Saturday, August 29, 2009

Listen young women -- boyfriends are not mini-mission fields...

I think it's obvious by the title of this blog what verse I will refer to at some point, so I'll just get it over with:

(14) Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? (15) And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? (16) And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God... (17) Therefore "Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. "Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.”
2 Corinthians 6:14-17

It has become so incredibly cliché to me: Christian girl meets "a really nice" non-believer boy. Christian girl starts dating non-believer boy in hopes of converting him. Non-believer boy doesn't change. Christian girl thinks she has "fallen in love" after giving so much of herself emotionally, spiritually, and to be frank, sexually to non-believer boy. Christian girl strays from the faith because "she can't help who she loves". Every single girl I know who has travelled this course has ended up straying from her Christian walk. Not one has ever brought her boyfriend to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Not a single one.

Not only do I want to emphasize the words in the above passage, but also the punctuation. After "do not be unequally yoked to unbelievers" what do we find? A period. Period. Not comma "unless he's really nice", or comma "unless you have a lot in common", or comma "unless you think you can convert him". Just the commandment "do not be unequally yoked to unbelievers". The end. No exceptions.

Proverbs 12:26 warns about chooing non-believers as close friends:

The righteous should choose his friends carefully, for the way of the wicked leads them astray.

If the Bible so clearly cautions against having close friendships with non-believers, how much more careful should we be with choosing a potential spouse? 1 Corinthians 11:3 paints a perfect picture:

But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.

That is what a God-honouring marriage looks like, and if Christ is not the head of the man there is only one other option for who is: Satan. So who then is the head of your "unequally yoked" relationship? You guessed it: Satan.

I'm not trying to discourage anyone from sharing the gospel with non-believers of the opposite gender. What I am discouraging is compromising God's holy commandments thinking that it's going to be for the greater good. How can you possibly convince someone that what you believe in is true if you are so readily willing to go against it? Think about it.

And young women, I am pleading with you. Don't dabble in this. If you can't share the gospel with someone of the opposite sex without falling for them, then direct them to someone who can. Save your heart, your emotional attachments, and your virginity for a future husband who loves Christ the same way you do.

If you are a young woman in an unequally-yoked relationship, I pray that the Holy Spirit is making you very uncomfortable right now.

6 comments:

George R. Krahn said...

Very good and Godly advice Felicia!

Marcia said...

Ah Felicia, you make me smile! You obviously have a passion about this issue - so do I. Let me challenge you with something that I've been challenging myself with also. It's easy to be so bold in a blog, but not so easy in person. For me, I ask myself that if I'm willing to write it in my blog or on my facebook page, I'd better be willing to speak it in person as well. I pray that God will give us both the courage to do so if the situation ever calls for it. Cause if you're like me, I hate confrontation, but sometimes it's necessary - but always and only in love.
Very nice job with the post!

Marcia said...

Uh, that was meant to be an encouragement! I realize it might not have seemed that way - hopefully you'll take it as the encouragement it was meant to be :)

Felicia said...

Thank you Marcia, for the encouragement and prayers! :)

Unknown said...

Felicia - great great post. Listen, you ladies need to begin to teach on these things within the ladies ministries at church. This stuff is to important to only keep on your blog. May God continue to give you biblical insight and conviction. God bless.

Melissa said...

Thanks for posting this Felicia! I love it when people post stuff like this, put out for us "younger people"!!
P.S- I love your profile picture :)