Grey Areas

The Bible is sufficient and provides everything we need to know about how to draw near to God and to live in accordance with His will. The life of a Christian is directed by the Word of God and the worship of a Christian is regulated by the principles in the Bible. In Romans 12:2, we are reminded, “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.” The Christian must be a constantly examining themselves and their conduct to ensure that what they are doing is of God and not of the world. For the most part, as you grow in Christ, many things are immediately quite simple. For the Word of God is clear, and it isn’t hard to discern between light and darkness. The true Christian quickly recognises that unlike the world, they must be modest in appearance (1 Peter 3:3-4); kind and respectful in speech (1 Corinthians 13:4-5); submissive to authority to the degree that they do no encourage you to sin (Hebrews 13:17); sober (Titus 2:2); holy and pure (1 Peter 1:15-16) and seeking to glorify God in all things (1 Corinthians 6:20).

There are occasions, however, when we arrive at grey areas that are not easily discerned. What do we do then? In the early church, some believers struggled with the issue of the food they ate. Paul was “fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself” (Romans 14:14), yet some believers could not eat meat sacrificed to idols with a clear conscience. So, Paul taught that when we cannot do something in good conscience, we must not do it at all, for whatever is not of faith is sin, or, as the Amplified Bible expounds, “whatever is done with doubt is sinful” (Romans 14:23). It is important that we have biblical convictions which we have arrived at by studying God’s Word and being led by the Holy Spirit. All our doctrines and convictions must be rooted in God’s truth. For disputable matters or grey areas, we should live by our convictions and following the principle that whatever is not of faith is sin. It is important that we approach grey areas with extreme care. If you are not sure if something is a sin, we must err away from it as we should take even the possibility of sinning against God seriously (1 Thessalonians 5:22). Secondly, for those who say call upon a liberal view, the burden of proof falls on them to show why such conduct is acceptable biblically. If they can’t, rather then getting frustrated, allow them to follow their convictions without damaging their conscience. It is always better to be on the side of being over scrupulous rather than ever being guilty of taking a sin lightly or doing away with a biblical principle of worship towards the Almighty God.

Furthermore, another important principle to remember is that though something may be permissible, not all things are beneficial or edifying to the body as a whole (1 Corinthians 10:23). In 1 Corinthians 6:12, Paul adds, that though it may be lawful, I will not be dominated by anything. Colossians 1:10 Paul gives another good guiding principle: “Live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way.” When a matter comes up that is not specifically addressed in Scripture, we must consider scriptural principles to help us determine if it will please God and edify the church. We must ask ourselves, are we seeking to please ourselves or God? (Colossians 3:1–4; 2 Timothy 2:4; 2 Corinthians 5:14–15; Galatians 5:16–18) Does the activity have a dominating influence? (1 Corinthians 6:12; Ephesians 5:18) Will my Christian witness be clearly upheld without confusion or debate? (1 Timothy 4:12; Colossians 4:5) Will doing this build me and others up to godliness? (1 Thessalonians 5:11; 1 Corinthians 10:23) The Christian must never stop pruning their life from worldly biases and perspectives that dictate our actions more than the Word of God. Our convictions must be moulded to obey Christ, and then we must not go against them. “Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves” (Romans 14:22). “And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ” (Philippians 1:9-10).