husbands So I'm telling you not to
go to church.".
She said, "... You're my husband in anything you say here in
the house anything goes But you are not my Lord Jesus is my
Lord, and He told me to go, so I'm going to church Bye.".
He said, "I'll let you outside and you will not be able to return!
Of course, she did not have a house key. Then he locked the door
and let her out. "
When she returned, she sat in stops throughout the night. He
came in the house entrance the next morning and unlocked the
door. And it should be very cold because he found her curled. She
was leaning against the door, and when he opened it, she almost
fell in the kitchen.
She stood smiling and happy and said, "Honey, what would
you like for breakfast?" She acted as if nothing had happened. She
just loved him. Then he felt convinced.
Smith Wigglesworth said that had it not been for his wife
(used by God, of course), he would never have done it. He became
a great man of God. He was mightily used. He and his wife had a
big part in this. What if his wife ear and had stopped going to
church? They would have backslid. Who knows where they would
have ended.
I remember the first time when I started to preach. I pastored
a small church in rural area and was just a young unmarried only
19 years old. As a pastor, I had to deal with problems in the
church, just marriage problems.
A man and his wife got into a disagreement. The wife was
saved and baptized with the Holy Spirit; she spoke other
languages. But her husband had been saved recently and had not
been baptized with the Spirit. But he was a good man.
Well, I had said this before: Two people can disagree without
being disagreeable. Husbands and wives must learn to disagree
without being disagreeable. Two people do not have to get into a
fight; they can respectfully disagree. I never fought with my wife.
We have disagreed with certainty, but we have always solved the
situation in love.
Now in this particular situation, the wife was one percent
wrong! I had dealt with them before, and the wife was like in a
costume. But on this particular occasion, she was wrong. I went to
their house, and she was angry! She did not even want him in the
room where she was. He did not dare go there. Then he got up and
came out and told me to your side of the story.
When I entered their house, she let me know she was always
right. I just heard. I said nothing. She said: "We are married to
fifteen years, I want you to know that in these fifteen, I was never
wrong!"
I said, "Sister, you are a liar." Well, that shocked her so much
that she said nothing; she was just dead!
 I continued:.. "I do not believe I know that within a period of
fifteen years, you have not been perfect in the way you think you
have Wrong And in any type of disagreement with your husband,
you are not one percent correct . I just know! I'm not very old, but I
have enough sense to know that nobody is perfect! "
She started to protest again, but took the word and said:.. "Be
quiet and listen to me I have dealt with situations between you and
your husband earlier, I admit that in the past, you were right often
Her husband is usually the person who has just saying, "Well,
she's right and I'm wrong."
I said, "But in this particular case you are one hundred
percent wrong!" She looked at me began to cry.
She said, "You know, you are exactly right I think the first
thing I should do is regret to say that I'm always right."
Then she called her husband in and said, "I am one hundred
percent wrong Please forgive me.". They put things in order, and I
can not remember more than having to deal with any situation
there again. I'm sure they had some differences, but they put them
in order. See, she saw his mistake. She saw how selfish she had
become. She had stopped walking in love.
I remember a fellow who came to me screaming and crying.
He said his wife was leaving him and he did not know what to do
about it. So I asked him: "Why is she leaving you?"
He said: "I was sorry to her and told her that I did not love
her more now I do not know what to do.".
I said, "Praise God, repent and go ask her to forgive you Do
what the Bible says to do and straighten you love her..?" He said
he loved her.
Then said, "Well, go tell her you love her and then act as such
do not just say this; move with your actions..!"
Another fellow who came to me, and God told me to help you.
My wife and I talked much with him as his wife. Before they were
saved, they were making mistakes. She had never been married
and had two illegitimate children. And he had been married, but
his wife left him. But then they were saved, they were baptized in
the Holy Spirit and met at church. And they were married.
 Then this brother came to me and said, "My wife will leave me
because she is upset with me."
I asked, "Why?"
He said, "Well, I do not always act in love."
I said, "You should act."
At the time I did not know what he was doing, but I found out
later that he was not treating her two sons correct. He was wrong
with them; he called them with terrible names. So I told him: "If
you remain treating those children as it is, the you from before
God and you will have to love his wife and put her first Put it
before yourself and act right... ".
Finally, we managed to keep them together. I really did not
think they were going to do this. But they did, thank God.
Sometime later, my wife I received a beautiful letter from them;
they were out in the ministry, working for God and happy.
I remember seeing them in one of our seminars. The minister
from the pulpit made a call for people to come forward to
consecrate themselves to be missionaries or seek a world view.
Well, I was sitting on the platform, and saw this brother getting up
from your chair and walk about three and a half meters. Then he
stopped and turned and led his wife on his arm to escort her to the
front. He treated her as if she were a princess. See, he started
acting right. He began to love her as Jesus loves the church. And
she began to answer it.

God's Plan for a Companion or helper

God is love. The man is a creation of God. Consequently, man
is a creation of love. When God created woman to be a companion
and helper of man, he took part of the man and that part, He
formed the woman. The woman became flesh of her flesh bones
(Genesis 2:23).
Now look in the Book of Ephesians Paul made a reference to
what God did in Genesis - as God made woman from man (Eph
5:28).
The Lord also said, "... It is not good that the man should be
alone; I will make you an help meet for him" (Genesis 2:18) Truly,
 the Hebrew word for "helper" means a contributor I.. I think it is
the most unique expression in this wonderful story. The woman
was made to answer the need of the heart, spiritual needs, mental
needs and physical needs of man.
And when the man the woman are married, they should be a
separate union, completely separate from all other people. We read
how God formed the woman and then made the man and the
woman become one flesh.

Genesis 2.21-24
So the LORD God caused deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and
he slept; He took one of his ribs and closed up the place with flesh.
Then the rib which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a
woman and brought her. And the man said, This at last is bone of
my bones and flesh of my flesh; will be called-Woman, because the
man was taken. Therefore a man leaves his father and mother and
be united to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

Now this part of scripture has within it some of the most

precious facts about marriage that has already been written. The
man shall leave his mother and father. The wife leave his mother
and father. And the two will form a home. This is the beginning of
life in the home or family life.
So God's plan for marriage is that man leave his parents and
the husband let her parents, and then the two become one. When I
said, "leave his father and mother," I'm not saying that the couple
is not prevented from visiting her parents. I mean that the couple's
parents are not supposed to be the bossy in their house!
There have been many problems created in the home because
of the mother or father wanting to talk to the couple what to do. Is
it correct to warn people, but it is not right to run in the lives of
others - even if they are your children. When they become adults,
they are accountable to God for themselves.
I remember two formed the RHEMA. The young man was a
good and successful minister. They met and decided to marry.
First, her mother said it was very good.
 You Can Choose the Companion Want?
You can believe all that God's Word promises or provides to
you. You can not go beyond that. This is where people get into
trouble. Because you can not? Romans 10:17 says, "And So then
faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ." Faith
is based on what God's Word says. And you can not believe beyond
knowledge of God's Word. For example, many years ago a
denominational pastor received the Holy Spirit, spoke in tongues
and was excluded from its name. No church to pastor, he went and
entered a business by himself in a big city and attended the largest
church Full Gospel in the city. He was uncompromising, probably
between thirty-five and forty years old.
He told me there was this beautiful young lady who sang in
the choir and since "you get what you say," and "For verily I say
unto you, if anyone says to this mountain, Arise and cast into the
sea, and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those
who says, so will he. So I tell you that whatever you ask in prayer,
believe that you receive, and you will have them [Mk 11.23-24], "he
was praying and believing that he would get this lovely lady as his
wife.
But I can not read in the Bible where God's Word says: "I
promise John that he can have Mary as his wife." Maria may not
want to be his wife! And either way John can live well without it!
I asked him, "Have you talked to this woman? Have you ever
had an encounter it? "
He said, "No, no."
Sitting there in the congregation while the choir was singing
on Sunday morning, he had set his eyes on her and was attracted
to her. Since "You can have what you say" he thought if he said it,
was to come. Yes, but under what conditions would happen if he
believed it firmly? No, faith comes by hearing and hearing the Word
of God (see Romans 10:17). And God's Word says: "He who finds a
wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord" (Proverbs
18:22).
See, you have to do something about it. The Lord will lead
and guide you. You have the right to ask for guidance, because He
has promised to guide him. You have the right to ask Him to go.
 But just pick someone and say "I will believe in God and she will
be my wife," he is at odds with Scripture.
Well, she may not want to be his wife. Or, otherwise this
would work. He may not want to be her husband. Friends, when
the will of the other person enters the question, you can not ignore
the will of him or her. Also you have to settle down on this once
and for all.
God Himself does not exercise authority over human spirits.
If he exercised, he would make every person in the whole world
might be saved today, we would be with the Lord. We have
authority over evil spirits, not human spirits. God Himself does not
exercise authority over human spirits; He let people choose for
themselves.

Believe God for a partner

The first meetings I addressed after leaving my last grazing, a
lady in her thirties who had never married, said to me, "Brother
Hagin, I have the right to believe for a husband?".
I said, "I think so, because the Bible says: He who finds a wife
finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord." [Proverbs
18:22]. It would be a poor rule did not work for both.
"Now you can not just pick someone and say, This person is
mine. But you can ask God to guide you. You can call the direction
of God through faith and let Him work in it because you believe in
him. "
I remember two beautiful young ladies at a revival meeting
conducted in Oklahoma. They had only graduated from high
school with the largest room notes. They were saved and baptized
in the Holy Spirit in that meeting.
After a while, I went back there for some educational
meetings. One of these young ladies, who was then almost twenty
years, was there and the Lord had something to deliver to her
through me in one of the nights.
Later the pastor said, "Brother Hagin, I'm so glad you did it.
You did not know it, I'm sure. But she is engaged to marry a young
man, and we are concerned. He came here, and I'll be honest with
 you, I'm sure he just did as he was saved so that he could have
her. "
I did not know these details the night the Lord gave to her
through me. She was sitting in front of the chair. I told the
congregation sing because I did not want people to hear and told
her: "The Lord told me to say this to you, I have something better
for you. Do not marry so quickly. I have something better for you. "
Two years later I was in California at a camp. A young lady
with a young elegant at his side, came to me and said, Brother
Hagin, do you remember me? "
I said, "No, but your face looks familiar." She told me her
name, but still could not remember.
She said, "Well, you'll remember that. You called me while the
congregation was singing and told me that the Lord said not to
marry so quickly; and that He had something better for me. "
I said, "Yes, I remember that."
She said cheerfully, "Well, here it is!" Then she told me that
she and her husband were in Bible school preparing for the
ministry.
She said, "Oh, I'm so happy. I would have made a fatal
mistake. I'm so glad that the Lord has prevented me and taught
me. We are so happy. And we are working for the Lord. " He had
something better for her.
See, we believe in God and exercise faith for anything that is
promised in the Bible. "And so faith comes by hearing, and hearing
by the word of Christ" (Rm 10:17). Faith is based on listening to
what God's Word says.
When we enter into areas outside of the Word, we come into
gray areas, we come in black areas. As long as you are in Word,
you are in the light; you are in a safe and solid ground. And you
can rely on God for direction. He has promised to guide you. You
may say, "The Lord is guiding me. He's driving me. I can not see it
right now. I can not even know what to do at the moment but he is
guiding me, and I am trusting Him. "
Romans 8:14 says, "For all who are led by the Spirit of God
are sons of God." He will guide you, but remember that the Lord
directs his only one step at a time.
 Divorce Problem
I remember one particular family that was destroyed within a
period of two years. They had a certain type of tuberculosis called
"galloping consumption". I do not mean that only brothers and
sisters died. I mean everyone in the family - each! Tuberculosis
simply entered this family.
Divorce is so. It is a disease that affects directly a family. But
thank God, there is a cure. Christians must be determined to walk
in the light of the Word of God. I do not waste my free will just
because I became a Christian. I'm still a person who acts morally; I
still have a will. I decide to serve God or not to serve Him, and still
be a Christian.
If you are walking in fellowship with God, you will want to
serve Him. But if you enter in a poor state of communion, so of
course, the flesh and the natural, the human mind will take over
and dominate it. The devil will take advantage of these
opportunities. But people who walk in close communion with God
want to please God. If people draw close to God and walk in the
light of His Word, divorce will not be a problem.
 Chapter 5
FOUR PROBLEMS BETWEEN HUSBANDS AND WIVES

There are many books available about marriage. But the Bible
is the best book on marriage there! I have also learned many
things with regard to marriage, divorce and remarriage after
divorce through practical experience, because I began to shepherd
the end of my adolescence. Pastored for twelve years. And as a
pastor, I had to deal with all kinds of family problems.
I received as a traveling minister understandings that have
led me to the conclusion that the problems between husbands and
wives, as usual, revolve around four things.
(1) Religion (2) sex, (3) money, and (4) children. One of the
best ways to avoid problems in these four areas is to discuss them
in detail before you get married.

Discuss Wedding Before

I did not know much about marriage because I had never
been taught about it. I never read a book on the subject. My father
left us when I was a kid. I knew virtually nothing about sex or
anything else about the relationship between husband and wife.
But I read the Bible. And to hear the Holy Spirit in my spirit, I had
wisdom beyond myself. It was not mine. I was walking in
communion with God. When I asked for the hand of my wife to
marry me and she said, "Yes," he told her, "Well, before we go any
further, if we are mature enough to get married, so we're mature
enough to talk about some things" .
First we talk about religion. I told her, "Now, number one, I'm
a preacher." And she knew it. I said, "I have to go where God tells
me to go. And if God tells me to go to Africa, so I have to go to
Africa. " She knew nothing about ministry. She was not called to
the ministry, but needed to go with me to be my wife. And some
things could have come as an unpleasant situation if she did not
know previously about them.
 "I love you more than my mother or anyone else on earth," I
told her. "But I do not love you more than I love Jesus. Jesus
comes first for me. He must come first for you. But because Jesus
comes first for me, I love you with the love of Jesus. " And if Jesus
comes first at his wife, then she will also love her husband with the
love of Jesus.
I have found that preachers were so miserable. God called
them to be evangelists, so they had to be out of the house often.
But their wives rebelled against that. Preachers decided to please
their wives rather than please God. They have become pastors, and
as a result they are miserable all the time. There was misery in the
house. There was fellowship in homes. It's no wonder that the
children lose interest and serve the devil when they are brought up
in such an environment. I was determined that this would not
happen to me and my family.
So I said, "If we're old enough to get married, we're old
enough to talk about sex." None of us knew anything about it.
I said, "You need to understand something about a man and
his constitution. And I need to understand something about a
woman. " We got in line.
Then we discussed children. I said, "Let's have as many
children" We have reached an agreement that we would have
children. "How many we have?"
My wife said, "Oh, we can establish all this after we were
married."
I said, "No, let's get this set now, beforehand." My wife and I
agreed that we would have two sons. We agreed that we would
have a first boy and then a girl. To talk about their names.
Finally we discuss about money. Well, we did not have much
to be concerned about it at the time! After we got married, we had
two currencies, and we used to buy two candy bars. We decided
that we would get, we could start from the lower level. We could
not go in the other direction, unless soar!
I said, "I know one thing, I would not be able to wear his gift
as his father does." Because she was the only daughter and the
baby of the family, her father bought her what she wanted. The
price did not matter. I explained that there was a sacrifice to be in
 the ministry. Paul told Timothy "Share in suffering as a good
soldier of Christ Jesus" (2 Tim 2.3).
And the Lord dedicate ourselves together. And there came a
time when she was only a dress to go out in public. And, really, it
was not good. But she never said a word. I was also in a situation
where he had only one suit with which he could get dressed. It was
worn around the collar and sleeves were almost exhausted. But
finally we started to climb to the top.
You need to discuss these things before getting married. And
if you're already married, then discuss these things now and enter
accordingly. If you are not in agreement, that hinder your prayers.
See in First Peter chapter 3.

1 Peter 3.7
Husbands, I, also, live the common life of home, with insight;
and having regard for your wife as the weaker vessel, Treat her
with dignity, because you are together, heirs of the grace of life,
WHY NOT hinder your prayers. "

We do much preaching of faith and prayer, but what hinders

your prayers disturb their faith. Prayer and faith go together. If you
do not give honor to your spouse, your prayers will be hindered.

# 1 Religion
The number one problem in marriages is religion, a believer
should not marry an unbeliever. The Bible says, "Be ye not
unequally yoked together with unbelievers; For what partnership is
there between righteousness and wickedness? Or what fellowship
has light with darkness? "(2 Corinthians 6:14). So in many cases,
neither the husband nor the wife were Christians when they got
married. But then one of them was saved. Remember, Paul talks
about this in First Corinthians 7.12-16.
If the unbeliever is content to live with the Christian, this is
good. But if the unbeliever is running around committing adultery
and is not content to live with the Christian spouse, then let the
unbelieving depart. Each situation must be looked at in light of the
law of love.
I remember that in a church I pastored, we had a small
woman with red hair. It was not too big or too high. Her husband
was a great fellow who weighed about 113 kg. I did not know
anything about their past, only the woman was saved and her
husband was not saved. He was always walking around, playing
bet or drinking.
Because we lived in a small town, each knew everything
about everyone. People in the church said it before being saved
and baptized with the Holy Spirit, was as bad as it was. She cursed
taller than him. And she fought with her husband who weighed
113 lbs and beat him! She found a cast-iron skillet and beat him
on the head.
They were married for many years and had three or four
children. She brought her children to Sunday school and the
church, but her husband never came. Finally once at the breakfast
table, her husband asked, "Why do not you change your bed to
that church? You get in that church more than you stay home. "
She said, "Honey, you know that is not so. I'm there
Wednesday night, Sunday morning and Sunday night. But even if I
were at home, you were not here. You go out every night. I
guarantee that your meals are all ready and the house is clean. "
He replied, "Yes, you simply had to change bed at once!".
He had a cash reserve, because he had a good job in a good
company, but he threw it all away betting. They lived in an
unworthy manner, but could have lived well if it had preserved
their money. Instead, he only wasted.
She only had one pair of shoes. He thought that would put an
obstacle for her to go to church, so he threw her shoes in the attic.
She did not know where he had hidden. She could not find her
shoes, and he thought: Well, she will not go to church now. But
instead, she just put their wellies and went to the same church as
well.
My wife asked me, "Did you see the feet of Sister Sylvia?"
 I said no! I did not notice his feet, there was something wrong
with her feet? "I realized she had a soft light on his face. She
seemed to glow.
My wife said: "She had rubber sandals them."
After this red-haired woman said to her husband,
provocatively: "If you do not like me the way I am, I think I could
go back to the way it used to be." Well, he recalled she was.
He said, "Oh, no! Oh no! Though he weighed 113 kg, as I
said, he did not like when she was furious while cooking. She took
an iron skillet full of hot oil and beat him on the head! "
He said, "No, I like well over you as you are now. Stay just the
way you are! "
She said, "Well, you're the head of this family, because you
are the husband. You should take the spiritual leadership, but you
are not saved. When we sit down at the table, you start eating like
a pig. We should pray before we eat. I pray with our children and
take them to Sunday school and church. But we should pray as a
family. ".
He said, "Well, it's all right, you go ahead and pray." Then
they began to pray at meals.
After she told him, "Now we also have a Bible reading time in
our house. You should do this. You should take the lead in Bible
reading and prayer. "
He said, "Go ahead and do it." Then they began to have a time
of reading and prayer in the home.
This is a perfect example of a problem concerning the religion
within a marriage. It is not saved, and it is. There is a division
between the two. And there's a big burnout among children. If the
children are not Christians, they usually follow the natural rather
than spiritual. This in turn can cause all sorts of problems.
Another example of a potential problem concerning the
religion, is when a spouse is a designation and the other spouse is
of another. For example, if a spouse is Methodist and the other is
Baptist, this can create major problems if both parties are
inflexible and unwilling to live with someone else. Now, of course,
they are really saved and born again, they will walk in the law of
love. This will make a big difference! I remember one man in
 particular who was saved, but his wife was not. They had a farm
that was paid and they had all the equipment they needed. They
had a house full of new wooden furniture. After this man was
saved, he wanted to pay their tithes. But his wife was very angry.
She said, "No you will not! Soon after, they had a failed cotton crop
and lost everything.
Some time later, he started coming to church again. He
consecrated again his life to God. This was in August. In late
September, its first cotton harvest came. He brought their tithes to
the Church. He said: "This time my wife insisted. She said, 'Do not
forget your tithes'. She remembered that lost everything. " Finally,
after three or four months, she came to the church, under
conviction, came to the altar, and was saved.
Now, see, this was all because of religion. She did not like his
religion. They lost everything they had. But, thank God, they began
to pay their tithes, and God began to bless them.
When I lived in Garland, Texas, he was a young man who was
saved and baptized in the Holy Spirit. He was active in youth work.
He met a young lady there in the church that was also saved and
filled with the Holy Spirit. They married.
Now when they got married, this young man was a "lay
preacher". He quit in every weekends in a while and preached to
anyone. But he was not going all weekend. After they were married
for a few years, he was coming out regularly. He had grown up as a
good evangelist. So he decided to give up their work and preach
full-time, because either way he was almost full-time. He was
preaching every weekend.
His wife said: "I will not! I did not marry a preacher! "
He said, "Yes, you married. I was preaching when you
married me. "
She said, "Well, yes, but I thought you would never do
anything more than what you did. I will not! If you are, you can go
without me. I'll be fine here. I want a house and a life like others
have. "
People get into trouble when they want to be like others. They
should want to be like Jesus. Well, she was, and it was. And of
course, after two or three years, so she found another man.
 As a divorced man, as this evangelist was single, he could
keep his credentials with their particular group, but if he married
again, they would take their credentials. It was a sad situation.
They should have been talking about these things and come to an
agreement before they were married.

# 2 Sex
Problem number two in marriage is sex. Often religion and
sex are mixed. For example, sometimes the woman became so
"spiritual" that is not going to bed with her husband. She does not
want her husband to touch. It can be saved and even baptized with
the Holy Spirit, but he is not spiritual enough in her eyes. And in
very few cases, the same is true with her husband.
I was driving to a meeting a young man. He was saved under
my ministry at fifteen. Now he was an ordained minister and had
two children. But he became so "spiritual" that did not want to
sleep with his wife. She was sexually hotter than him. She wanted
to sleep with him, and he should be fit for this because his body is
not his alone; is it also.
So I had to talk to both. I said to her husband: 'You'll have to
move, and she will be back. You'll have to find a balance where
both will be happy. You'll have to be satisfied together because if
you do not take care of it, some other will do. "
They did not hear. And some time later, he came and found
another man in bed with his wife. No way, the fact that the sexual
appetite of his wife was not being satisfied, justifies her actions.
She was still responsible for your own moral conduct. But because
she was not having his sexual needs fulfilled this made her more
vulnerable, or more susceptible to temptation.
In August 1943, I was driving a meeting in a church in East
Texas. The pastor of the church and I decided to attend a meeting
of communion in another nearby church. They only had evening
services in these revival meetings. And some of the officers of this
particular denomination of the full gospel was asked to preach in
their fellowship meeting, so I preached.
We had dined there on the terrace around the house. Later,
the pastor and one of the denomination's official came to me and
asked me if I would go with them to pray for one of the ladies in his
church because she was having ailments. And so I consented to
go.
The house lady was on the mountain, not so far from the
place of meeting. You could almost see the house church because
she was on top of the mountain. Now both husband and wife were
saved and members of that church. Her husband had never
received the baptism in the Holy Spirit, but the wife had received
the baptism in the Holy Spirit and was a Sunday school teacher at
the church.
She was having these ailments sometimes. They prayed for
her, and she improved. And then she got better. And then she just
quit. If she was in the room, she just passed out on the couch.
They thought she had a demon. They asked me to come along so I
could detect if she had a demon and evict her because I had some
success in this area.
When we walked into the house, she was lying on the couch.
She was moaning and agitated. I watched for a moment, looked
inside me, and told her husband: "Give me a glass of water." So he
went and took a large bowl filled with water and handed it to me.
Then I threw water on her face. She stood up suddenly, quickly.
I said, "Now get up there. There is nothing wrong with you. It
is not the devil. All that is wrong with you is that you think is so
"spiritual" that you do not have anything to do with her husband.
Thus you are pretending to be sick and ailments to keep having
sex with him. " It was exactly what was happening. This is a
dangerous thing to do.
I met another woman who was in his thirties, and doctors
could not find anything wrong with her. One minute you walked in
her presence, the Spirit of God said to me: "She wants nothing to
her husband. She's not sick. " But this lady would not accept that
and not do anything.
Two or three years later, she got an incurable disease and
was bedridden for several years. She contracted that illness
because he was faking something. She opened the door for the
devil. If she had put in order this issue in the light of the Word of
God, it would have been better off.
 Can a person be truly spiritual without obeying the Bible?
Why, certainly not! Let's see what First Corinthians 7.5 says: "Do
not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so
you dedicardes to prayer, and again be together, that Satan tempt
you not because of incontinence" . In the Greek literally reads, "No
stopping there intercourse with each other, except when there is
consent [both must consent to], you can fast and pray and then be
together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your
incontinence [failure to control sexual appetite]. "
In 1949, I left the last church that pastoreie. Then I went out
to the 1949-1962 field and part of 1963. In other words, I was on
the ministry's field of thirteen or fourteen. I was first in the
churches to what we called "church meetings."
Since most of the time, I remained in various parsonages with
the pastor and his wife. I drove many meetings during those short
periods of time. Customarily was only a week of free Christmas.
Sometimes this was the only week in the whole year was free.
Could be free one or two days per trip, but was on the road
constantly ministering.
So you can imagine how many pastors to preach and how
many places. Over time, I gather statistics and made a few polls for
myself. I noticed a problem in the past that is still a major problem
today.
Many of the pastors and whom I spoke had sexual problems.
Sometimes the husband spoke to me, and sometimes both he and
his wife talked to me. They said, "Brother Hagin, we could talk to
you?" I learned a lot about people just by being in their homes and
they seek advice.

Birth control
Once while he was with a pastor in his apartment, he woke
me up early in the morning. He was crying. This pastor twenty-
eight year old was crying. His wife and two children had arranged
the bags with all things of them, they took the car and left.
So I said, "We'll pray."
He said, "You do not know my wife. She is stubborn. " I said
nothing, but I thought, if she is stubborn as it is no wonder they
 have problems. Two stubborn are giving head in each other, like
two goats.
I said, "She'll be back. We agree. "
He said: "I am embarrassed to stand up and speak it with
anyone, you understand?"
I said, "Well, do not talk to anyone. You do not have to go to
the radio say that his wife left him. She'll come back. He said that
by faith: She'll be back in three days. " And three days later, she
returned.
I was in the parsonage and found the two together. I've never
seen a woman so foolish in my life. Now, in some way, she had the
right to be foolish. She thought I was taking sides with him, so she
began to yell at him. Soon, they were screaming at each other. Her
cheeks turned red! I had to raise his voice higher and they shout,
"Shut up!"
I pointed my finger directly on their faces and pushed a chair
and said, "I command in Jesus' name: shut up."
The wife was all shaky. I told her: "Now I want you to know
something. I'm on his side. (There are generally three views for
each argument: The husband's side, the side of his wife and the
right side). Already I can see where he's wrong. Let's put it in
order. At the same time, I try to put it in order. "
I knew nothing about what he would do. Only knew the Bible.
I gave each of them a piece of paper and a pencil. He said: "Make
two columns. Write down all the good things about your spouse on
one side and all the bad things about your spouse on the other
side. " They settled down and began to write. I realized that much
was twice as large as the bad part. He said: "We will work on the
bad parts."
I decided to take the first complaints it. The number one
problem of his complaints was regarding sex; she did not want to
touch her. Then he told his wife, "Why do not you want him to
touch?"
She said: "We have two children, and had horrible
experiences in childbirth on both occasions. I do not want any
more children. And he did not want to use a condom. "
 I said, "Do not blame you. You're right. Do not let him touch
her. "
I turned to her husband and said, "You're wrong. You are
oppressive as the fact that she does not want you to touch. Thus,
birth control is not wrong. "
Then she said, "We've been married all these years, and I love
my husband. I want to go to bed with him. I am almost sexually
active as it is. But when I start thinking about getting pregnant, I
give up. "
I said, "Well, he must protect it. It is his job to take the lead. "
And he said to her husband: "You should protect it; do
something about it. "
She said, "If you do not get pregnant. I will go to bed with him
every night! "So just consider each item in the list and aligned. But
as I said before: Many people with whom he had spoken before had
had sexual problems.

Selfish men
A common complaint of many men has been the following:
"My wife is cold and frigid. She wants nothing to me. "
Usually speak to them, "There is a cold and frigid woman or
something. They do not exist. The only thing that exists is a
ignorant, stupid, clumsy and rude men. "
This is where the problem lies. Man is only interested in
himself and in his own satisfaction. He is selfish. He is not
interested in his wife. He is not interested in the appeals. But love
always puts the other person first. I'm always interested in putting
my wife first. Not interested in getting something; I am interested
in giving something in life. "Love does not seek its own interests" (1
Cor 13.5).
If you do not know anything about these things, you can get a
good book on Christian sex issue and put it into practice. This
simply does not happen. Some people think that just comes
naturally. No, you learn to put into practice. A good sex life is a
healthy life. God intended to be this way. And that reward you
physically, mentally and spiritually. Sex in marriage is a good
thing and clean. It is a thing ordained of God. Paul said, "in honor
among all is marriage, and the bed undefiled; for God will judge
fornicators and adulterers. "(Hebrews 13.4).
I remember someone who was sleeping in a bed, and his wife
was sleeping in another bed. He was thirty-two years old, and he
said he'd never touch his wife again. He said she was as cold as an
iceberg. Who wants to stay in bed with an iceberg?
I told him: "Now is not going to work. You're just a young man
as I am. The Bible says not to deprive each other, because if you
do, Satan will try you in this area (1 Cor 7.5). Another woman will
seduce or something will happen and you will be more vulnerable;
you will be more prone to fall. His ministry will be ruined. The
church will split. This will not work. "
He said, "Well, she's the coolest woman I've ever seen in my
life. It is really frigid. "
I said, "There is a frigid woman or something. They do not
exist. The only thing that exists is absurd man who does not know
anything. His wife is not cold - you're just stupid! "
He said, "Yes, but you do not know my wife."
I said, "I do not know his wife, but assured you that she is
not frigid. The problem is with you! You're being kind to her? You
like? Or are you only interested in having sex with her? All he did
was sex. He was only interested in satisfying himself, and that was
the goal. "
I replied: "You need to hold her in his arms. She is your wife.
Kiss her. Talk about love. You do this? "
He said: "No".
I realized that he did not understand how to be a friend to his
wife, as to hear and locate to meet her needs. He did not
understand the importance of affection and many other things, so I
gave him a Christian book about sex to read, and I left.
Almost a month later, he was in the region of it and then
decided to go to see them, him and his wife one afternoon. I
climbed into the driveway and parked them. I rang the bell, but no
one came. I rang the bell again. And finally I touched a third time. I
thought they were out. I started driving out when the front door
opened them.
 When he left, he looked a little messy. I said, "What's with
you?"
He said, "Brother Hagin, you were right! You gave me that
book, and things have really changed. Now my wife wants to go to
bed with me, and on some days even twice! "
I said, "You have been married since she was nineteen, and
she had never had any benefit or satisfaction in marriage. She was
trying to make up for the past fourteen years! Go back and take
care of it. " He learned something. They got together and
succeeding in marriage and ministry.

Be Honest With Your Spouse

Another problem in the marriage could have been solved by
discussing it in advance. I remember two students RHEMA who
married after they graduated. They were married a year ago and
had not yet had sex. The husband could not get an erection.
Because he did not speak to her before they were married? This is
something they should have discussed before marriage.
I remember a young evangelist who finished as a "heap of
spiritual garbage" because of this same problem. This young man
got married when I was almost twenty-five years old. He was
someone who was leading evangelists in your city. He and his wife
sang together.
They had been married for six months, and the woman
approached the pastor's wife and said, "How long do you take for
you to have sex after getting married"
The pastor's wife said: "It was the first night."
This young woman said: "We've been married six months, and
he had not said or done anything. He has not approached me in
any way. " That marriage was not consummated. They could have
had a legal marriage annulled because they never actually
consummated the marriage. She stayed with him for eighteen
months and then left. Who want a wedding like this?
My wife and I discussed about sex before we were married.
We were very honest with each other. I let her know ahead of time
what I thought the sex point of view, and she also spoke openly
with me. We came to a mutual and acceptable agreement.
 Our marriage and our sex life has been wonderful because we
started right. And we have remained so. We agreed that we would
always boyfriends. And after more than sixty years we are still
dating. She goes to sleep every night in my arms. The last thing
she said before going to sleep is, "I love you". The last thing you say
is, "I love you".
The first thing we both say the morning is: "I love you", and
then kissed each other. We do the same thing each morning. Let
her know how much I love and appreciate. And she lets me know
how much he loves me and appreciates me. Marriage is a beautiful
thing.
A few years ago, my wife and I were advising a couple. My
wife asked them if they ever said, "I love you" to each other. They
were always fighting. The wife had never shown any affection for
her husband. Then my wife showed the true reality. And I asked
her, "Do you really love him?"
She said, "Oh yes, love."
"You always say you love him?"
She said, "No".
"You always kisses?"
She said, "No".
"He always kisses?"
She said, "Well, he wants sometimes."
There was definitely something wrong here. I am sure they
loved each other from the natural point of view; On the other hand,
they would never have married. But they were not walking in God's
love. They were not walking in the light of God's Word.

A Dominatrix woman
In 1945 my wife and I drove a meeting in West Texas. We
stayed with the pastor and his wife. Every time I asked the
minister a question, his wife answered. We realized that she was
going through at all. She played the piano in church, and someone
drove praise.
 Chapter Six

LIFE IN THE HOME

The law of love should rule our lives in the home and all other
parts of our life. Let us read what Jesus said in the Gospel of John.

John 13.34-35

(Jesus said) A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one
another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. This all
will know that you are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

Jesus had more to say about love in the Gospel of John chapter
14.

John 14.15,21,23,24

15 (Jesus said) If ye love me, keep my commandments ...

21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is

that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved by my Father,
and I too will love him and manifest myself to him.

23 Jesus answered, If a man love me, he will keep my word; and

my Father will love him, and We will come to him and make our
home with him.

24 Who does not love me does not keep my words; and the word
which ye hear is not mine, but the Father who sent me.
Again in John's Gospel, chapter 15, we see Jesus emphasizing the
law of love.

John 15.10-12

If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love; as I also

have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. I
have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may
be full. My command is this: that you love EACH OTHER, AS
WELL I LOVED YOU.

Jesus is being very objective with us - we are loving one another as

he has loved us! No one can do this except born-again people. No
one can do this except people who are new creatures in Christ. An
unregenerate person can not love as Christ loves. We have to have
the love of God living in us. Romans 5: 5 says that God's love is
poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. A born again
person can love as Christ loves!

Ephesians 5.2

And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself for us an

offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet aroma.

Another translation says: "A supply and a sacrifice to God with the
odor of a fragrance". Jesus gave himself for us as an offering and a
sacrifice in fresh and pleasant aroma to God. Because of his great
love for us, we can love others.

All these scriptures admonish us to walk in love, and have the law
of love operating in the home life and in our marriages. We should
walk in divine love in every area of our lives, including our
marriages.
The husband should give himself to his wife, as Christ gave to the
Church. And the wife should give her husband as Christ gave
himself for the Church. This is really walking in love and keep the
commandments of God. When the husband and wife give
themselves to each other, they are rendered in the wedding altar.
And the two become one in Christ, for each living another and
blessing.

The Atmosphere of Home

Ephesians 5:22, 23 says: "Wives, submit to your husbands as to

the Lord; For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the
head of the church; and He is the savior of the body ". The
husband is to take his place as the head of the wife in Christ, as
Christ is the head of the Church. Also the wife should take his
place as helper as God intended in the garden of Eden. The wife
takes responsibility for the home. She is the queen of the home.

As we studied in Chapter 3, sometimes people take these verses in

Ephesians very legalistic way. They understand the "letter of the
law," but do not understand her spirit. They think that the
husband is to be the dictator of the house, overlooking the wife
and talking about what is for her to do. Another translation of
Ephesians 5:22 says, "Wives, walk in love with their husbands, as
Christ also walked in love with you." It is not that what makes
more sense? The husband is the wife of love-based, just as Christ
is the Church's love base. Just as the church is subject to Christ,
his wife is subject to her husband at all.

All the anxieties, all the tears, all the sufferings of domestic life
arise from selfishness source. But when both the husband with his
wife surrender to the lordship of divine love, they are surrendered
to God, for God is love. And God fills the house with love.

Remember, we read in John's Gospel that Jesus said, "If you keep
My commandments to love one another, My Father and I will come
and make our home with you." (John 14:23; 15: 10-12). Therefore,
people coming in your home should feel the presence of God.
My aunt, the only sister of my mother was a secretary of the mayor
of the city. And my uncle, my mother's only brother, he was vice
president of one of the city's banks. Now my aunt and uncle did
not remember me preaching in the interior as a Baptist preacher.
But when I got involved with the "fervent saints falling into the
spirit and speak in tongues" (That's how they call them in the
back), they said I was a disgrace to the whole family.

I never said a word of retaliation; I just stood meek, gentle and

walking in love. I was directed by God to never say a word to any of
my relatives about being saved. Never said a word to them! I never
invited them to come and hear me preach or even to go to church.

Now you have to find out for yourself what to do in their own
family, because every situation is different. I believe that our
greatest witness is our actions.

I knew that when my relatives saw something real me, they would
all want that. And you know what happened? Each of them
followed me!

Now, this does not mean we should not witness verbally, but I
think we should be wise about it. Some people are just chattering
all the time and do not live properly. There is an old Chinese
proverb that says, "Your actions speak so loudly I can not hear
what you're saying."

My aunt once said, "You'll never see me down there at the

Tabernacle Full Gospel." But over time, over a period of eleven
years old, my aunt told my mother, "You know, there must be
something to that baptism of the Holy Spirit and that speaking in
tongues. I have observed over the years that Kenneth children are
never ill. "

Now from time to time my children had minor illnesses, but we

always got the victory over them. We never had a prolonged illness
in our house. My relatives were sick. And even others Full Gospel
were sick because they had not learned to walk in the fullness of
what God had for them.

In eleven years of married life, my aunt never came to visit us. But
at the time I was out in the ministerial field, she decided to come.
After her visit, she told my mother, "You know, go in the house is
almost like going to heaven. You can feel the presence of God. I
said I would never to that Tabernacle Full Gospel, but now I will. "
And she was.

If God is living in a place, anyone would feel his presence, John

14:23 says, "... we will come to him and make our dwelling with
him." God the Father and Jesus will come and will address you.
They will live in you. When both husband with his wife surrender
to the love of the landlord, God fills the house.

The Power of Words

The atmosphere of the house is created by words. The words

remain in the atmosphere for a long time even after people have
gone.

Once, my wife and I were traveling in another state. We were on

our way to start a meeting. My wife said: "We have to stop and see
Brother and Sister so and so." They were pastors of a church that
for almost eleven months had taught in a meeting.

I said, "I do not know. We are in a hurry ". We had a cult at night
and it was late. But since the pastoral residence was only two
blocks from the highway, I thought anyway cause no harm to go
greet them.

So we left the road, and in a matter of seconds, we were in their

house. We spent the street and did not see any car. The garage
was closed. I said, "I think they are not at home. But anyway I will
touch the bell. "

When I rang the bell, no one came. So I played it again, and then I
touched a third time. This time, I heard someone coming. I waited,
and the pastor opened the door. He and his wife were lying
napping. So when he saw us, I said, "Do not allow perturbemos
you."

He said, "We were resting. Come; my wife wants to see you. Just
sit here in the living room, and we will come in an instant. "
So we sat in the living room while he went to fetch his wife.
Without any of us to say anything to each other, we realized that
harsh words had been spoken in the home. We realized the exact
same thing at the same time. We could feel it in the atmosphere.

If you can feel the presence of God, you may feel other things the
same way. We heard later that they had had a quarrel that almost
ended their marriage. But thank God they refused such a thing
together.

Both the husband and wife had not surrendered to the Lordship of
love. If love of words have been spoken in the home, there was an
atmosphere of love there rather than harshness. If people could
only learn this! If love is in the parents' words, then your children
will be fruits of those words of love.

Many times, we have had people saying to us, "I have a teenager,
and we can not do anything in the world for him. It does not come
to the church and so on. " People have thought that we would
understand their dilemmas because we also had a teenage son.
But our son was not like that. If he was going somewhere else, he
would speak to his mother where he was going and when he would
be returning. And he would be back in time for him to say. He
would not leave and would leave his mother and sister late at night
without giving them assistance. He would be at home when he
needed to study, and nothing could stop him from going to church.

See, he was a gentleman. And the reason why he was a gentleman

was because I had been a gentleman in front of him. I knew he
would follow my footsteps. When your children are raised in the
nurture and admonition of the Lord, and you are walking with the
Lord, they will do the same. The Bible says, "Train up a child in the
way he should go: and when he is old he will not depart from it"
(Proverbs 22: 6)..

When Ken was a teenager, he realized that many of the rebellious

teens in your school aciiam coincided be sons of preachers. He
said to me, "Father, I know exactly what the problem is. I talk to
these children of pastors. "
Ken had only sixteen and had acquired his driver's license. And I
had just bought a new car. Since I was preaching outside, Ken
drove the new car from Texas to the West Coast with my wife and
our daughter Pat. Some of the children of pastors who knew Ken
said, "You mean your father leaves you drive?".

He said, "Why, of course."

"Well, our father would never allow us to drive." See, this is why
they do what they do. You have to put their trust in their children.
You have to build trust in them.

Then they said, "You mean your father plays with you?"

He said, "Yes, of course."

"Oh, our father did not even allow us to play." This is the reason
why they are rampant when they leave alone.

"You mean your father come out and play football with you? He
plays with a ball and a baseball bat? And the catch? "

He said, "Yes, of course."

"Our father would not allow us to play ball." That's why they are
what they are. Her parents do not have time for them. Often this is
the reason why parents have lost their children.

When Ken finished high school, I sat down with him and said,
"Son, I have taught what is right. Now you can go wherever you
want to go and do what you want to do. You are nineteen years
old. If you do not know it now, then you never know. " We had still
problems. I do not mean that he was an angel and did everything
perfect. He missed and failed, but he always returned to what he
had been taught.

Our children were never rebels. They were kids, and you can not
put the head of an adult in a child. But the right words were
spoken in the home. We walked in love with each other. Our home
was filled with the love of God. What difference does it make! When
both husband and wife surrender to the love of the landlord, God
fills the house.
Ephesians 5: 28-30 leads us to the very heart of marriage.

Ephesians 5: 28-30

So husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. Who

loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh;
rather it nourishes and cherishes it, as Christ does the church;
because we are members of his body.

Paul uses the illustration of Christ and the Church again. The
Church is the Body of Christ. Christ loves his body? The Lord loves
his body. It nourishes and cares for him. So the husband should
nurture and take care of your wife. The husband should love his
wife as he loves his own body. He should nourish her body as
Christ has His Body, the Church.

Be an Example for Your Child

Every house should be the temple of God. Jesus said, "Jesus

answered, If a man love me, he will keep my word; and my Father
will love him, and We will come to him and make him "(Jn 14:23).
This is God's vision for the Body of Christ! He wants to make His
home with us.

Then the house where babies should be born is the house of God.
How sacred is where the little ones of God live! Every child has the
right to be born of a pious mother and a godly home.

Men and wicked women have the right to bring innocent babies to
a home where the child will be cursed by the influence of their
parents? Well, they have legally but morally not.

A father has the right to satisfy their own selfish desires to have
bad habits that will harm the children who will be born, children
one day will follow their step? No, every parent has a duty to make
their children walk with God! See in Colossians 3:21: "Fathers, do
not provoke your children, lest they be discouraged." We have a
responsibility to our children.

Years ago, I heard this illustration, it is a true story. In the days of

prohibition, a certain man had a distillery; he was making whiskey
and selling. He decided to go to the barn to check. It was snowing
and the snow was intense.

He looked around, and her little son was nearly five years was
following him - just walking in his footsteps. He said, "Son, go
back. The snow is too intense for you. "

He said, "Oh, Daddy, I'm walking in his footsteps."

This man was convinced that he had been saved, to the point that
destroyed his distillery. He acknowledged that his five-year old boy
was growing up, walking.

Most of the time this is what happens. There are exceptions, of

course, but most of the time, this is exactly what happens. Every
parent has a duty to make their children walk with God. Again,
Colossians 3:21 says parents should not provoke the wrath of their
children, or they will be discouraged. God is speaking to parents
who bring children into the world and destroy them with
influences and bad examples.

Ephesians 6.4 says, "And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to

wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the
Lord." Another translation says: "create a kind influence and
admonition of the Lord."

I often had to ask Ken (even when he was a small boy) for him to
forgive me. I had to tell him: "I was wrong. Now, what I did was
right. I should have corrected you, but I've done the wrong way. I'll
me, forgive me. I regret ". It was important that I asked to Ken to
forgive me, so I did not provoke him to anger. This is what
Ephesians 6.4 mean.

When the children see the law of love operating in their country,
they will walk in the light of this. I believe that this is the reason
why we never had any major problems with our children.
I told you the story of my brother-in Chapter 1. He and my sister
had two children. One night I was having a Bible study in
someone's home and my brother decided to come. On our way
back home after Bible Study, we started talking. I talked to him
about his family. He listened and wept. Tears were running over
his face.

I said, "Doc, you know, you have two small children, only nineteen
months apart." Now I had witnessed to him about the Lord when I
had opportunity. I do not instigated it; he would for yourself.

I told him: "From one point of view as a human being, I felt deeply
about this because my home was broken. I was left as an orphan
boy without a father, without a male role model in my life from the
time I can remember until seventeen years old. "

"Nobody gave me anything. My aunt once gave me ten cents - once

in seventeen years! I know what it means to suffer as a child.
Starving and deprivation. But I had enough to get up and even
with a weak physical condition dragging me and pluck weeds ervar
neighbors in the flower garden for ten cents.

"My mother tried to take the load of four children, but for years she
was ill. And when my father left, she had a nervous breakdown. At
age nine I went to live with my grandmother. My grandmother
loved me, but my aunt who was thirty years old was still living at
home at the time. Due to jealousy my aunt wanted all the
attention, and then she did not show me any affection. I did not
know anything about the natural love. "

I told Doc, my brother, he was in my father's footsteps - dating

women drinking and betting money. I told him: "Because of her
sons, concerte before God. I had in place for their children and
know the pain and suffering ".

He cried and cried; tears fell from his face. But he did not change
anything in his life yet. When your kid is nine years old, he started
to regress rather than progress. Instead of growing and seem like a
nine year old, it will start to seem like he was seven years old.

I did my best to address the situation. I fasted and prayed. I

remained many hours trying to get a cure for the boy it. The Lord
told me: "The child's spirit is all right. But he has syphilis in the
brain. He got it from his father. " Eventually the child has to be
placed in a halfway house.

Sometime later, my wife and I were attending a convention in the

same city as the boy was, and then we went to see him. The
superintendent of the house who was also a doctor. He said to me,
"Reverend, you know what's wrong with the child?"

I said, "Yes, Lord. I know ".

He said: "The boy is here for two years, but we only recently
discovered what is wrong with him."

He said: "You know?"

I said, "Yes, I know."

He said: What's wrong with him? "

I said, "He has syphilis in the brain."

He said, "You're not a doctor; How did you know? "

I said, "The Holy Spirit spoke to me."

He said: "He must have, because we could not find what was
wrong with him for two years."

Then the doctor said: "You say to a family member that they want
to see it, they better come and see him now because he can not
possibly live long."

I came home and talked to those who were interested. My wife and
I were walking down the street, and saw his father. He was thirty-
seven years old at the time, but was the whole body shaking like
an old man. He stood there and cried. Neglected opportunity brings
remorse, both in the lives of sinners like the Christians.

When he came near us he said: "Ken! And you? "

I said, "Yes, it's me Doc."

We were on the street. People were around. And he started crying,
"Where is my boy? You know where he is? "

I said, "Yes, I know where he is." So I told him what the doctor had
said. "If you're going to see it, you'll have to go right now." He
started screaming on the street! Oh, the torment of the
opportunities neglected!

He shouted: "Is there anything I can do? I help my boy? Is there

anything I can do for my boy? "

I said, "No, there's nothing you can do." You could have done
something. You should have done something. I tried it take to do
something. But you did not hear me. "

I remember when my children were born. When Ken was born, I

took that little child in my hands and said, "Dear Father, Thank
you for it. I recognize that as keep this little child in my hands, I
hold life in my hands - not just a physical life, but a spirit. I know
I'm responsible to train you well, to live right before him, and set
an example for him. I know that as a result of my training, he can
go to heaven or hell when he dies. " This is a solemn thought, but I
knew what the Bible said. I had seen it with my father and others.
It was important for me to live right in front of children.

I really always believed I could do what the Bible said I could do. I
decided to train my children in the nurture and admonition of the
Lord. The Bible says, "Train up a child in the way he should go:
and when he is old he will not depart from it" (Proverbs 22.6).

So I said: This child will grow strong, healthy and free of disease
and illness. He will develop mentally alert and spiritually strong.
Amen "

He was born two hours and a half when I prayed this prayer. I
never had to pray another prayer. In fact, I think I prayed half a
dozen times for him.

I said the same thing to God when my daughter was born Pat. I
committed myself to do my part to live right in front of her, and
walk in love. I told the Lord that would train in the discipline and
instruction of the Lord. I never prayed for any of my children so
that they might be saved. Why? I had already said that. I knew
they would. Never occurred to me the thought that they could not
be saved.

Now if I had been dating other women and left them, and live like
the devil, so I have no right to claim anything. I would have lost my
spiritual authority and my rights.

But both my children were saved in childhood. Both were filled

with the Holy Spirit. Of course, they were children. You can not
put the head of an adult in a child. But we never had some of the
problems that others have.

I believe in making certain confessions. But look, the right

confession will not work until I make this another first. That's
where people get lost. They do not put the right laws in action.
They remain making confessions and nothing happens because
they are not living right. Then it will not run.

I was twenty-two years old when Ken was born and was pastoring
a church at the time. I predicted - not based on revelation, but
based on knowledge of the Bible - as Ken would become. I also
predicted that babies who were born of the people of my church
would become. How did this? I was watching if the parents were
"doers" of the Word (James 1.22-26). They walk in the light of the
Word?

Many were just "hearers" of the Word. They did not walk in God's
love in their homes. And you know what? I never messed with
respect to any of them. When those children were all growing up,
my predictions were one hundred percent accurate. I predicted
that her parents continued living as they were not walking in love -
yet they would be saved and filled with the Spirit - their children
would be the same.

Children are God's inheritance in a house. When a child is born,

the father and the mother no longer live for themselves. They are
living for this new life that their union brought existence. The
child's parents to play in your own life. It exists to be a
combination of strength, love and devotion to his mother's father,
and the love, patience and kindness of the mother to the father,
the fruit of love. Because children are spiritual beings, and they
are eternal.

Train Your Children

I remember when I was 22 years old, teaching a Bible class. Ken

was only a few months old at the time. Teaching a large class,
made up of 35 couples on. A well dressed man who was nearly 67
years old came to me. He had two girls and a boy who were already
grown and married. They had left home for some time.

In one particular lesson was teaching, the text was Proverbs 22.6 -
"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old he
will not depart from it." This Scripture is in the Old Testament.
And in the New Testament, we are directed to bring our children in
the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Eph 6.4).

Well, this man spoke in class and told me, "Brother Hagin, that old
prophet or anyone said to train a child in the way he should follow
and when he is old he will not depart from it, certainly he did not
lose. He did not say? "

I said, "What do you mean? The Bible has failed? "

He said, "You know, my wife and I taught our children the right
thing. We we took the church when they were little. But once they
became teenagers, we told them what was right. And I'm reluctant
to say this, but it's absolutely true: Both daughters became
prostitutes, and the boy ended up in prison. "

I said, "Brother, you first have to repent and ask the Lord to
forgive, because this is not just something that the old prophets
said; is the Word of God is telling you to train your children. Now
you said he led them on what was right. You know what the word
"train" mean? "

"When you were young in your profession, you trained horses and
mules to work. You just spoke with those horses and mules that
they had to leave the barn to work? You said they had to plow? No,
you made them do it! This does not mean that you mistreated
horses and mules. All you had to do was just get the horse or the
mule by the ear and say what to do and went to the right place.

"See, you do not have to mistreat children, but you need to train
them. However you have not trained your children. It is the
absolute truth! "

Well, I'm happy to say that her eldest daughter came to visit them,
and they got her to come to church. And she and the man she was
living, were saved, and then they got married. People who are
saved should not live together without being married. There may
be people who are doing this, but they are not in communion with
God. If they are saved, then they fall away. But thank God that the
daughter of the man and the man with whom she was living were
saved, filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to be wonderful
Christians.

God has a way to help us in some way, even when we make

mistakes the target. If the Bible says it is for me to train a child in
the way he should go, then I can do it. If the Bible tells me to do
something, I can do it. Now you train your children to give a
correct example before them - to live right in front of them.

Once Ken got a new bike, and he learned to walk it. In fact, he
went up on it and started to walk like crazy. I told him that if he
was not careful he would end up hitting something. And would not
my fault or anyone else, because he was not paying attention to
what he was doing.

Then one day, he was down on the very busy road, and one of the
football players in the school's high school came to an avenue in
front of the church. This football player was pushing his bicycle.
Ken was in second grade at the time, and he thought that high
school football players were really something. He turned around to
deflect the soccer player, and suddenly crashed into the back of
the bus I was driving.

See, I had confessed the Word about him - that he would be

protected. But he had to do something in the natural; he had to
look where he was going while he was riding the bike. So this only
works when everyone does their part. I can confess and believe in
God, but there is a part to make the natural.
The same is true with regard to a child defend itself. I always
taught Ken to get nothing. If he did, if he started, then I would deal
with it. But if someone assaulted, then the story would be
different. I told Ken, "Son, if you start a fight, I will punish. But if
someone starts a fight with you, you have the right to defend itself.
I do not believe that the Bible teaches that you have to be a
doormat for someone to come up on you just because you are a
Christian. "

I remember a situation when Ken was in the army. It was Saturday

night and would correct his bunk and let all nice and clean, so he
let go early on Sunday morning and went to church in the city. It
was with some friends in the church and not return until Sunday
evening. The rest of the guys farreavam on Saturday night and
were on Sunday night to clean the area from them and leave it all
ready.

For four Sundays one after the other, Ken arrived on Sunday night
and found the boys around her bunk, playing cards, drinking their
beer, and so on. He passed half of the night leaving its area ready
for inspection the following morning. Then one Sunday night he
came after four weeks supporting it and said, "I go to the cafeteria
to get a coke.