A married couple divorces, within a short time they reconcile, (in God’s eyes the wife would have been wrong, she repented and made it right with God and the church). This all happened many years ago, but they just never formally remarried, and the state in which they live it is legal for either Common Law (under certain conditions) or you can also file a Declaration of Marriage form. Since in God’s eyes she was still married, it was never seen as wrong to be reunited with her husband, but should the couple file the Declaration of Marriage or leave it as is since both are legal. Either way in the state they live in it is legal in the eyes of law.<\/p>\n
Thanks<\/p>\n
Interested in your thoughts.<\/p>\n\t
“Now to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord: A wife is not to depart from her husband. But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife<\/em>” (I Corinthians 7:10-11).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Very few states recognize common-law marriages, and a common-law marriage in those few states is generally not accepted in other states. The real problem is that common-law marriages don’t meet the criteria for marriage. “Yet she is your companion and your wife by covenant<\/em>” (Malachi 2:14). Common law marriages are not based on covenants.<\/p>\n
I understand that the marriage should not have been ended in divorce, but the fact is that legally it was. That they reconciled is great, but they should restore the record of their covenant as well.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Question: A married couple divorces, within a short time they reconcile, (in God’s eyes the wife would have been wrong, she repented and made it right with God and the church). This all happened many years ago, but they just never formally remarried, and the state in which they live it is legal for either…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[20],"tags":[167],"class_list":["post-40277","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","tag-divorce"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":91979,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/how-does-god-see-an-annulment\/","url_meta":{"origin":40277,"position":0},"title":"How does God see an annulment?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 8, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Good morning, I have been discussing annulment with someone. My question is: What is an annulment in the eyes of God? I know they can't remarry, and dating may be a sin as well. My other question is: If they try to reconcile later, would they need to go\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":16840,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-pornography-a-just-cause-for-divorce-that-allows-remarriage\/","url_meta":{"origin":40277,"position":1},"title":"Is pornography a just cause for divorce that allows remarriage?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 13, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hello, I have recently begun a wonderful relationship with a lady friend.\u00a0 Over the last four months or so we have developed a wonderful friendship which has recently blossomed into a budding romance.\u00a0 However, she has, within the last six months or so, filed for divorce from her husband\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":31361,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/how-can-it-be-wrong-for-a-divorced-couple-to-have-sex-since-god-doesnt-recognize-their-divorce\/","url_meta":{"origin":40277,"position":2},"title":"How can it be wrong for a divorced couple to have sex since God doesn’t recognize their divorce?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 17, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hello please enlighten me further: God does not recognize divorce, only our court systems. God sees it still as one flesh under the arranged covenant. But I am confused. What's the consequence of sexual activity between the husband and wife under God's arrangement? Surely this is not deemed fornication,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":39743,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/if-we-straighten-out-ending-our-past-marriages-would-we-still-be-in-adultery\/","url_meta":{"origin":40277,"position":3},"title":"If we straighten out ending our past marriages, would we still be in adultery?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 17, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I have seen you talking about adultery on a website answering questions. I myself have the same issue. I'm living with my boyfriend of\u00a0five years, and we have a child together. He is married to another woman, but they have been separated for ten years and he has not\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":55287,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-if-my-husband-dates-while-we-are-legally-separated\/","url_meta":{"origin":40277,"position":4},"title":"What if my husband dates while we are legally separated?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 26, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: My husband and I separated three years ago but are legally married. If he decides to date other people is that adultery in God's eyes? Answer: In biblical days, the idea of a legal separation did not exist. Legal separations are essentially trial divorces. The hope was that by\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":10792,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/am-i-married-in-the-eyes-of-god\/","url_meta":{"origin":40277,"position":5},"title":"Am I married in the eyes of God?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 7, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: When I met my husband, he was going through a divorce from his former wife. She had been unfaithful. He moved out and the other man moved in with her. Before I met him, he had already begun the divorce papers. 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