I became pregnant with my high school sweetheart and we got married. Four years later I met another man and fell in love. I left my first husband and married this man, committing adultery. I could give excuses for why I left my first husband but there really is no excuse for what I did. I know it was wrong.
After my second husband and I had been married about 2 years we also had a child and I started feeling very guilty about what I had done to my first husband. I went back and asked him to forgive me and told him I would come back if he wanted me to, but that I would have to bring my new baby.
He said he forgave me but didn’t want me to come back. I feel like I did what I could to fix things. I don’t want to go to hell and I don’t want any one else to go to hell because of any thing I’ve done.
Later I was baptized and promised God that no matter what happened I would never get another divorce. Now my second husband and I are getting ready to celebrate our 24th wedding anniversary. The question is, am I living in sin because my first husband is still living, or has God forgiven my sin?
If you’re a born again believer you won’t go to hell no matter what. If you have asked the Lord’s forgiveness for divorcing your first husband then He has forgiven you. If you have also asked your first husband to reconcile and he declined, forgiving you in the process, then it appears you and he are at peace as well.
I think you should consider your divorce to be part of your past and put it behind you, and ask the Lord for the strength to keep your promise never to divorce again.
No matter how badly we have messed up in the past, if we confess our sins, the Lord is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).
“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lament 3:22-23).