Friday, I happened to go by a small fellowship hall, and there were a few cars parked out front. I went inside to see what was going on, preparations for a wedding the next day.
I knew the young man but not his prospective bride. I wondered about that young couple if they were Christians or what.
Seeing them reminded me of what many marriages face in life. I am not talking about physical size or race, but where are the two individuals in their relationship to God?
Maybe they were not Christians when they got married and one or the other accepted Christ later. That can make marriage difficult. What is one to do?
The Bible gives some clear instructions. It says in 1 Corinthians 7:12-16 not to leave or abandon (divorce) your mate just because he or she is not a Christian.
1 Corinthians 7:12-16 The advice I have for the others is from me. The Lord did not give us any teaching about this. If you have a wife who is not a believer, you should not divorce her if she will continue to live with you. 13 And if you have a husband who is not a believer, you should not divorce him if he will continue to live with you. 14 The husband who is not a believer is set apart for God through his believing wife. And the wife who is not a believer is set apart for God through her believing husband. If this were not true, your children would be unfit for God’s use. But now they are set apart for him.
15 But if the husband or wife who is not a believer decides to leave, let them leave. When this happens, the brother or sister in Christ is free. God chose you to have a life of peace. 16 Wives, maybe you will save your husband; and husbands, maybe you will save your wife. You don’t know now what will happen later.
Many also falsely misinterpret these verses and think because they are Christians their spouses or children are also Christians. They are not, but God can work in their lives in a special way because they can have a Godly influence in the home. Each person must accept and exercise a faith in Christ personally.
John 1:12 &13 But some people did accept him. They believed in him, and he gave them the right to become children of God. 13 They became God’s children, but not in the way babies are usually born. It was not because of any human desire or plan. They were born from God himself.
Romans 10:13 Yes, “everyone who trusts in the Lord will be saved.”
If we are married to a non-Christian, we are to pray for them, and they may become a Christian one day. Just because they claim to be a Christian, it can be difficult also.
See you in Church next Sunday.