I have seen nothing in a single Christian’s life that will deter them from wisdom faster or deeper than attraction for a non-believer.
I have seen many rooted and grounded Christian men and women throw God out the window completely to pursue a non-Christian partner. I’ve seen the same when they, themselves, are pursued by a non-Christian. I’ve seen their spiritual judgment and discernment become so clouded that they make unwise and even illogical decisions. I’ve seen it in young single Christians and in old. I am speaking of “girlfriend-boyfriend” here, but I’ve also seen it in just plain friendships between people.
Knowing the scriptures and what they say about having fellowship with non-believers, they cast that knowledge aside along with their common sense, and pursue what they perceive as something they just have to have. That is lust. We usually think of lust as a sexual desire, but it is not limited to that. Lust is defined in part as “wanting something right now.”
Other definitions of lust are: “be consumed with desire for, pleasure, delight, crave, covet, want, long for, hunger for, thirst for, ache for.
Have you ever longed to be friends with a non-Christian that you thought was really cool? Have you thought to yourself, “what a pleasure and delight it would be to hang out with that person!?”
The bible is full of scriptures that warn us against this. Here are a few references that you can look at that show how God feels about Christians joining themselves to non-Christians and the dangers of doing so. I urge you not to skim over the top of these, but to take the time to click on and read each one.
“But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.” James 1:14
These Godly principles are relevant to any relationship we engage in. It is easy to meet a non-Christian who we consider to be “really cool”, and give ourselves permission to build a relationship with them. This happens often under the umbrella of “I won’t fall into behaving like him because I’m a strong enough Christian”, “I will resist temptation because I am strong”, or “I will be a good influence on him and I will win his heart over to accept the Lord.” We can give all kinds of good reasons why it’s okay, but that doesn’t necessarily make it okay.
The truth is, that before we realize it, we often get caught up in partaking of the things they partake in, which of course the Lord warns against. He clearly tells us to be “in” the world, but not “of” it. John 2:15-17
“We must know where the balance is.”
I am not suggesting that if you are a Christian you should have nothing to do with non-Christians. That is not God’s way either. But we must know where the balance is and keep our Godly wisdom and discernment in check. We must not let ourselves make bonds with the ungodly that will eventually cause us to be swept away by their ungodly ways.
The bible has been given as a guide or a road map if you will, to show us how to walk and how not to walk. Jesus said, “I AM the Way, the TRUTH, and the LIFE. He is our strength. The Holy Spirit is a “light unto our path.” We need that Light to know how to walk.
We, as Christians, stumble enough as it is even though we walk with Jesus. Proverbs 24:16a says, a righteous man falls seven times, but he rises up again.” What makes us think we won’t stumble and fall even more and even deeper if we cast Jesus aside and yoke ourselves to a non-believer? No brethren, we must understand that what we behold is what we become. Simply put, what we focus on is what we will come to love.
“Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in his wonderful face, And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of his glory and grace.”
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