Ezra Chapter 10. Marry a believer not a “cute” unbeliever.
After the men we're settled back into Jerusalem and Judah they began pursuing wives that were not believers of God. This resulted in great sin. Some of the people wept and mourned before God for all the evil the people brought upon themselves. The leadership issued a decree for the men to meet and they decided to get rid of their wives and get right with God.
I am reminded how often boys and girls today get caught up in relationships and they pursue a boyfriend or girlfriend based upon popularity, how cute or handsome someone is, or how nice they think they are and very rarely do people make it a priority to ensure the person they pursue is a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Eventually, the believers marry the unbelievers and then they have children. Now there's a conflict in the house. One spouse wants to raise their children in the Lord and in the church and the other spouse doesn't. Now the kids learn that maybe it's not that important after all to pursue the Lord. So instead of raising a child in the home that together promotes Christ from generation to generation, we have a battle of truth that becomes an ongoing conflict from generation to generation. This is why it is so important for Christians to pursue Christian relationships. Malachi 2:15 says, “Has not the Lord made them one. In flesh and spirit they are His. And why one because God was seeking godly children.”
2nd Corinthians 6:14 says, “Do not be bound together with unbelievers for what partnership has righteousness and lawlessness or what fellowship has light with darkness.”
God desires families that are pursuing him and want husbands and wives to promote Christ together with their children so their children can grasp the truth and pass it on to the next generation. It's hard to promote Christ to the children when one parent is the believer and one isn't. It's a huge responsibility but it must be a priority! May the Lord help us all.
I believe that a husband and wife are so much stronger whenever they are united together with Christ at the center of their relationship.
I’m reminded of Ecclesiastes 4:12.
“And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”
When a new couple starts first getting to know each other, dating, engagement, and finally you make a promise to God that you will love each other as both as you shall live. I’m right with you on this that being in a relationship or married to a person that doesn’t belong to God is a sin. My parents have been married over 30 years and they both loved God and really loved each other ever since. As a husband you are the man of the house and when your married you stand before God in what you say and do.