1 Pet. 2:16 – ‘Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.’ (ESV)
In a previous post, I spoke (poorly) about Christian freedom and how we ought to let ourselves be led by the Word of God, and not simply trying to be different from everyone else. I am aware that some people might have seen that as some sort of endorsement for a liberal way of life that elevates their desires and motives above all else; that was far from my intention in writing that post.
I write this post, in some sense, as a complement to my previous one. The other post talked about our freedoms, this one talks about our compulsions and constraints.
We live in a society that often times than none seeks to promote the relativity of truth and the absence of absolutes. It is impossible, it vaunts, to know what truth is, and what is right and wrong; depending on circumstance and variables, what was once deemed wrong might be found to be right.
In light of this, Christianity is often seen as a baseless claim among many others, and utter folly to not only state that there exists a supreme being to whom we are all accountable, but that only Christianity has the way to know and interact with such a being. In the backdrop of such mockery of the Word of God and catalysts of doubt, the child of God finds himself or herself often confused or indecisive about what the right thing to do is.
I shall present to you today three encouragements (and charges) which all sum up to one simple truth: give God the benefit of the doubt. What I mean by that is to always tread on the side of caution; always seek to magnify the glory of God and your submission to Him, than to elevate or revel in your liberties and desires. We are constrained by this, that our chief end and very purpose is to glorify our Creator, and looking past our current seasons we look towards eternity, where we get to enjoy Him forever.
Here are the three encouragements:
Heed the Word of God
2 Tim. 3:16-17 – ‘All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.’ (NASB)
When lost, it only makes sense to refer to your roadmap. In a similar sense, the Word of God—which is perfect, sure, right, pure, true, and enduring (Ps. 19:7-9)—is what helps us to navigate this life we live. As God’s law and a reflection of His very heart, it shows us right from wrong, highlights godly principles through which we can view any situation we come across, and ultimately are the very words with which God uses to give life to sinful souls that were dead in their depravity.
The psalmist writes, ‘Moreover, by them Your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward.’ (Ps. 19:11, NASB) God uses His Word to instruct us in the way we should go, that we might avoid the traps set by the enemy of our souls and the pitfalls our sinful minds entice us to dive headfirst into.
Society with its new-age philosophies and “supreme” wisdom reject the objectivity of truth and any absolutes, but God would have you know that He is absolute:
‘“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”’ (Rev. 1:8, NASB)
…and His word is truth, both objective and enduring; unchangeable like He is, regardless of the time and season:
‘Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.’ (John 17:17, NASB)
‘Surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.’ (Isa. 40:7b-8, NASB)
Dear children of God, strive to live according to His Word, for in them you find the pathway to life.
Ps. 119:105-106 – ‘Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. I have sworn and I will confirm it, that I will keep Your righteous ordinances.’ (NASB)
Be Led by the Spirit of God
Gal. 5:16, v25 – ‘…But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh… If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.’ (NASB)
Knowing or reading the Word of God is one thing, but without application, it is like having the antidote to a deadly ailment and not knowing how to use it, or possessing the map to your freedom but lacking the understanding to decipher it. The application of the Word of truth without the Holy Spirit is impossible, for they are words given by the Spirit and only understood through Him (1 Cor. 2:10-14).
The psalmist exhorts us that the steps of the godly are ordered by God (Ps. 37:23), and this ordering is done by the Spirit of God (Rom. 8:14), through the Word of God (Eph. 6:17). It is through Him we discern and test everything, trusting that He will indeed guide us into all truth (John 16:13a).
Prov. 3:5-7 – ‘Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and turn away from evil.’ (NASB)
Do Not Violate Your Conscience
Rom. 2:14-16 – ‘Even Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, show that they know His law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it. They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right.’ (NLT)
Our consciences are a great mercy from God, but one often violated. How often do we go against what we instinctively believe to be the right thing! The child of God builds himself or herself up by being a student of the Word of God, and spending time in fellowship with God in prayer. In doing this, one of the great benefits is that the conscience is better informed. The instruction of the Word of God teaches right from wrong with the clarity and understanding the conscience often lacks. What might have been okay before, the conscience is now instructed that such actions are against the will of God (eg Rom 7:7). The broad strokes of morality applied by the conscience are fine-tuned with faith in Jesus and study of the Word of God.
It is possible for us to think something is wrong even though it isn’t, which is why we need to be students of the Word; this brings about the transformation of the mind and worldview as we learn what the will of God is and how to better please Him (Rom. 12:2).
Jas. 4:17 – ‘Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.’ (NASB)
The Motivation
1 Cor. 10:31 – ‘Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God’ (NASB)
As I alluded to earlier, the child of God’s motivation should always be the glory of God, and not the fulfilment of our desires. When faced with a decision in which we are unsure what the right choice to make is, there are steps we can take to reach the right decision, such as examining the choices through the lens of Scripture, seeking godly counsel, and taking it to the Lord in prayer. It could very well be that there is no ‘wrong’ or ‘right’ choice involved, but I believe as Christians we are called to honour God in all our choices.
For example, if you are not sure whether to watch a movie or not, by the time you check out a trailer or read a review (hopefully no spoilers!) or get the opinion of someone who has seen it, you usually would have an impression/expectation/feel for the movie. Then (if you are like me), you probably have an idea of whether you think you should watch it or not. I must confess, often times I go ahead to watch things I instinctively know not to, purely for the sake of my entertainment. I convince myself that it is probably not as bad as I think, or I can bear with the “bad bits” for the sake of enjoying the whole.
I speak to my own soul too when I exhort you, reader, that when will you stop sacrificing closer fellowship with God for the sake of your own fleeting desires? Is whatever you hope to gain from acting on your questionable judgment worth more than what you stand to lose from doing so? (Mark 8:37) Are you really deprived if you choose instead to honour God by choosing to stay away from anything potentially sinful? (Gal. 5:13; Eph. 4:27; 1 John 5:21)
I pray that while we learn to enjoy the freedom we have and not being tied down with morality or legality, we will remember that just because it might be lawful to do something, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it is helpful, good or profitable to do so (1 Cor. 6:12). We must be mindful of our own souls, as well as that of others influenced by us. Let us work out our salvation in fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12), and give preference to one another (Rom. 12:9-10; Rom. 15:2-3), but above all, seek to glorify and honour our God, Saviour and King.
‘…Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.’ (2 Cor. 7:1, NASB)
