How Do I Persevere When My Marriage is Unequally-Yoked?

How do I persevere when my marriage is unequally yoked as just one of the questions will be answering on today's addition of core Christianity will hi this is Bill Meyer along with Pastor Israel Sanchez.

This is a radio program where we answer your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day. You can call us with your question.

At 833 the core. You can also post your question on our Facebook, Instagram or twitter accounts and you can email us your question at questions at core, Christianity.com first up today let's go to Sherry in Wichita, Kansas, Sherry, what your question for pastor atrial hi Sherry how are you I'm doing well how are you doing thank you, great. What you I have friends who believe that the only way you know that you have received the Holy Spirit is if you speak in tongues. I don't believe that's true. I believe I have not spoken in tongues. Yeah, thank you for for that question.

A very important question because if if someone is taught this bill.

You haven't really receive the Holy Spirit unless you speak in tongues more than they would be pretty distraught if they never got the gift of tongues or if they couldn't speak in tongues. Sadly, I've even heard of situations in churches where where individuals just figured art try to say something you noted it and that they basically will that. I guess that's the gift of tongues, which it isn't. But but the Bible is very clear on this.

Sherry and in one passage of Scripture that you can point your friends to believe this to say in less you're speaking in tongues are not filled with the Holy Spirit is what the apostle Paul said in first Corinthians chapter 12 towards the end of the chapter. Now this really is the section of Scripture that you want to focus on when thinking about spiritual gifts. First Corinthians chapters 12 through 14 and the point there is that everything that's done in the church should be done for edification for the building up of the body of Christ were serving each other with the gifts that God has given to us and not everyone has the same gift. Not everyone has the gift of tongues or the gift of healing or the gift of helps her the gift of mercy, generosity, know those kinds of things and that's how God is has set his church up. God is set his church up in such a way that there is a diverse city of gifts for the building up of the body. Now I haven't gotten into at all whether or not the gift of tongues is still being given today.

There are many people and I'm I'm one of them who believe that the sign gifts. Those gifts really associated with the time of the apostles were were given at an early stage in the history of the church to help bolster the gospel to get the gospel out, but that ordinarily God is not giving those gifts today in the church anymore, but the text I was referring to. At the end of first Corinthians chapter 12 is this Paul says in verse 27 now you are the body of Christ, and individually members of it, and God is appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues are all apostles are all prophets, are all teachers do all work miracles.

Do all possess gifts of healing do all speak with tongues. Do all interpret earnestly desire the higher gifts and I will show you still more excellent way. Now when he asked those questions you all have the gift of administration or the gift of healing of the gift of tongues. It's a rhetorical question, and he's assuming that the answer is no know they don't and so you can't make the case that you're not filled with the Holy Spirit in less you have the gift of tongues any more than you can make the case that you're not filled with the Holy Spirit. Unless you have the gift of administrating or helping it just it just is. Doesn't makes is clearly not what the Bible teaches. And so the real sign of the Holy Spirit's work in our lives is faith in Jesus Christ. Paul says in first Corinthians. You can even say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit and the fruit of the Holy Spirit that that is being worked in our lives by his by his power and love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, self-control.

If that loved it that Paul is going to talk about in the very next chapter in first Corinthians chapter 13 and so that the real science if you will, of the spirit are the fruit of the spirit, not whether or not we can do miraculous things and the reality is we we can't take this just with it. We shouldn't, we shouldn't be consumed with trying to do all of these things that we should be concerned with God's word and growing in the grace of Christ through the Scriptures and so take your friends to first print this chapter 12, and in particular that the end of the chapter S your listing to core Christianity with Pastor Israel Sanchez and if you have a question about the Bible or the Christian life. You can always email us. Here's our email address its questions at core, Christianity.com.

We received this email from a listener named Christie. She says I committed my life to Christ last year but my husband has not. I take my two children to church every Sunday. He thinks everything I'm doing at the church helping with events getting involved in the children's ministry etc. is just a show to make myself look good to others. How can I get him to see that I'm trying to serve and live for Christ. The church has become a family to me.

Which is why volunteer to truly help not to put on a fake face. My husband and I are now unequally yoked and are really struggling in our relationship. Do you have any advice. I do Christie and God bless you. I am so grateful to hear that the Lord has brought you to himself that your plugged into a church that you're wanting to disciple your children and teach them about the Lord and I see that this is a difficult situation a difficult family situations of the first thing I want to do for you is pray for you heavenly father we lift Christie her children and her husband up to you right now. I pray that you would fill her with your spirit that you would give her perseverance in this situation. Lord, the fruit of your spirit as she interacts with her children with her husband, Lord, would you give her wisdom also in in being able to love him and to share your love with him. Thank you Lord for drawing her to yourself, would you encourage her Lord and she seeks to honor you to be faithful to you and to love her husband well pray in Jesus name, amen. You know, Christie.

When I first became a Christian. I remember a lot of the people around me, including family members that I was very close to. I think they just sort of assumed that it was a, you know, just a phase of life that I was going to go through, I don't know that they they took it very seriously.

It was really yeah your young your you're still learning about the world you will grow out of it was that sort of idea and I remember really struggling with that because that I had felt like the Lord really did this amazing work in my life.

This was also new for me.

Of course I was a young Christian. There are a lot of ways in which I was still immature but I remember how how difficult that was, at least for for a season. Now I things changed for me. Over time, and I think as I continued to to seek the Lord to be faithful to him, people realize. I hate he's actually pretty serious at this and and I think as you continue to persist in faithfully following Jesus in being shaped more and more into the image of Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit that your husband is going to see hate this is this is serious and the way in which are being shaped is actually a way that that blesses your entire family including your your relationship with him. Our relationship with with Jesus should help us love the people around us better should make us better husbands, wives, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, we struggle with this right and when we do we confess and we say Lord forgive me Lord, help me, but it should be a blessing to your entire family and I think of what the apostle Paul says when he when he refers to this as he's writing to the Corinthians, and in he's talking about relationships, marriages where one spouse is a believer and the other isn't any says to them in first Corinthians chapter 7 verse 12. If any brother has a wife was an unbeliever and she consents to live with him.

She should not divorce him and if any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever and he consents to live with her she should not divorce him for the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife. That is to say, think about this Christie just by virtue of your union with Jesus. The fact that you have a relationship with Christ that you're growing in the word that's going to have an effect on your husband Paul says the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife. That is, in one sense he's experiencing the grace of God in and through you and Paul goes on to say the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. Otherwise, your children would be unclean, but as it is they are holy.

There's another wonderful promise, but if the unbelieving partner separates B so in such cases, the brother sister is not enslaved God has called you to peace. And then he says in verse 16 for how do you know wife, whether you will save your husband how do you know husband whether you will save your wife and so I would say look continue to love Jesus. The church to grow in your relationship with other believers, but also to love your husband to model for him. What a life transformed by the grace of God, looks like and and that that's not easy right we we fail and we fail we say Lord forgive me help me help me to exemplify the fruit of your spirit before my family so that they might be drawn to you so that they might see the good works that your you're doing in me and glorify do as I would just encourage you to continue to be to be faithful to love your husband to love your children, and to love the church and to see what God does. As you continue in that faithfully know I love your response to Christie federal one thought I have is, she mentions she's doing a lot of serving at the church is helping out with events she's involved with the children's ministry and then she talks about struggling in a relationship and I do wonder in addition to the faith issue if there could be a time issue where she spending so much time at church. Now she loves it. She loves the church body and she's plugged in but maybe she's spending so much time there that her husband is feeling like she's gone all the time and that could be affecting the relationship. Yeah, absolutely Bill, I think that that's I think there's there's wisdom there and in just another thing that we can bring up for for Christie brightly because there can be a resentment that grows if all of a sudden it's like will now you you found Jesus so you don't have any time for your husband had.

That's not what what it should look like. It should look like as we are following the Lord and going to church, you know, becoming a part of the fellowship that were also growing more deeply in our love for for husband for for for you Christie for your husband and and so I think that's another thing to keep in mind and and maybe just having an honest conversation with your husband and and asking him how he feels and and talking to him about you know the importance of faith and of your relationship with Jesus and how that is. That is something that you are going to continue to grow in in God calls you to continue to grow in, but also wanting to make sure that your that your loving him well and that he feels cared for and seen it so I will. I would just say you have have those conversations with him and make sure that your your time in the church you know that volunteering so much that your that you're now neglecting or don't have time for your husband, so come bless this is core Christianity with Pastor Israel Sanchez.

We are very excited to share.

We have a special offer for our listeners Mexicans to be a great book for for art for Christie who just emailed and would love to send her a copy of this. It's by author and theologian Nancy Guthrie will be joining us tomorrow on our program. It is a great book that's all about children and prayer. Yet, litigate, let me just say she is and be with us tomorrow which I'm so excited about.

So make sure you tune in for for that program because she's always so just. It is always is a blessing to have Nancy here with us at core, Christianity, and as she has us this wonderful book.

It's a children's book what every child should know about prayer. It's a sort of mini biblical theology of prayer, what prayer is how to pray things that we can pray for you. Many of us adults struggle with prayer and so you might find it just just for yourself, you having a children's book on prayer edifying for you, but certainly if if you have children or if you have grandchildren get a hold of this resource. What every child should know about prayer. You can learn more and get that resource at our website. Core, Christianity.com/offers. Again, that's core Christianity.com/offers and join us tomorrow for the great broadcast with our friend Nancy Guthrie was go back to the phones Christina from Omaha, Nebraska has a question hi Christina 13 when pastors I know it is a question concerning when and as teachers, and I know that it's okay for winning TV teachers of children and teachers of women on but concerning when and as pastors. It seems that especially in America and I see it as referring to say American Christianity on when thinking not want to step down from being a pastor at the pulpit, and as be connected or deacons of churches on a noted some time and example of Apollo in the Bible is viewed with Priscilla and Nicholas, and I'm not sure that Priscilla what it's the "Apollo without her husband Willis being with her it so I was wondering Adriana how you see women being pastors. Do you see that biblical because there's many people within my family that think it appropriate for women to be pastors that I think that when the apostle Paul spoke of women being quiet in the church. I think that he was just I don't think he was saying for winning to just shut their mouths, but I do think that he was laying the groundwork for saying that, when, and from the beginning should not be pastors so Christina, it sounds it does sound to me. Also leaking specifically about the, the question of what passively we receive this question on the broadcast before. So my position is that you know in terms of the ordained office of of pastor or elder described in places like first Timothy three and Titus chapter 1 that that is that is an office that should be filled by men by called competent qualified men in the church is that that's my view on on just in terms of preaching and teaching the context of of the worshiping assembly.

It it does also seem to me very clear from the New Testament that that women were involved in this sort of broader ministry or fellowship within the body of Christ when the apostle Paul when he writes the Philippians talks about any use is actually the example of Priscilla there again as as these women is called laborers in the gospel so we should all view ourselves within the body of Christ men or women as co-laborers in the gospel serving the Lord in whatever capacity the Lord has has blessed us in and gifted us and for some right whether there are individuals who are gifted in in teaching their individuals were gifted and administrating and helps in in in a number of different things and there are right ways to use those gifts in the context of the Christian life and so I think that we should encourage people with whatever gift the Lord has given to them to use those gifts in a manner that is honoring to the Lord, pleasing to the Lord and so let me that's this is one of the things that we see both in you. You mentioned the example of Priscilla and Tukwila. In acts chapter 18 I mentioned, you know that the referred to as co-workers or co-laborers with Paul in Romans chapter 16 verse three. They had a church actually was pretty neat.

They had a church that met in their home first Corinthian chapter 16 says this it is. It's also interesting in the that the New Testament, in particular the book of acts you had women who served as prophets, and I do believe that there are prophets around today, but you had these these women who were essentially by the spirit of the Lord speaking forth God's God's truth is sort of an interest in Paul talks about that. Also in first Corinthians chapter 14 are in that section on spiritual gifts and so I get my my my big thing is we we really want to make sure that we have a proper understanding of the gifts that God gives to us that we realize that everyone in the body of Christ is integral for the growth of the body. That's Paul's point in Ephesians 4 that's Paul's point in first Corinthians chapter 12 that's that's key. The body is only healthy insofar as each of us with whatever gift the Lord has given to us is is using that gift for the good of the whole missile I don't want to communicate anything that would minimize the role the necessity of every single person every single individual man or woman in the body of Christ. But that doesn't mean that we also don't have these distinct callings. In particular, is again you mentioned with regard to the office of pastor think that something in the New Testament. That is, that is for men and so appreciate that.

That question, and I thank you Christina for giving us a call one of those controversial ones in the life of the church today and of course different denominations have different views on that but they are explaining how helpful and maybe I could I could just add your your right bill the different denominations have different views on this this the. The one thing I would add is this is not one of those things that I would say is like somebody would do to a different view on the so it's a will that person is not a believer.

We often talk about the things that strike at the vitals of the face… The big issue big issues that are really, I think destroying the church today are bad Trinitarian theology a bad understanding of who Jesus Christ is of his incarnation mean those are those are the kinds of things that we would say yeah you can't deny the Trinity. For example, and still be a Christian Orthodox Trinitarian language those kinds of things and so it's it's helpful to talk about these things in their important things because the Bible speaks of them. But it is also helpful to think about it. What is the sort of core in terms of Christian doctrine and belief, the kinds of things that put us even outside the bounds of of of the Christian faith. In terms of what we confess and that's all rolled out on this on this broadcast is core Christianity so love talk about that. This is core Christianity with pastor Israel Sanchez and if you have a question you can always call our voicemail 24 hours a day and leave us message. Here's the number it's 833 the core that's 833. The core and here's a question we received from one of our listeners named Alexis first and foremost an ideal have some other friends now just wondering. That way appropriately not. Sometimes I wonder is surely platonic.

I know on my back. I just wonder about what the Bible has to say about that. I appreciate time thinking… Thanks for the question super practical question. Broadly speaking I would say yes it's it's fine to have friends that are male.

I guess I would just want to me that it sounds like you might be uncomfortable out somebody I don't know if there's there's with with some of these friends if they've done things are said things that have made you uncomfortable at the you have to use wisdom there and go with your gut you know if you if you think that this is something that for this individual is is problematic will then then yeah I would say don't pursue that and then also just with with regard to that night.

I'd be curious about me know what you mean by these French I know I do for myself.

For example like if if I told my wife I am just can it you know be going and grabbing dinner with my best friend Cynthia that kind of a thing, and this was the she would just be like yeah no you're not were not doing that. It so I think biting part of it is just what precisely do you mean when you say II have these other other French to think there's there's a way in which first. You know like you can you can exercise wisdom but also just just wanting to make sure that you you recognize that there's there's nothing wrong or sinful about having friendships with the opposite sex.

I think it's just you just need to be prudent and so many, and you also don't want to communicate the wrong things and Bill and if you have anything else to add their I think it's great advice that we have to be very careful when we have friends of the opposite sex. How much time we spend the what we do with them at a particular time. So yeah I think that's that's well said Israel. We have time for one quick last question. This is an email from Jackie. She says MRI. My pastor's disciple or am I am Jesus disciple and my my pastor, disciple, or my Jesus disciple I would say you know what is supposed to imitate me as I imitate Christ.

Ultimately, you know, we think of the great commission Jesus ago to all the world and make disciples who are making disciples of not of ourselves. I'm not making disciples of myself at the church isn't making disciples of a particular individual or celebrity were called to make disciples of Jesus. And so you are a disciple of Jesus, and you're called to follow Jesus and so far as your your pastor imitates Jesus and follows Jesus, I would say to you will follow follow him in that sense and and ultimately will be following Jesus were being shaped by the word, by the spirit more and more into the image of Christ. And that's were all called to God bless thanks for listening to core Christianity request your copy of today's special offer. Visit us at core, Christianity.com and click on offers and the menu or call us at 1-833-843-2673. That's 833 when you contact us. Please let us know how you been encouraged by this program and be sure to join us next time. As we explore the truth of God's word together