Individuals who are separated but not divorced (for biblical reasons) are still married. Therefore, they would commit adultery if they engaged in a romantic relationship outside of their marriage. That is because marriage between one (biological) man and one (biological) woman is a lifelong, binding covenant with only two biblical allowances for divorce: abandonment or adultery.
1 Corinthians 7:12-15 says, “If any brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her. And a woman who has a husband who does not believe, if he is willing to live with her, let her not divorce him. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy. But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart; a brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. But God has called us to peace.”
Matthew 5:31-32 says, “Furthermore it has been said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.”
Matthew 19:8-9 says, “Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.”
If an individual was abandoned by their spouse or betrayed through infidelity but has not obtained a legal divorce, they are still married and not free to date. They must first follow the laws in their state or jurisdiction to acquire a divorce, if desired, before God renders them free to date without committing adultery (see Romans 13:1-7 and 1 Peter 2:13-17).
However, individuals who divorced for unbiblical reasons are still married to their spouse regardless of their legal marital status (unless they or their spouse have remarried). Therefore, they would commit adultery if they engaged in a romantic relationship with someone other than their “ex-spouse.”
A few additional Scriptures to consider on this very important topic are as follows:
Ephesians 5:3-7 says, “But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints; and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.”
1 Thessalonians 4:3-8 says, “For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God; and that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you. For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification. So, he who rejects this is not rejecting man but the God who gives His Holy Spirit to you.”
Colossians 3:5-7 says, “Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience, and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them.”
Hebrews 13:4 says, “Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge.”
Romans 12:1-2 says, “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”
I hope this information helped answer the question of dating while separated.
