What God Joined Together - Family Radio

There are instances wherein a child of God has had the glad experience of
seeing a steady date become saved. These unusual exceptions provide no
sound basis for a believer to date an unbeliever because so many emotions are
involved in romantic love. Unless there is clear, immediate, and continuing
evidence that the one being dated is a child of God, the only wise action is to
cease dating right away.
Suppose at the start of dating there is good evidence that he is not a child
of God, but the dates continue because many attractive qualities can be seen
in him. The Christian knows the importance of salvation and encourages the
unsaved person to read the Bible, and pray. Because the unsaved person is
falling in love with the saved person, he increasingly tries to please her. She,
as the saved person, will become increasingly convinced that God’s Spirit is
working in the heart of her steady date. After all, why does he appear to be so
interested in the Bible
At times he says or does things that are quite alien to a saved person, but
because she is falling in love with him, she overlooks her fears and tries to see
God’s grace in his life. When parents and friends express concern, she will not
listen. By the time she has fallen in love, she has convinced herself that God’s
grace is present in his life. She is sure that after they are married, he will grow
in the things of the Lord.
So they marry each other. Now he has her as his wife. By the time the
honeymoon is over, he knows he does not have to try as hard to please her.
Going to fellowship and studying the Bible bore him, and he soon ceases doing
these things. The bride discovers to her utter consternation that she is married
to an unsaved husband. She realizes, too, that she is married to him until death
parts them.
Because her husband does not care about God’s rules against divorce,
there is a strong likelihood that when he gets tired of living with a wife who puts
a high premium on going to fellowship and reading the Bible, he will seek a
divorce. This may come after the family has grown to include several children.
So the believing wife becomes divorced. According to the Bible, she may
never marry again as long as her husband lives. In his rebellion against God, he
marries someone else, and she is left with the heavy responsibility of rearing
the children.
Unfortunately, this sad scenario is being repeated again and again in our
day. If only those who are free to marry would realize the enormous
consequences of marriage! One can never be too careful in deciding whom to
date.
Some may argue that dating is quite innocent and does not necessarily have
to point to marriage. But all dating, however innocuous, superficial, and
innocent it may appear to be, is a preliminary step toward marriage. Ordinarily,
every marriage begins with a first date. Dating is a ritual that prepares the
couple for a successful marriage.
Therefore, during courtship the chief focus should be on spiritual
concerns, such as: What is salvation What does it mean to be born again
What is the true Gospel What about the education of children What kind of
Chapter 9 / Courtship
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