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Interracial Marriages

Interracial Marriages

I had the privilege of getting into a relationship with one of my fellow youth members. He is half Indian and I am white. My culture does not permit it in any way, and finds it a disgrace and a sin. I know the Bible states that we should not be in relationships with non-believers, because light and darkness do not mix, but nowhere in the Bible to my knowledge does it state that we are not allowed to be romantically involved over our racial borders.

My parents do not know about the relationship because it does not carry their consent. They say it is unbiblical and unlawful. Please shed some light on this topic. I really love this man and he knows the Will of God. He values the same beliefs as I do. Is it not more important to be involved with a man of God than to be involved with an unbeliever? My parents say that the Bible preaches against it. Please tell me the truth.


Before we answer the question of how to deal with your family let’s deal with the question of racism. Racism is sin pure and simple. Racism is selfishness, elitism, arrogance, pride, hatred and evil all wrapped up into one. It is the fruit of Satan’s principles and has no place in God’s kingdom.

God’s kingdom is the kingdom of love, the kingdom of giving, of self-sacrifice, of esteeming others more highly than yourself. Anyone who is racist has not been renewed in love!

If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. (1John 4:20).

By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:35).

This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother. (1John 3:10).

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. (1John 3:16).

All humanity was created by God, in Adam. When God created mankind there was no racial division. We are all part of the same heritage and same family. Satan is a liar and fraud. He lied about God in heaven and he lies to us today about who we are. Through his lies he divides. God is the God of truth and love and His methods always heal and unite. Through Christ, God is working to bring the entire universe back together into unity, under one head (Eph 1:10).

Racism blinds us to God and His kingdom. Racism prevents us from making enlightened decisions. Rather than assessing a person based on the content of the heart, the quality of the character, we instead make decisions based on the concentration of melanin in the skin. How utterly foolish, narrow minded and short sighted!

The Bible tells us that, “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1Sam 16:7). With God it is not a matter of melanin concentration in the skin, but a matter of love concentration in the heart! We must grow up and look past the outer appearance and see the quality of the heart!

God demonstrated his displeasure with those who practice racism, even within families, when Aaron and Miriam questioned Moses’ right to lead Israel. They questioned his ability to lead because he had married an African woman, most likely from the Sudan.

Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite. Numbers 12:1 [Cush comes from Hebrew כושי‎ and refers to someone of African descent with dark skin, most likely from Sudan].

God was displeased with their prejudice and judgmentalism and chastised them. As an object lesson, to show them the sinfulness of racism, pride, and jealousy God struck Miriam with leprosy. [He didn’t strike Aaron with leprosy because he was the High Priest and represented Christ]. Leprosy was an object lesson for sin. Miriam could not enter the camp of Israel until she was cleansed of leprosy. Likewise, we cannot enter heaven until we are cleansed of racism, pride, and jealousy.

Therefore, if you live in a culture in which “Christians” practice racism, they are revealing that the Christianity they are practicing is not cleansing their hearts or renewing them into Christlikeness.

Understanding that racism is unequivocally evil and against the kingdom of God, how do we now answer the question of your situation and dealing with your family.

The Scriptures tell us that we are to honor our mother and father. Does this mean, that once we reach accountability, we allow our parents to choose the God we worship? Does it mean we allow our parents to think for us? Are we to surrender our individuality to our parents?

Absolutely not! Christ said:

“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to turn “‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—  36 a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’ “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38 and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. (Matthew 10:34-38).

What does this mean? We are to always treat our parents with love and respect, but we are to put Christ and God first in our hearts, and maintain our fidelity and loyalty to God above all others. This means when we understand God’s kingdom of love and our family is racist and pressures us to participate with them in practicing racism, we should instead love others. We may risk rejection from our families if they continue to hold to selfishness and pride, but we grow in our relationship with God.

But loving others as Christ loved us, loving all peoples regardless of race, does not mean we have to enter into romantic relationships with those of other races. The Bible is clear there is nothing sinful in such relationships, but because of sin and the darkness of human minds, there will be a price to pay for biracial marriages. In some parts of the world this is much more serious than others.

You must consider the impact over time if your family and culture shun you. You may be in love now, you may be in harmony with God’s understanding of the universe, you may be in harmony with God’s kingdom of love, but what will it be like to live ostracized from your family, friends and culture? If you plan on having children will a biracial marriage make their lives more difficult? If your family cuts you off, will you be able to live the rest of your life without their involvement in your life? Will you be able to do so without resentment toward your spouse?

While such a marriage may be “permissible” it does not mean it is wise or beneficial (1Cor 6:12, 10:23).

You are correct to stand up against racism and to love all peoples. You are correct to resist your family’s and culture’s pressure to be racist. But, this does not mean that a biracial marriage is most beneficial and I would recommend you pray over this and counsel with those from your community before pursuing this relationship further.

One other point of caution, regardless of the rightness of your understanding of racism, regardless of your understanding of God’s kingdom of love for all peoples, it is still damaging to your mind, conscience and character to practice deception. Therefore, if you cannot engage in this relationship without being dishonest, deceitful and deceptive I would recommend avoiding it.

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Testimony 66

I am incredibly grateful for the transformative impact you’ve had on my life, and words cannot fully express my appreciation. Over the years, I have been an avid listener and follower of C&R and extend my heartfelt thanks for creating the C&R mobile app. It has allowed me to immerse myself in your lessons repeatedly, enabling me to grasp the profound significance about the Character of God, Design Law, the protocols for life, the reasons behind the current chaos, and Christ’s mission to restore everything. They have deeply touched me. Having studied with various churches, I came away with the perception that God is no different from the deities of ancient Greek or Roman mythology—demanding sacrifices and taking pleasure in bloodshed. Thanks to your transformative teachings, I have experienced a profound awakening to the true nature of God and the immense power of His love. It is truly a remarkable and liberating sensation to finally grasp the truth and embrace the empowering nature of God’s laws. My self-perception has become brighter and more infused with love. My journey of growth continues on a daily basis.

Chris P., Lake Mary, FL, USA

 

Testimony 49

I came into the church at 21, but that is as far as it went. I was so confused about what love is. I couldn’t find it in the bible, because I am not a person that can read between the lines. I have no logic. I have read many, many books; trying to figure out the crux of the matter. They were helpful, but something was still missing. I have become very frustrated to the point of crying out to God, “Where can I go?”  I needed some basics.

I found two books, written by Timothy Jennings, MD, to be very helpful. God showed me that I had lived my whole life in fear. I didn’t even see it. Now, I do. God is so good.  I discovered the “The Remedy”  Dr. Jennings new book, “The God-Shaped Heart!” Oh, I was so excited, I purchased them right away.

I can get rid of most of my books, because “The Remedy” brings the Love of God out so clearly, even I can’t miss it. Now, I want to sit and read my Bible. Wow, what a revelation! It is just simply Awesome! I am so grateful to Jehovah Almighty for hearing my prayer for more understanding! I am so encouraged!

Jackie S.

 

Testimony 17

The blessings of clarity and understanding you and your class inspire me to take from the word of God have impressed upon me so greatly the true, loving character of our Creator. I have found amazing freedom and joy through building a stronger, more intentional relationship with Him. What is new is that this is now a relationship built on love, reverence and respect rather than fear and obligation, and as such my eyes have been slammed OPEN as I am continually impressed by the manifestations of God’s true character in His provisions for fallen man.

T.E.H., Salt Lake City, UT, USA

 

Testimony 59

I’m a native Ghanan, but am currently in France for my master’s degree. Prior to this, during my final years at undergraduate studies in Ghana, I was introduced to your ministry and I’ve been immensely blessed by what you share, especially about the Design and Imposed Laws. God richly bless you for that.

One of the first things I did when I arrived in France was to buy all four of your books. They not only helped me, but those I shared them with. I shared the message with an atheist student and I marveled at how God worked mightily in his life. Today this person shares the Love of God with others and debunks theories of who God is not. I want to share what you present in your “Heavenly Sanctuary and Investigative Judgment” pamphlet, because the message brought rest to my soul and I live today as a healthy person.

God bless you so much and your ministry.

Michael A., Ghana

 

Testimony 28

I have been following your Bible study class for about a year now. I must say I am impressed with how your ministry has grown. I took it upon myself to listen to all your lesson podcasts from the past and they have both enriched me physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. I have learnt a lot from this class. I have also noticed how the class has grown in spiritual strength. One of the things that benefited me is that now I am not afraid of God. I use to be, but now it has melted away. The second thing is that you helped me to have a real life relationship with God. Now He is my friend that was always there and I love having him with me all the time. Thirdly, because of this class, it inspired me to take over and lead a class. I have called it “Let Us Reason Together,” adapting your inquisitive style and creating a class of free thinkers.

T. Banda, Malawi, Africa

 

Testimony 12

I have been really blessed reading your response to the various questions on your site.

K.C., OH, USA

 

Testimony 25

I just want to say thank you so much for your conversations via YouTube. I regularly tune in to your lectures, “Let’s Talk” sessions, and many others. Through these I’ve found greater depth and meaning to God’s word. Thanks for all that you do and please continue. I’m currently working in the middle of Silicon Valley at Stanford University. I feel like God really has me in the right place right now and I’m sensing that your teachings might be part of it.

B. F., Silicon Valley, CA, USA

 

Testimony 73

I have been truly blessed by your blogs and other resources. They have helped me to see things in a much brighter light and to reason things out better. Thank you so much for your ministry. Whenever I have the opportunity I pass along your material to my friends.

R. Noseworthy, Newfoundland, Canada

Testimony 32

The message [of Come And Reason Ministries is] for all Christians (and those who may become Christians) and not just Adventists or any other group. It is difficult to imagine why any [anyone] with intellectual and spiritual honesty could find fault with the way you explained the healing substitution concepts and the truth about God’s character, though I know some will reject and criticize. On behalf of those in our group near Tacoma, WA, thank you and your staff for all of the hard work and for sharing the Gospel in this manner. God’s message of healing love will be carried to the whole world and then Jesus will come – He promised it.

Terry U., Tacoma, WA, USA

 

Testimony 8

Thank you for the ministry you are sharing with us, it is a real blessing to us and especially to my husband and myself! You are encouraging us to think for ourselves and not just to except everything, without thinking it through, with God’s word!

M.K., USA

 

Testimony 71

When I was 9 years old, I remember setting at our devotional table with a hunger and thirst for God that wanted more, deeper, BETTER. I can remember literally crying and pounding on the table, “I know these teachers didn’t mean to give us error. They taught what THEY had been TAUGHT, but didn’t ANYBODY READ THE BOOK?!?!?” It mattered to me then. It mattered to me as a teenager. It matters now as I teach bible classes. It didn’t have to be so hard as I watched so many give up and lay God’s great plan and gift of salvation aside as being “impossible.” Then, a friend sent me a link to Come And Reason’s website. I grew excited. YES! FINALLY! Then another friend told me to stay away, saying her son had just broken up with a girl because she was involved with Come And Reason and that “Tim Jennings preaches a false gospel.” But, AFTER many years of developing an authentic and, dare I say FUN relationship with Jesus, through the Holy Spirit I see this message has been around a LONG time, since the apostle Paul, Ellen White, Graham Maxwell, Ray Foucher, and yourself (though I admit, you’ve made me back up, rewind and replay the clips, and get out my well-worn Bible on a few things.) I’m so thankful I have found LIGHT during these DARK days. I am not alone.

Vicki DiNitto

Testimony 67

I was introduced to Come And Reason by a friend of my mother-in-law, who gave me several CD’s of Dr. Jennings. The clarity of the message and recognition that God’s is a God of love was so clear, advancing beyond Dr. Maxwell’s message. However, grappled with Maxwell saying God used emergency measures for the fallen world. Now after several years of being a regular listener of the Come And Reasoning bible study class and attending Jennings’ meetings in Dallas/Fort Worth, TX, things are becoming clearer for me. Design law versus imposed law has added so much to my personal understanding of theology. This message has really impacted my work in counseling so many people miserable because they are searching for and trusting human governments to create order and peace or believing in a God who says love Me or I will kill you. I am grateful that I have an alternative view to offer my clients that makes sense. I teach a bible study class on a semi-regular basis and I value the materials that Come And Reason so freely offers to aid me in presenting this vital message. Thank you for continuing to provide advancement in our very limited understanding of a Infinite God that is rational and believable.

Dr. Roger D, Arlington, TX, USA

 

Testimony 7

Ok, so last night I listened to “The Law of Liberty” and “How to Achieve Victory: Freedom, Truth and Spirtual Warfare.” These are both MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITES so far! The logic is just soooooo beautiful. I had to re-listen to them a couple of times. I just want to EXPLODE! (<< we assume with joy and happiness)

N. B., Canada

 

Testimony 33

I was invited over a friend’s house to see the “God and Your Brain” seminar today. I became [a christian] 36 years ago at the age of 19, but have struggled with the concept of God taking His ‘pound of flesh’ out on His Son to be appeased. Wow. Your seminar has been an incredible revelation and breath of reason and fresh air! I have your book, “The God Shaped Brain,” and it is SO eye opening. Finally, after 36 years enlightenment has come! Praise the Good Lord! What can I say, but that the Real Gospel is truly “Good News!” Thank you for your efforts in giving the Gospel a clear sound!

Paul C.,  Springfield, MA, USA

 

Testimony 37

Hearing Dr. Jennings’ presentations in person came at a pivotal moment in my spiritual journey that began about nine months ago, when the fault lines inherent in my belief system began to crack under questions that most reasonable people end up asking about God and His nature. These were questions I couldn’t find answers to, and they shook my faith. I was unable let it go any longer and be satisfied. My Christian experience became distant. I was afraid; the fear in me rose like thorns, pushing me away from Jesus. And then someone heard my questions and introduced me to this ministry, and my life has totally changed.

I can tell you that this new, “present truth” message is far grander and life-changing than when I shifted from being an agnostic and then a nominal Christian. It has radically altered my worldview, because it reveals a God that makes sense. It is a revolution. I believe that Dr. Jennings’ message is the final message that must go to the world. If any message could be called “righteousness by faith,” as abused as that term is by the right and the left, this is that message, because Jennings’ biblical message identifies a God who is different, whose character isn’t an impossible contradiction.

I walk this path now without fear. I see people differently, and the Holy Spirit burns in my heart. Many call Dr. Jennings’ message false and compromising, but it isn’t false, because I’ve seen the fruits within my mind and body. It is not compromising, because in this message is the only road to holiness that makes any sense. No longer do I behold a pagan god who is always angry and suspicious. Instead, I behold a God who is freeing and loving, always working for our good, and giving me every reason to love my enemy even to my own death, just as Jesus pleads with us. God is good.

Anthony L., CA, USA