First, we know the relational cost. There is a relational cost of growing spiritually. The Bible says that we are not to be joined together with non-believers. This is the most popular verse for those of us who are married Christians but it is the most unpopular for those of us who are dating. II Corinthians 6:14 says Do not be bound together with unbelievers. That eliminates about 4/5ths of the potential dating candidates. People dont like to hear that, not junior high students, not high school students, not single adults. In the original language it says do not be yoked together with unbelievers. You know what the word yoked is? Yoked is a farming term. If you were plowing a field you would put two animals under a single wooden collar and have them pull the plow. If you had two animals that were alike, like two oxen or two donkeys, they could plow the field together. They would be yoked together. You have got problems, though, if you put an oxen on one side and a donkey on the other side you would have trouble plowing the field. God says, categorically, unequivocally, irrevocably, that we are to be bound together in our closest relationships with those who know Christ. Our closest friendships must be based on Jesus Christ. Those people we date must know Jesus Christ. Those people we marry must know Jesus Christ. Our closest business relationships must be those based on Christ. God gives us this word for our best interest.
Two weeks ago I spoke three nights to all of our young people. I hammered home this principle because it works. Dont think for one minute that God is saying that we should be involved in spiritual apartheid. Dont think that God wants us to be some kind of spiritual racist. We are to be involved in the lives of people outside the family of God. If we arent, how can they know about God? But, our closest companions must have the common denominator of Christ. A lot of adolescents think that price is too high. They decide they will remain on the plains of puberty.
There is another cost, though.
Ed Young believes that it is the time cost. We talked last week about spiritual infancy. We challenged the infants to do three things: to feed on Gods word, to learn how to talk to God in prayer and to learn how to walk in fellowship. If we get committed to do those things it will take a lot of our discretionary time away.
