Any New Questions of Add to the List?

Any Topics You’d Like Discussed?

Last Sunday Morning We Looked at…

What Paul Meant By “Don’t Be Unequally Yoked with Unbelievers”

That Passage has Been Used to Misinterpreted…

To Refer to How Christians Shouldn’t Marry Unbelievers

Paul was Not Talking About Marriage Between Christians and Unbelievers

But in Our First Question Today…

That’s Exactly What Paul is Talking About

Sanctified Family

This Question Comes From 1 Corinthians 7:14

1 Corinthians 7:14 (NASB95)

14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy.

Obviously, this Verse is Right in the Middle of a Context

To Properly Study and Interpret Any Passage…

You Need to Study it in its Context

A Large Portion of 1 Corinthians is Composed of…

Paul Responding to Several of the Corinthians’ Questions/Misunderstandings

And They had Several Misunderstandings Concerning Marriage

A Deep Dive on this Chapter would Take Several Classes

So We Won’t Dive into the Entire Chapter…

But We will Read Up to Our Key Text

I’m Going to Read From the ESV for These Verses

1 Corinthians 7:1–11 (ESV)

1 Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.” 2 But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. 3 The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. 4 For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.

5 Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 6 Now as a concession, not a command, I say this.

7 I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another. 8 To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain single, as I am. 9 But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

10 To the married I give this charge (not I, but the Lord): the wife should not separate from her husband 11 (but if she does, she should remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband), and the husband should not divorce his wife.

Paul Deals with a Few Different Issues…

Concerning Sex, Marriage, and Divorce

But the Immediate Context to Our Question Starts in Verse 12

I’m Going to Read From the NIV Because it’s a Little More Accurate

1 Corinthians 7:12–16 (NIV)

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.

Paul Begins Dealing with Believers Married to Non-Believers

They were of the Understanding that…

It would Be Better to Divorce Your Unbelieving Spouse…

Once You Become a Christian

They May have Believed that Being Married to an Unbeliever…

Somehow Defiled/Made Unclean/Impure the Believer

So it Only Makes Sense to Divorce the Unbeliever

But Paul Says:

If the Unbelieving Spouse is Willing to Remain Married…

Then the Believing Spouse should Remain Married to Them

Then He Gives the Reason They Should Remain Married

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.

When a Believer Remains Married to Their Unbelieving Spouse…

The Unbelieving Spouse is Sanctified/Holy

And Their Children are as Well

Before We Look into What this Means…

Let’s Finish the Passage

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?

If the Unbelieving Spouse Leaves Their Believing Spouse…

The Believing Spouse is to Allow it

We are Called to Live in Peace…

Not Force Others (Especially Unbelievers) to Do as We Please

But the Believer isn’t to Be the One to Leave

If Separation/Divorce Happens…

It shouldn’t Be Initiated By the Believer

Why Not?

Because, You Never Know…

You’re Faith Might Just Rub Off on Your Spouse to the Extent…

That They Place Their Faith in Jesus Too

Let’s Go Back to Verse 14

1 Corinthians 7:14 (NIV)

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.

The Corinthians Seemed to have this Idea that…

A Christian is Defiled/Made Unclean By Being Married to a Unbeliever

But Paul Assures Them that it’s Actually the Opposite

The Christian Isn’t Defiled By the Unbelieving Spouse

Instead, the Unbelieving Spouse is Sanctified/Made Holy

Does this Mean that the Unbelieving Spouse is Saved?

No, Verse 16 Says that Staying Married could Lead to Their Salvation…

But They Aren’t Saved Just By Being Married to a Christian

So in What Way is the Unbelieving Spouse Sanctified/Holy?

Sanctified/Holy can Carry Different Meanings…

Depending on How it is Used

To Sanctify an Object is to Set it Aside for God’s Purposes

To Live a Holy/Sanctified Life can Refer to…

Being Set Apart From Sin and Living Righteously

Peter Tells the Recipients of His First Letter:

“Sanctify Christ as Lord in Your Hearts”

That is, Hold Christ in Reverence and Respect as Your Master

He Holds Special/Sacred Place in Our Lives that No One Else Holds

Another Definition of the Word Sanctified/Holy is:

“To Include a Person in the Inner Circle of What is Holy”

This Seems to Be How Paul is Using the Word in Our Text

When an Unbeliever is Married to a Believer…

They have Access to the Inner Circle of What is Holy

They have Association with and Access to the Temple of God

What is the Temple of God Today?

Christians/the Church

When an Unbeliever Becomes a Believer…

They are Welcomed into a Loving and Holy Community

That New Believers Unbelieving Spouse…

Though Not a Part of that Community Themselves…

Have Association with that Community

And the Values of that Community are Going to Affect that Unbeliever

The New Holy/Sanctified Lifestyle of the Believing Spouse…

Is Going to Permeate/Spread Throughout Their Home

An Unbelieving Spouse Ought to Witness and Experience…

The Holiness and Transforming Power of God Through Their Believing Spouse

The Believer Shouldn’t Seek to Force…

Their Unbelieving Spouse to Convert to Christianity

But the Influence of the Believer and Their New Community…

Will Leave Some Sort of Influence on the Unbeliever

So Much So that a Lifestyle of Unholiness…

Will Become Less and Less Likely By the Unbeliever

The Same is True for Their Children

And Like Verse 16 Says:

Hopefully, Over Time the Unbeliever will Choose to Become a Believer as Well

An Unbeliever Being Sanctified By Their Believing Spouse…

Doesn’t Mean the Spouse is Saved

It Means Their Life Becomes Influenced By the Holiness…

Of Their Spouse and the Community of Believers…

That Their Spouse is Now Intimately Involved with

That Influence will have a Sanctifying Effect on the Unbeliever

Examples:

Believing Spouse No Longer Goes to Drinking Parties with Their Spouse

So the Unbelieving Spouse Stops Going too

Believing Spouse Stops Participating in Pagan Worship/Rituals

So the Unbelieving Spouse Stops Participating too

Believing Spouse Stops Practicing Immoral Behavior

So the Unbelieving Spouse Eventually Stops (or Slows Down) too

The Holiness of the Believer Influences the Unbeliever for Good

And this can Eventually Lead to the Unbeliever Placing Faith in Jesus

Brief Outline of Israel’s History

I’m Going to Be More Brief than I Think the Questioner Intended

But We can Always Revisit this Question and Go a Little Deeper

Chosen

Abraham was Chosen

And Through His Lineage the Rest of the World Would Be Blessed

The World will Come to Know God Through Them

Liberated

Israel is Delivered By God From Slavery in Egypt

Wandering

Israel Wandered in the Wilderness for 40 Years…

Because They Didn’t Trust God to Continue Delivering Them

Victorious

Joshua Led Israel into the Promised Land

They Began to Take Possession of the Land…

But They Didn’t Remain Faithful

So the Land of Milk and Honey Wasn’t Exactly That

Lawless

There was No King and Everyone Did What was Right in Their Own Eyes

They Rejected God as Their King…

And Lawlessness Ruled the Day

This was a Dark Period in Israel’s History

Ruled

Israel Wanted a King Like All the Other Nations

God Gave Them Saul as King

But He wasn’t Faithful

So He was Replaced By David

United

The Kingdom of Israel was United Under King David

Divided

After David’s Son Solomon, the Kingdom was Divided

Northern Israel and Southern Judah

Exiled

Because of Their Unfaithfulness…

Both Kingdoms would Be Taken into Exile

Israel was Dispersed By the Assyrians

Judah was Taken Captive into Babylon

Returned

After 70 Years of Exile in Babylon…

The Jews (People of Judah) are Allowed to Return Home

But Things Still Aren’t Going Great

Waiting

Waiting for the Arrival of the Messiah

Any Other Questions?

Any Other Topics?