12 To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. 13 And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. 14 For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.
15 But if the unbeliever leaves, let it be so. The brother or the sister is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace. 16 How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?
-1 Corinthians 7:12-16
The Bible is clear that if you love God then you should date someone or marry someone who loves God, too. But what if you came to the faith later in life when you are already married? There were believers in the city of Corinth who accepted Christ later in life so while they were converted their spouses were still unbelievers.
The Apostle Paul’s advice was for the Christian to stay in the marriage as long as their spouses are willingly. Many Bible scholars have stated that the words “sanctified, unclean, and holy” used in verse 14 are not talking about salvation but of blessing. A person who is following God will enjoy the blessings of his or her obedience. But those blessings extend to the family as well.
A spouse who has Jesus as the center of his or her life will experience supernatural peace despite external circumstances. So when the whole family goes through a difficult time, the believing spouse can be an emotional and spiritual anchor. That’s a blessing that blesses everyone! This is what Paul was talking about in verse 14.
I know most of you reading this aren’t married so why should you care about this passage. This passage reminds all of us that as believers, we are blessed and all those who come in contact with us are blessed by association.
Are you a blessing to those around you? Do you see how following God has blessed you and those around you?
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