Decision-Making
as a Christian:
Five Questions
And whatsoever ye do in
word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and
the Father by him. –Col 3:17
Some things are clear from God’s Word: thou shalt not steal,
kill, or commit adultery, etc.. But some
things are not so clearly stated. What about the ordinary lifestyle choices we
make every day? How do we work out how
to live daily in a biblical way?
The Christian life is not about following man-made rules. It is about setting our minds upon the Lord
Jesus Christ: all of life flows from our relationship with Him. Joined to Christ by faith we have died to the
law, which could only condemn us, and we are liberated from the principle of
sin that used to control us. Our union
with Christ is like a marriage, and just as a marriage produces children, so our
union with Christ will produce a lifestyle of godly choices.
Wherefore, my brethren,
ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be
married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should
bring forth fruit unto God. –Rom 7:4
Unless we are in union with Christ by faith, our best efforts
will only amount to good moral choices, but will not be acceptable fruit unto
God.
Grace teaches us to abandon self-effort to obtain
righteousness that will justify us before God and trust in the righteousness of
God found in Jesus Christ alone. Grace
continues to teach us to depend on the Spirit of Christ to live soberly,
righteously, and godly in this present world.
If Christ is your life, your life will show it. You will walk in Him. He will be the reason you live.
You will not be focused on do’s and don’ts, but upon Him. You will not be asking how far you can go,
how close to the edge you can get. If
Christ is the center of your life, all else orbits around Him. God’s will does not feel restrictive—it is
your delight.
You have one Master, and every decision must be submitted to
His Lordship. For the submissive heart,
knowing the will of God is first. Glad
obedience follows, even when it is not what you might have originally desired.
Sometimes questions are asked of me as a pastor: Should I work on Sunday? Should my wife work
outside the home? Should I watch a particular movie . . . or any movie? Should I listen to this band or that group? Should I read this book? Should I drink this beverage, smoke this
plant, or wear these clothes?
Every word and every deed needs to be laid before the
Lord. When faced with decisions like these,
there are five questions that will help toward a godly answer:
Does God have ANYTHING
to say about it? Does Scripture in any way address this issue? You might not know the Word of God well
enough to answer. It is helpful to obtain wise counsel from other believers who
have a better knowledge of the Word.
Bible study tools, such as the Strong’s concordance, are useful as well.
If
not forbidden, is this lawful thing beneficial?
Not everything that is allowed is helpful: All
things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient” — I Cor. 6:12a. Is it helpful? Is it necessary?
Does this lawful thing
have a hold on me? Am I controlled
by it? Can I give it up? All
things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any –I
Cor. 6:12b.
How will this affect
fellow believers? It is good neither to eat flesh, or to drink
wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made
weak.—
Rom 14:21 Devotion to
Christ changes our perspective—it’s not all about me anymore:
We then that are strong
ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbor for
his good to edification. For even Christ
pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that
reproached thee fell on me.—Rom 15:1-3
If our choice might affect another believer in a negative way,
we should model Christ and deny ourselves.
How will this decision
affect my testimony for Christ? Will
doing this affect my ability to be taken seriously as a follower of Christ in
my culture? Will this affect my effectiveness in speaking about the gospel so that others might be
saved?
Whether therefore ye
eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor
to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God: Even as I please all men in all
things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be
saved.—I Cor 10:31-33
If Christ is your life, you will care how you live!
