1 Corinthians 7:12-16 

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. 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.

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?

Commercial Ads

         You have seen this in commercial ads for brand new vehicles. A family cheerfully filled their new vehicle with food, drinks, toys and many other things they needed for picnic. Together, they enjoy the ride; they laugh; they tell stories; they share their ideas. If products cater to family, you can expect to see a happy family in commercial ads. Business owners understand it very well that to present happy families who are enjoying their product may attract potential buyers.

         Certainly, a personal experience is very attractive means to advertise products. Actually, it is biblical! In the furtherance of the gospel of Christ, our personal experience of the grace of God through faith in Christ cannot be denied.

Well, right before Jesus Christ had returned to heaven, he instructed the disciples in Luke 24:46-49, ⁴⁶The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, ⁴⁷ and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. ⁴⁸ You are witnesses of these things. ⁴⁹ I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.

         Despite their persecution, the first generation of Christians was very active in spreading the gospel of Christ because they waited to be clothed with power from on high before they testified of what they have personally witnessed. All of us believers are mandated to witness for Christ. We should testify of our personal experience and the transformational work of the Lord in our Life.

It is sad reality that majority of believers are also anxious and hesitate to share the gospel of Christ, why? We hesitate because to witness for Christ is godly activity; if it is natural for us to witness for Christ, everyone will be eager to witness without being told or instructed, right? Christ knows such hesitation, that is why, he instructed us to wait until we’re empowered and inspired from on high.

We have to seek and wait to be inspired by the Holy Spirit of Christ just like the first generation Christians who waited to be empowered by the Holy Spirit. The Lord has arranged probable series of challenges for us to face this year; let us remember to always seek to be clothed with power from on high. Our lifestyle, behavior and attitude should testify to our faith in Christ. Now, if someone argues about spouses who are not believers, what biblical conclusion can we present?

1.  Conclusion

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.

         When Apostle Paul said, “I say this (I, not the Lord),” did he mean that his advice was not Scriptural? Can we interpret it properly as biblical conclusion? He never said that his advice was just a suggestion to be considered; he presented a biblical conclusion that serves as closure and to break off any argument about believers who have spouses who were not believers of Christ just yet.

         Believers are called to live in peace rather than to engage in argument about what is acceptable to Christian beliefs and what is not. Truly, it is very common; there are believers who have spouses who are not believers just yet.

Faith in Christ is personal decision. And believers are mandated to witness for Christ, and their spouse are the immediate contacts. So, if a wife who is not a believer yet is willing to live with her Christian husband or a husband who is not a believer yet is willing to live with her Christian wife, they should live together peacefully. It’s an opportunity for the believer to witness for Christ. What else?

It’s an opportunity to store up eternal treasure in heaven. Do you agree?

         Now the phrase, “is willing to live,” suggests that spouses who are not believers yet give their consent and agree to live with spouses who are believers. They give their consent to practise their faith in Christ without raising arguments while they live together. So, when someone raises a question when a spouse is opposed to the believer’s practice of faith, then, it becomes obvious that there is no more willingness to live together in peace; no more consent and can’t agree.

This biblical conclusion not to divorce could be reconsidered or disregarded.

Popular Preacher

         A popular preacher had divorced from his wife because of irreconcilable practice of their faith. They cannot agree or compromise with each other how they live their life as Christians. The church gave their blessing to their preacher and he remained as their preacher with the condition the he won’t marry again.

         Before deciding to have divorce, married couples who are Christians should seek marriage counseling. But the problem of preachers who’ve got divorced is that, they can be more knowledgeable about biblical advisories so that they can easily find biblical statements to support their perspectives.

Think about that for a moment. Preachers are supposed to exemplify how to practise faith in biblical manner. But if preachers are not exempted from the pressure of divorce, how can ordinary believers handle the pressure of divorce? Will the Lord grant if confused couples pray earnestly to avoid divorce?

Let’s reflect on Romans 12:1-2, ¹Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. ² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

         It is true that there is no assurance for anyone to be exempted from the pressure of divorce, but at least, we can be sure that the will of God is good, pleasing and perfect. We can focus on doing activities or decisions acceptable to God instead of letting our mind entertain bothersome thoughts like divorce. Most often, it is not very easy for children to overcome the negative effects of divorce.

         Parents should be considerate about the effect of divorce to their children.

2.  Children

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.

         If unbelieving spouses have been sanctified through their believing spouses, and as a result their children become holy, does it not also imply that the Lord wants married couples to reconcile despite their differences and avoid divorce? How should we explain this statement to ordinary listeners: “Spouses who are not believers have been sanctified through their believing spouses?”

 Did God ordain marriage of believers to unbelievers? It is possible! But, a situation about before marriage is not the main concern here. The situation is about children and unbelieving spouses sanctified through believing spouses.

To be sanctified is to be set apart, sacred and holy. The unbelieving spouses and children of believers are set apart, sanctified, made scared and holy for God, just as God set apart believers for his special purposes.

Together, let us reflect seriously on what it declares in 2 Timothy 2:20-21.

²⁰ In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use. ²¹ Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.

Winter Tire

Driving in winter can be very challenging. It is very advisable to use winter tires because they have better traction than regular all season tires. Winter tires are not advisable to be used during summer months because they wear out faster. Winter tires are manufactured especially for winter season. You need both all season tires and winter tires depending on the season you drive.

Similarly, when it declared that there are articles for special purposes and for common purposes, believing spouses have special purposes for God while their unbelieving spouses and their children have common use. Do you accept that? What is common use? All season tires are commonly use for all seasons, winter, spring summer or fall while winter tires are special tires for winter seasons. And we are advised to cleanse ourselves from the common use to be instruments for special purposes, be useful to the Master and prepared to do good works.

Believers or not, everyone can be instruments to common use but to be instrument for special purposes of God, we are instructed in 2 Timothy 2:20-21.

²² Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. ²³ Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. ²⁴ And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. 

We called to live and promote peace and not produce quarrels. Avoid foolish and stupid argument. We must be kind to everyone and not quarrelsome. We have to pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace and be prayerful always; we should be thankful, even when in circumstances that may seem unpleasant.

3.  Circumstance

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?

         God has sanctified and set apart believers to be instrumental for the salvation of unbelieving spouses. Can you agree? Could that be the very reason believers are advised not to divorce their spouses who are not believers yet?

         To be quarrelsome is foolish and stupid instinct of humanity. But believers are advised not to be quarrelsome; instead, pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with pure heart no matter what circumstances we may be situated.

         We are admonished in 1 Thessalonians 5:15-18, ¹⁵ Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else. ¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray continually, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Snow

         Last week, we have heavy snow. Finally, the winter is here. Are you happy and thankful for the snow fall? Farmers in Canada are happy; they can relax a little bit now and not worry about dry land. Contractors for snow clearing can be thankful to earn their money eventually. Surely, many retiree Canadians cannot appreciate snow, and they fly to warmer regions anywhere around the world.

         Why does God allow heavy snow? One older person said that in winter, he shovel snow to keep (himself) active and strong. But still, there are inconsiderate people who have no concern about their neighbors when they shovel snow.

Someone complained that his neighbor blow snow into his drive way. So, he bought stronger snow blower, and whenever his neighbor blow snow into his drive way, he intentionally blows and returns the snow into his neighbor’s drive way. The neighbor stopped blowing snow into his drive way accordingly.

There many concerns about inconsiderate neighbor. Shoveling snow or clearing snow from the drive way can also be problem for older people. So how can believers be thankful during difficult circumstances?

Together, let’s reflect on what it admonishes us in Hebrews 13:15-16.

¹⁵ Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. ¹⁶ And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

         Doing good things especially for members of our family, believers or not yet, can be favorable for us in the long run. When God is pleased, we benefit.

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Older People

         Someone told a story of older people who were not very strong to shovel snow. The harsh winter cold is not very friendly to older people as well. After sudden drop of temperature and heavy snow fall, the older couple cannot force themselves to clear the snow on their drive way; they have nothing to do outside their home anyway. They just enjoyed the comfort warmth of the living room.

         Suddenly, their adult children and their grandchildren came knocking at their door. “We came to clear the snow at your drive way!” Their children and grandchildren just came and cleared the snow. Awesome! Right?

         Husbands and wives listen: Whatever circumstances we have, children are observant. Let us strive to exemplify good behavior as believers of Christ Jesus. It is not a secret that there is no ideal marriage without misunderstanding, but we can avoid foolish and stupid arguments that produce quarrels. How?

         Together, let’s pray that we remember what it says in Ephesians 5:2-21.

²⁰ Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²¹ Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

         God may give us long life or not, we should live in peace with everyone. We pray that may the peace of God that transcends understanding prevail in us.