Does God’s Law On Marriage Apply To Alien Sinners? by Windell Wiser

Some take the position that alien sinners are amenable to all of the law of Christ except those laws dealing with marriage. Others take the position that alien sinners are not under any of the laws of Christ. Some even take the position that Christians, being saved by grace, are not under law. All of these positions are wrong.

The Bible teaches that Christians are not under the law of Moses (Col. 2:14·17; Romans 7:1·4); however, Christians are under the law of Christ (1 Cor. 9:20-21). Christians must answer to the law of Christ and be judged by it (James 1:21-25; 2:12; 2 Cor. 5:10). Alien sinners are also under the law of Christ in that it applies to them, they are amenable to it, and must answer to it. If this were not so, they would not be sinners. “Sin is the transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4). “For where no law is, there is no transgression” (Romans 4:15). Therefore, if alien sinners are not under the law of Christ, they could not transgress it and thus would not be sinners.

Some claim they are sinners because they transgress civil law and not because they transgress the law of Christ. Transgression of civil law makes one a sinner only because Christ’s law is violated when we violate civil law (Romans 13:1-2). Murder is a violation of both a specific civil law and a specific law of Christ. However, hunting out of season violates only certain specific civil laws. Hunting out of season is sinful because we violate the law of Christ when we violate civil law (Romans 13:1-2).

Some of the Corinthians, before becoming Christians, had been guilty of being fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, effeminate, and homosexuals. (1 Cor. 6:9-11). They were guilty of these sins because they transgressed the law of Christ and not because they transgressed some civil law in Corinth. There were no civil laws in Corinth against idolatry and most of these other sins.

Some would agree that all of this is true, but then they turn around and argue that with marriage it is different. I wonder why it is different? Why would Christ’s law on idolatry apply to alien sinners and His law on marriage not apply? Some argue that God does not recognize a sinner’s marriage. Paul said a man can have a wife who is an alien sinner. (1 Cor. 7:12). The Holy Spirit tells us Pilate had a wife. (Matthew 27:19). Pilate and his wife were alien sinners. The Holy Spirit tells us Felix had a wife named Drusilla. (Acts 24:24). Felix and Drusilla were not Christians. They were alien sinners. (Acts 24:25).

John the Baptist believed that God’s laws on marriage applied to alien sinners like Herod the King and Herodias the woman he married (Mark 6:17), but had no right to marry, because she was Philip’s wife. (Matthew 14:3-4). What Herod had done did not violate any civil law he was under. However, John said “It is not lawful… ” It is not lawful according to God’s law. Was John telling them to separate??? You better believe that was the message and they understood it properly!!! This is the reason why John was thrown into prison and later beheaded. (Matthew 14:3-12). If what some brethren teach is so, then John could have encouraged them to be baptized and continue to live together. This sort of teaching would have made them happy and saved John from going to prison. It would also have saved Herod from the trouble of having John beheaded. The kind of preaching John did will bring similar results today. If they don’t kill you, they will make you wish you were dead!!!