i'm in-love with an unbeliever

7/25/2019 I'm In-Love With an Unbeliever

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Copyright 2016. Content written by Patrick & Antonettean, oringally appeared at www.melancholeric.blogspot.

com. I you have any eedback contact us at [email protected].


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Im In-Love with An Unbeliever! 1

The Go-To VerseOne day, a student asked me this: What are your

thoughts about a born-again Christian having a relationship

with someone from a different faith?

Beore I got serious about my relationship with my

to-be wie, I went through the awesome season o crushes

and courtship like every young person. Growing up in

church, I was taught about one o the most popular verses

about romantic relationships: Do not be yoked together

with unbelievers (2 Corinthians 6:14). I even dare to say

that every person who grew up in a church youth groupwould know this verse. Its a verse thats so over-used and

sometimes abused that young people would ofen equate it

with the word killjoy.

As a young person, I used to admire girls or their

personality and looks but didnt care much whether they

have a personal relationship with Jesus or not. Afer all, it

seems discriminating or me not to love someone just

because their aith is different rom mine. Te younger me


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would think how overly strict the command was. I would

even play scenarios in my mind that would justiy breaking

this command. But looking in hindsight, I am thankul

that by Gods grace He led me to know and marry someone

who also loves God. And so, I stand by the counsel o Gods

Word in 2 Corinthians 6:14.

So whats the deal about 2 Corinthians 6:14 anyway?

But looking in hindsight,I am thankful that byGods grace He led me toknow and marry someone

who also loves God.

As young people, we ofen gloss through instructions

that begin with do not because we think it automatically

takes the un out o lie. Its

like were already

programmed to skip

sentences that begin with

do not.

Moreover, our leaders

are sometimes guilty o justlaying out the do nots without giving our young people

the whys. odays generation wouldnt just take your

instructions at ace value, they need to understand why that

instruction is relevant to their lives.


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So this is 2 Corinthians 6:14 in context:

Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For whatdo righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or

what fellowship can light have with darkness? What

harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what

does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?

What agreement is there between the temple of Godand idols? For we are the temple of the living God ... (2

Corinthians 6:14-16)

When you read this, you will discover that the apostle

Paul is not exclusively writing about romantic relationships

but about a Christ-ollowers relationship to others. And

interestingly, Paul compared human relationships with that

o arm animals.

A yoke is a arming tool that is a long bar made o wood.

It is astened over two beasts o burden (horses or bulls)that pulls the plow together. So i two animals are astened

together by a yoke, they dont have a choice but to go on a

same direction. I one decides to take one direction while

the other takes the opposite, it will hurt both animals and


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ruin the field. Tey would accomplish nothing. Ultimately,

one will succumb the other to go to their direction.

Similarly, a boy and a girl going on different directions

when yoked together (i.e, pursuing a romantic relationship)

would be a tensioned, destructive and unproductive

relationship. Am I exaggerating? No, because its all about

values.

Its all about valuesWhat are values? Google defines it as a persons

principles or standards o behavior; ones judgment o whatis important in lie. It can be synonymous with ethics,

moral code, standards, and code o behavior. Organizations

and companies use it and they call it their core values.

Values are a set o principles a person or an organization

lives their lie by. Every person lives by a set o values,

regardless whether they are aware o it, or not. But most o

the time, most o us are not aware o it. We are molded to it

growing up as we see it in our amily and the environment


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around us. For example, i you value time, you strive to be

punctual all the time. I you value amily, you consider your

amily in every decision you make. I you value integrity,

you strive to do everything without deceit.

Values determine yourpriorities. Prioritiesdetermines your habits.Habits determine yourlifestyle. Lifestyle

determines your future.

As you can see a persons values are quite powerul.

Values determine your

priorities. Prioritiesdetermines your habits.

Habits determine your

liestyle. Liestyle

determines your uture.

Values are like seeds living

inside o you. You may not

see it immediately, but or

sure it will grow out o your lie.

So what are your values? And what do you value as

a ollower o Christ? A ollower o Christ would valueaithulness to His Master. Christ-centeredness is a value.

I we would predict how that value affect a persons uture,

we would be able to determine what kind o lie they would

have. For example, a Christ-ollowers relationship with God


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will be committed and aithul. A Christ-ollowers career

would be excellent and honest.

If I have to choosebetween certain

relationships and thefulfillment of my purposefor God, Id readilychoose the latter.

How would a Christ-ollowers uture look like in the

realm o courtship and

marriage? A Christ-ollower

will not just live his lie or

the now. He lives knowingthat everything he does has

uture implications. A

Christ-ollower has a

purpose and a calling rom

God. You have a purpose

and calling rom God. And i I have to choose between

certain relationships and the ulfillment o my purpose or

God, Id readily choose the latter. A persons direction

determines his destiny.

So going back to Paul, he throws in a rhetorical questionafer his command,

...what do righteousness and wickedness have

in common? Or what fellowship can light have with


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darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and

Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an

unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple

of God and idols?

Imagine yoking yoursel with a person who doesnt

have aithulness to Christ as a major lie value. It doesnt

matter how religiously good and pious one may seem to be.Without Christ in that persons lie (without acknowledging

their need or Christ as Savior), you and that persons lives

are going on two opposite directions, here and beyond.

How do I know this? Because values turn into priorities,

priorities into habits, habits into liestyle. Again, its all

about values.

Tink about it, i Christ is everything to you, then you

wouldnt have anything in common with a person o

interest who has not made a decision to ollow Christ. I

have seen many hearts swayed away rom the aith tryingto win them to Christ while at the same time trying to win

their hearts. In other words, doing evange-ligawis not

really wise. I didnt say do not win them to Christ, all people

need Jesus, but do it with the right and godly motives.


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Paul goes on to say that we are the temple o the living

God. Gods temple is sacred, and it must be honored and

kept clean. You are Gods temple, dont do anything that will

compromise your relationship with God.

So with that, let me conclude:

I you are a student, your task in this season is to honor

God and your parents by studying hard.I you are old

enough, then go to the next one.

Make friends.Friendships are the best platorm to

find the one. Tey are the best launching pad or godly

relationships. By first making riends you are able toknow what a person is like, and they are able to know

you as you, no-filter. In dealing with other people, as

ollowers o Christ we relate with compassion, love, and the

transorming power o the gospel.

Its a values issue.Know what values you hold dear in

your lie, not just a human being, but as a ollower o Christ.

Set them as a standard or making decisions about romantic

pursuits (at the right time).


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My prayer is that you will have a clarity o purpose and

values so that you will be able to make wise lie decisions

and honor God with them.

Reflection Questions1. Have you thought about the things that are

important in your lie? I you are to list down yourtop 5 what would they be?

2. I you are to order them rom highest to lowest

priority, what comes out on top? Does your answer

reflect the amount o time and effort you investon it?

3. I habits determine your destiny, what are the

negative habits that I should let go?

4. What non-negotiable traits are you looking or in agodly partner? Are you going to commit to wait or

the right time when God makes both o you ready?


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About the AuthorPatrick & Antonette an are

a husband and wie team rom

Makati City, Philippines.

Patrick graduated B.S.

Architecture at University oSanto omas in 2004. Afer that

he went to Asian Seminary o

Christian Ministries where he

finished Master o Divinity in

2011. He served as a youth pastor

or six years. oday he leads Chi Alpha Philppines, the nationa campusministry o the Philippines General Council o the Assemblies o God.

Antonette graduated B.S. Dentistry at the Centro Escolar University

in 2004 and is a licensed dentist. She runs her dental clinic in

Makati City.

Both passionate to seek Gods will in their lives, Patrick and

Antonette met each other at a young adult conerence in 2006. And

the rest, they say, is history. Tey got married in 2010 and today they

continue to serve God through youth and campus ministry where they

speak to young people about their finding their true purpose in Christ.


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