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Mark 9:42 "And whosoever shall offend (entrap, entice to sin) one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea."

1Corinthians 6:9-20 "Know ye not that the unrighteous (unsaved) shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,

Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. [Expect a change of conduct but remember it's VERY easy and as common as dirt for the offending spouse to manipulate their way back home, including all the religious-language you could possibly imagine!]

All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.

Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.

And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power.

Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid.

What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh.

But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.

Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."

The correct heart behind separation is about God's righteousness in the lives of ALL involved. Sometimes a wife's continued presence can give a husband all the excuse he needs to continue being abusive; the wife needs to get out of the way so God can deal with hubby. Pre-established accountability for personal and spiritual conduct is necessary.

Colosians 3:5-7 "Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:

For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:

In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them."

Jude 1:7 "Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire."

Lot had to leave Sodom so God was free to judge. When a Christian wife is staying with an unsaved or backslidden husband, God’s hand of judgment is often withheld. The wife remaining enables the husband to continue his sin. In the case of child abuse or incest the wife must remove the child from the abuser. The child can not defend herself. Because the Bible refers to God as our father and Jesus as the son repeatedly in scripture, a child will identify the conduct, absence, neglect, love, or abuse of their earthly father as being synonymous traits of their Heavenly Father. If their daddy is harsh, abusive or neglectful that is how they will perceive God? How can they trust God, when they can’t trust daddy?

Another thing that may happen if the wife stays with her offending husband is that God will go ahead and deal with the wayward spouse and the wife gets squashed in the middle -- reaping the same judgment as her husband BECAUSE she stayed! This is what often happens when child abuse is reported to the authorities (at least in the United States) -- the wife is held EQUALLY responsible, PERIOD! This would also happen if the child grows up bitter -- that bitterness will be toward BOTH parents, both the one who abused AND the one who allowed and enabled the abuse with her silence and inaction.

Making the decision to separate from an offending spouse is never easy. The physical, financial and emotional toll is great. It is very important to establish accountability counselors who will talk with you and keep your confidence. To guard your heart so that Satan is not able to pull you away so that your marriage can’t be healed. In many states separating from your spouse does not require that you file for divorce, often filing for separate maintenance is sufficient.

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