Thread: gray areas in the Christian life............
Admin
gray areas in the Christian life............
Posted : 2 Apr, 2011 08:19 AM
When it comes to Christian living, there are plenty of clear Guidelines on how to live.
The Ten Commandments, or the law of God, is the clearest expression on how we should live. We should study them, and learn how to obey them externally, and internally. Jesus, Sermon on the mount is Jesus going through Nine of the Ten, and applying them internally.
There are also plenty of statements from Paul and James, etc, that give us principles to go by when we are making decisions.
But, there are also gray areas of the Christian life.
Things we don't have clear guidelines on.
Here is a verse that speaks to this:
Rom 14:12-13 (NIV) So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God. Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling-block or obstacle in your brother's way.
Now, I can look at that verse at realize that even though I have the freedom in Christ to drink beer, that if I was around a brother or sister who had a drinking problem, that I would NOT drink around them, because it might cause them to stumble.
Our main rule is to love others as ourselves, and I think I would be breaking that rule if I did drink around others who were trying hard NOT to drink.
Here is another one, that affects me personally.
I am a contractor. I sign contracts with people and businesses to repair and improve their buildings and homes.
Now, for whatever reason, I have always felt that God did not want me to paint, or remodel a bar. I think I would be saying publicly, "Hey, I am a Christian and it is okay to get drunk, and do all the stuff that goes on in bars...."
I have already been asked to remodel and paint one of the bars in my town. But I just believe that God does not want ME, to do this.
I don't go around to other Christian contractors that I know, and tell them "God does not want you to do that!"
I don't have any Scriptural grounds for that. So, I think it is a gray area in the Christian life. But, for me, I just believe God doesn't want me doing it, and because of that, I think if I did it, it would be sin.
Gray areas come up in the Christian life, and we have to decide which way to go on them.
I can't go around preaching and judging other Christians on Gray areas, but I DO have to decide which way I think God would have me go.
Brother, I am sorry to disagree again. There are no "gray areas" in true Christian's life. We are not to live by guidelines but by following the Holy Spirit. One might say guidelines are like reflectors on the road, showing where the road is when it is dark and we are having trouble seeing. However not all roads are paved and sometimes we may be called to drive on a dirt road. As your post pointed out; there are no guidelines for remodeling a bar. If you really sought the Lord in prayer on this and he told you "no" it is not a gray area. If he told you "I want to use you as a example of a true Christian contractor in a dark place" it is still not a gray area. However if you logically assumed that by remodeling a bar others would see that as a stamp of approval from you, then you have a 50/50 chance of being right, it is a "gray area" of your own making.
If Jesus had thought the same way, He would have never entertained the company of drunkards and prostitutes, however He was lead by the Spirit.
