Unsaved open agnostic husband (but has faq about Jews & other gods)
Q: I married unequally yoked. I was lukewarm at the time just starting to dive deeper back.I know it is my fault.
We have had deep conversations about faith, and he prays with us and goes to church with us. His opinions and views I would say are more agnostic. As he believes the Christian God is just as possible as any other god. He just has a lot of questions and often questions the Jewish and Christianity religion and how they are the same but they don’t both believe Jesus is a Messiah.
I have been praying for him for years now. We are 2 1/2 years into marriage and have been together almost 7 years. We also have two children together. I’m having a hard time with resentment and I know this isn’t right or fair. I’m praying hard about it and God has been showing me my heart but this feeling is so deep and so important to me as my faith is now. How do I work through this ?
A: God will bless your efforts and you have to ride out the consequences (what the unequally yoked part brings).
However, since he is open, my suggestion is to have a solid convo with him about the Gospel. God has chosen it to he what has the power to save; as God converts them through it.
I would focus on that as you continue ministering to him.
Here are resources to help. Feel free to copy and save.
Easy convos to get to the Gospel.
http://believersanswers.blogspot.com/2024/10/how-to-intemtionally-probe-someones.html
Unequally Yoked Resources for living godly before your husband. We are not guaranteed our spouse or kids will be saved, but if we faithfully minister to them, as led by the Holy Spirit, and our desire for their salvation, we can leave them in God's hands knowing His timing for their salvation will happen at the right time, even if it is after you die, at least you'll see them again. And the seeds planted and watering you did in ministry to them has bore the fruit you prayed for.
Man is blinded by self righteousness in sin.
As to Jews, you can tell him: The Jews are blinded by self righteousness that is about feeling superior to others; (thinking just cuz they were of God's people who became the nation Israel, they think that saves them). The OT showed this in many ways, even Jonah; Many Jews hated Gentiles and wanted them dead not saved. Israel as a Nation failed to be the light to the world calling men to salvation in The Light, the Lord. But many had (until Jesus time) had put their faith in the promised Messiah. This Faith of Adam and Eve after the Fall, and even Abraham before the Nation was created, did the same as us; they put their faith in the coming Savior. Ours in the risen Savior (who came and did what was required for men to be saved). They were saved the same, by Repentance & Faith in Jesus; trusting in Him. ["Repentance & Faith" are two sides of the same coin, and happen at the same time, (being led to and by God)].
Btw, Messiah is the Hebrew word for Savior. In Greek, it means Christ. The Roman Empire spoke Greek and Aramaic. It is the same word. Same person.
In Jesus time the religious rulers (govt and temple) were only wanting a savior to free from earthly oppression of the Romans. Not the Messiah the Scriptures promised, who frees us from sin & death, giving spiritual life.
However, Jesus did have the 12 Apostles & 620 converts before he went to the cross, and shortly after Resurrection gained 3,000 or 5k more (saved at Penticost), following Him as that Messiah.
In the Gospels it says this in eyewitness accounts. Also all the Jewish believers in the promised Messish, whom He released from Sheol saw him, and went about in the villages (happened prior to their going with Him to Heaven; prior to his official ascension [he came, spending 40 days with the Apostles teaching them what they were now ready to learn]). Point is, there were multiple thousands who believed in and followed him who were Jewish. The dead who were saved, and the living who got saved.
Many continued to get saved. Tongues lasted for a season after Pentecost (the day Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to indwell believers) where God used tongues ["signs & wonders" were for the Jews] to reach the Jews who out of curiosity went into Christian assemblies & churches and [in travels, in gentile regions & foreign places] heard miraculously in Hebrew what was being said. Not by translators but by those who spoke by the Holy Spirit "heard" in his own tongue. The Gospel. Many came to Christ. Even among the Jews proclaiming this Gospel of Christ in Israel then, too.
And they continued to get saved. Many Jews through to the Holocoust even, and today come to Jesus. In fact one of the largest spread global Christisn evangelism ministries is run by a ethnic Israelite who has been Christian since 70s, (and just had his 75th birthday). His son in law is a ethnic Arab who became Christian (after a life in gangs). There are Messisnic Jews and Jews for Jesus organizations too. Massive numbers of Israeli Christians exist globally.
While that "old Israel" had failed to be the light to the world, (yet) since the resurrection commissioned us; God uses born again Christians to proclaim the good news now. And we do, all who are saved, Jew or Gentile, are One in Christ, are doing this work.
Now, as to the understanding of a Creator God, and diffs of other gods (false ones), you'll need to show why YHWH is the only true God. Here are some helps...
This shows who God is, from Scripture, revealing theres none like him. His Attributes show he is like no other so called god.
This shows how all religions since Jesus have altered their religion to add Jesus [a false version of him]; it was simply sinful man-made attempts to prevent people from getting saved. Those false gods taught by and worshiped by a religions religious leaders would not want to lose power, control over people, high respect, and money, as they wouldn't want it to end; want others to treat them as less than above the common people, so back then they schemed when missionaries came proclaiming the truth, so they invented a false Jesus [calling him just a human with good teachings], to blind people further, so they wouldn't leave. That false religion was their livelihood. Snake oil salesmen wont give up a good con if they can keep it going.
Fortunately God used Christians from East to West in past times, and today (since Reformation) in the West to continue missionary work around/to the world, and not just reach people in far flung places with this soul saving Gospel by traveling missionaries, but because of the US/West's influence globally since WW2 and recent years, the ability to travel here, to get education here, and the recent rise of the internet... all these false religions have been losing millions of followers, either from exposing their lies (like the one claiming the world was held up in a turtles back; NASA imagery blew that false religion away), or by getting access to a Bible, a radio or TV sermon [of a biblical preacher] & hearing the Gospel. The world can now access YouTube and these resources freely now 247 365 [except in certian countries that dont allow it, or too poor to have VPN access]. More Christians go share the Gospel today than before. God will bring the Gospel to those he will save, and nothing can stop His sovereign will, and mans salvation from being accomplished.
Here's a few more things you can share with him. Discuss afterwards if he has questions, but let him ruminate over it after receiving the info. first. He needs to think on these things a few days. Def pray with him though before he looks into it, asking God to open his heart and mind to the truths God wants him to know. And pray after too, that God will reach his heart and help lead him to recieve these truths. Then let him think about them. Come back to it to call him to embrace God, and Jesus who offers salvation freely. But it is a limited time offer. And delaying it delays a personal life with God, and spiritual blessings he is missing out on. Don't lose out. Our life here in the Faith has connections to eternity, rewards, blessings and positions in eternity.
Addressing additional faq, is fine...but dont let these distract from the Gospel. It is the primary focus, so convos need to come back to it. Salvation today is important because tomorrow isnt guaranteed, neither is tonight. Salvation is the utmost need of a person, the rest of the things can be answered and educated on in time, as it is with all believers. Jesus is the most important need we have, and results in our getting right with God, now.
After you share these things, asking him to look into them, but before you share the resources, pray with him, that God will open his heart and mind to truth, and to lead him to recieve it, and salvation in Christ. Then give him a couple days to go through it. But you can watch the videos together (even with the kids if they're old enough), it will strengthen your faith too and help equip you in other Christian convos when folk present objections or want answers to things perplexing them.
But, do come back to lovingly calling your husband to recieve the Gospel. Perhaps after a follow up convo on what he learned and if it helped lead him more towards Jesus.
If he comes to saving faith, these resources will help bless and guide you as you grow in the Faith.
God bless
*bookmark page to go through the resources here in the coming days and weeks.
