For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? (Matthew 16:26)

Choosing A Godly Mate

The text of Matthew 16:26 seems an unusual place to discuss the role of faith in seeking a godly mate. It has everything to do with choosing a person to marry. There are many reasons people marry. In many cultures, marriages often result from two people falling in love after a courtship. Some cultures arrange marriages for their children. Whatever the reason for the marriage, the result is a home created with a husband and wife. The challenge of many marriages is staying together. Divorce has always been a common answer to problems that arise in marriage. God hates divorce. God created Adam and Eve as a pattern of fidelity and commitment in marriage.

God has always had laws concerning the marriage relationship. Choosing a mate is a life-long commitment the Lord expects and demands to be kept by both parties who covenanted with the Lord that they remain faithful to one another. Seeking greater faith must be the foundation of choosing a mate. The only other decision a person will make in life of greater importance is to obey the gospel of Jesus Christ, and this decision must drive the commitment to choosing a godly mate. Selecting someone to spend the rest of one’s life with has eternal consequences for both parties. That decision cannot be taken lightly. To do so will bring great heartache and misery.

Seeking greater faith in choosing a mate is knowing that choosing a mate matters. As the marriage blends together, becoming one, the child of God will face challenges in allowing the influence of the other mate to shape how they serve the Lord. A husband may not encourage his wife to assemble with the saints. The wife’s worldly influence can detract from the husband’s desire to serve the Lord. Two lives going in opposite directions spiritually will always be a challenge. Of greater importance is a mate living with the knowledge that their loved one is not in a saved condition before God.

Choosing a mate must be based on faith. That faith determines the marriage will be a union of two souls glorifying the Lord. All marriages face trials because they are made up of two imperfect individuals. When the husband and wife face the trials of life united under the banner of Christ, there is greater hope to overcome. It isn’t easy when one spouse is not a Christian. Life can be a series of heartaches when there is no commonality of spiritual values. This especially becomes difficult if children enter the home. The influence of a non-Christian father can have a negative impact on the children, as well as a non-believing wife. There is no unity in training the children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

Jesus asked the question: What value is there in a man gaining all the happiness in this world if that happiness is lost in the next? This does not suggest it is a sin to marry a non-Christian, but the reality that a spouse is not going to Heaven can be a heavy burden to bear. Choosing a godly mate will not engender the crushing blow of a loved one lost to perdition. That must matter. It must be at the forefront of deciding whom to marry, whether that person will help one get to Heaven or hinder them. There are many reasons to fall in love and get married, but the greatest blessing of marriage is when two hearts are united in Christ first. Seeking greater faith is about finding a godly mate who will lead the family to eternal life.