In 1 Corinthians 7, the apostle Paul encourages believers with unbelieving spouses to stay together, saying “the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband.” (v14). He goes on to say “For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?” (v16)
The apostle Peter encourages wives with unbelieving husbands to nevertheless treat their husbands with respect and love, saying “they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, when they see your respectful and pure conduct” (1 Peter 3:2).
Actually, It’s the marriage that remains holy not the unsaved individual. The marriage remains sanctified by the christian husband or the christian wife and the marriage remains holy in Gods eyes, for the childrens sake. And it is possible for the unbelieving spouse to be won over to christ through the christlike nature and righteousness portrayed by the beliving spouse. But this may or may not happen depending on weather the un-saved chooses christ themselves or not. It basically says you, as the Believing spouse must go on for christ regardless of what the unbelieving spouse decides, for who knows weather the husband will be able to save his wife. Or if the wife will be able to save her husband, But through it all your actions and christ-like character may win over the unbieving spouse all while the children are un affected through a holy and honorable/sanctified marriage in GOD’s eyes. Every individual is still accountable and always will be to look to christ for there own salvation, God Bless You.
My question though says, is it then ok for a christian to marry a non believer? do i go to a non believer knowing that he is a non believer and marry him?
Paul gives us some guidance on this. He says, regarding marriage, “A wife is bound by law as long as her husband lives; but if her husband dies, she is at liberty to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord” (1 Cor 7:39). Regarding widows, he is saying it is acceptable to marry again but “only in the Lord”, that is, only to a believer. It would seem strange if this principle did not apply to all people, not just widows.
In another place Paul writes: “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?” (2 Cor 6:14). This verse is not just talking about marriage, but clearly would apply to marriage. He warns against forming relationships with unbelievers. arguing that they don’t share fellowship. If oxen were unequally yoked they wouldn’t go in a straight line. The danger with relationships with unbelievers is that they made lead you to wander.
When considering marriage it is important to ask what you have in common. Do you share the same values? Do you have the same views on the things you care about? For the believer the thing they care most about is surely their relationship with God. But an unbeliever cannot share that because they don’t believe in God. Having such a fundamental disagreement between husband and wife does not provide a firm foundation for a marriage.