Sanctified Family
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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
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
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?