Counsels on Relationships

Counsel #3 — Dating Non-Christians

Picture: Counsel #3 — Dating Non-Christians CR 58.1

Since dating was not a practice in biblical times, you won’t find a Bible text that says directly that Christians shouldn’t date non-Christians. (Neither will you find a Bible text that says Christians shouldn’t smoke cigarettes!) But you can find principles—general moral rules of conduct that are enduring. The Bible tells us often to make Christ first in our life (Matthew 6:33; Colossians 3:17) and to not be unequally yoked with an unbeliever (2 Corinthians 6:14). God desires for you to be truly happy, especially in your relationships. If you date someone who has not chosen to make Christ first in his or her life, you will end up putting that person before God in your life and He will not be able to bless your relationship.^[56] CR 58.2

“And what accord has Christ with Belial^[57]? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?”
2 Corinthians 6:15 NKJV CR 58.3

“There is no concord between Christ and Belial. The two cannot harmonize. To connect with an unbeliever is to place yourself on Satan’s ground. You grieve the Spirit of God and forfeit His protection. Can you afford to have such terrible odds against you in fighting the battle for everlasting life?” Ellen G. White in Messages to Young People, p. 441 CR 58.4

Reflect: What correlation, if any, do you think there is between Nehemiah’s abhorrence of non-Jewish marriage (Nehemiah 13:23-29) and dating a non-Christian today? CR 58.5