For discussion: (and seriously people, comment)
Does love (SUPPOSED true love) trump what God says? As in, if you really love someone, is it all right to break a commandment of Christ? I mean, really, when it comes down to it, what do we believe? If we don't have it set in stone now, when (not if) we are presented with a situation, there is a higher likely-hood of falling into sin.
Thoughts?
Do you have a supposed instance? I don't think you have enough details. But no it is never okay to break Gods commandments, although it of course happens anyways....:(
ReplyDeleteWere you going to reply?
DeleteDetails, hmm? Like, is dating a non-Christian alright, because you love them? Or is it fine to have premarital sex, just so long as you really love the person? These are just a few examples, of course there are more. But these are what was talked about that caused me to write... Good enough?
ReplyDeleteAre you implying that dating a non-Christian is a sin?
DeleteFirst off, who is this? Second, yes, if you are a Christian. The Bible says that we are not to be unequally yoked. Why do you ask?
ReplyDeleteI think that is a bit judgmental and possibly a twist of context. Yes, we aren't suppose to be unequally yoked but consider: what does that even mean?
ReplyDeleteI believe there is nothing wrong with dating a non-Christian, unless they are causing you to stumble, fall, etc. Just because someone doesn't know the Lord doesn't mean we should have a relationship with them. I dated a non-Christian for a while and being an influence in their life changed the person, they accepted Christ and are now a very strong believer. If we hadn't dated that may not have happened, God has his way of working in peoples lives through our lives. I do agree that sex is only okay if you are married, but if you come to equal understanding with the other person that you want to wait, then wait. You can remain pure with a non-christian as long as they respect you, respect what you stand for and have an open heart. If you don't give people a chance, they will never give you a chance.
Marriage is a different topic, I don't believe you should marry a non-believer because: The Man is the leader of the home and needs to be spiritually set on following God. The Woman is the homemaker and needs to have a deep respect for her husband as well as the support he needs.
And in that case you would become unequally yoked.
But dating is the process of getting to know someone, understanding who they are and what they stand for. They may see what you have as a Christian and want that joy and happiness... or they may think you are a controlling hypocrite. (Not saying you as in YOU but you as in Christians)
As for a higher likely-hood of falling into sin: I think it's where you are a Christian. If you are weak or struggling in an area, I think it would be a terribly bad idea to date someone who didn't understand that. But if you have a strong foundation you should have no problem.
I've always been told: It's not the situation, it's how you react to it.
PS. I have never commented before, but I hope you will keep an open mind to what I just said.
Ok, here's the thing, I think that our view of dating differs. It seems that you believe that it is used to get know someone. I believe that its sole purpose is getting to know someone of the opposite sex with the intent of marriage. So, if one is dating with the intent of marriage, dating a non-believer would essentially be preparing yourself to be unequally yoked. Judgmental? Well, yes, I can see what you mean. But is that wrong, I don't think so. We are supposed to be careful how we judge because the same measure we use against others will be used against ourselves. As Christians, we are supposed to judge each others ACTIONS, but not each others SOULS. This is good discussion, guys, keep it coming. But please at least leave a name. I hate no one, so I won't hold anything against you if we have creative differences.
ReplyDeleteGood answer. We can agree to disagree, I believe that we always have (:
ReplyDeleteOk, seriously, WHO IS THIS?! Email me... My mind is going to explode from trying to figure this out. xP oh, and if you don't have my email then ask and I will give it you.
DeleteSimeon,
ReplyDeleteI just found your blog! Props for seeking dialogue in your ideas and experiences!
I want to comment on the concept of pitting love against God's commands. God's commands for us are not about keeping our behavior in line, but they were given to show us our need for Jesus' love (Galatians 2.) What we do is about what we love. When I find myself going against God's commands, 100% of the time it is because I love something finite and empty instead of Jesus. When I compare that empty, "functional savior" with the love Jesus showed me at the cross, I see that I don't need that thing, whatever it is; all I need is Jesus. It's Jesus' love that wins me back to him again -not moral guidelines.
We need to be careful about "setting things in stone," because striving to adhere to moral rules doesn't really help us deal with what we love. God's commands at any given time are about the heart, that's why God can both inspire Paul to write to the Corinthians about not being unequally yoked, and also command Hosea to marry an active prostitute.
Very true, thank you for the reminder. Once we begin to follow sets of extra-biblical rules, we fall away from The beauty of Christ and into the ugliness that religion is. At the same time, though, I do think that, although we cannot perfectly follow the laws of God, we should still attempt to obey Him. Not to earn our salvation (which would be impossible), but rather to show our love and respect for Him, for all that He has done for us.
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