QUESTION:
What is the proper Christian conduct during courtship?
ANSWER:
“ Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” [I Timothy 4:12]
“Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness.” [II Peter 3:11]
“If I be a Christian man, if the Spirit of God is in me, that is, the Spirit of Christ, then It'll make me conduct like Him, make me a Christian like Him. Then on--on top of that, if He has given a spiritual gift, or His Presence near, then He will be just like He was then. He could go right straight. See, He has no lips on earth but mine, ours, no hands, but ours, our eyes. He speaks through us, and looks through us, and sees through us. And is that right? That's right. You're…then. Our lips are His lips to preach the Gospel and what more.” [Experiences, Zion, IL 52-0726]
“You let down the bars; that's just simple. That's the only thing it is. They could join church today and live any kind of life or anything. But I tell you one thing; you can't be born again and live any kind of a life. You'll live for Jesus Christ when you're born again. And you'll act like a man. And you'll conduct yourself as a real Christian, if you're born again of the Spirit of God.” [Expectation, Shawano, WI 55-1001]
“One great plantation down there, it was asked one time, where they had over a hundred slaves. All of them were--you had to beat them around and everything else. But one young fellow kept his shoulders out; he was as gallant as he could be. And boy, as soon as his boss said something, he backed up to it, and he done his work good. And some slave buyers come by one day, said, "Want to ask you something." Said, "What makes that young man like that? Did you make him a boss over the rest of them?" The owner said, "No." Said, "Well, do you feed him a little better than the rest of them, or give him a better place to sleep?" Said, "No." Said, "Well, what makes him so gallant? And what makes him so up-and-doing? What makes him conduct himself like that?" He said, "Well, sir, I didn't know until just recently." Said, "I've come to find out that the tribe that he's from, he's the son of the king. And he still realizes that, though he's an alien. And he conducts himself before his brethren as a young coming king." God help us. Let's not be bold and ignorant about things. Let's conduct ourselves as sons of God. A daughter of God, don't go out here and live in beer joints, and paint her face up, and cut her hair off, and act like a prostitute. Conduct yourself as daughters of God. You're a daughter to the King. That's right. Sons of God don't go out here and take the Bible and say, "Oh, the days of miracles is past," and that, all that kind of stuff. They stand up for everything that God said. We may be pilgrims, and strangers, and aliens, but we're sons and daughters of the King. Prick up your shoulders high, and live like men and women ought to. Live like real Christians. Amen.” [Come Let Us Reason Together, Chicago, IL 55-1004]
“I want to say something now to, maybe, the member of a church. I didn't want to hurt your feelings. I want to tell you a little experience that happened about two weeks ago. There was a fine young lady who went to a wonderful church. And why, it was a Methodist church, a lovely little lady. And she got to go...
I always doubted the woman's experience, because she just went because her mother and father went. Her father was a deacon in church. She learned to play the piano, and she was a very fine pianist. A fine boy there, I believe the boy really had the Holy Ghost. And he fell in love with her, and they married. This happened in Louisville, Kentucky, no older than just a few weeks ago. And so, the--the lady... I knew the pastor real well, and so forth. And I kind of doubted that that woman--her experience. Well, well, long as she was with her mother and things, she walked a pretty good way, but she had that intellectual faith. Now, listen real close, now. This is seriously; souls are at stake. And I--I wondered. I wasn't to be her judge, but I just noticed the way she--she conducted herself, didn't seem to be very much Christian. So then, went on, and she moved out of the neighborhood a few years ago and moved into another neighborhood where the church was kinda worldly. And the ladies all didn't dress very nice, wore these little clothes like they wear, you know, and get out and mow the yard, and things. Didn't look very ladylike. So she begin to wonder, "Now, if they can do it and get by, well, they're just as much thought of as I am. So why can't I do it?" Oh, don't never let that enter your mind. See? That shows there's been... Something's lacking down here. The Holy Spirit would teach you different, friend.” [Where I Think Pentecost Failed, San Fernando, CA 55-1111]
“Job here, in the speaking of Him as a Redeemer, how that everything had gone wrong for him, seemingly... You know, God hasn't promised a flower bed of ease, but He's promised a lot of mountains, but He's promised grace to go over every one of them. I like Job speaking. Watch. After Job went through his trials and testings, as they come upon every child of God, first has to be tried, tested. In other words, they have to be trained like child training, take some whippings, straighten up. You know how to act then, how to conduct yourself as a Christian. God gives you a little bit of whipping once in a while, turns you around a few times; you know what it's all about, lays you on your back, so you can look up. Sure.” [Redemption, San Fernando, CA 55-1119]
“Men and women, we are alienate--alien here on this earth; we're aliens; we're pilgrims and strangers. Our God and our Christ is on the other side, and we're sons and daughters of the King. We ought to be conducting ourselves, not in gambling, not in smoking, not in drinking, not in picture shows, and television programs, and scandal, and lies, and carrying on. We should conduct ourselves as sons and daughters of God, walking with our heads up, living in the Light of the King. Yes, sir. It's yours if you want it. It's yours if you believe that you have to have it. It's yours tonight.” [Inter Veil, Sturgis, MI 56-0121]
“So they had a little girl there. Now, I want to show you the force of a testimony of a child who lived in a nation, or perhaps a family, who was under the influence of God. She loved her master and her mistress. So when she seen Naaman, probably a good hearted, good natured man... As far as we know, according to history, Elijah had never healed a man with leprosy. There'd never been a leper case healed in his day. But the little girl, being raised and brought up under the influence over in Israel, yet an alien, she was conducting herself as a believer. And that's the way we should do all the time, is conduct ourselves, no matter what our position is, conduct ourselves as believers, ready at all times to give an answer for the hope that lieth within you. You see it?” [The Supernatural, Owensboro KY 56-0129]
Bible References: : I Timothy 4:12; II Peter 3:11
[Answer provided by Bro. Ken Andes, Minister, Lynden, Washington]