Unequal Yoking

(2Corinthians 6:14) Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers.

This intriguing and amazing road we travel is filled with a two-sided coin. The one side resembles the path to heaven and speaks of safety, the other side looks a lot like snares and traps that are hidden along the journey and are just waiting to ensnare us. The road itself is safe and easy to travel, for it is the Lord Jesus Himself who mapped its course. However, there are some tricky parts to the expedition and to the naked eye, it would appear that in areas the Lord may have been mistaken, which is a ridiculous thought; He cannot and will not make mistakes. But when we reason with our intellect and our carnal minds persuade us to know a better way than our King, it will always be to our detriment. And I mean always. Yes every single time without exception. If the word tells us not to be unequally yoke with an unbeliever, why do you think it tells us that? Do you think it is just ink on paper to fill the page, obviously not; it is an instruction to believers to guard them against heartache and to keep them on a road filled with hope and not destruction. The road has been mapped and the Bible is the map book, we need look no where else, we need follow no other instructions, however if we do not heed the bible’s instruction there will be consequences. You may say life is not always a bed of roses; it isn’t always that easy, what do I know? Well it was never meant to be easy for the flesh and our lusts; they are the enemies of the cross and they kept us from this great relationship we now have with God Almighty. Yes we now have the spirit whereby we cry Abba Father. This is a wonderful privilege, not all have it, save those whose eyes have been open and to whom the spirit has been given. But because we now can see, we must, yes must heed the voice of our Father. We must follow the road our Saviour has already walked.

“Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?”

Do you see an eagle handing out with swallows, never, unless the eagle is on the hunt? Get the point! So too if we the “swallow” look to hang out with the eagles, what will be our demise. Need I say more!

I have been told that I wear my heart on my sleeve, be that true or not I cannot say. However, my blog may seem full of instruction and what one should or shouldn’t do. It is, but I always speak either to myself, or from my experience. The experience must never supersede the word of God. If it does then it will lead us down a path of ruin. If any incident in our lives happen and we can use the word correctly and skilfully without a skewed interpretation that will get us to believe a lie, exactly like Eve believed the serpent in the garden of Eden. If we can glean from our experience and learn from it to be more obedient to God’s call then we can cry with Paul, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

Yes even our bad, very bad choices will eventually work out for our good as they teach us not to be smarter than the word and to follow and obey will be good for us. One of the biggest lies that have trapped me on my journey is the hope of believing God will understand and maybe make an allowance for me outside of His word. NEVER, can that happen, God cannot and will not deny Himself. The sooner we learn this the better it will be for us.

For those of you who don’t know me personally and witness the many mistake I have made along this glorious road toward the Celestial City. Now may be the time to mention some of those mistakes to illustrate my point.

The word is full of warning to the believer. We see the warnings as our eyes can see, the unbeliever on the other hand may read the same warning but still not see. “Unless a man is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

I have been born again and I can see; I am HIV positive and have been for 17 years; I am married yet to an unbeliever and now she files for a divorce. You see the word gives instruction for our lives, why don’t we heed its counsel, alright let me not speak for you, why did I not heed its warning! I was deceived into believing a lie as simple as that.

Let me highlight the consequence to my decision on marrying an unbeliever. Let me make it quite clear so that there may be no confusion. She is not to be blamed she is blind and cannot see. Me on the other hand I can see, so I take full responsibility for my action and blame no one but myself. When I got married I had a job as a photo journalist with a pension and a medical aid. Once my divorce goes through I will be a white 45 year old white male without a job, without a pension and a man living with HIV without a medical aid. The consequence of my action! How prone we are to sin, how apt we are in choosing danger and how strong is our tendency to cast ourselves down. “The road is rough and we are weak, but in addition to this, enemies lurk in ambush, who rush out when we least expect them, and labour to trip us up, or hurl us down the nearest precipice.

Having said that, I am not without hope, it is only my hope that keeps me going. On day to ever be with my Saviour, to receive a body like His, to have no more pain or crying, and with sorrow no longer gripping my heart. Let us stand upon the word of God for it will be marrow for our bones, it will keep us safe when we listen and apply it to our lives we will find life in abundance. “Only an Almighty arm can preserve us from these unseen foes, who are seeking to destroy us. Such an arm is engaged for our defence. He is faithful that hath promised, and he is able to keep us from falling, so that with a deep sense of our utter weakness, we may cherish a firm belief in our perfect safety, and say, with joyful confidence,” yet while we hitherto breathe there is still hope, may we find obedience for our lives in glorifying our God and saviour, even Jesus Christ our Lord.

May God enable us to seek out his grace today to walk obediently?

Signing off

Tyrone