Marriage is a very exciting but very serious thing. It's so serious that the Bible warns us not to partner with the wrong spouse. However, there are some Christians who try to make excuses just so that they could marry a handsome or pretty unbeliever, saying the latter "will learn to love God," perhaps even "God wants me to be happy." Both of these are lies.
Here's Paul's serious admonition in 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 about it:
"Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, 'I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them,' says the Lord, 'and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me,' says the Lord Almighty."
Still, for those Christ-followers who want to marry an unbeliever, here are some things that you should prepare for:
1. Prepare yourself for the consequences of your disobedience
Oh yes, if you as a Christian decide to marry an unbeliever you are actually disobeying God Himself. If you think you're mightier and more powerful than the Creator of all things including hell, then go ahead and do it. Just remember that God will not allow any disobedience to be unpunished, and you cannot undo the sin you've committed.
Consider Proverbs 16:5, which says "Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord; be assured, he will not go unpunished."
2. Prepare yourself to face hardships in serving God
Amos 3:3 says, "Can two people walk together without agreeing on the direction?" Marrying an unbeliever means going towards two opposite directions, or does it? Check yourself. Why would you even marry an unbeliever if you truly follow Christ in the first place?
But if ever you are a true-blue Christ-follower intent on marrying an unbeliever, you need to realise that your direction as a couple will be torn in two – much more if you're a woman because the husband will be the one leading the marriage, and you'll need to submit to him (see 1 Corinthians 11:3; Ephesians 5:22-23).
If you marry someone who doesn't believe in and love God, expect that you will face hardships in serving and prioritising the Lord, even at home.
3. Prepare yourself for a lot of heartache
A Christian who really wants to marry an unbeliever needs to prepare for a lot of heartache. You can't expect an unbeliever to have godly and Christ-like character simply because the person doesn't even know God!
Because unbelievers do not have God's Spirit living in them, you can't expect them to have the fruits of the Spirit in them. Expect that they won't be loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and won't have self-control. You can also expect that they haven't crucified the flesh with all its sinful passions and desires (see Galatians 5:22-24).
In closing
Friend, don't marry an unbeliever for your own sake. Please, obey the Lord when He said "do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers."
