Untitled article by James White

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Third-day, March 17, 1868

FromReview and Herald, Vol. XXXI, No. 14

ONLY IN THE LORD.

By James White

These Words (1 Cor. vii, 39.) were written to the Corinthian church in reference to marriage. It was true then that the marriage of believers should be only in the Lord. It was then important to the welfare of the church, and the salvation of its individual members that the marriage relation should be entered into only in the Lord. And, certainly, as the church enters the perils of the last days, the importance of adhering to this injunction is greatly increased.

“Only in the Lord.” By this we understand the apostle to teach that marriage of believers should be according to the will of God. This institution was originally designed for the glory of God and the good of man. And after the fall, when Satan would make the worst of this sacred relation between man and woman, and lead them to abuse it, and in every way possible to violate it, God taught his servants that this union should be in him.

Abuses of the marriage relation and violations of the law of marriage, called down upon the wicked in the days of Noah and Lot, the judgments of the Almighty in the form of flood and flame. And those who believed in God, who were beguiled into any violation of the plan of God in relation to marriage, received marked tokens of the displeasure of the God of Heaven. Read Spiritual Gifts, Vol. iii, chaps. 11, 12, and 13, and learn the care which the Lord manifested that his servants should preserve pure the marriage relation. And also learn from these chapters, and from the Bible, that Satan has been most successful in linking the faithful with infidelity and idolatry by wrong marriages. This was the great sin of the Israelites, which caused the spirit of murmuring from the mixed multitude to be diffused into the entire camp, which proved their ruin.

Separation from the world is as truly taught in the New Testament as in the Old. Union with idolaters and infidels is shown by the sayings of Christ, and in the epistles of the apostles, to be as wrong in the present dispensation as it was in former dispensations. Christians must, in order to be united with Christ, refuse union with the unbelieving world. If they do not, they will be lost. God means what he says. Where the love of the world is, the love of the Father is not. And he who would be a friend of the world, is the enemy of God.

And the closer this unholy union with men and women who have the spirit and love of this world, the greater the sin, and more fearful the danger of being overcome and lost. If believers should be guarded against union with unbelievers in a general sense, they should be against the close union of marriage in particular. Therefore, those believers who enter into a life-long union with unbelievers, in the close relation of marriage, do so in open and direct violation, in the highest degree, of the teachings of the New Testament in relation to the people of God being separate from the world.

Those believers who are united with unbelievers will be sustained in the performance of duty if they trust in the living God. But if those believers who are free choose to unite themselves with unbelievers in the face of the historical facts of the Old Testament in relation to the sin of intermarrying with unbelievers, and the plain declarations of the New in regard to unholy alliances with the world, they take a fearful step in the dark, which may embitter the entire life, and place them where they may find it exceedingly difficult to claim the promises of God in affliction. May God pity those who are already in this condition, and save others from recklessly flinging themselves into the arms of cruel unbelief.

We would say to the unmarried among us, Be not deceived. As long as you stand, after being properly instructed, where you can act rationally in this matter in the fear of God, you will not be in danger in this direction. But your danger is in being deceived. In that degree that unbelievers gain your affections, to that degree do they obtain your confidence, and, therefore, to the same degree are you exposed to their deceptions. Your only safety is in ever being on your guard. If in an unguarded hour you suffer your affections and confidence to be placed, in a degree, where they should not be, ere you are aware of danger, you are in a condition of mind that cannot view things in a proper light, and cannot reason correctly. And to just that degree that affection and impulse overpower reason, to that degree you are insane. And it is then that Satan comes in, and draws upon the tender cords of affection and sympathy in order to assist in your life-long union with some unworthy object of your love, in the hope of making your ruin complete.

Be not deceived. The numerous and painful instances of deception played off upon young women who appeared devoted to the present truth, should be a warning to all others. In these cases the deceiver generally professes to be very favorable to the Sabbath, and expresses a desire to investigate, when, as most cases prove, he despises the truth in his heart, and he waits in disguise only until he has gained the object, when he manifests unbelief, indifference, opposition, and, finally, persecution and abuse, if thought necessary, in order to drive from the truth the one he pledged at the marriage altar to love and cherish as long as they both should live.

We have reason to question the sincerity of ninetenths, at least, of those who profess regard for the religious sentiments of Seventh-day Adventists at the very time they wish to gain the hearts and hands of believers. If they really wish to investigate, they will investigate. If they engage in this work in earnest, they will grow stronger and stronger. And, if they have sufficient intellect and decision of character to be a proper head of a family, they need only a few days, or weeks at most, to decide on all points of present truth. Those who want months and years, to study and decide, have not sufficient force of character to do more than to take care of themselves.

But many of these persons will profess to be favorable to the Sabbath, and even profess to believe it, yet

break the Sabbath every week. They profess faith in the health reform, yet use tobacco, tea and coffee, and eat pork. Of how much weight are all their sanctimonious pretensions? When thrown into the scale of proof that they are downright hypocrites, they are weighty. Otherwise, they are lighter than feathers.

But as surely as Satan had a hand in the improper union of the people of God with those of the idolatrous nations by marriage, as recorded in the Old Testament, in order to destroy thousands, just as certainly will he seek to captivate and destroy precious souls in these last days by improper marriages. It is Satan who leads that Spiritualist to profess to be shaken as to Spiritualism, and at the same time make pretensions of regard for the truth of God’s word. He appears so changed! He is so kind and mild! But he is a Spiritualist inside. The power of Spiritualism, which is the power of Satan, is with him. The demon now acts the part of an angel of light, and there is such a fascinating power in his words and movements that the innocent bird is even charmed into the jaws of the serpent.

Will the church awake to this subject? When she shall stand where she should, with scripture distance between her and the world, then will the dangers that threaten the ruin of the youth in our midst be removed. Until she does, Satan will delight himself in forming a life-long link between them and the world, in order to destroy their influence here, and secure them to himself in the end.

Paul addresses the church at Corinth in regard to unholy union with men and women of the world, in the following language:

“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers; for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? and what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? and what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” 2 Cor. vi, 14–18.

From this important portion of the word of God, we may learn: 1. That the condition of being sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty is separation from “unbelievers,” “unrighteousness,” “darkness,” “Belial,” “infidels,” and “idols.” 2. That although the language of Paul does not apply to marriage alone, but to unholy union with the world in general, it does most certainly include marriage. 3. That those who comply with the condition, and separate themselves from the world, can claim the promise of being sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty. Such are not orphans, but have a Father in Heaven.

Those who barter away their birthright and heirship to the eternal inheritance of the saints for a little of this poor world, make a poor trade. Those who are free in Christ, and strong in faith and hope, had better remain so. Before they sell their birthright, let them think of Esau who sold his for a mess of potage. After the miserable sale was made, careful seeking with tears could not help the matter. His birthright was gone forever. Keep out of so poor a market, dear friends. If you give yourself to the Lord, he will give himself to you, and you may enjoy the assurance day by day, that you are sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty. And at last the Lord will give you life eternal and the immortal inheritance.

Only in the Lord. The marriage of believers is not always in the Lord, as they are sometimes out of harmony with the laws of life and with common sense. The glory of God and the good of the parties are the worthy reasons for the marriage of believers. Fancy and impulse govern the world in marriage. Principle should control Christians. Believers do not move in the Lord— 1. When the brother that has reached the noon of life, takes a wife about the age of the eldest of his motherless children. The influence of such a marriage is often bad upon his children. Why not take a wife, if he should have a second one, near his own age? The laws of life and common sense more than inquire, Why not? The evil results of such union are often seen in the failing health of one of these of different ages, in the constitution and temperament of the second crop of children, and the lack of harmony in the family in consequence of a want of respect for the new mother, by the grown-up children, and her inability to lead them.

2. Believers near the same ages, are often so different in temperament, taste, and education, that a union would be a life-long curse to both parties.

3. Many should never be married at all. Unless a man has sufficient health, mind, moral culture, social qualities, and force of character, to provide liberally for a family, and make a wife happy, he should not take one. Some marry who should remain single, and be assisted over the uneven road of life by the counsels and, perhaps, the more tangible help of others. They have not the good judgment, or the good energy, or the good health, to act a respectable and proper part in family relation. It is sometimes the case when persons possess sound judgment, energy, and health, yet lack in some one or more of the other essentials, that one of the party gets badly cheated. But where there is a decided lack in good judgment, health, and energy in both parties, both get terribly cheated.

4. There are those called in the providence of God to fill stations more or less connected with this work, who are happy as they are, and would be far happier and more sure of life eternal to remain as they are. These sometimes marry, and in so doing take themselves out of the hands of Providence. “Only in the Lord,” brethren and sisters, where you can better glorify God, and fasten your hold stronger on eternal life, are you justified in taking upon yourselves the duties and responsibilities of the married life. “Only in the Lord.” Amen. JAMES WHITE.