Unhealthy Alliances

2 Corinthians 6:14-17, 7:1: "Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? . . . . What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: 'I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people. Therefore come out from them and be separate,' says the Lord. 'Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.' . . . . Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God."

These verses have been the preeminent ones to warn true followers of Jesus Christ from entering into marital relationships with unbelievers. It is true that entering into the holy covenant of marriage with an unbeliever is not a wise thing, for that unbeliever is not yielded to Christ as Lord and is not directed by the conviction and inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Rather, he is directed by his own sinful, selfish ways that are contrary to the will of God. This type of union most assuredly leads to disaster.

Still, when one references the Old Testament passage that Paul cites in these verses above, we find that the book of Isaiah is quoted. Isaiah lived 700 years before Paul, during an era when the people of Israel and Judah had assimilated with the pagan Canaanites of the region. As a result, these chosen people of God had become a "sinful nation, a people loaded with guilt . . . forsaking the Lord and spurning the Holy One of Israel" (Isaiah 1:4). They were a despicable sight . . . propagating their own carnal wills over submission to God's will, and they would not hear the prophetic warnings of God's prophets, calling them back into intimate fellowship with the Lord. Still, God would offer salvation to those who would come out from those unholy alliances and be a separate people, surrendered and obedient to the One True Lord (Isaiah 55:10-11).

In the 2 Corinthians passage, Paul reminds the church that it is not to be tethered to pagans in unholy alliances; for, the apostle writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, understood that those associations would tend to lead to the "contamination of the body and spirit." Those associations likely would cause the follower of Christ to compromise convictions and standards, leading to chronic rebellion against the Lord.

On occasion, I will hear this response: "But aren't we to be in the world, to show the light of Christ to it? I believe that I can be a positive influence in his/her life." In most instances, this response is shared in the context of a dating relationship. My reply ALWAYS includes Paul's remarks in I Corinthians 15:33, "Do not be misled. Bad company corrupts good character." Whereas we are called to live in the world and are to witness to others the Truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ, no where will one find that we are to enter into unholy relations with those who are not surrendered to Christ as Lord. This was the problem with the Israelites of Isaiah's day. At first, their associations were seemingly "innocent"; however, the more they lived among the Canaanites, the more they yearned for the debased, immoral lifestyles of these pagans. This assimilation began a downward spiral of rebellion by the Israelites, who again would not hear the warnings of God's ordained prophets. And it would not be until God enacted His judgment through the Assyrian and Babylonian invasions that the wickedness of the Israelites would stop.

This is a good word for us. We are called to live in the world, but we are not called to be a part of the world. God has summoned us out from the wicked associations with pagans. He has called us to "purify ourselves from everything that contaminates both body and spirit" (7:1). And out of our reverence for Him, we set ourselves apart for His glory. This is what holiness is all about.