The Unequal Yoke

The Elect Lady : The Unequal Yoke

1 Peter 3:1 - Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey

not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;

Spousal, friend and parental influence should be edifying. But we have come to realize that if such influence is evil, it could be quite devastating to the lives of those affected by such influence. Because this particular lesson is being prepared for a women’s conference, I will speak within the context of those boundaries. Remember, truth is liberating, but iniquity is binding. The following will serve as good Godly counsel for the single and married women of God. In the Book of Ezra, we have a very good illustration of the heart and mind of God regarding marriage among His people. I want you to remember that the principles of God never change; even from one Covenant to the next.

Ezra 10:18-19

18 And among the sons of the priests there were found that had taken strange wives: namely, of the sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and

his brethren; Maaseiah, and Eliezer, and Jarib, and Gedaliah.

19 And they gave their hands that they would put away their wives; and being guilty, they offered a ram of the flock for their trespass.

During the seventy years of their captivity in Babylon, many of the children of Israel married Babylonian women. Some even fathered children with these women. But when they returned to Israel, the prophet gathered them together to hear the word of the Lord concerning this matter. The conclusion of the matter was that they should put away their wives and the children they bore with them.

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

and what communion hath light with darkness?

There are many men in the Body of Christ, who are married to unsaved women. (But, I might also add that there are also many who are married to born again women who have the character of the unsaved). The results of such a union are nearly always the same. This is a union between a saint and the devil. It is a certainty that more and more, the mind of God is being ignored regarding this matter.

2 Corinthians 6:14

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what

communion hath light with darkness?

The statement above is very simple and straight forward; it is the same mindset God had in the Old Covenant. God does not want the saved to be yoked together with the unsaved; and we cannot deny that marriage is a yoke. But when marriage is an unequal yoke, then it violates the commandment of the Lord. It is the coming together of the faith with the faithless.

How is it possible for marriage to be a symbol of the church, when the two people start out as citizens of two different kingdoms; the Kingdom of Light and the Kingdom of Darkness. Whether we want to accept this as truth or not, it is the truth. Women who find themselves in such a marriage; (the unsaved woman married to a saved man), knew from the beginning of the courtship that this was the case. In most cases she played to the spiritual weaknesses of the man. This is commonly called seduction. Now it is also true that the saved man more than likely knew his bride- to-be was not saved.

He yielded to his own lust; and in some cases he was the seducer. Regardless, the point is, the knowledge of each other’s spiritual disposition was not a secret. The spirit that each of them possessed made them aware of the other’s spirituality.

Before we go any further, we might need to define saved. Simply speaking, to be saved is to be born again by the infilling of the Holy Ghost. The unsaved may be members of churches, but they are not born of the Spirit of God. According to

Romans 8:9; But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

Now it is also true that if one is not born again by the Spirit of God, then they are the children of the devil. All Adam’s children were born in sin and shapen in iniquity; and according to Eph. 2:3, the spirit of iniquity lives and works in them. The bottom line is; we either have the Spirit of God or the spirit of satan living within. In order to benefit from all that God is doing in the Body of Christ, you must be honest about your spiritual disposition. If you are not saved, then seek the Lord in earnest and He will save you. If you are saved, then examine yourself to see if you operate in the character of the faith.

Nevertheless, we will move into the heart of the matter. If you are not born again, but your spouse is, then your spouse is married to the spirit of satan. If you are saved, and your spouse is not, then you my dear, are married to the spirit of satan. I am sorry, but there is no other way

to say this truth. Some unsaved women will no doubt quickly say, “I am not the devil; and I am certainly not an evil person.” And those married to the unsaved will quickly come to the defense of their spouse with, “My husband may not be saved, but he is not the devil either. In fact, he has better character than some of those who confess salvation.”

Please don’t allow yourself to get offended here. There are some very nice and good character people who are not born again. However, the spirit of the enemy still lives in them; and in some way, shape, form or fashion, the attributes, desires and unbelief in the oracles of God are

going to be revealed. Then will be fulfilled the saying, “How can two walk together, except they agree.” Married or single, you need to examine yourself to see if you are in the faith. If married, are you the devil in the marriage? If not married, are you the devil waiting to get married. I simply mean; is your character of God or of satan? If you are not married, but desire to be; and unsaved, but love attending church, then make sure you are not lying in wait to trap a saved man into marrying you. That would be an unequal yoke and cause much misery in the marriage. If you desire a godly man, then make sure you are a born-again godly woman. It is the act of a harlot to seduce the men of God into sex and/or marriage when you know you are not born of God.

Furthermore, it is just as wrong for a saved woman to seriously date an unsaved man. This is so common in the church today. It is an act of desperation, wantonness and lust. In this situation, there is a total disregard for the mind and heart of God in this matter. Now if one really teaches God’s heart in this matter, then it is assumed God, or the minister teaching does not want the unsaved women to get married. But that is simply not true. In every Women Conference, we have to deal with the issue of marriage and God’s laws regarding it. Therefore, I am putting in this section the scripture which outlines the laws of marriage for the church.

1 Corinthians 7:1-17

1 Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.

2 Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife,and let every woman have her own husband.

3 Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.

4 The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.

5 Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together

again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.

6 But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment.

7 For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that.

8 I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I.

9 But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.

10 And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband:

11 But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.

12 But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not

put her away.

13 And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him.

14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children

unclean; but now are they holy.

15 But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace.

16 For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou shalt save thy wife?

17 But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches.