Is Divorce a Sin? - Part 3 (Grace, Healing, and a Future for the Wounded)

It was a theology conference.  I finally reached the Leawood, KS church campus and drove onto the lot.  But there was a mild surprise.

In front of the "this is who we are" sign (Christ Community Church) was a "this is how we care" sign (Divorce Care - classes starting now).   Signage which did not escape the notice of one of the speakers who had come to address the topic, "Christian Living in a Modern Culture."  He noted, pointedly, that this was a church ministry that was getting it right

ENCOURAGEMENT TOWARD DIVORCE

Increasingly, our societal culture regards marriage as a temporary contract that merits faithful commitment only if  it is working.  If it is not working, and if you can afford to exit, why not?  Recently, our local newspaper included this article, "Study: Divorces rise as economy recovers" [Ames Tribune, Wednesday, January 29, 2014, A5].   It noted "Married couples promise to stick together for better or worse.  But as the U.S. economy started to rebound, so did the divorce rate.  From 2008-2009...the divorce rate dropped among married women...then crept back up in 2010-2011.  'This is exactly what happened int he 1930's,' said Johns Hopkins University sociolgist Andrew Cherlin. 'The divorce rate dropped during the great Depression, not because people were happier with their marriages, but because they couldn't afford to get divorced.'"

Beyond dollars and lack-of-sense, you don't have to go far to find a chorus of voices that chime in, "If you're not happy, get out while you can."  One Jesus follower whom I talked with recently, who is staying faithful even while her husband is demanding a divorce, shared with me that many of her acquaintances and friends (some fellow Christians) offer very strange encouragement.  "Are you sleeping with someone else?  Why not?!?  You deserve to have your needs met if he (her husband) won't meet them!"

What these ill-suited counselors overlook is that casual sex with others joins divorce in the tearing and shredding of the one-ness God has created--and still exists--with one's original partner.   As such, when it occurs, the collateral damage is frequently and badly underestimated -- damage to the partners, damage to the children and grandchildren, damage to the concentric circles of relationships around. Divorce destroys and wounds.  It rarely fixes.

MANY A WOUNDED FROM DIVORCE

Like broken soldiers returning from the chaos of Afghanistan, many wonderful people bear the wounds and scars of an exploded relationship.  Wounded soldiers want to rehab and recover, and a chance at a brighter future.  So do those emerging from damaging marriages; women and men of every age who feel like damaged goods.

Some of the most deeply wounded are those who fought hard to save their marriages.  They are the heroes in our day.   Hosea-types who loved and continued to love and be faithful even as the partner took advantage time and time again.  Hosea-types who hung in there even when mistreated emotionally and physically and even sexually, hoping and praying for a genuine repentance to break into the partner's heart.  Hosea-types who did their best to put 1 Peter 3:1-6 in play in obedience and reverence for God's Word.  Hosea-types, whose perseverance was not helped by our society's "no-fault" divorce laws.

It takes time and God's grace to get back on your feet again.  It takes compassionate friends who know God and know hurt and know that God is in the business of second chances.  It takes a church of Jesus-followers who are committed to the best things the Spirit teaches us in the Word about the permanence of marriage, the damage of divorce, and the application of grace when former partners have been blown apart and need to recover.

DIVORCE IS NOT THE UNFORGIVABLE SIN

One of the great joys of my life as a pastor has been seeing God apply His grace through His people to those who have been through agony and terror of the mine-field of divorce.  What I know is this - God hates divorce but He also forgives and restores those who have been humbled by a failed marriage, and want to move forward in holiness.  He can turn the bitterness into future blessing.  Some of the most godly people I know have survived a dismantled marriage, when out of the ruins they clung more fiercely to Jesus and His leadership in their lives.

Refuse to prematurely end the marriage you are in!  Rather, have the courage to ask the Holy Spirit to change you from the inside out, to make you more like the Lord Jesus in attitude, character, conviction, and practice.  Beg for the fullness and fruit of the Spirit in your life.  Be willing to come under the tutoring of Scripture and other godly people.

If your marriage has been taken apart, embrace Jesus more fully.  Refuse to rebound into yet another faulty relationship.  Refuse to "play-the-field" sexually.  Find a church of Jesus' followers who don't mind putting "Divorce Care" before their "Church Sign," because they know (and are partners with) Jesus, who can make all things new.

Is Divorce a Sin? - Part 2 (Biblical considerations)

"What does God think about divorce?"

I've been asked that question hundreds of times.  Anyone who gives you a simple answer to that deserves to be ignored, and anyone who expects a simple answer to that needs to get real.

IT'S COMPLICATED

My second major encounter with "divorce" (cf. Part 1) happened  in the rigors of multiple theo-academic courses at Dallas Seminary.  The school's Th.M. curriculum required that not only we well understand the common Greek language (Koine Greek) in which the New Testament gospels and letters were written, but also to "exegete" this revelation.   That word means, essentially, to "carefully observe at all the grammar, history, and context of the words and phrases" and then, accurately "take out" of the written text what the author(human and divine) intended to say.

A key exercise in those days was to exegete passages which spoke to marriage, divorce, and remarriage.  Because marriage was a big deal in the early church like it is today, there are alot of passages to "look carefully" at and (hopefully) get the meaning of God's words right.  Key NT passages include Matthew 5, 19, Mark 10, Luke 16, 1 Corinthians 7, Ephesians 5 and a number of others -- which all tied back into key OT passages like Genesis 1-2, Deuteronomy 24, Ezra 9-10, and don't forget to throw in there the Song of Solomon, Malachi (2) and the not-so-minor prophet named Hosea.

Young pastors-in-training were to study all those passages and then write a "divorce/remarriage paper," a summation of what you came to believe about marriage, the possibility (or not) of divorce, and the possibility (or not) of remarriage.

The bottom line question was - "If God has joined you together (into a covenant, one-flesh relationship for life), is it EVER right for man to separate it?"   From what you can read, Jesus said "Nope" (Mark 10:9), but he also admitted that "Moses permitted divorce because of the hardness of men's hearts."  Still, Jesus said, "From the beginning..." God has never wanted any man to separate what He has joined (10:6-7).

Yep...it was a bit overwhelming and complicated.  But the intent was to launch you into ministry with some kind of consistent, Biblical position on life's most entangling relationship - MARRIAGE!

IS THERE A SHORT VERSION (TO WHAT GOD HAS SAID ON THIS)?

I've had over 30 years to mull over my original "marriage/divorce/remarriage" paper.  I won't rehash with you my early-edition conclusions.  I believe my original convictions were, in the main, honestly come by and accurate.  But short of a 20 page paper, let me give you a (non-inspired) "short version" on what God's word teaches.

#1    True marriage is essentially a God-creation between two people of opposite genders; it is not merely not a human, civil union or arrangement.  The heart of a marriage is a promise, a vow, a covenant - made with God first, with one-another second, and before witnesses to enter and be faithful to a ONE-NESS that God supernaturally creates, and that sexuality (both the joy of sensuality and reproduction) celebrates.  It is a one-ness that man is not to flee-from or separate.  The death of one's partner alone brings this covenant relationship to a close.  Jesus affirmed that even in a broken, hard-hearted world, God is still in the true marriage business.

The fact that societies and governments have made marriage more a civil union or contract does not diminish from the true character of what God does when a man and a woman pledge themselves to one another in a covenant vow.  It is clear from passages like 1 Corinthians 7 that God regards all marriages (between non-believers, between a believer and a non-believer, and between two believers) as a relationship in which He has created a one-ness.

#2   All people, and especially those who have a redeemed relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ, are to be faithful in the covenant vows they've made to their marriage partners.

Scripture affirms it is to be a life-long faithfulness.  This faithfulness is best pictured in Jesus' faithful love and nurture to His bride, the church, and the church's faithful submission and love to her husband, the Lord Jesus (cf. Ephesians 5:22-33).

#3   All marriages face a host of substantial challenges which seek to separate the ONE-NESS God has created.  Marriage partners need more than their own resources to stay faithful and fulfilled in their marriage; they need the presence and empowerment of the Spirit of God.  When partners simply rely on themselves apart from a humble dependence upon the Lord, a marriage can quickly degenerate into frustration and failure.

#4   All marriages are to take their examples to persevere in their covenant vows from the faithfulness of God toward His often (adulterous) people.  One compelling example is Hosea, who married a very unfaithful bride, but continued to love her through extraordinary difficulty...an example of God's relentless love and faithfulness to His promises to Israel.

#5   When marriages are experiencing difficulty, there are resources from God available for the partners to grow and persevere through the struggles, so that Christ can be formed in the partners and in the relationship.  I Peter 3:1-7 offers some key instruction, perspective, and resources.  We can do "all things" through Him who gives us strength (Philippians 4:13).

BOTTOM LINE - ENTER TO STAY

God doesn't think much of divorce.  He does hate it (Malachi 2:16).  His righteous character is grieved when promises taken are promises broken.  It is such a deeply intertwined, intricate ONE-NESS that taking it apart simply tears and destroys everything around the shredding.  The old marriage meditations would say that "it is not something to be entered in to lightly, but advisedly."  In other words -- and Jesus affirmed this -- we do well to well consider what this relationship really is, and then enter it only under the call of God upon the heart.

Is Divorce a Sin? - Part I (Looking over the Cliff's Edge)

Recently, a friend asked me this question.  "Is divorce a sin?"  The email was brief and to the point.

My answer was equally short.  "It can be."

Clearly, my short response was less than satisfactory.  "What do you mean, It can be?  Is the action itself a sin or the reasons behind it that count?"

STARING DIVORCE IN THE FACE

My first encounter with "divorce" happened when I was barely a teenager.  My mom and dad were arguing, sometimes fiercely.  Not physically, but verbal guerrilla-warfare that sounded awful to me as I tried to get to sleep each night in the downstairs bedroom.  Frustration was running high, on a number of days of any week.   Then, one afternoon, I found myself in our automobile with  my father in our driveway at 1933 19th Avenue.  He spoke directly.  "I'm going to leave your mom."

I have often pondered that tense moment in the car.  I knew how frustrated my father was, and no doubt mom was too.  Her values, and my dad's values, on a number of things, were miles apart, and it effected their involvement in church, their social life with friends, other things too.  Don't get me wrong.  They were both Christians, trusted in Christ, loved the Scriptures, and went faithfully to church.  But their differences were driving them apart, and destroying the heart of their marriage - their friendship.

"You can't," I replied to my dad.  "Why can't I?"  He genuinely wanted to know.  By that time in my life, I had already sensed a call of God upon my life to preach the gospel and to teach the Word.  I also knew that my home church regularly taught that divorce was sin and something that God hated.  So I put 2 + 2 together.  "If you and mom divorce, I will never be able to go into Christian ministry!" I countered.  Essentially, I laid my future calling across my dad's broken heart.

Honestly, I don't know why I thought my parents' possible divorce would disqualify ME from serving the Lord, but I thought it would.  I had concluded that if God hated divorce and He couldn't help my parents get along -- if I came from a broken home, who would want to listen to me about God's solutions in His word?

AWAY FROM THE CLIFF'S EDGE

For some reason I've yet to fully figure out (not dismissing the Holy Spirit's intervening grace), what I said helped reverse something in my dad's mind.  Dad did not often get angry, but when he did, the coals would get white hot.  But in a few minutes, they were cooling.   My recollection is that dad walked in to the house, and didn't walk away from Mom. 

For my Mom's part - even as terrible as things got -- divorce was NEVER an option.  She believed in trying for God's ideal (even when the set of the home was less than ideal), and never giving up on it.

Dad and Mom had been married perhaps 15 years at that point.  The year?  Around 1967.  45 years later, in August of 2012, they crossed the 60th Anniversary finish line together...deeply in love with eachother and with the Lord, who miraculously kept their feet on the path.  We had a really cool party with them in Wisconsin, and the photographs shine with the beauty of their persevering relationship.

Mom's home with the Lord right now, and no doubt anxiously awaiting when Dad and she can be together again. 

IS DIVORCE SIN?

What I learned from all that was this.  Divorce is often sinful because it is the decision of frustration and self-centered fighting, rather than humility before the Lord and His Word.  No wonder God hates it (Malachi 2:16).  It would have been in my parents' case. 

It would have been an early, tragic loss in a young boy's heart, a kid trying to figure out if God could be faithful even in the most frustrating families and times.

What will God do with "those who have never heard" (the Gospel)?

According to the US Center for World Mission (www.uscwm.org/the-call/the-unreached) "unreached people groups are those whose populations (which can range from hundreds of people to millions of people) contain only a very small percentage of people who follow Christ (2% or less).  Typically, this small percentage is not sufficient to build and sustain a movement to(ward) Christ internally.  Those who are part of an unreached people group have little-to-no opportunity to hear a clear presentation of the gospel -- one that is culturally intelligible to them.  In this case, the gospel must be presented and lived out by people from outside their people group."

7,000 people groups - mostly living in the 10/40 window (northern Africa, Middle East, and spanning east throughout southern Asia).  82% of these peoples are the poorest in the world; 84% have the lowest quality of living in the world.  Most are dominated by Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism.  In them is the least amount of investment by global followers of Jesus.  Hundreds of thousands, millions, will likely not hear the gospel in their lifetimes.

ROMANS 1 and 2, and THE UNREACHED

In Romans 1:19-20, Paul explains that any human being can see from his/her environment  that Someone he/she doesn't see exists and is the Creator/Fashioner of all there is.  Any human being (who has sufficient, normal thinking capabilities) can perceive through what has been made that there is an Eternally Powerful and Divine Being whom they can't see.  There is "intelligent design" in the created order, and it points to an awesome, uncreated, unseen God.

Many, knowing this, reject what they know and exchange this basic theological truth for anthropological lies; that is, choosing instead to worship the creation and craft images of worship that resemble human or animal figures.

In Romans 2, Paul continues.  He explains that peoples who don't have a written copy of the Law of God (O.T. Torah) show that they have a (moral) law written on their hearts (C.S. Lewis called it "the Law of Human Nature"), an undeniable code of right (what should be done) and wrong (thoughts and actions which violate that code).  By this code, men feel a sense of guilt and condemnation in their hearts.

The remedy for our unrighteousness (rejecting truth about God shown in nature, rejecting a righteous standard from God written in Law and in Conscience) is Jesus Christ, the perfect God who became Man and died to satisfy God's wrath against all unrighteousness of men. 

The problem?  Many of people caught in the sins of Romans 1 and Romans 2 never hear of Christ, an die without having an opportunity to understand the gospel and believe.  They remain "unreached" while still condemned in their sin.  

So...what does God do with them?  If they were never tossed the life-ring, does God blame them for drowning in their sin?

IS THE ETERNAL, DIVINE GOD FAIR WITH ALL PEOPLE...AND EVERY PERSON?

It doesn't strike us as "fair" that God would fail to "toss the life-ring" to the unreached?  Can't an all-powerful God -- who claims to love all people -- get that done?  It appears that sometimes He doesn't.  So what are we to think, or say, about this?

It is impossible for any one of us, or all of us together, to know accurately what God does with each human being who lives; that is, whether or not God has given each person a sufficient enough opportunity to know, and then respond to the truth.  But here is what we do know, and have seen.

First, "the Judge of all the Earth" will do what is right with people under condemnation (Genesis 18:25).  This is the conclusion Abraham came to as he and God were conversing on whether to "scorch-earth" Sodom and Gomorrah.  God was willing NOT to do this if even a few people who worshipped Him could be found in the city limits.  This means a couple of things, of course.  (1) God had already planted a witness about himself within reach of the people of those cities.   (2)  God had already been patient.  (3)  God was willing to continue to be patient.  The point - Biblical stories like this reassure us that when people are wiped out by God, it is not a sudden or rash act on his part.  God waits longer than any of us would wait to execute His righteous judgment.  When it falls, it is the right time and it is the right expression of His wrath.

Second, there are examples in Scripture of people who responded rightly to the truth that God revealed to them.  When this occurred, God responded by getting more truth to them (e.g., Cornelius, Acts 10) so that their faith in Christ could occur.  Some have argued -- to be sure from "silence" but nonetheless with weight - that God does this more than we can see or know about.  How interesting that when Abram showed up in Palestine around 2100 BC, with a new faith in the true God, that he met a High Priest of the Most High in the land (i.e., Melchizedek) who was already ministering the things of God there!  The point - God is perfectly capable of getting truth to people who respond rightly to the light they have.  Missions initiatives will sometimes find this to be true when they come upon a new group.

Third, Scripture reminds us that there is no injustice or unfairness or partiality with God.  His holy and righteous character will not permit Him to do anything but that which is fair and equitable with the peoples of the world, and the persons in the human family.  We can simply say, with confidence, that God will "do what is right" in his role as the "Judge of all the earth.

OUR MARCHING ORDERS

Jesus said, "Go preach the good news to all creation, I will be with you in this."  Rather than worrying about whether or not God will be fair with "those who have never heard," better that we become more passionate about being His ambassadors in our world (2 Corinthians 5:15-21).  Whom have you begged, this week or in this past month, to be reconciled to God?

"We're in debt! How can we give?" Struggling with Stewardship

It's not secret.  Many of us, perhaps most of us, are in debt.  We spend more readily than we save.  During the last few years of climbing out of the 2008 recession, I can't recall our President once suggesting that Americans should "save" money.  We believe, oddly, that the way out of debt is to spend more.

The statistics are sobering.  Today, the average credit card debt per U.S. household is $15,270; the average mortgage debt is $150,000, the average student debt is a whopping $32,258.  Moreover, Americans as a population group are $11.36 trillion dollars in debt, including $857 in credit card debt, $7.93 trillion in mortgages, and over $1 trillion in student loans.

Numbers which make your eyes hurt, and yet you too may find yourself drowning in those numbers.

SCRIPTURE'S TRAINING WARNING

In many ways, the free American people are in bondage, in the chains of debt.  "The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender." Proverbs 22:7  Maybe you've heard that verse before.  "Everybody knows that!" (to borrow from the Geico commercial).

"OK...but did you know WHERE that verse is found?"  Here's the larger context - Proverbs 22:6-8

Train up a child in the way he should go

Even when he is old, he will not depart from it.

The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is the slave of the lender.

Whoever sows injustice will reap calamity and the rod of his fury will fail.

 

Hmmmm.  Perhaps what this "training" of young people is all about is fiscal responsibility, a clear lesson on understanding that what one sows that which you also reap...and therefore staying out of debt.  It takes a wise parent to intentionally train a child in good money management.

 

CAUGHT IN DEBT, WANTING TO GIVE

 

This blog begins with a question posed to me.  "How can we keep our commitment to the Lord to tithe (i.e., give to the ministry of a local church or kingdom work) when we are struggling with debt?"

 

This is a well-placed desire, and a brave question.  And it will take some bravery to apply the answer.

 

First step - have the courage to get some debt counseling from an agency or financial planner with a Biblical, wise outlook.  In other words, seek some good help.  You'll never regret you did.

Second step - give in faith.  Jesus promised that if you "seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, all these things (Matthew 6:25-32 - food, clothing, God's provision) will be added to you."    Again, Jesus (Luke 6:38), "Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap.  For with the measure you use (to give) it will be measured to you."

 

Funny thing.  When a Jesus-follower puts God first in his/her finances, and gives of the first of one's income (be it a tithe or an amount you've promised to the Lord), God provides for the giver what is needed.

 

MY DAD TRAINED ME

 

I remember years ago, my father wanted to buy a lot of nice things for my mom.  And he did.  An in-home organ, new carpeting are the things I can remember.  Mom didn't ask for them, but my good-hearted dad was just trying to be generous with the woman he loved.  Easy credit was coming on line back in the 1960's, and dad took advantage of it.

There were two problems.  First, in order to buy these things and try to pay for them, dad had to cut back on giving to the Lord.  Second, the debt was still washing over us, and not getting better.

 

I don't remember what prompted it (it may have been some faithful teaching done at our local church), I remember the night my dad came down to my basement bedroom, and without me asking, said, "David. I've sinned.  I've gotten our family into debt, and I've not been tithing to the Lord.  I just want you to know that no matter what, the Lord's portion is given first.  And, I'll do my best to work and get us out of this hole."

 

I'm proud of my dad.  He did both.  Gave first to the Lord, and worked hard, and Mom was with him all the way.  In a few years, our family climbed out of debt.

 

GET COUNSEL - TRUST GOD - WORK HARD - GIVE FIRST

 

Jesus is alive and his word about giving is still good.  You can give and you can, God's wisdom and strength helping you, come out of the hole.  Seek first His kingdom.  God has a lot he want to add to you as you are obedient to Him...with courageous faith.

 





To Judge or Not To Judge - Sorting it Out

"You're being judgmental!  Didn't Jesus say that was NOT what we are supposed to do?"

The person who says that has a point.  Jesus said, "Judge not, and you will not be judged" (Matthew 7).  Through Paul, the Holy Spirit  put the smelling salts under the noses of those who thought they were morally superior to others.  "You are without excuse, O man, when you --the judge--condemn others for the very things you do yourself" (Romans 2:1-2).  James didn't mince words with Christians who functioned as judges making preferential distinctions about various people in their assembly (James 2).

JUST WHAT IS JUDGING?

The first step to sorting this out is to understand that the word "judge" is used in a number of differing ways in the Bible.  Do a more careful study of when this word occurs (especially in the New Testament) and you discover that there are times when "judging" is completely out of bounds, and there are other times and situations when "judging" is exactly what God wants you to do.

The basic idea behind the Biblical word "judge" is "to distinguish between."  The point is that distinguishing can be a good thing, or it can be a bad thing.

Judging is a bad thing (or "out of bounds") according to Jesus (and his apostles through whom in Scripture the Spirit speaks to Christians) when someone believes himself/herself to  be morally superior to another, and from that over-reaching attitude, expresses (either verbally or through their actions) a condemning, rejecting assessment.   In essence, such a "judger" virtually assumes a position that only belongs to God -  only God knows all the facts and issues about any given person, and only His "distinguishng" about someone is accurate.

The result is that when you or I attempt to "judge" like this, we expose ourselves to several dangers.  Jesus said that such "judging" overlooks that there will come a time when the judger himself/herself will fall under the measuring stick used on others, and found wanting (cf. Matthew 7:1-3).  An accompanying danger is the inflating of personal pride, which invites God's humbling judgment.  Beyond this, such "judging" often keeps us from loving others who are caught in sin, the very thing God does call us to do.

On the flip side, there is a "good" judging.   Paul said that we should "judge ourselves" - we should honestly assess our own sin foibles (and confess/repent, cf. 1 John 1:9), so that we will not be "condemned with the world" (1 Corinthians 11).  Paul also urges that brothers and sisters lovingly help one another when sin has crept into the Christian fellowship (cf. , James 5:19-20, 1 Corinthians 5).  The point of this assessing is not to condemn, but to help one another out of the sinning in which we are caught, and restored to full fellowship in the Lord.  Paul told the Galatians that such "judging" must be done with humility (Galatians 6:1-2) - "If somone is caught in a trespass, you who are spiritual should restore such a one, looking to yourselves so that you do not get similarly caught."

Beyond the interpersonal "judging" we are called to do humbly with each other, the Scriptures also urges us to "judge" the condition of a world apart from God, and not participate in the darkness and evil of it.  By "judge," God's Spirit means "to assess and appraise, so as to understand its true nature."

 Still, this should not lead us to pridefully condemning the people in the world.  Even Jesus said he didn't "come in to the world to judge the world" (John 3:17), but rather that the world might have life through him.  So our posture, even with a world of men caught in evil, is to both understand and to love toward the life of Jesus.

HUMILITY IS THE KEY

The other night, I had the delight of an extended phone conversation with a great friend in Christ who lives in Colorado.  We began to speak about the attitudes which advance God's purposes in our lives.  He reminded me that St. Augustine said it.  "There are three key words to the life that is spiritual:  humility, humility, and humility."

Augustine was right.  Let God be the Judge (He is anyway!) and let's be His servants of love with wisdom.   No way away from Christ needs you or me to be their SRJOC (self-righteous judging-others critic).   What someone needs is for us to be an expression of Jesus love, so that such a person can meet God some day, not as her/his Judge but rather as his/her Savior.

Jesus' Church midst the Smoky Decisions of our Culture

It began to happen last year.  The questions crept closer.   Finally, two male Iowa State students stopped by to ask outright.  "Should a Christian?...Can a Christian?...Why shouldn't a Christian smoke marijuana?"

Frankly, I had to hide a smirk.  But I was thinking, "You've got to be kidding, right?"  But they were not kidding.  One student felt it was dead wrong, a sin.  The other student, with a history in weed, leaned hard toward "Why not?"  He continued, "It's gonna be legalized, so what's the problem?"

The problems are several.

THE ABSENCE OF A BIBLICAL MIND

Christians, especially young ones with little awareness of the guidance provided by the Holy Spirit in the Scriptures, often "bottom line" such an issue, be it drinking alcohol or questionable entertainment or any "pleasureable" offering so available in our culture.  Rather than thinking Biblically, as a committed disciple of Jesus Christ, many Christians simply opt for unthinking, and often unwise, use of such things.

Where is the Biblical thinking that brings wisdom?  Three passages quickly come to mind.

Ephesians 5:15-18
Look very carefully then how hou walk, not as unwise but as wise.  Make the very best use of thetime, because the days are evil.  Therefore do not be foolish, but understand whatthe will of The Lord is.  Do not get drunk with wine, for this is debauchery, but be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Romans 12:1-2
I appeal to you, therefore, brothers, because of the mercies of God (which have been extended to you) to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.  Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

1 Corinthians 6:12-13
"All things are lawful for me" (you like to say), but not all things are helpful.  "All things are lawful for me" (you insist), but I will not be dominated by anyaathing.  "Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food" (you parrot like the world around you) - and God will destroy both one and the other.  The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for The Lord, and The Lord for the body...(6:20) glorify God in your body.

Honestly, can you read those verses and with any kind of a right-thinking, clear conscience, say to the Spirit of God, "Yeah...I think I'll get high to the glory of God."?

The Lord is looking for young men and women who have crucified their fascination with foolishness, and have brought their minds, their bodies, and their souls under the Lordship of Christ.

THE PREVALENT PASSION FOR PLEASURE

When you live in a culture like ours that idolizes sensual passion and personal independence, there is a strong invitation daily issued to all of us to jump in, to simply float along with many, many others in the filth of our modern moral sewage.

The salvation we have in our marvelous Savior is so much more than a pass out of hell.  It is a rescue from the "corruption that is in the world through lust" (2 Peter 1:4).  God provides us promises and power to live to His glory and with His excellence.

And you are asking if you can light up weed?  Give me a break.

WWJD (seriously!)

In a world of mediocrity, where "men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil" (John 3), Jesus himself cut a different path.  He wouldn't even make stones into bread after 40 days of  extreme deprivation and hunger unless His Father gave the signal.  "Man does not live by bread alone," he said in humbling his tempting enemy, "but by every word that comes from the mouth of God."

My take - think Biblically about choices in your lifestyle, keep your steps out of the moral sewage of our day, and give Jesus room to live His life out through yours.