“Would you be with someone that believes and worships other gods?” This question came up in a conversation I had with friends. We were talking about ‘deal breakers’ in relationships. Some individuals that were believers didn’t consider this a deal breaker. The rationale centered mostly around the fact that they believed their faith was so strong. They were confident they could actually persuade the person to believe and trust God through the Lord Jesus Christ. I was very surprised that no one seemed to understand what a demonic powder keg of explosives this situation could be. They were willing to risk it for the sake of having a companion.
In Exodus 34:14 (NLT), Moses told God’s people, “You must worship no other gods, for the Lord, whose very name is Jealous, is a God who is jealous about his relationship with you.” God gave Moses this instruction to give to the people so they could remain blessed and under the covering of God’s protection and care. In Exodus 34:15-16, God explained that He had forbidden His people to make treaties or agreements with those that lust after other gods and offer sacrifices to them. These individuals who worshiped other gods would invite God’s people to participate in their idolatry, and God’s people would not refuse. God said the idolaters would seduce His people, much the way the devil seduced Adam and Eve to sin against God in the Garden of Eden.
Worship is an expression of supreme adoration and reverence. It is the highest expression of love that we can achieve. Only the Most High God, Jehovah, is worthy of it, and it is extremely dangerous, sinful, and against God’s Will for anyone to worship an idol god. A spiritual transaction occurs through worship. We give our Heavenly Father our highest praise, and He adds to us in ways that we cannot measure. Idolatry comes from the kingdom of darkness, and it belongs to satan. If a person worships an idol, they are sowing into satan’s kingdom. In Old Testament times, people would make idols of metal, and then worship them. They would worship the sun, moon, and stars. All of this was a sin against God. We can in no way worship the creation. We must worship the Creator. God created all things, but these things are not to be worshiped.
Jesus Christ said in John 4:24(NLT), “For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.” We cannot hug a tree, pet an animal, or stare into the sky and call it worshiping God. He must be worshiped in spirit and in truth, and this means He must receive our highest expression of adoration, and this is achieved by accepting Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior. When we accept Christ into our hearts, he will lead us in worship through his Spirit. Jesus Christ said in John 14:6(NLT), “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”
In modern times, people have taken idolatry to a new level. Many women are clinging to the significant man in their lives and placing the man’s needs above their obedience to God. This is idolatry, and it is a sin that requires repentance. There’s a difference between someone that worships idol gods and someone that doesn’t know the Word of God and hasn’t accepted Jesus Christ. If you’re dating someone that doesn’t know God through Christ, you are indeed obligated to tell them about our Lord and Savior, but in no way should you join together with them through sexual intimacy. This would bind you spiritually to that person. It is viewed by God as you offering the temple of your body as a sacrifice to the kingdom of darkness, and that’s a gigantic no-no.
God tells us in 2Corinthians 6:14-16(NLT), “14 Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? 15 What harmony can there be between Christ and the devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever? 16 And what union can there be between God’s temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God said: “I will live in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people.” God warns us to make sure we are led by the Spirit when it comes to considering a marital partner. He doesn’t want us making unholy alliances and connections that will hinder our lives, and most importantly, that will harm our relationship with Him.
Marriage is God’s institution. He established it to unify a couple so that two become one in the unity of Christ. When we step outside of His divine design, we open ourselves up for the devil to wreak havoc in our lives. Let’s do it God’s way. Jesus Christ tells us in John 16:13 that the Spirit will guide us into all truth, and this includes the truth about the person God has ordained to walk with us through life. So, is dating an idolater a deal breaker? If pleasing God, honoring our bodies as His temple, and steering clear of wickedness is our goal, dating an idolater most definitely should be a deal breaker.■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“A Deal Breaker”, written by K. Lizzie, edited by Reverend Fran Mack for Sundie Morning Sistas ©2021. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! SMS is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging Christian Women through the Word of God.