My family and I lived in Baytown, Texas for five years. Baytown is twenty miles east of Houston, where the Houston Ship Channel (known locally as Buffalo Bayou) merges with Galveston Bay. Enormous oil tankers move by Baytown virtually constantly. Although these vessels weigh thousands of tons, they seem to glide through the water effortlessly. However, if they run aground, they are absolutely immovable. Ships are designed to be in the water. But if large quantities of water get into a ship, it will sink. The water is not meant to be in the ship. The Lord meant for His people to be in the world but not for the world to be in us (John 17:11,14,16). When we are in the world but not of the world, our godly lives lead lost sinners to Christ (1 Peter 2:11-12). But when the world is in us, we repel the lost and lose our own souls (cf. Romans 2:21-24; Galatians 6:7-8).

The world around us is full of people who have unscripturally divorced and remarried (Matthew 19:3-12). We want very much to lead these lost sinners to Christ. But if they are to be saved, they must repent of their sins (Acts 3:19), including the sin of adultery (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). When one repents of a sin, he quits practicing it (Matthew12:41; Jonah 3:10). People who remain in an unscriptural marriage relationship commit adultery (Matthew 19:9; Colossians 3:5-7). They have not repented.

In order to circumvent this plain truth, many brethren deny that the law of Christ applies to the alien sinner. Are they correct?

Fuqua Position

Brother E.C. Fuqua, of a past generation, was the leading contender for the position that the alien sinner is not under any law. Thus, he argued, the alien could not violate the law of Christ on divorce and remarriage, for it did not apply to him.

The basic fallacy of this position should be obvious. If nonchristians are not under any divine law, they could not be sinners, for sin is the transgression of the law of God (1 John 3:4; Romans 5:13). But all responsible aliens (nonchristians) are sinners (Romans 3:23). Thus, aliens are under law.

Hailey Position

Tragically, our beloved, now deceased brother, Homer Hailey, revealed in his book The Divorced and Remarried Who Would Come to God that he had believed "for some 50 years" that alien sinners are not amenable to the law of Christ. He contended there is a divine law from the very beginning of time that is still in effect by which the alien is governed. He argued that New Testament teaching about divorce and remarriage does not apply to nonchristians. Brother Hailey contended there is a natural law within the heart of every person, an inherent sense of right and wrong, to which each is responsible. He argued that one is not governed by the law of Christ until he is scripturally baptized and is in covenant relationship with God.

Arguments Answered

If I granted Brother Hailey's position on law, it would prove nothing about divorce and remarriage. When Jesus announced His marriage law (Matthew 19:3-12), He simply restored God's original law for that relationship (verses 4-6). If there is some "law of the heart" different from the law of Christ to which the alien is responsible, it has the same requirements for the marriage relationship the law of Christ has.

But the simple fact is there is no such law. Please read Romans 2:14-15 at this time. The term "nature" in Romans 2:14 refers to "long, customary practice" (cf. 1 Corinthians 11:14; Ephesians 2:3). God revealed a knowledge of right and wrong to Adam and Eve miraculously (Genesis 2:6-7,22). But each subsequent generation must be taught to know the difference between right and wrong (Genesis. 18:17-19; Ephesians 6:4). If an alien is responsible only to some internal sense of right and wrong, as long as he does not violate his conscience he will not sin. But any person, including aliens, can sin even while maintaining a pure conscience (Acts 23:1; 1 Timothy 1:15). A little child is not born into this world with a natural sense of morality. He has to be taught. When one comes to the age of responsibility, he doesn't just naturally develop a knowledge of good and evil. He has to be taught. Many do not know it is wrong to lie, steal, commit fornication, and murder. They do these things with a clear conscience. Are they nevertheless free of guilt? NO!

Just because someone rejects the law of Christ does not mean he is not responsible to it. You might not like the speed limits on our highways, but you can still be arrested and convicted for speeding!

Even though one is ignorant of the covenant of Christ, the covenant still pertains to him. I don't guess my pet dog Dixie was at all familiar with the "Rainbow Covenant" God gave to Noah (Genesis 9:8-17), but it applied to her nonetheless (verses 9-10,12,15-17).

The Truth

Aliens are not exempt from the law of Christ, whether it be His will for divorce and remarriage or any other portion of that covenant. Christ rules all people, not just the church (Matthew 28:18; Ephesians 1:15-23). All people, including nonchristians, are subject to the law of Christ (Acts 17:30-31).

The Lord’s law on divorce and remarriage pertains to “whoever” (Matthew 19:9). It is as broad as the human race. Nothing in the context limits the universal “whoever” to Christians. A simple syllogism establishes that all mankind is subject to the law of Christ. Every person will be judged by the law to which he is accountable (Romans 2:12). But every person who lives during the gospel age will be judged by the law of Christ (John 12:48; Romans 2:16). Therefore, every person who lives during the gospel age is accountable to the law of Christ.

Conclusion

I have the utmost sympathy for people who in ignorance have entered an unscriptural marriage relationship. I wish I could tell them everything is alright. But one must repent to be saved. And when one repents, he gives up his sin. I know it is hard, but if we want to go to heaven, we must be willing to make whatever sacrifice it takes (Luke 14:25-35). After all, heaven will surely be worth it all.