For several years, the questions have been raised, is it acceptable to marry outside of the church? Does God sanction marriages to those who are outside of the body of Christ? Well lets take a look at a very popular and familiar New Testament Passage and draw from it biblical conclusions that will put many people's mind at ease.
Before we began, realize that I chose to approach this topic from the prospective of addressing the concerns of those individuals who are already married and are in such a relationship. For those of you who are considering marrying an "unbeliever", this subject obviously must be approached from a different prospective. If you are considering marrying an unbeliever, there are several questions that would need to be addressed, such as, "who does God consider to be an unbeliever, what are the dangers of marrying and unbeliever, and is God pleased with such an action?"
Any person seeking answers concerning marriage first needs to know that marriage is not an institution whereby one enters into without thought nor is it one that one exits without thought. Marriage is a divine institution set up, ordained and authorized by God. It is a covenant between three parties, You, God and Your partner. It is a joining of two to make one (Genesis 2:21-23). Unfortunately, many have developed the mindset concerning marriage that "if this doesn't work out, we will just call it quits." No mindset could be more detrimental to the idea, institution and intended purpose of marriage.
For those of you who are already in a marital relationship with someone who does not know God, I understand that the stress and strain of religious differences can be extremely difficult on a relationship. There are those who live in households where one goes to church while the other goes to work, work out, fishing, or even at home on the couch. The kids normally end up confused because they are not sure which example to follow and the saga of a failing marriage drains the life out of one or both of the parties involved.
Unfortunately, as a Minister of the gospel, I see this sad commentary quite often. However, thank God for the goodness of his word, which brings joy to the downtrodden, and hope to the discouraged. Paul addresses YOUR situation in 1 Corinthians 7:12-16.
1 Corinthians 7:12-16
-Paul addresses and speaks to the individual who is considered a "believer" and who is married to an "unbeliever".
*Note* Far to often, I have heard preachers make mention that this text is speaking "about a couple who were both unbelievers at one time until one was baptized and the other didn't." The truth of the matter is, the text does not address the time in which the one became a member and the other didn't. We should be careful in how we teach the word of God. Often times, we put people in bondage where God did not put us in bondage.
-Paul encourages both to NOT LEAVE.
-The unbeliever is "sanctified" by the believer.
*Note* This means that the marriage is sanctioned by God because of the believer. It is the anointing that the believer has that allows the unbeliever to share in the marital benefits and be acceptable to God. We as children of God should be more abreast of the power of our anointing. This word sanctified does not mean that the unbeliever is considered to be in a "saved" position, however, it does mean that the marriage is recognized by God.
Who is considered an unbeliever? The Greek word is "Apistos", which means, "not worthy of confidence, untrustworthy, unbeliever." It also denotes "one who disbelieves the Gospel of Christ, an infidel." The definition given to an unbeliever may include those who never believed the gospel as well as those who believed and denied the faith. Which presents the thought that just because a man or woman has been baptized into Christ does not mean that scripture considers them to be a believer. As a matter of fact, scripture teaches "if any provide not for his own, and specifically his own house, he hath denied the faith and is worse than an infidel" (1 Timothy 5:8).
The dangers of marrying an unbeliever are many. The difference in religious beliefs alone are enough to cause the cautious person to pause for reflection. Granted, because someone does not share the same religious beliefs as you does not mean that they are bad people, however, one must take careful consideration when embarking on this journey. Furthermore, by definition, an unbeliever is more that differing religious views, an unbeliever is someone who is untrustworthy and has denied God and/or refused to obey God. When selecting a mate, operate with this rule of thumb: If they don't respect God, they will never respect you! And by respect I mean respect God enough to obey God.
Is God pleased with such an action of marrying outside of his body? This is a question that is better left answered by God. There are many fundamentally conservative Christians who would answer this question with an absolute "NO", however, I choose to modify my answer to say that God is not pleased with us marrying anyone who does not respect him enough to obey him, whether in the body or out of the body. Furthermore, God has done the miraculous within those who were estranged from him and brought unto him by their partner. This is why scripture says, the unbeliever is sanctified by the believer.
I would like to encourage all of those who are considered to be faithful believers in Christ Jesus to recognize the strength and power of your anointing. Your anointing is so powerful that God will look upon your mate and exact grace upon them because of you!!! Praise God for his anointing!!!
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