There could be no more fitting book to end the Old Testament with than the book of Malachi. It shows that the worship of God has been restored externally, but internally selfishness reins! It is the same selfishness that was planted by the serpent in Genesis 3:1 when he challenged God's authority with this phrase, ““Did God really say…””.
The issue that the people of God faced then is the issue we face now. The Word of God has always forbidden the mixing of those who have professed the one true and living God of the Holy Bible with others. While some have tried to use Old Testament passages like Malachi 2:10 to promote racial purity that is a misunderstanding of the text. The bible is not concerned with racial purity, but with his people being pure in the faith. To marry outside of the faith was a sin then, and is a sin now. To marry outside the faith is a sure way to be pulled away from God. It is important to note here that your choice of a spouse is considered part of your worship to God. Worship is not something that we do only on Sunday Morning, but worship is all-encompassing in our lives. True worship must be faithful in our marriages, because that is the place where new people will be created and taught who or what to worship.
The New Testament calls it being “unequally yoked” in 2 Corinthians 6:14. It is the idea of oxen who pull in two different direction and therefore become useless for the task. Even within the Christian faith two believers may be unequally yoked to a degree, perhaps one is called to missions and one is not. All expectations and calls should be talked about and explored before the commitment of marriage is made.
For those of you who are in a marriage with an unbeliever, you do not have a get out of marriage free card (1 Cor. 7:14). You are still called to love your mate as outlined in Ephesians, just as Christ loved the church or as the church is to love Christ. Two sins don't make an act of righteousness nor worship.
The New Testament calls it being “unequally yoked” in 2 Corinthians 6:14. It is the idea of oxen who pull in two different direction and therefore become useless for the task. Even within the Christian faith two believers may be unequally yoked to a degree, perhaps one is called to missions and one is not. All expectations and calls should be talked about and explored before the commitment of marriage is made.
For those of you who are in a marriage with an unbeliever, you do not have a get out of marriage free card (1 Cor. 7:14). You are still called to love your mate as outlined in Ephesians, just as Christ loved the church or as the church is to love Christ. Two sins don't make an act of righteousness nor worship.
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