1st Corinthians 7:12 .... "If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away. 13 And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him. 14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband" .....
This passage of scripture gives us instruction on the issue of living with a spouse who hasn't yet given their lives to Christ. The beauty about the gospel of God's grace is that it caters for every type of situation that may occur, and in addition to this, God Himself has the answers to every perplexing question. It is the ideal will of God that a man and woman be of the same mind and faith when planning to get married, but it is sometimes the case where two people tied the knot when they unbelievers, and then later on, one of them might have accepted the gospel, and now acknowledges Christ as Lord and Savior. A situation such as this would in most cases put some type of strain on the relationship, since a person's morals and values change with their conversion.
However, according to the above passage in Corinthians, it is not necessary to dissolve the marriage because of this, because there are other weighty issues to be considered, such as the parenting of the children, if there are any, and the salvation of the spouse who is yet an unbeliever. The manifestation of a uniform kindness and forbearance in dealing with the challenges that arise, may actually be a stepping stone to the conversion of the unbelieving spouse, for love awakens love, and he or she might yet be persuaded by the manifestation of a Christlike attitude in all the affairs of life.
The general tenor of the Bible is for us to abstain as far as possible from the dissolution of the marriage, for it is the foundation of society, and wherever possible, we should do all in our power, by the grace of God to keep it intact. Even though disagreements may arise from tome to time, yet if we look to Christ, and pray earnestly for his grace and mercy, there is no limit to what God can do.
A woman who is currently a faithful Christian, found herself in such a marriage relation, and she and her husband had children together. The going was rough for many years, but she prayed and prayed for her husband's conversion, while making sure to do everything she could to make him as comfortable and happy as possible. For years it seemed as if her prayers and efforts were in vain, but finally one day, her husband walked into the church she was attending, and gave his life to Christ. From that time until the present he has served faithfully in the cause of Christ, and has never once turned back.
In all of the trials and perplexities we may go through, it's important for us to remember that there is no limit as to what God can do, and if we trust patiently in Him, he is able to change and convert, anyone at anytime, if our hearts are susceptible to His loving-kindness. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which reminds us that there is a God in the heavens, who sits high and looks low, seeking to deliver all who are challenged and oppressed in various ways. Let's read:
1st Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
May the God of peace dwell in our hearts by faith, enabling us to overcome every difficulty we may encounter. "Good night" and God bless!