A Pause To Ponder God's Word
"Asking the Right Question."

When making decisions concerning whether or not to engage in a certain activity or not, the questions we ask ourselves are crucial to making the proper decision. This is one main causes of our relativistic culture. Our society no longer asks questions about moral right and wrong, but about feeling, beliefs, and rights. Christians are not immune from this affliction. We too limit our questions. Our lifestyles and behaviors are casually entered without much thought. If we do think about it we usually limit our meditation to whether the activity is "sinful" or not. Even then, we are not always careful to answer Scripturally. Our responses are most often confined to feelings, laws, personal conscience, and the like. Dangerous!

What the are the questions that Christians should be asking when faced with the dilemma of "to do or not to do?" In 1 Corinthians we find two almost identical verses which clearly address this issue. "Everything is permissible for me - but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible for me - but I will not be mastered by anything." (6:12) Again, "Everything is permissible - but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible - but not everything is constructive. Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others." (10:23-24)

Christians enjoy wonderful freedom. It is ours in Christ Jesus. But freedom is not license. The phrase "everything is permissible" is believed to be the declaration of the people in Corinth (that is why several versions place the phrase in quotes.) Their problem was they understood freedom as permissiveness. They used their freedom in Christ as sanction for carnal and dangerous living. That is why it was necessary for Paul to give them the proper context in which to make holy decisions. This context remains the same for God's people today. There are three basic questions to ask: Who is Master?; Will this action be beneficial and constructive to my walk with Christ?; How does this action build the body of Christ?

The charge posed to the Israelites by Joshua must be answered everyday by every Christian - "Choose you this day whom you shall serve." The question of who is master may seem out of place here. It is not. As Peter points out "a man is a slave to whatever masters him." (2 Peter 2:19) Many times our decision to do certain things is governed by that thing's hold on our life, not by Christ's hold on it. The question of who is lord in my life must be ask at the start. We need to ask the Holy Spirit to open our lives to the truth about who or what is in charge. "Everything is permissible,  but I will not be mastered by anything."

The second question keeps our priority straight. Will the activity move me closer to Christ? Is it constructive, building me up in Christ? The priority in the Christian life is Jesus. "Seek first His Kingdom and righteousness." We must be careful to never involve ourselves in anything carelessly, without prayerful thought. There are many things that may not be "sinful" that  are nonetheless detrimental and destructive to our life in Christ. Care should be taken not to rely only on our own wisdom here. Our objectivity is limited, at best. The collective conscience of the church must be taken into consideration. The wisdom of the collective people seeking God and His will is a primary avenue through which God directs His people. This does not come easy in our individualistic culture. Easy or not, it is crucial.

Our decision cannot be made in isolation. Though we think that there are decisions we can make and things we can do that will effect no one by oneself, it is a fallacy. What we do effects the Body of Christ.  That is why "nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others." Our decisions are not to be governed by everybody else's whims and preferences. Nevertheless, we cannot discount them and their growth in Christ. We must take our bothers and sisters in Christ into account when making decisions. Not to do so is contrary to the way of holiness and love as well as unwise.

Susanna Wesley's principle for holy living sums it up excellently:
'Whatever weakens your reason, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God, or takes off the relish of spiritual things, whatever increases the authority of your body over mind, that for you is sin."

Keep Close To Jesus
Pastor Gerry


A Pause To Ponder God's Word is written and distributed by Gerald Whetstone, Ordained Elder and teacher in the Church of the Nazarene. These devotionals may be transmitted, duplicated, used in part or in entirety without permission for nonprofit purposes only. Responses welcome. To Subscribe Click Here.
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