by tumaini lutenta | 31 August 2019 08:46 pm08
Is it right for a Christian to marry someone of a different faith?
Generally speaking, it is not advisable for a Christian to marry someone who does not share their faith. The primary reason is to protect your heart and faith from being led astray.
God gave the Israelites a clear warning against intermarriage with people from other nations before they entered the Promised Land. This was not because those people were necessarily evil or unattractive, but because such unions often led God’s people away from Him to worship foreign gods. God is described as a jealous God who desires exclusive devotion (Exodus 20:5; Deuteronomy 6:15).
Nehemiah 13:25–27 (NKJV):
“Then I contended with them and cursed them, struck some of them and pulled out their hair, and made them swear by God, saying, ‘You shall not give your daughters as wives to their sons, nor take their daughters for your sons or yourselves.
Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? Yet among many nations there was no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel; nevertheless, foreign women caused even him to sin.
Shall we then listen to you and do all this great evil, transgressing against our God by marrying foreign women?’”
Solomon’s story (1 Kings 11:1–10) shows how his many foreign wives led his heart away from God to idolatry. This isn’t just ancient history — the principle is timeless. When two people who don’t share the same faith marry, it often leads to conflict in values, worship, and spiritual life.
Even great biblical figures like King Ahab were influenced negatively by foreign wives like Jezebel (1 Kings 16:31–33), and Samson was brought down by Delilah (Judges 16). These examples warn believers about the spiritual dangers of marrying outside the faith.
If you are a Christian seeking marriage, you should marry someone who shares your faith in Christ. This spiritual unity is vital for a strong, godly marriage (2 Corinthians 6:14–15):
2 Corinthians 6:14 (NIV):
“Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?”
If your partner is not a believer, the Bible encourages them to come to faith before marriage, to avoid spiritual division (1 Corinthians 7:39).
If you were married before coming to faith, and your spouse remains unwilling to believe, Scripture advises you not to divorce if the spouse is willing to live with you peacefully. Your godly example might lead to their salvation.
1 Corinthians 7:12–16 (NIV):
“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 should not divorce her. And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she should not divorce him.
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.
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.
How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?”
This passage shows God’s grace in complicated situations, but also underscores the hope that your faithfulness might bring your spouse to Christ.
Marrying someone of a different faith is biblically discouraged because it can endanger your relationship with God. However, God’s grace is sufficient for those already in such marriages. The key is to remain faithful, pray, and trust God to work in your spouse’s life.
May God bless you as you seek His will in your relationships.
Source URL: https://wingulamashahidi.org/en/2019/08/31/51900/
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