Of course, there was no such thing in the days when the Bible was being written.  In fact, there is no advice about ‘dating’ found in the Bible. Today, there are many ways to meet people that did not exist years before.  There are many ‘Christian’ dating apps and sites now, but one must be extremely cautious when meeting people this way.  As you know, it is easy for someone to pretend to be something other than themselves on the Internet.  There have been many cases of fraud and even murder as a result of these dating sites. 

Whether meeting someone in person or meeting on the Internet, I would give the same advice:

  • Be careful.
  • Pray much.  Pray much.  Pray much.
  • Establish yourself as a believer on the Lord Jesus Christ.
  • Only engage with other believers.
  • And the list goes on. 

1 Timothy 5:22 warns us, “Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men’s sins: keep thyself pure.”  It can be dangerous to get involved with someone when you know so little about them.  To ‘lay hands suddenly’ means to accept someone before you have had time to get to know them. 

It takes time to really know a person, so take your time, especially with someone you have not met personally.  If you are in the early stages of getting to know each other, ask them about their relationship with the Lord.  Do not ask questions like, “Are you saved?”  It’s too easy to simply answer ‘Yes’ to that kind of question.  Rather, ask them how they feel about the Lord Jesus, how do they think a person gets saved, etc.  Ask questions that require the other person to think about their own beliefs before answering your questions.  Of course, these types of questions are good to ask anyone, but having not met the other person, these questions become very important before you risk your heart in a relationship. 

If you are thinking about using an online dating site, I highly encourage you to think, pray, and weigh the pros and cons before ever getting online. Don’t do it blindly or in a hurry because your friends encourage you to do it. Don’t do it out of fear or a lack of trust in God. If you are motivated to start using online dating sites because you are afraid you will never get married, I would encourage you to wait. Invest time reading God’s Word and ask Him to help you trust Him more in this area of your life.

Of course, there are other ways to meet other Christian people.  If you feel you just do not have the opportunity to meet other Christian singles, I suggest you look for activities in some sound, conservative singles groups.  Before beginning any of these methods, you should begin with and continue in prayer, asking the Lord whether it is the step He wants you to take.  (CC)  (530.6)