God’s Reasons and Descriptions of Marriage #3

Marriage is best between the equally yoked.

1. In 2 Corinthians 6:17 and the surrounding verses Paul gives a command : “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers.” He goes on for the next 4 verses giving examples and quotes from other passages to say that a relationship is best, and blessed by God, when both people are believers and committed to Jesus Christ, and want to honor Him in their relationship.
2. Paul uses the term “yoked” as a word picture of two equal oxen linked together with “rings” pulling in the same straight direction. Deuteronomy 22:10 says “You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together.”, because they don’t pull together in a straight line, one may not pull at all, and one usually fights against or argues with the other, making things difficult and frustrating. Conversely, two who are equally yoked are stronger than one, and one can encourage the other, and help the other when weak. Similarly, Married couples united together (with their wedding rings) are stronger together, encourage and build up the other, and help the other when they are weak or not as good at something.One brief comment, an ox cannot change the donkey into an ox. Do not marry a non-Christian thinking you will change them, as Deuteronomy 7:3-6, and 1 Corinthians 7:16 says. That’s not God’s best for you. So make sure your fiancé is a true biblical Christian, who bears fruit as Jesus said in the passage around Matthew 7:20.
3. Equally yoked Christians have glorifying God as the foundation and purpose of their relationship, and Jesus Christ as their strength and guide. No matter how differing the opinions, wants, desires, and needs are in a marriage, the couple can always reduce things to “what would God want or what does God say about this” as common ground from which both can unite, and with Christ-likeness and strength, to come to a resolution.

What if you are already unequally yoked? Read 1 Corinthians 7:12-16, and 1 Peter 3:1-7