"The Temple of the Living God.”

^“ Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God.” (1 Corinthians 6:14-18 ESV)

June is a month when many choose to get married. Perhaps it is the temperate weather, not too hot, not too cold, and not much rain, that makes June so appealing. As planning takes place and final arrangements are made, a question has come to my attention. Should a Christian marry an unbeliever? My answer is adamantly no. I say this not out of personal opinion, but as one guided by the Scriptures.

I think Paul solidifies the reasons against an unequal yoke in 1 Corinthians 6. While the feeling of love may exist, what makes one a Christian is missing in the intended partner. An unbeliever has not been opened by grace to faith in the Lord. Some argue that they may come to faith through the example of the faithful. However, they may also not come to faith if they are not God's elect. All of this should have been discussed long before the agreement to marry.

Those who have come to Christ as their Savior worship God, and every day that worship is present in their lives. While others worship different gods, the believer knows their God is the one true, living God. This division of deity will at some point cause a clash in the relationship. If one worships no God or gods, they worship something, money, fame, self, status, or whatever worldly thing captivates them.

As Paul writes, one who lives in darkness has nothing in common with one who lives in the light of Christ. The very principles of who makes us what we are and why He is worship cannot be understood if one has not received God’s grace. Those in the world live in darkness to hide their sins; many do not believe in sins or have established their own morality, or lack thereof. There is no congruence between light and darkness. Again, in the long term, this will only splinter the existing relationship.

The temple of God has no tolerance for idols. We need only look through the scriptures, the Old Testament and the New Testament, to see that God has no tolerance for idols, nor can we, His saints, tolerate idolatry. We are the temple of God, and He lives in us. So let us not be tainted by the world.

John Bunyan wrote a book which I have read many times, and in this book, “Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners, He speaks of close friends with whom he could no longer associate because of their sinful nature and its influence on him. When we spend great amounts of time with those who are not in Christ, we become desensitized to sin, our judgment becomes clouded, and the enemy will attempt to pull us away from God. How much greater is the speed of desensitization for one who is married to an unbeliever who does not understand or comprehend the depth of their depravity?

Moses wrote in Deuteronomy, “You shall not intermarry with them, giving your daughters to their sons or taking their daughters for your sons, for they would turn away your sons from following me, to serve other gods. Then the anger of the Lord would be kindled against you, and he would destroy you quickly.” (7:3-4) We also know that Solomon had many wives outside the Judaic faith, and they led him away from God. “ Now King Solomon loved many foreign women, along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women, from the nations concerning which the Lord had said to the people of Israel, “You shall not enter into marriage with them, neither shall they with you, for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love. He had 700 wives, who were princesses, and 300 concubines. And his wives turned away his heart.” (1 Kings 11:1-3)

Those who are in Christ do not marry for money or out of lust and sexual desire; this is the way of the world. Christians should marry in shared faith to establish a Christian home and support each other in their walk with the Lord. This is what brings richness and longevity to a marriage.

Do not make the mistakes many make in an unequal yoking. Most Christian pastors or ministers will not even participate in an unequal yoking for this reason, so the only option one would have is a marriage outside the covenant of God. Do not make that mistake; a true marriage is a scripture-based covenant of God, which is unbreakable.

Do Christian marriages fail? No one is perfect, and yes, there are Christian marriages that do fail; however, I think most believers understand that God's involvement in the marriage is key to improving its success.

Those who share a belief in the Gospel of Jesus Christ understand that the mercy and grace we received as sinners, and the gift of salvation through faith in Christ, are a bond shared by all Christians and are especially important as a prerequisite to marriage. They also give that mercy and grace to their husband or wife, knowing what they have received from God.

Do you know Christ as your Savior? If not, seek Him now, for there is no time to wait. If you have questions about salvation through Christ alone, contact us here at In Messiah, and we can give you the scriptures that tell of the grace and mercy of God and salvation through faith in the finished work of Christ.

Grace and Peace.