Believers’ Children Marry Believers

            

             Parents, teach your children to marry believers only, and give your children in marriage only to believers. Our enemy, Satan, has always employed tricks to destroy families. High on his list of evil deceptions is to get your child to marry an unbeliever.

• Before the Great Flood, bad marriages led to great evil, Genesis 6:1-7; young people chose wives without regard to parents’ advice or that of any elders.

• Pagans tried to corrupt Jacob’s family, through which God would carry out His promise to Jacob’s grandfather Abraham to bless all nations. Idolaters offered material rewards to get Jacob’s sons to marry their daughters, Genesis 34:9-10.

• After the Israelites returned from captivity, bad marriages displeased God. He warned of destruction for those who intermarried with idolaters, Ezra 9:10-14.

   Benefits of good marriages with believers:

• Good marriages please God and earn an eternal reward.

• Children married to believers will serve the Lord.

• Good marriages make happy husbands, wives and parents.

• Good marriages improve society.

• Good marriages help defeat Satan.

   Evils of bad marriages with unbelievers:  

• Bad marriages displease God; believers who indulge in them forfeit part of their heavenly reward.

• Believing children married to unbelievers will commit sins and even serve demons, although often unaware.

• Bad marriages invariably lead to unhappy husbands, wives and parents.

• Bad marriages keep a society from faith, and keep believers a minority.

• Bad marriages give Satan power over people.

             Discuss with others the following reasons that some parents give their children to marry unbelievers, so you can deal with them. Note the ones that apply to your culture:

• They hope to get money, land or political power.

• Tradition says they must do so.

• They fear a curse, evil magic or spirits.

• They want to please an unbelieving friend.

• Other reasons

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           Plan what you and your co-workers will do:

• Visit families who have children and pray for them and their future marriages.

• Explain to parents the consequences of bad marriages with unbelievers, and the consequences of good marriages with believers.

• Pray to break generational curses, bondages and obligations.

• Pray for parents to have courage and give their children to believers.

• Invite parents to dedicate their babies to Jesus during a worship meeting.

• If parents have made an unholy alliance with unbelievers, then plan with them how to break that alliance.