Love the Lord or Love the World

Love the Lord or Love the World

As Christians, we are called to love. The question is, whom do we love? Americans have warped the concept of love and have decided their love can belong to anyone. There is constant controversy about whether Christians should date or be in a relationship with non- believers. Some people proclaim it is okay to date non-believers because of the impact they can make on the non-believer. Others, including myself, take the stand that it is not healthy to date non-believers. Christians should love those people like Christ loves, but remain strong in faith. Dating non-Christians should remain outside the morals of a Christian. If a strong believer in Christ were to date a non-believer, the Christian will run the risk of being led astray, and they also might become part of the world without realizing he or she is doing so. He/she will also experience a lack of true intimacy from their spouse, and may suffer constant defeat. Kings 11:1-11 provides a perfect example of a man of God being led astray from his faith when entering into a relationship with a non- believer (Holy Bible). In Old Testament times, each ethnic group had its own worship system. The text states the people of that time were marrying a foreigner. The meaning behind that was if an individual of one ethnic group was marrying outside of that group's style of worship (Why You Shouldn't Marry a Non-Believer). Solomon was a man of God who decided to do what God had told him not to do. Solomon married women from ethnic groups outside of his own, who did not believe in the same God he did. He was known as the wisest man of God in his nation. Even though God may have been with Solomon, he turned from God to pursue his desires for love. Solomon not only followed his heart for love, but he was also led astray by his wives, turning completely away from God and becoming a worshiper of other idols.

Some believe if Christians have strong morals and faith, they will remain strong in their faith and not allow themselves to be led away. Solomon was the strongest and wisest man of God. Even he was led way from God by his non-believing lovers. If this can happen to the wisest man of the Bible, how can a Christian of this sinful world can stay stronger than the wisest man of the Bible (Why You Shouldn't Marry a Non-Believer)? There is no doubt even a strong Christian will, over time, obtain the sins of non-believing partner .

When in a relationship with a non-believer, the way of life of that person will most likely be full of filth of the world. Christians are not called to surround themselves with filth. Christians who date non-Christians have a tendency to take on sinful traits of that partner (Why You Shouldn't Marry a Non-Believer). If this were to happen, it would be considered, in biblical terms, unclean or filthiness of the flesh and spirit. Believers are to be separate from all uncleanliness. Believers are called to flee from all filthiness and be cleansed so that they may be perfecting holiness in fear of the Lord (Green 5). If a believer were to date a non-believer, he/she would be running to the filthiness of the flesh and spirit rather than fleeing from it. Christians are not called to be joined with sin.

The opposing side of this argument says, "Yes, Christians are to flee from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, but they are not to isolate themselves with only those trying to perfect holiness in fear of the Lord. Christians are to be the salt of the Earth seasoning the world with the love of Jesus" (Green 5). Saved believers in Christ are to show those who don't know Christ the love He has for them. If we do not take that responsibility, non-believers might never understand they too can receive Christ as their Savior. Christians can be the salt of the earth without taking on the unclean aspects of the world. To do this, those who believe must be careful to keep their eyes on the Lord and flee from situations that cause them to stumble and fall from their faith (Green 5). If a Christian dates a non-Christian, he/she is not trying to flee from filthiness of the world so that he or she may not fall, but instead is running to filthiness, believing they are doing the non-believer good by showing them love. Actually they are only hurting ourselves.

In the book I Kissed Dating Goodbye, Joshua Harris makes the statement, "All of us want intimacy. It means being close to someone. It's being vulnerable, open, and dependent. It's giving and reviving from another person the deepest parts of who we are-our hopes, our fears, our secrets, our affections" (333-334). As people age, every one desires to have one person they can experience an intimate relationship with. This is why people date. Everyone wants to have similar goals, morals, or beliefs with one person. When a Christian decides to be in unity with a non-believer, this intimacy is missing. In a news article by Christian Post, Brittany Smith refers to Kathy Keller, a wife of a well-known pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church, statement saying when a believer decides to unite with a non- believer that relationship "usually undergoes a lot of stress and break up, or it experiences stress and stays together, achieving some kind of truce that involves one spouse or the other capitulating in some areas, but which leaves both parties feeling lonely and unhappy"(Smith). If Christian