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This is from an anonymous sister in the Lord.
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She says, "Pastor Tim,
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I've been raised in a Christian home,
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and recently over the past five years,
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I've experienced tremendous growth
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in my walk with God.
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I'm a true believer
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and strive for my life to glorify God.
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On the other side of things,
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my husband was also raised
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in a Christian home,
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but he's decided in the past year
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to look into Wicca, the Golden Dawn,
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Satanism, etc.
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He's leaning towards Free Masons
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and the Golden Dawn.
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I've been counseled to leave him by many.
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I do not feel this is what the Holy Spirit
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is leading me to do,
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but I would appreciate some biblical direction.
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I have three young children,
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four and under,
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and I'm doing my best daily
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to teach them to live for Jesus.
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I do struggle with this whole thing
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very much some days,
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and I just lean on the Lord
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and pray for wisdom in all circumstances.
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Thanks for any help and guidance."
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Well, this is a Christian sister.
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And I would say the same thing that I said last week,
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we had some sensitive issues last week.
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My first counsel to this sister is:
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you've got to be in a good church.
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And you've got to find some good and godly men
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to walk with you through these things
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and pray with you through these things.
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It's absolutely essential that people
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are in good churches.
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But, beyond that, I would say this.
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Do you know what the Scripture teaches?
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How many Christians do you have to have
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in a household for it to be a Christian household?
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One.
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Now, it's very interesting that the text
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that we would go to
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to support that truth
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immediately follows a text
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that actually gives this sister counsel
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in her area as well.
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Listen to this: 1 Corinthians 7:13
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"If any woman has a husband
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who is an unbeliever..."
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Well, that identifies this sister.
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"...and he consents to live with her."
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And that sounds like it's the case.
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"She should not divorce him."
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Now listen to this.
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"For the unbelieving husband
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is made holy because of his wife."
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You see what's said?
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The unbelieving husband,
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even if he's a Free Mason,
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even if he's involved in the Golden Dawn,
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is made holy by his marriage to a Christian.
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What does that mean?
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Does holy mean righteous there?
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The idea of holy means separate.
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It means that that husband
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is sanctified by his marriage to
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that Christian woman.
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And then it goes on to say this:
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"Otherwise your children would be unclean,
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but as it is they are holy."
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See, a Christian wife makes
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the whole house sanctified.
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A Christian wife makes the unbelieving husband sanctified.
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Makes the children sanctified.
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The household is declared holy,
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the husband is declared holy,
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the children are declared holy.
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Now what does that mean practically speaking?
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Well, in some way,
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that whole family is sanctified.
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And I believe it probably means this:
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there's a special protection there.
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I believe that the angels are ministering spirits.
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They're given to minister to God's people.
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If you've got God's people in that house,
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that house is protected by the angels of God.
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It definitely has the light of God's Word in it.
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It definitely has an individual that
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is receiving the blessings of the Lord.
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You know, when you have a Christian in a household,
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there's a blessing of God that falls on that household
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that wouldn't otherwise be there.
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And in that sense, that whole household is sanctified.
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And what does it say?
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The instruction to this sister is
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if you've got an unbelieving husband,
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and he's willing to stay with you,
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don't leave him.
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And it doesn't give any qualifications.
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It doesn't say, well, if he's in Satanism,
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that's an exception.
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There's no exceptions.
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If he's willing to dwell with you, dwell there.
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Now obviously, if situations arise
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where there's physical danger to the family,
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physical danger to the children,
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that would be another thing.
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And obviously this sister would need to be
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in close contact with some pastors
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that could guide her through the situation.
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The other thing I would say is this:
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This is a text that comes out of 1 Peter.
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"Wives, be subject to your own husbands."
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So to this sister, I would say,
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you know what,
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the Lord calls you,
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even though he's unbelieving,
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to be subject to your husband.
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Obviously in all the areas that aren't sin.
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If he asks you do to sinful things,
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attend any kind of meetings
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or get involved in any kind of occultic practices,
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obviously, you don't go there.
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But in as much as she can honor her husband,
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reverence her husband,
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be subject to her husband,
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she needs to be.
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Why?
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So that even if some do not obey the Word,
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and he's not obeying the Word,
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they may be won without a word
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by the conduct of their wives.
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So she needs to live in front of her husband
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in such a way as to win him.
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When he sees her respectful and pure conduct.
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Do not let your adorning be external,
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the braiding of hair, the wearing of gold,
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or putting on of clothing,
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but let your adorning be the hidden
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person of the heart,
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with the imperishable beauty
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of a gentle and quiet spirit
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which in God's sight is very precious.
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For this is how the holy women
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who hoped in God used to adorn themselves
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by submitting to their husbands
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as Sarah obeyed Abraham
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calling him lord.
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Now listen to this:
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And you are her children
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if you do good,
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and listen to this,
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and do not fear anything
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that is frightening.
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Isn't that an amazing thing
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that he would say that.
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Don't fear anything that is frightening.
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You know what I would say to this sister?
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Peter is calling her to live virtuously,
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to live in such a way
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that she is respectful,
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she is pure,
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but also not afraid.
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Why?
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It's a call to faith.
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Trust the Lord.
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Don't be frightened by
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any of your husband's occultic practices.
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Because He that's with you is stronger
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than he that's with your husband.
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And your husband's sanctified.
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And your home is sanctified.
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Trust the Lord.
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Don't be frightened by anything that's frightening.
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Don't fear anything frightening.
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Live trusting the Lord.
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Live godly before your husband.
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Don't involve yourself.
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Don't participate in his occultic practices.
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But the Scripture would say stay with him.
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Live righteously before him.
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And it might even be that God
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will allow you to win your husband.
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That seems to be the biblical counsel in the matter.