How To Reach Your Unsaved Spouse Series

How To Reach Your Unsaved Spouse

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Many years ago a man named Martin Ross found himself more in love with a bottle of alcohol than anything else. Despite the earnest prayers of Bertha, his deeply committed wife, he had no interest in Christianity. But Bertha was faithful to God and faithful to her husband. She never gave up on him. She prayed and trusted the Lord. And in His timing, God did a great work in Ross' life. he was born again, He submitted his life to the Lord, gave up alcohol and entered the ministry. Eventually he became a preacher at a Baptist church in Brooktondale, New York. He was always ready to share his testimony with others. Often he said that he would rather have Jesus than anything the world offered. His daughter Rhea had heard him make this statement many times and when she was twenty-eight while walking through the fields near her home reflecting on her father’s changed life, She wrote a poem which eventually became George Beverly Shea's signature song "I'd Rather Have Jesus". All of this was possible because of the influence of a godly Christian wife who loved her Lord and loved her husband.

Today marriage is a topic that is at the forefront of the news. Recently our government has attempted to redefine marriage. Marriage is not nor will it ever be defined by any national government. Marriage is defined by God... Marriage was ordained by God . God has a specific plan concerning marriage.... One man, one woman...FOR LIFE!!! Jesus said in - Mark 10:6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.

God's ultimate plan is not just for a man and woman to be together forever. God wants a couple to bring honor and glory to His name. In order for this to happen, both the male & female must have Christ as their first priority. As individuals and as a couple your life should be focused on bringing honor and glory to your Father in Heaven. Paul gives us some important information about how to choose a spouse in 2 Corinthians 6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

Do you see that? Ladies, your goal should not be to find a man who is financially stable. You should not be searching for the strongest... most handsome man. If you are here and you are single you should not settle for anything less than a man of God!! - Men, as tempting as it may be, looks are not the most important aspect in a prospective mate. Don't spend your time trying to find a woman who can cook like your mother. If you are here and you are single you need to make sure that your first question to that special lady is "Are you a Christian"?

When a couple comes and asks me to perform their wedding the first thing I ask is "have you both been born again?" And you would be amazed at how many ladies cannot tell you if their fiancé has ever been saved... and visa versa. No matter how much you "love" someone, if they are not born again they are not for you! You can do all that you can to try to justify it, but the Bible says "not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers" .

Maybe you are here and you are already married to an unsaved person. This happens in many marriages today. Sometimes a couple will get married and they are both lost. Then later on one of the two gets saved. Sometimes a believer will marry a nonbeliever simply because they have not been taught the precepts that we will cover in this sermon. And there are those occasions when and individual knows better and they are so "in love" that they will ignore biblical teaching and marry a lost person anyways. And usually this is done with the hope that somehow...someway they will be able to lead that spouse to faith in Christ.

Regardless of the reason, I know that there may be some of you in that situation. So, What should you do? How should you act? What would God have you to do if you are in this situation? Peter addresses this predicament in our selected text. He tells the wife specifically how she should act toward her unsaved husband.

In the preceding verses Peter examines Christ's submission at the cross...He now states that the wife should have this same sort of submission to her husband even if he is an unbeliever. We also see in these verses the motivation and the possible consequences of this submission. If these instructions are followed there is a chance that the unbelieving spouse may be converted. The ultimate goal of scripture is to bring lost men and women to salvation. And this text shows one way that can be accomplished.