An Amazing Fact:
A team of Alaskan sled dogs can pull a heavily loaded sled over rough ground through deep snow at temperatures as low as –40°F. The energetic dogs work together to accomplish their task, and they do it well!
Now, imagine replacing some of the dogs with cats. Can you imagine the chaos that would ensue? The results would not be pretty!
This is the kind of picture that the apostle Paul had in mind when he wrote, “Do not be unequally yoked” (2 Corinthians 6:14).
But just what is Paul talking about? He’s obviously talking about something more important than hitching up dogs and cats.
He goes on to tell us in the next verses: “And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God” (2 Corinthians 6:15, 16).
Paul is talking about the dangers of connecting your life to someone who doesn’t believe in God the same way you do.
Different Foundations
It’s a mistake that many people make in their dating lives. They meet someone nice and fall in love. There is only this one “little” problem—they don’t go to church on the same day—or—they just believe a “little bit” differently about how to eat—or (heaven forbid!)—they don’t believe in God at all.
“But we’re just dating,” they say. Before long, they are ready to get married.
The problems are likely to begin early if you date an unbeliever. Think about it: You’ll have different beliefs about what you should do, how to spend your money, how to make decisions, how to raise your kids… the list goes on. Relationships always come with problems to solve; having different belief systems will make it worse.
Trying to build a life with someone who doesn’t share your faith in God is like building a house with a foundation made partly of sand and partly of rock. It won’t be a stable house that can weather the storms of life.
Don’t Marry an Unbeliever!
The Bible is clear that Christians are not to marry people who do not share their belief in God.
When Abraham’s son Isaac was ready to get married, Abraham sent his most trusted servant on a 700-mile journey to find a godly wife for Isaac. Maybe you’re not excited about the thought of having your parents’ servant choose your spouse, but God rewarded Isaac’s trust and gave him a wife that he “loved” (Genesis 24:67). It turned out to be a beautiful love story.
Centuries later, God brought Abraham’s descendants, the Israelites, out of slavery in Egypt. As they were about to enter the land of Canaan, God asked the Israelites to destroy the heathen tribes that lived there. This wasn’t because God had a vendetta against them. No, God had to destroy them because they had adopted evil as their identity, and their lives were only causing pain. God never willingly destroys His children. (See Ezekiel 18, especially verses 23 and 32.)
But God wanted to make sure that the cycle of pain caused by sin did not continue in the lives of His children through marriage with unbelievers. He told them: “Nor shall you make marriages with them. You shall not give your daughter to their son, nor take their daughter for your son” (Deuteronomy 7:3).
In the next verse, God explains the reason why marrying an unbeliever is so bad: “For they will turn your sons away from following Me, to serve other gods” (Deuteronomy 7:4).
When you love someone who isn’t following God, in some sense, you have made them a god in your life. Their love is more important to you than God’s love. And when anything (or anyone) is more important to us than God, we are on dangerous ground.
Can’t We Just Date?
Some people try to make excuses for dating a non-Christian. “I’ll be a good influence on them and help them get to know Jesus.” Or “We’re not that serious.”
While this kind of reasoning might sound plausible, the sad truth is that dating an unbeliever almost always pulls you away from God.
If you are interested in someone who doesn’t know God, invite them to get to know God first. Don’t start dating until they have been baptized and there is clear evidence that they are choosing God because they love Him, not just to win you.
Let God Write Your Love Story
Just like God gave Isaac a wife he could happily love, God wants to fulfill the desires of your heart. If you trust Him and put Him first in your life, He will bring a godly spouse to you. You will likely be surprised by how God does it, but you can be sure that God’s timing will be perfect—and you will be thrilled with the love story He writes in your life!
“Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass” (Psalm 37:4, 5).
To learn just how much the Bible says about this important topic, check out Pastor Doug’s message: “Feelings or Faith: Unequally Yoked.”
You may also be interested in this article: “Whom Should I Marry?”