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Dear Father Paul

Dear Father Paul: What should the believing wife of an unbelieving husband do? I've been working on my unbelieving husband for over seven years! — No name, no city.

Dear Friend: First of all trust God's word, the Bible. In 1 Corinthians 7:12-14, where it discusses this very issue, it says that an "unbelieving husband is sanctified (Greek, "hagiazo" i.e. made holy, made pure, made blameless) by the believing wife. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy."

The Amplified Bible, a translation I like a lot, is even more specific. It says "the unbelieving husband is set apart (separated, withdrawn from heathen contamination, and affiliated with Christian people) by union with his consecrated (set apart) wife — otherwise your children would be unclean (unblessed heathen, outside the Christian covenant), but as it is they are prepared for God (pure and clean)."

I believe that God (through the Apostle Paul) is NOT saying here that the unbelieving husband of a believing wife is "saved" as a result of his marriage to a believing wife, but that God has placed him in a special, blessed place in God's sight...a place of (temporary) protection so that he can experience the things of God and make his own decision. This "special place" is no small thing but is a wonderful gift because it puts the unbeliever in a position to "see God" manifested in the life of the believing wife.

For the believing wife to "win" her husband to Christ, once he is in this special blessed place, the wife should follow the directions of I Peter 3:1-2 where it says, "Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without talk by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives." This advise is not "politically correct" today but it is pretty clear isn't it. Unbelieving spouses (husbands or wives) are won; NOT by nagging, badgering or putting the spouse on a "guilt trip," but, as the Bible says, "without talk", by their "behavior," or how the believing spouse lives her/his life! Dear friend, let your unbelieving husband REALLY see Jesus living in you every single day and I promise you he will become a believer. There is no stronger sermon than a life lived for Christ!

Dear Father Paul: Why do you use a "prayer book" in your services? Can't you make up the words for your prayers as you go along?— Mark, Fayetteville.

Dear Mark: Good question. Why do most churches have a hymnal (a song book) Mark? Can't they just make up the words (and music) to the songs as they go along?

Of course they can't, that's why most churches have hymnals or song books. The songs were written by men and women under God's anointing for use by God's people in worship. In the same way prayer books were written by men and women under God's anointing for use by God's people in worship. Over 75 percent of the worlds Christians use some type of "prayer book" in their worship. The prayer books used by most churches are 95 percent scripture including the Psalms. They give direction to the service. They are like the "tracks" a train runs on. A train needs tracks; otherwise you have a trainwreck.

There should and must be spirit led spontaneity in our worship, otherwise it becomes dead ritual. But words, in songs or in prayers, are neither alive nor dead; they are just words. It is the PEOPLE who are alive or dead! May God save us from dead "religion" and make us alive in Christ!

Father Paul Massey will answer your question. Write him at paulmassey@earthlink.net or Box 510, Fayetteville, Georgia 30214.

 Father Paul Massey is vicar of Church Of The Holy Cross in Fayetteville, which meets Sundays at 10:30 a.m. for worship and Holy Communion. Services include healing prayer for the sick. Visitors are welcome. Call 770-631-3566 for directions. More information is available at www.chccec.org.