The term "unholy alliance" sounds new, but it has been around for a long time. From the 15th century onward, it was about the unlikely pact between Western Europe and the Ottoman Empire to increase their military power. In the US, Theodore Roosevelt referred to it as the partnership between businesses and politicians in corruption. In recent years, it was the coming together of interfaith leaders to close their divides and increase tolerance.
Perhaps this much-talked-about unholy alliance should serve as God’s warning that the ball is still rolling, and the world is heading into a spiritual collapse. Just look at the April 22, 2026, event lineup at Baylor University, a Baptist university in Waco, Texas. In line with the university's commitment to intellectual diversity, Turning Point USA and All Our Neighbors will hold simultaneous rallies on campus. TPUSA was a previously approved tour, while the latter is the response of the progressive faculty and students to TPUSA.
What are followers of Jesus called to be?
To be set apart for God
While the Israelites were in the wilderness and being prepared by God for the occupation of His Promised Land, His gift to them, He gave His first commandment: “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3). Knowing that interaction with other nations will likely happen, God gave more specific instructions on this and said, “My angel will go ahead of you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites and Jebusites, and I will wipe them out. Do not bow down before their gods or worship them or follow their practices” (23:23-24).
But how easy it was to forget about bowing to other gods when Israel asked Aaron to make them idols while Moses was away from camp and with God. A golden calf was cast in gold, an altar was built in front of it, and a so-called festival “to the Lord” was declared. Offerings to the idol were made, and merry making happened, which God called corruption (32:1-8).
After this situation, God again reminded Moses to tell the people: “Obey what I command you today. I will drive out before you the Amorites, the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. Be careful not to make any treaty with those who live in the land where you are going, or they will be a snare among you” (34:11-12).
Taking the Israelites out of Egypt and the following 40 years' sojourn in the wilderness was a part of God’s cleansing process. God decreed, “You are to be holy to me because I, the Lord, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own” (Leviticus 20:26). So, God either driving or wiping out certain people groups from the Promised Land meant that Israel was better off not living with anyone to be free from the influence of pagan practices and remain pure and undefiled according to His decrees and laws.
Peter said the very same thing of Jesus’ followers: “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9). And Paul wrote to the Corinthian believers and emphasized their new identity as “those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people.” He also acknowledged the extent of their fellowship with other believers, letting them know that they were “…together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:2).
To be equally yoked.
King Solomon, who asked God for wisdom and was blessed with it, was not wise in the end. He “loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh’s daughter—Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites. They were from nations about which the Lord had told the Israelites, ‘You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods’” (1 Kings 11:1-2). Time came when God was no longer his Number One priority, but his 700 wives and 300 concubines for “[he] held fast to them in love” (vv. 2-3).
Solomon built the First Temple in Jerusalem, as God decreed—a great privilege to him since the Ark of the Covenant found a permanent place and people had a magnificent place of worship. But because of Solomon’s unholy alliance with foreign women, he ended up building high places for Chemosh, the Moabites’ goddess, and Molek, the Ammonites’ god—all abominations to God. Solomon also offered sacrifices and burnt incense to these false gods. The Bible records that Solomon “did evil in the eyes of the Lord; he did not follow the Lord completely” (v.6).
Paul warned believers not to be “yoked with unbelievers” (2 Corinthians 6:14). In a modern context, we might call it “missionary dating,” where a believer thinks he or she can lead someone to Christ through a relationship. As it is, there are already potential challenges when two independent individuals come together in a marriage and have to learn how to understand and mesh their differences and live patiently and in harmony with one another. What more stress to suffer from when their mismatched beliefs and values highlight their misaligned spiritual lives! It will be so much harder for them to be united in their moral and ethical choices. Even parenting decisions and having a united front will be more difficult.
To be the light to the dark world.
When an individual does not walk in obedience to God, he lives in darkness. But “whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13), becomes “light in the Lord” and will now have to live as “[a child] of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth” (Ephesians 5:8-9).
Jesus is the light of the world, who brought us hope in our desperation and salvation from eternal death. Jesus said that those who profess faith in Him are “the light of the world,” for He Himself is the light (John 8:12). This light cannot and should not be hidden but must shine on this struggling, distressed world that continues to celebrate evil. Jesus’ call is for each believer to shine His bright light living within us through our good works, the product of our faith in Him. As messengers of His salvation, our mission is to point people back to Christ and bring glory to the Father.
There is the constant danger of an unholy alliance, a friendship of believers with the world. We often talk about showing compassion and love for the lost when we are slowly being duped into compromising our faith as we tolerate the changing cultural landscape. Instead of confronting sin in our lives or approaching a fellow believer in sin, we comfortably hide under the umbrella of God’s grace without accountability and repentance. Even an unbeliever receives the Gospel of salvation mostly through the scary heaven-or-hell approach instead of the firm spiritual foundation, life-building daily process with Christ.
The world hates Jesus Christ. He said it himself. And He warned about friendship with the world. “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other” (Matthew 6:24). Just look at what happened to King Solomon who exchanged his obedience to God for his love of foreign women, that his heart was pulled away from the truth he already knew.
Paul still reminds believers that deception continues because of our rebellion. Instead of turning to Jesus at a crossroads, entertaining faith deconstruction leads to abandoning Jesus and His teachings. False teachers feast on their listeners because no one really digs deep into the Word to recognize false teaching. Believing in the world’s lies makes it easier to fall away from faith and walk back into wickedness.
Many have been trying to navigate the slippery slope of unholy alliance, thinking about how they can be instrumental in closing the great divide. It’s not about making pacts, creating partnerships, and working collaboratively. It’s what Daniel said: “…shine like the brightness of the heavens… and… lead many to righteousness” (12:3). So, wake up to the unchecked influence of the world before our faith and our freedom in Christ disappear altogether.
What’s love got to do with mismatched core beliefs and values? A lot!
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Alexandra_pp
Luisa Collopy is an author, speaker and a women’s Bible study teacher. She also produces Mula sa Puso (From the Heart) in Tagalog (her heart language), released on FEBC Philippines stations. Luisa loves spending time with her family over meals and karaoke!
