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THE
NEW LIFE by
John Marshall
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Chapter
11 • COURTSHIP
As
so many people in the world of today have ceased to think
of this kind of love as a divine aspect of human experience
it is all the more important that young brethren and sisters
should strive constantly to preserve this high conception
of courtship and marriage.
Ideally, in a society of saints, as we are, there would be
every opportunity for young brethren and sisters to meet and
to marry one another in the Faith. In many instances this
happens and they meet at Bible study week-ends, campaigns,
youth courses, fraternal gatherings, and the like. But not
all have the chance of going to such gatherings and sometimes
a young brother or sister is isolated not only in an ecclesia
but through an occupation where there are no other young people
of the Faith. In such circumstances, how does one find an
outlet for one's natural and emotional response to the opposite
sex?
Another problem which faces young people at times is that
an affair of the heart does not begin to order. Friendship
may start in a senior form at school, in college or university,
at work or in leisure.
The Call of God
There is little harm in making friendships outside the Faith,
if two things are thoroughly clear and firm in one's mind.
First, that God has "called you out of darkness into
his marvellous light". The spectrum of this light includes
the knowledge of God and of Jesus, the awareness of His kindness
and severity, and the revelation of His truth. God called
us to this light and we obeyed His call. This is the important
factor. Paul wrote that upon those who "do not
obey the truth" would come "indignation and wrath".
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References
1 Peter 2v9, Rom 2v8
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Chapter
11 • COURTSHIP
This call of God must be kept firmly in mind, for upon faithfulness
to it depends one's eternal future. Thus everything must yield to
one's loyalty to God and to Jesus, even an affair of the heart-that
is if the Faith is a reality and one hopes for the life immortal.
Jesus was clear and uncompromising about this: "He that loveth
father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth
son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me." Obviously
each will love his own close relatives-and each will love his (or
her) sweetheart-but make sure that neither is elevated above Jesus,
otherwise why wait for his coming and for all the great things that
are promised us?
The second fact that needs to be clear is that whoever has not obeyed
the truth is still in darkness in God's sight. This is His judgment,
not ours. So however charming, tender, kind and gentle a person
may be he (or she) is in darkness until the truth has been obeyed.
God wants all these attributes in a person, but they must be the
qualities of a person obedient to Him.
If one meets and is attracted to someone who is not of the Faith,
what is one to do? First remember that mutual attraction is not
only physical, it is also intellectual. There will be similar interests
in books, art, music, games and hobbies. And in a world ripe with
hate and violence, racial discrimination and political struggles,
when so many young people dread the future with its threat of nuclear
warfare, one has a fine opportunity reasonably and tactfully to
reveal one's supreme interest in and loyalty to a Father who, through
Jesus, is to sweep these things away.
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References
Matt 10v37
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