Expert: Australian International Evangelist Matthew Starrs - 12/17/2008

Question
QUESTION: Hi Matthew

I'm a newly Born Again Christian and my wife is not.

I read somewhat in my NKJV that due to the fact that I'm a believer in Christ JESUS. That my wife is also saved.

Question Please:

Where in the NKJV does it say that this is true.

Thank You Matthew
GOD BLESS YOU

ANSWER: Hi Ray,

I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but you are mistaken about the Bible saying that your wife is saved because you believe.

There are a couple of scriptures that could be easily misinterpreted to bring you to that conclusion. One is found here:

1 Corinthians 7:13-15 (New King James Version)
13 And a woman who has a husband who does not believe, if he is willing to live with her, let her not divorce him. 14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy. 15 But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart; a brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. But God has called us to peace.

The original word for "sanctified: in the original Greek language is "ἁγιάζω" (pronounced hä-gē-ä'-zō) which means:

1) to render or acknowledge, or to be venerable or hallow

2) to separate from profane things and dedicate to God

a) consecrate things to God

b) dedicate people to God

3) to purify

a) to cleanse externally

b) to purify by expiation: free from the guilt of sin

c) to purify internally by renewing of the soul

I believe that the blessings referred to here are temporal blessings that you wife enjoys because she is married to you and comes under the blessing that God has on your life through Christ. I do not believe that this extends to eternal salvation, otherwise the next verse of scripture makes no sense at all:

16 For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?

Verse 16 indicates that although the unbeliever is "sanctified" they are still not "saved".

There is another scripture that could be misinterpreted this way also. It is in the book of Acts where Paul speaks to a Philipian Jailer who is about to commit suicide because he believes that the prisoners have all escaped. The custom of the day was that if the prisoners escaped the Jailer and those of his household would have to complete the sentences of the escapees, or often they would be killed. Here is the passage:

Acts 16:23-33 (New King James Version)
23 And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. 24 Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.   
25 But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed. 27 And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. 28 But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.”
29 Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31 So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” 32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. 33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized.

You will see here that Paul appears to be saying that "if you believe in Jesus your whole household will be saved". However if you continue reading you will see that Paul spoke the Word to the whole household, as it's not just the master of the house that needs to hear and believe the message of the Gospel for themselves . . . it's everybody!

So in a nutshell, you wife is blessed by God because she is married to a believer, however if she wants to have a relationship with Him and go to heaven with you (at death you will part!) she will need to have her own faith in Christ.

Blessings,

Matthew.



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Dear Matthew

I think or know when it comes to scripture its interruption falls under the Holy Spirit.

I looked up the word SANCTIFIED and it appears to me the the WIFE is made holy and therefore SAVED.

Your commends please.

Ray

sanc·ti·fy (sngkt-f)
tr.v. sanc·ti·fied, sanc·ti·fy·ing, sanc·ti·fies
1. To set apart for sacred use; consecrate.
2. To make holy; purify.
3. To give religious sanction to, as with an oath or vow: sanctify a marriage.
4. To give social or moral sanction to.
5. To make productive of holiness or spiritual blessing.

Answer
Actually Ray . . .
The interpretation of scripture (it was ironic that you accidently referred to it's "interruption") is something that we do - rightly or wrongly - either with or without the Holy Spirit's help. The Bible talks about those that "twist the scriptures to their own destruction". This is dangerous.

I think that where you are coming undone is that you want your wife to be saved because you believe, therefore you interpret the scripture to agree with your desired belief. The Bible talks about us being led astray by our own desires. This is very dangerous.

Did you consider the reasons I pointed out why those beliefs of yours do not fit with the scripture, or did you just ignore the things that you didn't want to hear? This is extremely dangerous!

It might be helpful for you to do a study on what it is to be "holy". Things, animals, and people can be "holy" without being saved.

It would definitely be helpful for you to do a study on salvation. Every individual one of us is personally responsible for our own salvation. If salvation came through marriage we should all marry impenitent sinners so that they would escape the judgement of sin!

Ray, you said that you are a newly Born again Christian. The Bible says in Peter "As new born babes sincerely desire the milk of God's Word". The best way to get this is to find a local Pastor and congregation that can help you grow in the Word.

Blessings,

Matthew