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Thanks. I am not familiar with 1 Corinthians 7:14; I'll have to look into it. Like, what is "sanctified" supposed to mean here?
Sanctified means to be made holy. IOW, separated for God's use.
1 Cor 7:14 (Commentary By Syd Cleveland)
HAS BEEN SANCTIFIED = The believer spreads an umbrella of sanctifying influence over the unbeliever. "Sanctified" (Greek "hagiazo") means here "to be set apart." This does not mean the unbeliever is saved because of the "righteousness" of the believer (because no one can be saved by another's righteous life [Ezekiel 14:15-20]). Rather, the unbeliever is in an environment in his marriage where he has been set apart from the normal corruption of the world. Thus the unbeliever's salvation is much more likely to occur because there is contact between believer and unbeliever.
Sanctification is the process of making something or someone holy. It involves being set apart from what is common or secular.
"The most common understanding of sanctification is the growth in holiness that should follow conversion. ... In justification, God, at the beginning of Christian life, declares us acquitted. In sanctification, God accomplishes His will in us as Christian life proceeds. Sanctification never replaces justification. Sanctification is of the Spirit, and is the outflow of an overflowing life within the soul, the 'fruit' of the Spirit. How far does sanctification go? The Greek root 'telei' does not mean 'sinless,' 'incapable of sinning, but 'fulfilling its appointed end, complete, mature.' Such maturity is clearly part of the Christian's goal. Paul's denial that he is already 'perfect,' and his exhortations to ongoing sanctification, show that he does not think a final, complete sanctification can be claimed in this life." -- The Concise Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Walter A. Elwell, editor, page 446.
So while you aren't "saved", meaning you believe in Jesus; you are not lumped in with the "unclean". Arguments have been made that each person will be judged by their actions regardless of what they believe. So if your actions are righteous in your time, you will fare well on "judgment day".
Since you have a believer as your wife, she should be influencing you to behave in a righteous manner even though you don't believe in Jesus.
If she's a fundamentalist, this probably won't fly; but I think a case could be made that you would probably be fine on judgment day. You just have to work harder since your spot isn't "guaranteed".
That may have the makings of a discussion topic. I'll have to work on that.
Hopefully I haven't made this any muddier.
Scripture is like Newton’s third law of motionfor every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.
In other words, for every biblical directive that exists, there is another scriptural mandate challenging it.
-- Carlene Cross in The Bible and Newton’s Third Law of Motion