28/05/08

Relationship with unbelievers

2Corinthians 6:14 - Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?

This is a difficult topic to take in a short mail but I will try and summarize it.

To our neighbors the Bible tells us to love them like we love ourselves. But to people in the Lord, Jesus told us to love them not like we love ourselves but like He did (self sacrificing love).

People, who have not converted themselves as believers, but have respect to our belief fall in the category of neighbors. In the Old Testament they were referred to as strangers among the Israelites. With regards to them the Lord commanded:

Leviticus 19:33-37
33 And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him.
34 But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.
35 Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in meteyard, in weight, or in measure.
36 Just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin, shall ye have: I am the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt.

We should remember that most of us too were once unbelievers, even if we called ourselves believers. It was the Lord’s grace that He made Himself known to us. Therefore we too need to be merciful to others.

Now coming to 2Corinthians 6:14, here the Lord wants to tell us through the letters of Paul that thou we love them like ourselves but we should have nothing to do with their unbelief.

There is great misunderstand, especially in the country from where I am from - India, here to show our Christian love we disobey the Lord and His Word, trying to adapt other religions beliefs into ours. We at time even rebel against the Lord by acknowledging that there are gods other than Him and at time comparing non existing gods (works of Satan) to our Holy Lord.

The Bible never tells us to be good people but to be righteous people. All righteous people are good, but not all good people are righteous.


[ Prayer Starter ]

Father God, You are a merciful God, show us to have mercy on others like You had on us. But Father, keep us from becoming like one of the unbelievers, who's very rebellious character You hate. Guide our every step as we live in this cosmopolitan era that we may show ourselves as your people. I ask this prayer in Jesus' Name, Amen.


[ Reference Scripture ]

John 13:34-35
34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

Matthew 22:39b
39b ... Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.


The Word of God was given free to us, therefore we should also share it freely with others.
(All rights are with God)