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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 47

I can’t even begin to thank you and your ministry enough for introducing me to the Truth about a loving and merciful God! I have my daughter and her in-laws to thank for sharing with me “The God-Shaped Brain” as well as your website. I listen to the Bible study class lessons on my daily walk. May God continue to bless your thirst-quenching ministry!

Liz H., Port Angeles, WA, USA

 

 

Testimony 69

After reading your book, ‘Could It Be This Simple,’ someone was explaining Christianity in a way that made sense to me for the first time in my life. One morning, I simply prayed “I’m sorry and I love you.” As soon as I silently said that, I could literally feel God’s presence and light flood down on me from above and fill me up with love and joy. I sat there crying my eyes out, because I was so overpowered with this feeling of love and joy. It was just so incredible. I hope that more people can read this book and get a blessing from it. It’s really amazing.

Rachael H.

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 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 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 42

I am just writing to say that I have been so blessed by the teachings of Come And Reason Minitries recently. I watched last week’s bible study lesson on Youtube and am thankful that the error in the printed lesson guide you use was pointed out and this week’s study was of equal benefit, if not more so. My understanding of God’s nature has been very confused of late and I am so grateful for clarity in this matter. I have never really fully understood previously how a good God can cause bad things to happen and now I realise that He doesn’t, it’s a natural consequence of sin. May the almighty Father and His Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ, continue to bless your ministry.

Laura P., United Kingdom

 

Testimony 68

Your message of design law vs imperial law is so uplifting and makes so much sense- it is a game changer for me. The fact that Jesus’s death is not a big payment by an angry God is , quite frankly, a relief.

Laura G., London, Ontario, Canada

 

Testimony 38

Since November 2015, when I started studying Gods word from this God Is Love point of view, my life has been transformed. My troubled marriage of 15 years has been healed and my husband and I are truly happy for the first time in 15 years. Now When I read the word of God I understand it so much better and I can’t help but see Gods love radiating through the pages to humanity. Gods word is living and active and I am blessed beyond measure to be having this amazing experience. God has given me a beautiful understanding of Jn 3:16 that amazes me more and more each day. Thank you again for your ministry.

Helen D., London, England

 

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 10

I personally download and listen to each of Come And Reason Ministries Bible study class lessons and PDF study notes to use when teaching my class. Really appreciate the class especially when Dr. Jennings is teaching. Thank God there are persons like him doing His work and traveling to share His beliefs.

B. L.M., North Plains, OR, USA

 

Testimony 34

I was introduced to Come and Reason Ministries by accident, via a passing comment made in a bible study class we were visiting. I checked this website out and my life was changed. The understanding of the truth of God’s character, and how we apply it, is so right. The tricky part is consistently applying which “lens” to look through. As I began to understand, I started sharing the basics of this understanding with a discussion group I was leading and, suddenly, a lot of things started to make sense that never used to. At the same time, I enjoyed an amazing opportunity. I was able to conduct a full bible study at WORK! What an amazing experience! It is such a joy to share the truth about God and to share how it all fits in the war between God and Satan. So many people benefit when we have a correct understanding about how God works and who He really is! Thank you for this transformational understanding. Keep up the good work! God Bless you!

Tony P., CA, USA

 

Testimony 2

I continue to enjoy your lessons every week. The more that I research your conclusions, the more I am convinced that the Holy Spirit has lead you to distill out the essence of human redemption. Thank you for your courageous stand for the truth.

S. G., TX, USA

 

Testimony 44

We were given a gift of the DVD set, “God and Your Brain,” and we just finished watching it. The truths in this are so powerful and truly an answer to a prayer. We’re seeing hope where once we thought God wasn’t answering our prayers to be free of certain mindsets. He answered with these DVDs and we are hungry for more. Thank you!

Daniel T., Easley, SC, USA

 

Testimony 63

I’ve been very blessed by “The God Shaped Brain” and this ministry, through video and podcast, over the last few years. It’s truly opened up my eyes more to the truth about God and the importance of that truth in the present world. The message is so inviting, freeing and enlightening and MORE people need to know about it. I believe it is the last message that can truly, not only prepare a people for salvation and translation, but vindicate the character of God.

Michael V., Yonkers, NY, USA

 

Testimony 29

Thank you for all of your work to correct misconceptions about God’s character. So many people that my husband and I have talked to seem to be against the natural law construct and view it as “errant” and “dangerous.” Having learned more about it through your blogs and lessons, I don’t really understand why they view it that way, except that it means they have to relearn theology they have known for their entire lives. But I’m so excited to relearn this. For the past few years I have been questioning how I could trust a God who punishes arbitrarily and is full of wrath for those who don’t obey His commands. That view made me afraid to “mess up” or “not be good enough,” even within my relationship with God. I really appreciated the point you bring out about God not wanting us to serve Him because we are afraid, but because we love Him.

Melissa H., IN, USA