Should A Christian Marry A Non Christian
Introduction
While I’m not asking you to walk down the aisle with just anyone, a relationship centred on Christ is worth holding out for. Here are five reasons why:
What The Bible Says About Christians Marrying Nonbelievers
The Bible teaches that Christians should not marry nonbelievers. In 2 Corinthians 6:14-18, the apostle Paul writes,
“Do not be yoked together with unbelievers.” For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols?”
Marriage to an unbeliever is one example of being yoked together (like business partnerships or close friendships) in which one person agrees to believe as his partner believes. While this might seem like a good idea at first glance—after all, who wants their spouse to be less committed than him or herself when it comes to spiritual matters?—it’s actually quite dangerous for both partners because it implicitly puts them on different spiritual paths from each other.
The Dangers Of Marrying A Nonbeliever
The Bible clearly warns us about marrying a nonbeliever. In the book of 2 Corinthians 6:14, Paul writes, “Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?” The apostle John also wrote in his first epistle (1 John 2:15-17), “Do not love the world or the things in it. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For all that is in the world–the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and pride in possessions–is not from the Father but is from this world.”
In these verses we see that those who have accepted Christ as their savior are aware that they may face temptation when they marry an unbeliever. On one hand it could make life easier if your spouse agrees with your beliefs because then there wouldn’t be any argument or conflict between you over certain issues like religion or even politics; however on another hand if you’re married to someone who doesn’t share similar values as yourself then it can cause problems within marriage which could lead to divorce if not handled properly.
When We Mix Our Values With Another Person (i.e., when we marry someone who doesn’t share our values)
When you marry someone who doesn’t share your values, it can lead to conflict. Conflict of values can lead to divorce.
When we choose a spouse with whom we have very different ideas and beliefs about how life should be lived, there will be inevitable conflicts between our two sets of values. We must be aware that these conflicts will come up as we make decisions together as a couple and as individuals. When they do arise, we must choose wisely how to handle them in order to protect our marriage from collapsing under the weight of incompatible expectations and behaviors.
It is important that you don’t let your spouse’s behavior change your own set of personal standards or beliefs about what is right or wrong in life (i.e., their bad behavior does not excuse yours). You need to make sure that your standards are firmly set within yourself before considering marrying someone else who does not share them; otherwise, if you compromise on something now just because he/she does not agree with it yet (or ever), then this could create problems for both parties later on down the road when issues arise that really matter more than any small thing might seem at first glance – leading one partner towards feeling resentful towards another without even knowing why!
1. Our values change as a result of our mixed values.
As a Christian married to someone who is not, you will find that your values change. This can happen even if you don’t realize it. For example, if you are more religious than your spouse, you will probably compromise your own values to make your spouse happy. You might find yourself going to church with them when they want and having less of an interest in becoming closer with God yourself as this would take time away from spending time with them or their family and friends. Or perhaps because of the differences in how much each of you value money or material possessions (or put another way: how much they are willing to spend on something), one or both of you may need to feel guilty about spending money on yourself rather than saving it for the future (and thus avoiding debt).
2. We feel frustrated and unfulfilled because our spouse doesn’t share our values, and this leads to dissatisfaction in the marriage and ongoing irritation and conflict over differing viewpoints.
The most important thing to understand when making this decision is that you can’t change the other person. You cannot love them enough to make them see things your way, or convince them of your values and beliefs. They are free in Christ just as much as you are, so they will remain free in their choices.
If you choose a non-Christian spouse, there will be constant frustration and irritation and conflict over differing viewpoints. Your spouse will not want to listen when you try to explain why their behavior is wrong or destructive; they won’t even want to go on dates with you! You will feel unfulfilled because your heart isn’t being fulfilled by someone who sees life differently than you do. You will constantly be dissatisfied with one another because no matter how hard either of you tries, neither one understands where the other person is coming from—you cannot build a life together based on such fundamental differences of opinion and worldviews!
3. It can be especially difficult if children are involved, which is why it’s critical that the Christian parent or parents attempt to raise them according to biblical principles.
If you are the Christian parent or parents in a mixed marriage, it can be especially challenging to raise children in the faith. The non-Christian parent is likely to have very different beliefs about how to raise children, and this may result in inconsistent messages for your children. You should be consistent with your beliefs and set boundaries so that they don’t question your values or drift from them later on.
You should also not force your beliefs onto others or make them uncomfortable by being pushy about it. Instead, you should focus on being a positive role model for how Christians should act towards others as well as setting an example for how Christians should live their lives according to biblical principles
4. Note that even if you do manage to raise your children Christian, there’s no guarantee that they’ll remain in the faith — and if you did not marry someone who shared your beliefs and values, you’ll likely struggle with this issue later on, too.
It’s important to note that even if you do manage to raise your children Christian, there’s no guarantee that they’ll remain in the faith — and if you did not marry someone who shared your beliefs and values, you’ll likely struggle with this issue later on, too.
It can be difficult for non-Christian parents to find common ground when it comes to raising kids. Without a shared worldview and understanding of truth, it may be difficult for both parties to agree on how best to raise their kids. This isn’t usually an issue for couples who were raised in the same faith because their similar upbringings will have provided them with similar perspectives on many subjects including parenting. In addition, since they’re already accustomed to living according to their respective faiths’ teachings (e.g., praying regularly), there won’t likely be much need for compromise or discussion regarding religious practices.
5. When we try to mix our value systems with someone who holds different values, we’re doing ourselves a huge disservice, as well as risking the integrity of our marriage and any future offspring that may be involved.
- When we try to mix our value systems with someone who holds different values, we’re doing ourselves a huge disservice, as well as risking the integrity of our marriage and any future offspring that may be involved.
It is not easy to marry someone who doesn’t have your values or beliefs! However, if you are going to do it, at least make sure that you share the same faith. This way each person can have some sense of where they fit within their marriage and family structure.
Both are of higher importance than marriage but having a spouse who also has your beliefs will make life so much easier
The Bible speaks much about marriage. Many people claim that it is more important than faith. However, this is not true. Faith is the most important thing in life, because through faith we are saved from sin and death.
We must marry someone who shares our beliefs in order to avoid problems later on in this life, for example divorce or separation from family members due to religious differences between husband or wife and children of different faiths (parents).
Conclusion
There are many factors that come into play when considering marriage. It is important to look at the outcome of a relationship based on religious differences and decide if that is something you are willing to deal with in your own life. If you are not, then there are other options available such as dating a Christian or remaining celibate until God brings someone special into your path.