I don’t know about you, but personally, I find myself being edified and sanctified through this series called ‘Marriage is Spiritual.’

We will continue today from where we left off last time. We previously discussed how marriage was originally established by God, who is Spirit, and how this institution was created by God for His glory and for the good of the couple. We also noted that this dual purpose of marriage—God’s glory and the couple’s benefit—can only be achieved if both the husband and wife are spiritual individuals, people of God who strive to align every aspect of their lives with the Word of God.

Let’s quickly define who ‘the people of God’ are. From Genesis to Revelation, we see how God, starting with one man, builds a nation for His divine purpose. In the Old Testament, we read about the shadow of the nation God planned to establish through Christ, and in the New Testament, we see ‘the real nation’ God builds in Christ (Colossians 2:17). To understand this clearly, let’s examine two passages from the Old Testament and one from the New Testament to identify who the people of God truly are.

“Then Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain and said, “This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”” Exodus 19:1-6 NIV

Notice verse 5, where the Word of God sets a condition for the people Moses was leading to Canaan to become His treasured possession and a holy nation. Now, let’s read a similar passage from the Old Testament:

“When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess and drives out before you many nations – – – seven nations larger and stronger than you— and when the Lord your God has delivered them over to you and you have defeated them, – – – Make no treaty with them – – – Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, FOR THE WILL TURN YOUR CHILDREN AWAY FROM FOLLOWING ME TO SERVE OTHER GODS, and the Lord’s anger will burn against you and will quickly destroy you. – – – For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.”  Deuteronomy 7:1-6 NIV (capitalization added)

The people of God did not choose themselves to belong to God; rather, God chose them and decided to make them His own. While the above passage may not explicitly state the conditions we have seen in Exodus 19:5, it is clear that both passages share the same context, where God sets conditions for the people to become His. Now, let’s read a passage from the New Testament:

“Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you. – – – you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” 1 Peter 1:1-2; 2:9-10 ESV

Here, we read a similar message like the above two Old Testament passages, except for the condition mentioned in the earlier passages (see Exodus 19:5). Did God change His way of making a nation, of establishing people as His treasured and holy possession? Absolutely not! Remember, God is immutable (unchangeable). Only holy people can be His people because He is holy. No other way!

Did the Israelites obey all of God’s commandments, as the condition required them, to be His people? No! What about the people in the New Testament? Still, no! God, therefore, places all of them in the same category: slaves to sin (Romans 3, Galatians 3:22). Who, then, is competent to stand before God among humans? No one!

Then God sent His perfect Son, Jesus Christ, in the likeness of man to live a perfect life, obeying His Father completely, and to give His life unto death—even death on a cross—on behalf of the people God chose from fallen humanity. This means that people from both the Old and New Testament eras become God’s people through faith: those in the Old Testament, like Abraham and David, believed in the coming Messiah, while those in the New Testament believe in the finished work of the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

Notice that no one can choose or call themselves to be God’s people; the act of choosing and calling belongs solely to God. However, believing in and trusting in the finished, substitutionary work of Jesus Christ is the responsibility of God’s people.

God, who called His people out of Egypt in the Old Testament and out of this dark world in the New Testament, gave clear instructions regarding significant relationships, such as marriage. To the people of the Old Testament, the instruction was never to marry individuals from other nations who were under God’s judgment due to their disobedience (Deuteronomy 7:3-4). To the people of the New Testament, the Word of God provides this command:

“Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?” 2 Corinthians 6:14 ESV

The word ‘yoked’ implies being paired together for a shared goal and purpose. When two oxen are yoked together, one cannot decide, ‘I don’t feel like plowing this field today; I just want to walk,’ while the other is heading to plow. Both oxen are yoked for one purpose: to plow the field. No other purpose. Period!

In a similar way, consider two people entering into a contract to start a business. If one lives for the glory of Christ while the other lives for their own glory and for the fleeting pursuits of this world, what will happen to the business? Can they successfully achieve two completely different and opposing purposes? No! Whose purpose do you think will ultimately prevail in this contractual business relationship?

Let me give you an analogy to help you answer that question. Imagine you buy 10 tomatoes. When you get home, you discover that nine of them are fresh, but one is not. If you decide to store them all together, do you think the nine fresh tomatoes will influence “the not-so-fresh” tomato to become fresh? After all, they are the majority, right? They are powerful! So, they should win, right? Wrong!

In a similar way, a believer’s tendency to follow the ways of the world is much greater than an unbeliever’s tendency to follow Christ simply because they are yoked with a believer (Deuteronomy 7:3-4). Someone might argue, saying, ‘But the Bible says, “The one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” How, then, can the one in the unbeliever overpower the One in the believer, who is Christ Jesus?’

That is a good question, but we must always understand the truths of God both individually and as a whole. If God commands Christians, ‘Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers’ (2 Corinthians 6:14), should they question God, ‘Why?’ No! Christians know that God is always and forever good to those who are in Christ and that He knows what is best for them (Romans 8:28). However, they might ask a question like, ‘Yes, Lord, but in light of what You said in 2 Corinthians 6:14, how should we understand 1 John 4:4?’ The answer might go something like this: Be very careful. These two verses are not contradictory, as no verses in the infallible Word of God contradict each other. Instead, they address different aspects of the Christian life and faith. The first verse speaks to how Christians should build significant relationships so they can serve and glorify God effectively, while the latter assures Christians of God’s power and presence within them as they face various attacks from people and Satan.

Someone might still ask, ‘But why is it so important for a married couple to have a common and shared faith?’. . . cont’d ///