First, see this post on Gay Christian Movement Watch.
Once you’re done pondering that over, see this other post on Gay Christian Movement Watch.
Pastor Foster asked me about this in private and I told him it was “more convoluted than the question the Sadducees put the Jesus” 
. When he asked me in private, just as he asked others on his blog (first link above), I had no idea this was a real life situation. Once he told me it was real, I told him I wished it was not . I had already told him that his initial question (first post linked above) left out way too many details for me to ever answer the question. Well seeing the rest I am glad God through Jesus Christ saved brother Foster and brought his dilemma to a proper close.
I’ve given him my 2 cents now that I know more details here.
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December 19th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
That is a tough one. I believe marriage is valid when the couple make a vow, even if only before God and each other. Consumation had no part in it. (Remember, Joseph was betrothed to Mary but did not consumate until after Jesus was born. They were considered married before consumation.)
He did right by seeking reconciliation. She refused, and proved to be unfaithful by continuing her other relationship, therefor he had a right to divorce (1 Corinthians 7:15)
I am glad that the situation was handled rightly and righteously. And praise God for delivering him from homosexuality.
IndependentConservative reply on December 19th, 2008 at 2:46 pm :
Well we’re not supposed to make any vows (Matthew 5:33-37) and their (Foster and the first woman he was supposed to be married to) promise of marriage was made while both were in sin. Joseph was with Mary in the most “special case” that will ever be. Joseph was holding off because of Jesus and did not afterward. Never such a case before and never will there be again. Joseph wanted Mary, Mary wanted Joseph, but with Foster’s case he DID NOT want the woman in consummation and she did not want him either. So it was never consummated. This did make we wonder about married couples who are not physically able to consummate and I’ve had to resolve that based on scripture such as Matthew 5:33-37, that if 2 people who can’t physically consummate mutually agree they are bound in their own agreement of consummation, that is sufficient. Foster never agreed to consummation and the woman did not either. So I can’t say they were actually married. They committed an act in sin, and once he was saved there was no mutual desire to actually make it a marriage. So there was no real marriage. An annulment would have been more fitting.
If marriage without consummation is binding, than so is marriage by force or marriage without mutual consent.
I don’t think Foster had a wife before his current one. She’s the only one he’s ever consummated a marriage with.
And a pastor is to be a man of only one wife, 1 Timothy 3.
Almost Reformed reply on December 19th, 2008 at 9:55 pm :
By “vow” I meant promise, the same I made to my wife and she to me; to be faithful until death.
I agree that both were in sin and both knew the marriage was only a farce. In their case, neither promised to be faithful to the other as spouse, and neither expected the other to be.
I also agree that since God knew neither committed themselves to the other, their was no marriage, so you are correct that it was not truly a marriage, and as such there is no sin in him marrying another.
December 19th, 2008 at 5:11 pm
When we apply God’s grace to the situation the answers come naturally. First we must recognize that both people involved were dead in their sins, inherently evil, and reprobates just as the Bible declares we ALL are. However, due to divine election some are saved. Pastor Fosters testimony is a testimony to God’s grace NOT to the Law which only convicts the sinner to hell. If his former wife is not one of the elect and remains a reprobate the situation described by Pastor Foster all works to the Glory of God regardless of the individual and in both cases. On one hand Pastor Foster was saved by a Sovereign God and his testimony proves such. His former wife if she dies in here sin will be convicted by a Sovereign God using the same situation however she will be found guilty. In essence what I am saying is that God gets the glory either way. In Pastor Fosters case God can say, ” See how I saved this individual from damnation”. In his former wife’s case God could say, ” See how much of a reprobate you are and are deserving of my wrath and will be thrown into the lake of fire”. I’m not trying to speak for God I’m merely giving a point of reference.
Romans 9: 22,23
22What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:
23And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,
When we start to ponder how the Law should be applied to this situation we neglect to see the big picture of God’s grace.
Kyle
IndependentConservative reply on December 19th, 2008 at 5:34 pm :
I agree and I’ve known people who were divorced when saved, but people used LAW as a heavy burdening yoke and told them they could never marry now that they are saved. Trying to hold over them their actions performed in their sins, rather than looking at them as a new creation. Not thinking, if a NEW creation gets married, it’s their first.
Foster’s situation was unique, yet all went amazingly as it should. I don’t call what he had before his current wife a marriage. I can’t even apply that term to it. Not even in the eyes of most sinners was that a marriage.
December 23rd, 2008 at 4:12 pm
Glad Brother Foster posted it—as it made things MUCH more real for others (and really served as an opportunity for others to really stop/think on what the Scripture said). Personally, howvever, his coming out on the “hypothetical scenario” being related to him wasn’t really shocking other than in the aspect of his denouncing issues common to adultery/divorce and seeing it was close to home for him all of the time..
IndependentConservative reply on December 23rd, 2008 at 10:18 pm :
He also denounces issues common to sexual immorality and has had to deal with that through the Lord’s help also. The brother blogs what he knows the Lord has helped him with from experience.
Just as some of us who were once in the prosperity heresy spend much time warning against it.