Christian Living
February 9, 2012 – Mismated Alliances
14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers [do not make mismated alliances with them or come under a different yoke with them, inconsistent with your faith]. For what partnership have right living and right standing with God with iniquity and lawlessness? Or how can light have fellowship with darkness? – 2 Corinthians 6:14 AMP
This verse, as well as the four following verses, has been used by churches for years. They have become a sounding block and justification for churches to schedule multiple events throughout the week and even given free rein to some to make attempts to control every aspect of their members’ lives. Verse seventeen of chapter six even says that we are to separate ourselves from unbelievers. But there is so much more to this verse than church settings. This verse applies to every aspect of Christian life, and many believers every day make mismated alliances with people in the world.
There are countless ways Christians become involved in agreements with unbelievers. It happens many times in the business world. Very often Christians get involved with unbelievers in business deals that promise either a quick or sizeable return. Some of these alliances involve friends from the past, work colleagues, or even relatives. If these individuals are not fellow believers, this compromises God’s Word and should always be avoided, regardless of how much or how fast a return is promised.
But mismated alliances don’t end there. Sometimes marriages are mismated alliances. This is especially compromising especially when the concept of marriage partners becoming one flesh falls into play. But yet, there are still times when we all see and hear about Christians marrying unbelievers or members of other faiths.
But the world seemingly has no problems dealing with each other. In business, there are legal documents to protect each individual’s interest so that there are so surprises or sad faces at the end of the day if things go awry. So if the world has no problems of this sort, why should Christians shun close relationships outside the Christian faith? Look at the historical record in the Bible. The nation of Israel was led away from God through relationships with unbelievers (Numbers 25). Solomon married many unbelievers, and they in turn led him away from God (1 Kings 11). In both of these cases, those believers involved were led away from their faith. Paul was concerned about Christians falling into this same trap. He knew from the history of his own people that it could happen, so he not only warned the Corinth church, but all of us as well. Now, almost two thousand years later, it seems that no one is listening.
Now don’t go thinking if you only have close personal and business relationships with Christians that your life will be a rousing success. There are millions of Christians worldwide and even more people who profess to be Christians. That’s what you have to careful about. Just because someone claims to be a Christian doesn’t necessarily mean they are. I’m not saying it’s your place to pass judgment on those people, as it’s not my place or yours to judge someone’s relationship with God. But we are supposed to judge the fruit we see in their lives. And if, in the process of judging their fruit, you see compromise in their life, Paul is very clear about what to do. Don’t associate or even eat a meal with them (1 Corinthians 5:11).
So what do you do? How can you always spot the unbeliever or distinguish the real Christian from the fraud? Always be on your guard. Never jump in to any type of relationship without prayer and seeking God. I cannot count the number of people I have befriended over the years without asking God. And sadly, some of those people claimed to be Christians just like me. I have even found myself standing in a corner at church with these individuals talking about everything except God and even trading obscene jokes. But hey, that wasn’t a mismated alliance, was it? Maybe not in my eyes, but it definitely was inconsistent with the faith I claimed to belong to.
Now I would like to clarify something. There is a big difference between relationship and acquaintanceship. I have had people in my life I would consider an acquaintance but not a friend. I had no close ties to them personally or professionally. I knew them and they knew me, but it ended there. They were not involved in my life other than that. When Paul is talking about coming under a yoke, he is talking about being joined together with a same purpose on the same path, led by the same Master, just as a yoke of oxen are joined together for a single purpose under a single master. You should not join yourself together with just anyone, just as you would not marry just anyone.
What’s your story? Have you made mismated alliances over the years? Have you gone into situations thinking you could protect your finances and your faith only to fail in protecting them both? Have you jumped into a business relationship without prayer and had it harm your family? Do you regret those times because you put yourself in those situations? Are you angry with yourself for not following what the Word said from the beginning? Are you disgusted that you simply didn’t ask God and listen? The fact is that you cannot change those times in your life, but you can use them. You can use them as a learning tool to make sure that no relationship you ever get into again, whether it’s personal or business, would in any way be a mismated alliance.
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