seek His divine guidance daily that we may be the type of marriage partners who would bring honor and glory to His name! MIXED MARRIAGES Love is a commodity which has been presented in modern show cases of music, movies, television and novels. It has been cheapened by permissive attitudes toward sex so that today its real value has been minimized greatly. Love is not a product of Hollywood. True love is a product of heaven! As Peter Marshall once observed, "The ro mance offered by the world is a ring set with dime store glass. The romance Cod offers is a pure and flashing diamond." The romance of the "silver screen" is synthetic while Cod's is genuine. One is mockery; the other is fulfillment. Young people need to know the difference. A marriage made in heaven is yours only on Cod's terms. As a Christian, the Lord is deeply con cerned about the person whom you marry. He absolutely forbids a be liever to marry someone who has not accepted Christ as Saviour. "Be not unequally yoked together" is the command (II Corinthians 6:14- 18). While these verses apply to things other than marriage, yet such a union is certainly one of the most important relationships for its realization and practice. The chil dren of Israel were reminded of this as well (Deuteronomy 7:3, 4). There is no other way to look at it: when you marry an unbeliever you start with a wall in your union. You see, as a Christian you are a two-natured person. The old man seeks to serve himself. This is the disposition you were born with. It will never leave you until the Rap
ture. Coming by faith to Jesus Christ, Cod gave you a new na ture which desires supremely to please Him. The new man despises sin. A non-Christian has only the one fleshly nature. He or she may be moral, cultured, and refined yet still a sinner. In such a mixed mar riage the only possible basis of fel lowship is the old nature. Yes, a high wall will separate the two of you. Divided love and allegiance will never work. Imagine that a young man living in Dallas, Texas, is going to fly to Chicago. At the airport he meets an attractive young woman and strikes up a conversation. She tells him, "I am going to Mexico." He responds elatedly, "That is marvel ous! I am going to Chicago so why don't we travel together? We can enjoy each other's company!" The suggestion is absurd. How can they do this when travelling in opposite directions? Yet, this, in essence, is what people are doing every day. Marrying a non-Christian means that a believer has chosen to spend life with someone who is going in a completely different direction. With opposite destinations, they are bound to move farther and far ther apart. No wonder it is such a heart-break to those who may now be so united in this unfortunate manner. When God spoke to the nation of Israel, He warned them about mixed marriage. He knew they would turn away from following Him to serve other gods. They did not expect it to happen but it did! So often those who plan to marry unbelievers declare they will win their partner to Christ. The likeli hood of such happening is very in frequent. It is the exception to the
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