Gray Areas
I’m
pretty sure I first saw this in the book “Pursuit of Holiness” by Jerry
Bridges.
In
the article Rules for Christian Living I basically
say that we can do anything, but we need to make wise choices.
Usually
the Bible is fairly clear about what those choices should be.
But
sometimes the Bible seems silent on the particular decision we are facing.
What
do we do then?
Is
it OK to watch soap operas on TV?
Is
it wise to drink wine?
Should
Christians smoke?
How
far can you go when you’re dating?
There
are 4 little things in 1 Corinthians that can help us make these decisions.
Is it beneficial?
(1
Corinthians 10:23) “Everything is
permissible -- but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible --
but not everything is constructive.”
Paul
says we are given a lot of freedom to do anything. Everything is permissible is
a bold statement.
But
we need to be wise and ask ourselves whether it is actually going to build us
(or others) up or not. It might not be harmful, but is it beneficial?
If
not we need to seriously consider not doing it. And we should examine our
motives for why we even want to.
For
example watching “South Park” is permissible, but is it beneficial?
You
have to decide for yourself. What is beneficial for you might not be beneficial
for me.
Golf
might be beneficial for you, but if I am easily frustrated and prone to anger,
it might be a very bad choice for me.
If
golf is going to lead to me swearing and throwing my clubs in anger every time
I play, then it’s not beneficial to me. I shouldn’t do it.
Will it master me?
(1
Corinthians 6:12) “Everything is
permissible for me -- but not everything is beneficial. Everything is
permissible for me -- but I will not be mastered by anything.”
So
you decide that the thing you want to do is beneficial, or at least not
harmful. But is it addictive? Does it end up controlling your choices?
Drugs
and smoking are obvious examples, but what about coffee, cola, soap operas or
talk shows.
I
have friends who cannot go out on certain nights of the week because they have to stay home and watch their
favorite TV show.
Be
honest, that’s addiction.
If
you find yourself rearranging your life around an activity, or consumption of
any product, then take time out to ask yourself the question. Has it mastered
me?
If
you really want to find out – go without it for a week and see how you cope.
Will it make someone else stumble?
(1
Corinthians 8:9) “Be careful, however,
that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the
weak.”
There
are some areas that Christians seem to be unable to agree on.
In
Paul’s day it was whether or not it was OK to eat meat that might have been
sacrificed to an idol before it was sold to you.
There
is still disagreement on whether or not Christians can drink alcohol.
Paul
isn’t saying that you shouldn’t do anything that some other Christian doesn’t
like.
He’s
saying don’t do it in a way which will make others stumble.
In
Romans 14 Paul says that if you act against what you believe, then for you it
is sin.
By
stumble here, Paul means to act against something that you believe by faith.
For
example, if I know that a particular Christian doesn’t believe that we are
allowed to drink alcohol, but I think it’s OK in moderation.
Then
when I am around them I will be very careful about what I drink. Not because
they might get upset, but because they might drink some too, even though they
believe it is wrong.
They
will be acting against what they believe and it will be sin for them. And I
don’t want to be the catalyst for that.
But
when I am at home, I have perfect liberty to drink wine with my meal.
Sometimes
this doesn’t seem fair. I know I am not doing anything wrong, but I have to
give up something (usually something I enjoy) because of their wrong beliefs.
But
we love them right? In the big scheme of things, these are small issues. Does
it really matter if I can’t drink for one night?
(If
it does maybe I need to consider if something has mastered me).
I
would add though that this verse is one of the most misused
and abused verses I have seen.
It
seems to be thrown around as a guilt trip to stop other Christians using their
freedom in a way that you don’t like.
“You’re
making me stumble, so you have to stop.”
First,
it’s almost certainly not true that they are making you stumble. The people saying this are very rarely about to start doing the
activity against their own belief. So they are not stumbling at all.
Secondly,
this verse is written to the people doing the activity, suggesting that if they
see that they are making others stumble, they should consider not doing it.
Get
it? This is a verse for you about your activities. And for me
about my activities. Its
not a verse for you about my activities.
Will it glorify God?
(1
Corinthians 10:31) “So whether you eat
or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
I
put this last, but this is the most important question to ask ourselves about
everything we do.
If
the answer is no then we probably shouldn’t do it.
Certainly
if the answer is that it will dishonor God, then we definitely shouldn’t do it.
There
are so many things that we can do for God that we don’t need to waste time
doing things which work against him.
If
you’re not sure about some of your activities, ask yourself these four
questions and see how comfortable you are with the answers you get.
Even if you’re sure.
Ask anyway.