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There was an older couple in the church. They seemed fairly quiet and kept to themselves—until you got to know them. Little by little, I learned of their story.
They were now in their 70’s and time didn’t seem to be slowing down. They had been married for a long time, welcoming several children and grandchildren along the way.
They were there every Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night. She was a faithful servant, cooking up incredible dishes for the potluck dinners and even helping clean the church each week.
I was shocked to learn that he wasn’t saved.
It made me take a second look at this couple, at this marriage. How could it have lasted so long? And then, my eyes landed on her—the devoted wife. The one who made the choice to still come to church. She faithfully prayed for him every day to surrender to the Lord.
And then, after years and years of prayer, a scare sent a shockwave through them.
A heart attack that could have taken his life.
One night, he had a heart-to-heart talk with his wife and shared how scared he was to die.
And do you know what happened?
He got saved.
He surrendered his heart to the Lord, trusting in Him to save him. No matter what happened on this earth, he knew where he would spend eternity—with the Lord and his faithful bride.
1 Corinthians 7:12–16
“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?”
Marriage is a beautiful gift, a partnership and union between a man and woman, instituted by God. We’ve corrupted it for centuries. In Paul’s day, the people of Corinth were following the social norms to do as they pleased. They may take a wife, but if they didn’t want her anymore, they would just leave her. It wasn’t uncommon for a man to have a wife, a woman on the side, and also be with a prostitute.
The holy union of marriage had been whittled down to nothing more than a flimsy agreement that was only upheld when it was convenient.
Paul reminded these people that they were believers in God, followers of Christ, and they were called to be set apart from the world. They were to follow the Lord, not societal norms. After years of neglect, abuse, and misuse, the true definition and idea of marriage was misconstrued; they didn’t know what to do.
It’s a covenant—an agreement between a man and woman and God. It requires submission, honor, giving, love, and commitment.
One of their questions to Paul was, what do we do if they choose not to follow Christ and we do? Do we stay with them? Or is it OK to divorce them?
Paul’s answer was, even if they are an unbeliever, stay. You made a commitment to them and God. But live your life according to the Word of the Lord.
Because their life and prayers might be the very testimony that brings the other person to belief in Christ.
As we study through Scripture, it’s great for us to see how the passage applies to us today. But don’t miss the best part.
In every passage, what do we learn about God? The very Creator of the universe. The Lord who loves us. The One who gave His life for us.
This section of Scripture shows me that God is committed. He’s not finicky, and He doesn’t discard me just because He’s found something He likes better. He chose me. He loves me. He forgives me. He encourages me. He comforts me. His continued pursuit of me reminds me how much He desires to have a relationship with me for eternity.
And He wants the same with you.
Do you know Him? Get to know the God who stays—the One who loved you before you were ever born and the Lord of all the earth!
Go to follow.lifeword.org to learn about following Jesus. And now in Spanish at follow.lifeword.org/spanish.
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