Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “Keeping first things first”
Our Bible verse for today: “Do not be mismatched with unbelievers. For what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness? What agreement does Christ have with Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever?” 2 Corinthians 6:14-15 (HCSB)
Our thought for today: “The most important factor in a relationship is spiritual compatibility.”
What is the most important aspect of a relationship? What is the basis upon which a person should choose a spouse? I have a young relative who, when she was in her early twenties used to joke that her goal in life was to become a trophy wife. She was very beautiful and her joke implied that she would use her looks to capture a wealthy older man and thereby be set-up for life. (She actually married a nice Christian man her own age who, while not wealthy, is a very good husband and father and they are happily married).
As a Pastor I have a policy that I will not perform a wedding between a Christian and a non-Christian. That’s because they are spiritually mismatched. Our spirituality is at the core of who we are. It determines virtually everything about us. If two people are not in-synch spiritually, then they are incapable of connecting at the deepest and most intimate level in which two human beings can connect.
This is what Paul was writing about in 2 Corinthians 6:14-15. He was instructing his readers to not enter into deep and important relationships with unbelievers. That pertains first and primarily to a marriage relationship, but I believe it applies to other important relationships as well. I think it’s a bad idea for a Christian to enter into a business partnership with a non-Christian partner. Because of the spiritual mismatch, their value systems are necessarily going to be different.
Likewise it can be risky business for a Christian to share living quarters with non-Christians. This is an especially important consideration for young people as they make their initial venture out of the family home. Christian teens and young adults sometimes end-up sharing houses or apartments with non-Christians and end up getting involved in drinking parties, drug use, sexual immorality, and sometimes criminal activities.
When forming any important relationship the first and foremost consideration for the Christian is whether or not the other person is a Christian too. Every other factor in the relationship is of secondary importance compared to spiritual compatibility.
God Bless,
Pastor Jim
Oak Hill Baptist Church 