Submission to the Unbelieving Husband

This is a subject very near and dear to my heart. You could say my beloved husband and I are not on the same level when it comes to faith. He was raised more deeply in Christianity than I was. In fact, I wasn't raised in it at all. His mother was a foot washin' Baptist preacher's daughger - no alcohol, no music, no dancing, no pants, no jewelry, no makeup, no cutting your hair and no playing cards. That was pretty much how my husband was raised and it pretty much soured him on Christianity by the time he was old enough to choose whether or not he wanted to attend church.

A lot of women struggle with the concept of submission in general. There are plenty of women who want to use the unsaved spouse "loophole". I put that in quotation marks because this loophole is a myth, it does not exist in the Scriptures. The Bible is clear in Ephesians 5:22-24:

"22Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.

23For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.

24Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing."

Dear sisters, please take note that God does not make exceptions for those with unbelieving husbands. It does not specify that only wives of Christian husbands are to submit. The Bible says this about the unbelieving spouse:

1 Peter 3:1-2:
"1Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;

2While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear."

1 Corinthians 7:13-14 says the following:
"13And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him.

14For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy."

Praise God we can be an example to our unbelieving husbands while still submitting to their headship! God did not make exceptions. If our husbands want to remain married to us knowing of our faith, then we are to set the example.

When are some times in which it's not okay to submit to your husband? This applies to both believing and unbelieving husbands - when they ask something of us that is unbiblical. For example, if he asks to bring an extra partner into the marriage bed or wants his wife to have an abortion. Any time a husband asks something of his wife that is completely contradictory to the expectations God has for us that is the exception to rule.