- Error
WHAT TO DO?
| You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but
not everything is helpful. You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but
not everything is beneficial. (1 Corinthians 10:23 NLT)
According to scriptural authority, some things are always right (love and honesty) or always wrong (hatred and dishonesty). But according to subjective morality, there are certain things that can be both right and wrong. For example, it's considered impolite not to belch after a meal in India. So is belching after a meal right or wrong? It’s all subjective to the moral standards of the culture and day. When we don’t have the scriptural authority on something, we need to look at it through the lens of subjective morality to determine if it is right or wrong for us. Paul shares in the verse above that just because something might be allowed (because Scripture doesn’t prohibit it) doesn’t make it right based on subjective morality. In his day, the issue was meat that had been sacrificed to idols. After animals were sacrificed in pagan temples, the leftovers were commonly put on sale. What’s a Christian to do? Is it wrong to eat this meat, or is it right to take advantage of a good deal? Notice what Paul writes: If someone who isn’t a Christian asks you home for dinner, go ahead; accept the invitation if you want to. Eat whatever is offered to you and don’t ask any questions about it. Your conscience should not be bothered by this. But suppose someone warns you that this meat has been offered to an idol. Don’t eat it, out of consideration for the conscience of the one who told you. (1 Corinthians 10:27–28 NLT) Christians are to avoid being yoked with the world, even when it comes to our appearance. It sends a bad message to those watching our lives when we allow ourselves to be identified with the things of the world. It may not be a matter of meat for us, but it might be a matter of movies, hobbies, etc. Some will argue, “But I’m free in Christ!” We are free, but something is wrong if our freedoms make us look more like the world than our Lord. DIG - What is the difference between scriptural authority and subjective morality?
|