We were preparing to teach a group of Christian young people at a local university on boy/girl relationships. One of the questions, actually the most frequently asked question in these meetings, was, “Is it or why is it wrong for a Christian to marry a non-Christian.”
We say, the root issue is who or what do you worship? What you worship will be the core of your life. If your core is Jesus and your spouse’s core is another god or materialism or self, you cannot build your lives together as one.
Though many use the II Cor 6:14, “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. . .” to support not marrying an unbeliever, it can be argued that marriage was not Paul’s original intent in that passage. But throughout the Old Testament it was God’s intention that His people would not intermarry with their neighbors of different religions and practices. Every time they did, they drifted away from their faith in God and got caught up with the evil practices of their neighbors. This was one of the main reasons for most of the prophecies that warned of judgements to come. Repenting of these relationships often preceded their restoration after captivity.
Now the question in my mind is who knows best? Is it God, the One who made us and knows best how we function? Or is it us, because we know what our current situation really is! (“He’s such a good man!” “There are not enough Christian men to go around.” “He says I can continue to worship as I want.” “I’ll never find a prettier wife.”) Solomon, said to be the wisest man in the world, thought he knew better than God. (See I Kings 11:1-6) As a result of his drift from God to worshiping the gods of his foreign wives, the kingdom was torn apart.
I realized afresh this week that this was the original question put to Eve in the Perfect Garden. “Did God say…?” and then followed by, “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” The Serpent was tempting Eve with knowing better than God about good and evil.
Wasn’t the sexual revolution another example of people thinking they knew better than God. God tells us not to have sex outside of marriage. That means no sex before marriage and no sex with other partners once we’re married. The sexual revolution said, “Use the pill or other contraceptives, then you won’t get pregnant. See, you can have the fun of sex without the consequences!”
More than 60 million babies have been aborted in America alone since 1973. The vast majority of babies aborted are because of unintended pregnancy. Besides the death of babies, the long term damage done to the mothers is an unreported consequence of abortion.
Who knows best? God does. Let’s live our lives within the boundaries He has set for us. “Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.” –Psa. 16:7-8
Take a moment to consider:
Is there any area of your life where you are having trouble trusting God? Is it because you secretly think, ‘God doesn’t know how hard this is! Why is He keeping this from me?’ Do think you know better than God or can you commit even this area of your life to God, the One who knows best?