This past year I have had multiple conversations, mostly with young adults, concerning their desire to live holy lives in a fallen world. In those conversations issues such as avoiding legalism, knowing what is appropriate or inappropriate for Christians to be involved in, and are things always black and white with God have come up. These are very imprortant issues with which every Christian must come to terms.
Typically, the Bible contains clear instructions on what a God honoring life looks like and what behaviors and activities most define the Christian life. However, what about those things the Bible does not directly address? I came across the following article on the Grace to You website that I thought would be very useful in helping us navigate through the "gray areas".
If the issue you are wondering about is not specifically addressed in the Bible, then it's helpful to ask these questions from 1 Corinthians to help you in deciding what to do. Asking these questions (and others like them) will help you make a wise decision based on sound biblical principles.
1. Will it benefit me spiritually? First Corinthians 10:23 says, "All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify."
2. Will it put me in bondage? First Corinthians 6:12 says, "All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything." Any questionable practice that can be habit-forming is not wise to pursue.
3. Will it defile God's temple? First Corinthians 6:19-20 says, "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body." We should not do anything with our bodies that would dishonor the Lord.
4. Will it cause others to stumble? First Corinthians 8:8-9 says, "Food will not commend us to God; we are neither the worse if we do not eat, nor the better if we do eat. But take care lest this liberty of yours somehow become a stumbling block to the weak." One should refrain from using his freedom in an area which might cause others to sin. For "by sinning against the brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore," Paul said, "if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, that I might not cause my brother to stumble."
5. Will it help the cause of evangelism? First Corinthians 10:32-33 says, "Give no offense either to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God; just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of the many, that they may be saved." We must think of the effect any practice might have on our testimony to the lost.
6. Will it violate my conscience? First Corinthians 10:25-29 contains three references to abstaining from a certain practice "for conscience' sake." And Romans 14:23 says, "He who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin." If we are not sure whether an action is pleasing to God, we should not do it. That way our conscience will remain clear and our relationship to God will not be hindered.
7. Will it bring glory to God? First Corinthians 10:31 summarizes all these principles by saying, "Therefore, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."
Copywrite 2007, Grace to You, All rights reserved, Used by permission
You can find this article at http://www.gty.org/Resources/Print/Articles/A165
David
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2 comments:
Good post. I found a good articly from the same site about making God Honoring Decisions that I shared with my LifeGroup.
Steven McGhee
David,
I enjoyed your article and the link to Grace to you. I would like to add to your comments some thoughts to a question I have been presented with over the past several months. The question is what should we as Christians watch. As I have considered this question I consistently ended at Psalms 101. Verse 3tells us “I will not set before my eyes anything ithat is worthless”. I think the KJV has a better interpretation when they translate the Hebrew word “Beliar” as “wicked”. Paul uses the same Hebrew word Beliar in 2 Corinthians 6:15 when he asks “what harmony does Christ have with Beliar”. Paul is asking what unity Christ has with wickedness; we must say none. Psalm 101:2 talks of living a blameless life with integrity.
1 Thessalonians 5:12-28 the Apostle Paul, while encouraging new believers gives his final instructions to them and tells them in verse 22 to “abstain from every form of evil”. Verse 23 tells them why…so they may be kept blameless.
This leads me to say; as Christians we should be very critical of what we watch. How can we who profess the name of Christ put wicked things before our eyes? We should not be watching shows that condone immoral behaviors (adultery, fornication, homosexuality, foul language, blasphemy) not to mention having to guard our eyes from scantily dressed men and women (it is bad enough we have to be on guard in public, why would we willfully expose ourselves to this on TV or at the movie). These things are the worthless wicked things the Psalmist is talking about putting before our eyes and the Apostle Paul is talking about that lead us away from unity with Christ and living a blameless life with integrity.
We MUST remember the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 6:20 “for you were bought with a price. SO GLORIFY GOD IN YOUR BODY” (emphasis mine). We should ask ourselves when deciding what to watch would God be glorified by this?
This is an issue we should take very seriously. In light of the new season of TV shows that has been premiering we need to be very critical of what we watch. Hollywood continues to lower the standard of what is morally acceptable causing society to become desensitized to absolute morality. We must remember, as Christians, where are standard comes from and not be conformed to this world.
I could continue on with this but I will just leave you with this verse. James 4:17 “So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.”
Thank you for reading and allowing me to express some things that have been on my heart.
David
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