by

Author & Founder

Elisabeth Freeman

copyright@2003, August

© Copyright 2003 by Grace to You.

One of my joys as a pastor is to guide people through God's Word and explain its implications on their lives. It thrills me to help others by clarifying a point of doctrine, interpreting a difficult verse, or answering any number of other questions. Among the concerns people raise, I can't remember the last time someone asked me if it was wrong to lie, to cheat, to steal, to commit murder, to commit adultery, or to covet. It's also been a long time since anyone wanted to know whether a Christian should read the Bible, pray, or tell others about salvation in Jesus Christ. The Bible is pretty clear about those things.

There is, however, one class of question that falls somewhere in the middle. These are the issues dealing with Christian freedom-things that fall in the "gray" area. What entertainment is acceptable? What kind of music is okay? What can a Christian do or not do on Sunday? What about what you wear, what you eat and drink, or how you spend your free time-does the Bible address those things?

Some would say, "No, the Bible doesn't address them. Do what you want to do-you're free in Christ!" While it is true that the Bible doesn't specifically list every possible decision you'll face in life, it does address all choices with principles that govern Christian freedom. When you run your choices in the "gray areas" through the following grid of principles from God's Word, I trust you'll find both clarity and true freedom to live your life to God's glory.

Will it benefit me spiritually?
All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify. (1 Cor. 10:23)

A "profitable" thing is useful, helpful, or to your advantage to do; and the idea behind "edify" is to build up spiritually. So based on this verse, ask yourself, "Will doing this enhance my spiritual life? Will it cultivate godliness? Will it build me up spiritually?" If not, you should seriously question whether that behavior is the best choice.

Will it bring bondage?
All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything. (1 Cor. 6:12) In the second part of this verse, Paul is saying, "I will not be brought under the power of anything." If what you are considering can be habit forming, why pursue it? Don't allow yourself to be in bondage to anything or anyone. You are a bond-servant of the Lord Jesus Christ, and Him alone.

Will it defile God's temple?
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body. (1 Cor. 6:19-20)
Don't do anything that you know will harm your body or bring shame-it is the only instrument you have to glorify God. Romans 6:13 says, "Present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God." How you choose to use your body should always reflect your concern to honor Jesus Christ.

Will it cause anyone to stumble?
Food will not commend us to God; we are neither the worse if we do not eat, nor the better if we do eat. But take care lest this liberty of yours somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. (1 Cor. 8:8-9)
This is the principle of love. As Romans 13:10 says: "Love does no wrong to a neighbor; love therefore is the fulfillment of the law." If you know that your choice-what you consider "in bounds" and approved-causes another Christian to stumble and sin, love that brother or sister enough to restrict your own freedom. That is not very popular in our self-absorbed society, but it is biblical. To continue to indulge in a legitimate freedom that causes problems for another Christian is a sin. For "by sinning against the brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore," Paul said, "if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, that I might not cause my brother to stumble." (1 Cor. 8:12-13)

Will it further the cause of evangelism?
Give no offense either to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God; just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of the many, that they may be saved (1 Cor. 10:32-33).
Whether you are aware of it, what you allow or disallow in your behavior affects your witness for Christ-and the world is watching. It's an issue of testimony-what your life says about God. Your testimony either tells the truth about God, or it tells a lie. The choices you make in the "gray" areas should reflect your concern not to bring offense to God's reputation but to bring Him praise instead.

Will it violate my conscience?
He who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin (Rom. 14:23).
First Corinthians 10:25 29 contains three references to abstaining from a certain practice "for conscience sake." Never train yourself to violate your conscience. If your conscience is troubled by what you consider, don't do it. If you aren't sure about it, don't do it. It is hard to overstate the value of a clean conscience, but it is worth keeping your conscience clear so that your relationship to God will not be hindered. If you'll keep yourself in prayer and the study of God's Word, you will inform your conscience so you can "walk as children of light...finding out what is acceptable to the Lord" (Eph. 5:8, 10).

Will it bring glory to God?
Therefore, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31).
That verse is clearly both the summary and the goal of all the principles I've shared. Isn't our heart's cry to glorify our Lord and Savior with our lives? Think about your decision-Will He be glorified, honored, and praised through it? May we say along with Jesus, "I glorified You on the earth." (John 17:4)

So what questions do you have? Run them through the principles above and enjoy your freedom in Christ - the freedom to be what He created you to be!

To protect our marriages, we need to make a daily decision to have an affair-proof relationship. This protection builds trust and security--which in turn--melts the ice. Security from marital fidelity is built when we do four important things.

by Michael Smalley, MA

1. Make a Commitment Towards Growth

First, it's extremely important to make a commitment to keep growing in your relationship with your mate. According to my mentor, Dr. Gary Oliver, sexual temptation increases as the satisfaction in the relationship decreases. In other words, the lower the relational happiness the greater the temptation to medicate through some kind of addictive behavior (e.g., sex, alcohol, work, etc.). In order to find out what your relationship needs, ask your mate, "What is something that I could do that would cause our relationship to grow?" I encourage you to begin making a list of the specific things and pick one of them to do on a weekly basis.

2. Becoming Aware of Your Choices

A damaging force working against marital fidelity is rationalization. Today's test for honesty seems to be, "It's okay as long as you don't get caught," or "It's not that bad, every one's doing it." A major battle is won when we stop asking what's wrong with certain choices, and instead, ask what's right with them.

Every day I read a small poem above my computer. This poem has become the key for affair proofing my own marriage.

Our loving and merciful heavenly Father hates sin, not just because it is an offense to Him, but because in His wisdom He knows it can hurt or destroy us, who are the very objects of His love. The Ten Commandments were given to liberate us, not to impose arbitrary rules, but as boundaries to keep us out of trouble and to protect us -- because He cares for us.

Sometime ago I was talking with a dear, beloved minister friend who had left the pulpit. His life had crumbled around him. He was separated and divorced from his wife and all kinds of problems resulted.

I knew him to be a man of the Word, a man of prayer, a man who had unusual gifts and abilities to discern the will of God and who had led thousands of people to Christ. So, as we talked together, I felt led to pointedly ask, "What happened?"

He then quoted that statement you have probably heard, "Sin will keep you from God's Word or God's Word will keep you from sin." He said, "I knew and believed that, but with all the circumstances and all the comings and goings of my life, I more and more ceased to depend on the Lord and His Word, until finally there was little time for God at all. That is when it happened." He then confessed to me how he had fallen into sin.

Oh, dear readers, sin is such a terrible trap. It can seem so attractive, but it is a deadly snare. We must always be on guard by reading and claiming the promises of God's Word, with prayer, "so that you will not fall into temptation" (Luke 24:46, NIV).

Are you struggling with a certain sin? Remember God's words: "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." (Hebrews 12:1).

The Holy Spirit gives this warning, then comforting words, "So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it" (1 Corinthians 10:11-13).

by Crosswalk.com

*Penny Problems*

After tucking their three-year-old child Sammy in bed one night, his
parents heard sobbing coming from his room.

Rushing back in, they found him crying hysterically. He managed to tell
them that he had swallowed a penny and he was sure he was going to die.
No amount of talking was helping.

His father, in an attempt to calm him down, palmed a penny from his
pocket and pretended to pull it from Sammy's ear. Sammy was delighted.

In a flash, he snatched it from his father's hand, swallowed it, and
then cheerfully demanded, "Do it again, Dad!"

*Check Your Bill*

A corporate executive received a monthly bill from the law firm that was
handling a big case for his company. It included hourly billing for
conferences, research, phone calls, fax, photocopying, and everything
but lunch hours.

Unhappy as he was, the executive knew that the company would have to pay
for each of these services.

Then he noticed one item buried in the middle of the list:

"For crossing the street to talk to you, then discovering it wasn't you
at all - $125."

*Dishwasher Repair*

Mrs. Lonefold's dishwasher quit working, so she called a repairman.

He couldn't accommodate her with an evening appointment, and, since she
had to go to work the next day, she told him: "I'll leave the key under
the mat. Fix the dishwasher, leave the bill on the counter, and I'll
mail you the check. By the way, don't worry about my Rottweiler. He
won't bother you. But, whatever you do, do not under *any*
circumstances talk to my parrot!"

When the repairman arrived at Mrs. Lonefold's apartment the next day,
he discovered the biggest and meanest looking Rottweiler he had ever
seen.

But, just like she had said, the dog just lay there on the carpet,
watching the repairman go about his business.

However, the whole time he was there, the parrot drove him nuts with
incessant cursing, yelling, and name-calling. Finally the repairman
couldn't contain himself any longer and yelled: "Shut up, you stupid
ugly bird!!"

To which the parrot replied: "GET HIM, Brutus!!"

*Insanity is my only means of relaxation.

*Forget the health food. I need all the preservatives I can get.

*You're getting old when you get the same sensation from a rocking chair that you once got from a roller coaster.

*My mind not only wanders, sometimes it leaves completely.

*Every time I think about exercise, I lie down until the thought goes away.

*God put me on earth to accomplish a certain number of things. Right now I am so far behind, I will live forever.

*It's frustrating when you know all the answers, but nobody bothers to ask you the questions.

*I finally got my head together, and my body fell apart.

*The older you get, the tougher it is to lose weight, because by then your body and your fat are really good friends.

*Age doesn't always bring wisdom. Sometimes age comes alone.

*Sometimes I think I understand everything, then I regain consciousness.

A first grade teacher collected old, well known proverbs. She gave each kid in her class the first half of a proverb, and had them come up with the rest. These are great:

As You Shall Make Your Bed So Shall You... Mess It Up.

Better Be Safe Than... Punch A 5th Grader.

Strike While The... Bug Is Close.

It's Always Darkest Before... Daylight Savings Time.

Never Under Estimate The Power Of... Termites.

You Can Lead A Horse To Water But.. How?

Don't Bite The Hand That... Looks Dirty.

No News Is... Impossible.

A Miss Is As Good As A... Mr.

You Can't Teach An Old Dog New... Math.

If You Lie Down With The Dogs, You'll... Stink In The Morning.

Love All, Trust.. Me

The Pen Is Mightier Than The... Pigs.

An Idle Mind Is... The Best Way To Relax.

Where There's Smoke, There's... Pollution.

Happy The Bride Who... Gets All The Presents!

A Penny Saved Is... Not Much.

Two's Company, Three's... The Musketeers.

Don't Put Off Tomorrow What... You Put On To Go To Bed.

Laugh And The Whole World Laughs With You, Cry And... You Have To Blow Your Nose.

None Are So Blind As... Helen Keller.

Children Should Be Seen And Not... Spanked Or Grounded.

If At First You Don't Succeed... Get New Batteries.

You Get Out Of Something What You... See Pictured On The Box.

When The Blind Leadeth The Blind... Get Out Of The Way.

There Is No Fool Like... Aunt Eddie.

*Vanity Plates seen on a Mercedes Benz in California . . . WAS HIS

*Wealthy people miss one of life's greatest thrills . . .Making the last car payment.

*The trouble with Sunday drivers is, they don't drive any better during the week.

*If you can't keep a secret, you don't need to know it.

*Quote from the boss: "I didn't say it was your fault. I said I was going to blame it on you."

*If you want the world to beat a path to your door, just try to take a nap on a Saturday afternoon.

*Measure wealth not by the things you have, but by the things you have for which you would not take money.

*When your dreams turn to dust, it's time to vacuum.

*Is your holier side your altar ego?

*I need someone to refresh my memory. How many cars are allowed through an intersection after the light turns red? Is it three or five?