The unbelieving husband has been SANCTIFIED through his wife

[tonychanyt]

1 Corinthians 7:

13 If any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever, and he consents to live with her, she should not divorce him. 14For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.

What does "holy" mean?

The concept of the word ‘sanctified’ (or ‘holy’) is to make a person or object sacred, to set it apart from all other things for special use.

Barnes:

the object of this statement seems to be, to meet an objection which might exist in the mind, and which might, perhaps, be urged by some. "Shall I not be polluted by such a connection? Shall I not be defiled, in the eye of God, by living in a close union with a pagan, a sinner, an enemy of God, and an opposer of the gospel?" This objection was natural, and is, doubtless, often felt. To this the apostle replies, "No; the contrary may he true. The connection produces a species of sanctification, or diffuses a kind of holiness over the unbelieving party by the believing party, so far as to render their children holy, and therefore it is improper to seek for a separation."

Exodus 40:

9 Take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and everything in it; consecrate it along with all its furnishings, and it shall be holy.

The believing wife has the Holy Spirit dwelling in her as well as on her. Through marriage, the unbelieving husband receives the anointing on him. In fact, her husband and kids are purified and pronounced clean. The entire family is a sacred tool to be used by God.

Whether the husband will receive the Paraclete is a separate issue, 1 Peter 3:

1 Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives.

If either parent is a Christian, the whole family is sanctified through him/her. This is not necessarily inward holiness but an outward one.

 

[d taylor]

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This (sanctified) has to do within the marriage. What the verse is not saying though, is that the unbelieving husband receives God's free gift of Eternal Life, because their wife is a believer. That may happen because of the wife's witness, but also the husband may remain an unbeliever.