grey areas

[3in1]

was discussing this w/ a buddy and the topic seems to come up around here. so do you think there are grey areas for believers? please provide scripture.

in Christ

[Born Again]

In what respect 3in1? I believe there are NO grey areas- you follow God and His Word, or you don't. Simple as that- no one can serve 2 masters

Matthew 6

24"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other..."

[3in1]

i agree w/ you.

i mean in the respect that all things are either sinful or there not... for all believers. ie. drinking, is it a sin for everyone or isnt it? tatoos, are they sinful for everyone or not.

why are you still awake?... why am i still awake? :sleep: :sleep: :sleep:

in Christ

[Dad Ernie]

Greetings 3in1,

In our finite minds, I would have to say yes, there ARE grey areas. However, when we get the mind of Christ on a particular subject, there ARE NO grey areas. "What is not of faith is sin". I have given this example before, but here it is again:

A good friend of mine was once "hooked" on playing card games - all sorts of card games, but he never gambled. It so consumed his time that one day the Lord called him up on it and told him to "Quit playing cards." So to disobey God's voice would be sin, and he abruptly quit. I like playing cards, but it is not all consuming and God has never told me to quit.

Likewise I cannot condemn a "vegan", although I am a meat-eater. If you can't eat it in faith, then by all means DON'T.

So as for us - there are "grey areas", but with God, I would say No.

We might also consider that God has a "permissive" will and a "perfect" will. The first is what He allows, and the second is what He commands.

Blessings,

Dad Ernie

[Born Again]

i agree w/ you.

i mean in the respect that all things are either sinful or there not... for all believers. ie. drinking, is it a sin for everyone or isnt it? tatoos, are they sinful for everyone or not.

why are you still awake?... why am i still awake? :sleep:  :sleep:  :sleep:

in Christ

I have no idea why I'm still awake! I'm looney I guess I usually stay up late though... And might I add, (since I'm hijacking your thread anyways ) your girls are adorable!! Ok- back to the question at hand...

Let me post a verse, I actually just posted in another thread:

1 Corinthians 10

31So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 32Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God-- 33even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.

And also these...

3 John 1:11

Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God.

1 Thessalonians 5

21Test everything. Hold on to the good. 22Avoid every kind of evil.

23May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We are not called to be of this world. The world wants Christians to drink, cuss, do drugs, etc- this is Satan's stronghold! How can a God-fearing Christian justify the sins of the world? I tried to, before I was born again. It's so easy to go with the flow- but does that make it right? No. The Word says so...

1 John 2

15Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16For everything in the world--the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does--comes not from the Father but from the world.

John 15

18"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also."

If people hate me for following God, then so be it. There's no other way to go!

[3in1]

hello Dad Ernie

i think i agree (its late). i feel that generally speaking there are grey areas. using your example, playing cards is not sinful, but in your friends case, it is. making it a grey area. now, a black and white issue would be adultery. i dont care how you slice it, it is sinful.

i think that in a believers walk, when their convictions are known, in a sense things become black and white to that person, not universally.

in Christ

[3in1]

I have no idea why I'm still awake! I'm looney I guess tongue.gif I usually stay up late though... And might I add, (since I'm hijacking your thread anyways blink.gif ) your girls are adorable!! Ok- back to the question at hand... biggrin.gif

thank you! i am trying to get a good pic of my son, but he wont sit still!!!!!!

We are not called to be of this world. The world wants Christians to drink, cuss, do drugs, etc- this is Satan's stronghold! How can a God-fearing Christian justify the sins of the world? I tried to, before I was born again. It's so easy to go with the flow- but does that make it right? No. The Word says so...

i dont think casual drinking is a stronghold. again, this is an example of what i call a grey area. drinking is not in and of itself sinful. but how this pertains to each individual is different making it 'grey'. as i wrote earlier, adultery pertains the same to ALL believers, making it 'black and white'.

in Christ

[ayin jade]

Romans 14:

1Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. 2One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. 4Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

5One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. 8If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

9For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living. 10You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat. 11It is written:

" 'As surely as I live,' says the Lord,

'every knee will bow before me;

every tongue will confess to God.' " 12So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.

[Born Again]

I used to think casual drinking was not a sin- but, it causes a stumbling block to others. At the point of my conversion, I poured out all of our liquor and beer. Granted, how would anyone know I drank at home? Was I causing a stumbling block for others? No- BUT- the One I truly want to follow, saw my actions.

I used to argue with my Mom and sister about cussing- my argument was "well, the world deemed those words bad"- boy was I wrong!! It goes back to avoiding the appearance of evil- Satan had his hooks in me. I was a false prophet strictly by my actions

My convictions are strong- I must be obediant- in spite of my flesh. Have I ever thought it would be nice to have another sangria or glass of wine? Sure- but I dare not- to me it would be like a slap in the face to God. To say, "hey- yeah... I know you told me not to drink, but I really want one, so I'm going to have it"- who am I?Do I dare look at the face of God and say that? To say that to the One who saved me from my evil self and snatched me from where I was headed to, to spend eternity without Him? No way- I am nothing without Him!

[alecia]

Romans 14:

1Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. 2One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. 4Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

5One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. 8If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

9For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living. 10You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat. 11It is written:

" 'As surely as I live,' says the Lord,

'every knee will bow before me;

every tongue will confess to God.' " 12So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.

Wow jadey... that really says a lot!!