by Elder Peter Lim

Is it a sin for a Christian to own a Rolls Royce? Is it a sin to get a tattoo or body piercings? Is it a sin to play video games or watch TV for 24 hours straight? Is it a sin to _______? Whatever you fill the blank with, questions like these often come up in the course of life. Some things are definitely called out in Scripture as sin. But for the most part, people ask questions like these regarding the so called “gray areas.” I wrote an entire series on the issue of gray areas so I won’t rehash them here. Suffice to say, it’s never about the actual answer to these particular questions. It is always about the heart behind even the consideration of these questions. However, it’s worth mentioning again here that conservative decision making is inherently a sign of Spiritual maturity. I am defining “conservative decision making”as: to make decisions which lean on the side of giving up of personal liberties voluntarily for the sake of staying away from sin as far as possible, motivated by a hatred of sin. I am defining the other side, “liberal decision making” as: making decisions that may or may not be sin but since it can’t be proven to be sin, it’s considered to be okay. Of course this is a generalization and not every conservative decision automatically proves maturity. Simply put, life is not about ourselves and what we can get out of it. A mature believer understands that it’s about maximizing God’s glory by spreading the gospel. Personal liberties are not as important as avoiding the possibility of presenting a stumbling block to weaker Christians, of offending Christians who come from a more conservative background, of the lack of profitability of a liberty, and the possible appearance of sin, even if it’s not technically a sin with chapter and verse.

Stumbling Block

Both Matt. 18:6 and Romans 14:1 refer to stumbling blocks as an issue for the weaker brother. We are to care for our weaker brother by refraining from indulging in liberties which may cause him to stumble. A very stern warning is given that causing one of them to stumble is so bad that it’s better to tie a millstone around one’s neck and throw it out into the ocean. Weaker brothers should not use these passages as leverage against stronger believers to get them to conform to their own misguided ideas of godliness however. A weaker brother should humbly seek help and explain why an issue causes them to stumble. Stronger brothers shouldn’t rely on the weaker brothers’ ability to explain this. They should be able to proactively care and foresee that a liberty may cause the weaker brother to stumble because they are the stronger one. If they can’t see that, perhaps they are not as strong as they thought they were.

Offending Others

We all vary to a certain degree when it comes to considering the needs or desires of others more than our own. As an example, the way we dress ourselves is often a result of considering others’ expectations. We wear clothes that are appropriate for different situations. In most cultures, one would not wear a tank top and shorts to a wedding, no matter how much one prefers to be comfortable, out of consideration for others. Romans 14, while used as an example of not causing a weaker brother to stumble, contains truths which extend beyond the weaker brother. Indeed that consideration for the weaker brother is a direct result of the fact that we are not our own. We belong to Christ. (Romans 14:7-8) Therefore, the mature believer will decrease his own desires for the sake of others whom Jesus died for. He must increase, but I must decrease. (John 3:30) This is true whether the brother is a weaker one or a stronger one. All things are to be done to the glory of God and not to offend neither the brethren nor the public at large. (1 Cor. 10:31-33) It is good to consider not offending others. (1 Cor. 10:24)

Lack of Profitability

It is an important point that we do profitable things with our lives rather than simply doing anything we want to do that can’t be proven to be sin. (1 Cor. 10:23) Often, verses such as this one are ignored because it’s difficult to define what things are profitable and what are not. Immature believers may use this difficulty to their advantage to “get away” with dabbling in unprofitable things. This kind of reasoning fails to understand that God is able to peer accurately into their hearts and know exactly their motivations. Because our time here on earth is limited, we must use our time and resources profitably, motivated by a desire to make God’s name known throughout the nations. Evangelism must be at the core of our priorities whether it’s decided on a career path or even what city to live in. A mature believer cares little for weather, recreational lifestyle, hobbies, or even financial security, compared to the opportunity to participate in a dynamic church where Christ is preached to the lost.

Appearance of Sin

A mature believer is concerned about not portraying the appearance of sin, even if it’s not a sin that can be backed up by evidence or proven with an explicit chapter and verse (Eph. 5:3). This verse in the NIV is translated “there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality.” The following words through verse 6 connects this failure in sexual immorality with “any kind of impurity”, greed, obscenity, foolish talk, course jesting, idolatry, empty words, and disobedience. Where there is sexual immorality, the other sins are not far behind. These are words which are vague but well-understood in a general sense. A mature believer doesn’t need an explicit prohibition to be able to recognize that the general character of their life must go conservatively away from these things. Immature people will try to excuse their sinful behavior by appealing to the lack of a precise point at which a questionable act is unquestionably sin. They fail to consider that the lost world is watching them and their carelessness in life’s decisions which can influence them in the wrong way. It indicates that their heart doesn’t consider God and His holiness worthy enough to sacrifice all their fleshly desires.

Sin is offensive to God because He is holy. If we have been transformed to be like Christ, then we should be offended by sin as well. So why do we struggle with the temptation of sin? Although we are new creatures in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17), we are still influenced by our sinful flesh. Although we have been positionally justified, we are still sinners. Although we will never reach a state of sinlessness in this life, it is clear that we are to be holy as He is holy. This pursuit of holiness keeps us humble and dependent upon Him for our strength. Conservative decision making is a natural result of the desire to live a holy life. This marks a maturing Christian.