The following letter, written by a father to his son, is an expression of the concern of the parents over the approaching marriage of their son to a non-Christian. Because of the personal character of this letter, the names of the persons are withheld. Dear Son: You asked me the last lime we talked whether you and I could remain friends. To be a friend means to love each other. Can a father or mother ever not love their own children? Yes, we love you very dearly. Nothing can stop the flowing of love between us. God gave you to us as a little child and said to us, “I will establish my covenant between me and thee, and thy seed after thee throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee” (Gen. 19:7). At the time of your baptism we were told in the form of baptism of this covenant. This also Peter testifies with these words: “For to you is the promise, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call unto him” (Acts 2:39). You were baptized as an heir of the kingdom of God and of his covenant. A covenant is a promise. Can you imagine God failing to keep his promise? Never! You and I might, but not God. If we expect Jesus Christ, our crucified Saviour, to live up to his word, how can we do less than to try and please him by living a life of obedience to his will? What is his will in regard to your forthcoming marriage? He has instituted marriage—a holy bond to be reverently entered into. He commanded us not to make light of our vows. The marriage form which will be used to teach us of the sacredness of this bond speaks beautifully of the institution, purpose, and obligations of marriage. Let me remind you of some of these things. God created man in his own likeness, and he said in the beginning, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helpmeet for him. Therefore God created woman of man’s own substance and brought her unto him.” “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother and shall cleave unto his wife; and they shall be one flesh.” Our Lord Jesus honored marriage, and confirmed it as a divine ordinance, as an honorable estate, and a lasting bond. The apostle Paul shows its exalted nature when he called holy wedlock a symbol of the mystic union of the Saviour and the Church, his redeemed bride. Son, the biblical purpose of marriage is the propagation of the human race, the furtherance of the kingdom of God, and the enrichment of the lives of those being married. This calls for loving devotion to each other and a common responsibility for the training of the children the Lord may give you as his heritage and as parties to his covenant. The Lord ordained that the man should be the head of the wife, and he compares it to Christ as the Head of the Church. God also ordained that the wife should be subject to the husband in all things that are according to his Word, showing him deference even as the Church to Christ. Thus the liberty of both husband and wife is glorified by mutual loyalty to law, and a home so begun in the name of the Lord and regulated by his commandments becomes the very foundation of a Christian society and affords a future taste of our heavenly, eternal home. Son, marriage then is a divine ordinance intended to be a source of happiness to man, an institution of the highest significance to the human race, and a symbol of the union of Christ and his Church. Son, you may not enter into this marriage with an unbeliever, for God said, “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? What communion hath light with darkness? 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” (II Cor. 6:14–16). A Christian union cannot exist half divided. Son, are you 100% convinced that your girl is a Christian? Are you without any doubt? Can you solemnly declare before God that you are uniting with a girl who has promised to live her life according to God’s ordinance? If you have the slightest question on this matter, please the Lord of all of us, and wait until you are sure. A few months now may save for you and your girl a lifetime of unhappiness. If after hearing from the Word of God and knowing God’s teachings concerning marriage, you still desire to enter into this holy estate as ordained by God, then you have our whole-hearted blessings, and Mother and I and the children would like to attend your wedding. Will you and your girl, along with all of us, pray most earnestly for wisdom in this matter; then let us know what your final decision is to be. With all of our love, YOUR FATHER