You might wonder what 2 horses have to do with salvation. You’ll see and hopefully get Paul’s point in a bit. Paul, here in 2 Corinthians chapter 6, stresses several main facts of salvation and living the Christian life. He also explains some of the hardships he and his fellow apostles have been through. Let’s read it….
2 Corinthians 6
As God’s partners, we beg you not to accept this marvelous gift of God’s kindness and then ignore it. 2 For God says,
“At just the right time, I heard you.
On the day of salvation, I helped you.” [Isaiah 49:8]Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.
What’s Paul saying here? It seems like some people in Corinth prayed the prayer, but kept on living their old lives. They were then missing out on all the benefits of salvation. That happened to me mostly because I was attending a church that didn’t teach the true salvation of Jesus Christ. So, when I did pray the prayer, I kept living the old life. It doesn’t work that way. You have to surrender your WHOLE LIFE to Christ, die to your old self and rise to a new life. Let’s go on…
Paul’s Hardships
3 We live in such a way that no one will stumble because of us, and no one will find fault with our ministry. 4 In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God. We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind. 5 We have been beaten, been put in prison, faced angry mobs, worked to exhaustion, endured sleepless nights, and gone without food. 6 We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us, and by our sincere love. 7 We faithfully preach the truth. God’s power is working in us. We use the weapons of righteousness in the right hand for attack and the left hand for defense. 8 We serve God whether people honor us or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us. We are honest, but they call us impostors. 9 We are ignored, even though we are well known. We live close to death, but we are still alive. We have been beaten, but we have not been killed. 10 Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything.
11 Oh, dear Corinthian friends! We have spoken honestly with you, and our hearts are open to you. 12 There is no lack of love on our part, but you have withheld your love from us. 13 I am asking you to respond as if you were my own children. Open your hearts to us!
Now, that’s devotion to a mission! I’ve read about this in many of the persecuted Christian churches around the world. Nothing can stop them from preaching the Word of God. Continuing…
The Temple of the Living God
14 Don’t team up (be unequally yoked) 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
2 Corinthians 6 NLT
and walk among them.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people. [Ezekiel 37:27]
17 Therefore, come out from among unbelievers,
and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord.
Don’t touch their filthy things,
and I will welcome you. [Ezekiel 20:34]
18 And I will be your Father,
and you will be my sons and daughters,
says the Lord Almighty.” [2 Samuel 7:14]
What is Being Unequally Yoked?
Here’s where the picture of the horses at the top comes in. Notice that they are identical. Same height and probably same weight and strength. Together they are a team that can pull a heavy load. Think about that next time you’re watching a western movie that shows a stage coach or a farmer on a cart.
What happens when you put a work horse, like those picture and a race horse together to pull a cart? The race horse is going to be faster and lighter. The other horse will not be able to keep up. Or think about a ox and a donkey yoked together. That wouldn’t work either.
The point Paul is making here is to not date, marry or partner with unbelievers. Easier said than done, right? I did that for a long time and believe me, it was bad. The relationship went nowhere. I attended a singles conference once and a speaker coined the phrase “missionary dating”. That didn’t mean to date a missionary. She referred to a believer dating a non-believer with the goal in mind to convert that person. That won’t work at all.
What if You’re Already Married and You get Saved and Your Spouse is Not?
That’s a different story and something that you should bring up with your pastor. Pray for your spouse. I recommend watching Lee Strobel’s story, “The Case for Christ” (Amazon affiliate link). His wife became a believer, but that got him on a quest to find the truth about Jesus. Great story.
If you’re not sure if you’re saved or not, if you truly want to be born again and have the assurance of salvation, receive the Holy Spirit, feel His Shalom — a peace that surpasses all understanding, and get a 1-way, non-stop ticket to Heaven after you die, or that you won’t be left behind at the Rapture, which can happen at any moment, this is what you have to do…
