In God's Corner
I mentioned in an earlier post that my dad played saxophone in a dance band at a time when his church considered both activities immoral and objectionable. Thirty years later that was no longer true. Is this kind of thing going on today? I'm sure it is. How then can we as God's people know when we should follow our church's teachings, and when not? In other words, how can we be sure we are in God's corner?
We can look first to see what the Bible says about the issue. In my dad's case, I noticed that the Israelites in King David's time used musical instruments and dancing as well as singing to worship the Lord. The Lord was pleased because they were praising him in so doing. So this kind of music can't always be wrong. At the same time, activities need to be judged by the motives of the people involved. This may have been the church's concern in Dad's time. Dancing in particular has historically been a means of expressing beauty and pursuing harmless fun, but it can turn provocative and sensuous. When used in such a manner, obviously it is not be God- pleasing because it tempts others to sin. Sometimes I wonder if wrong motives aren't the greatest offenses we committed Christians have to deal with in our lives. It is so easy to let things slip by us until we realize suddenly we are in hot water.
If the Bible is not clear about a topic, sometimes we can use the values God shows us in the Scriptures to determine his will. For instance, we know he is a good God and that he loves people, holds all of life precious, and favors harmonious relationships between people. The Ten Commandments show us he is a God of justice and fair play. These can be guidelines for us in determining his will.
Unfortunately, sometimes even that is not enough. When the Lord does not come out clearly on an issue and we can't find appropriate guidelines, I think that is a message in itself. Today I would put abortion, homosexuality, and the death penalty in this category. I believe thorny issues like this bring the Lord more closely into our lives, and thus are in their own way blessings from him. Until the Lord shows us more clearly what his will is on these topics, I suggest we all hold them in suspension, respecting one another's viewpoints and not judging. He has called those of us who are his people to present a united front to the world. This he has made clear, for he asked for it three times in John, Chapter Seventeen. We can all disagree and still speak as one.
We don't have to know all there is to know about everything. We don't have to think alike in order to get along. Some items we can tuck into a corner of our minds and call it "God's Corner." And if he never makes it clear, does it really matter?
From my corner,
Margaret
We can look first to see what the Bible says about the issue. In my dad's case, I noticed that the Israelites in King David's time used musical instruments and dancing as well as singing to worship the Lord. The Lord was pleased because they were praising him in so doing. So this kind of music can't always be wrong. At the same time, activities need to be judged by the motives of the people involved. This may have been the church's concern in Dad's time. Dancing in particular has historically been a means of expressing beauty and pursuing harmless fun, but it can turn provocative and sensuous. When used in such a manner, obviously it is not be God- pleasing because it tempts others to sin. Sometimes I wonder if wrong motives aren't the greatest offenses we committed Christians have to deal with in our lives. It is so easy to let things slip by us until we realize suddenly we are in hot water.
If the Bible is not clear about a topic, sometimes we can use the values God shows us in the Scriptures to determine his will. For instance, we know he is a good God and that he loves people, holds all of life precious, and favors harmonious relationships between people. The Ten Commandments show us he is a God of justice and fair play. These can be guidelines for us in determining his will.
Unfortunately, sometimes even that is not enough. When the Lord does not come out clearly on an issue and we can't find appropriate guidelines, I think that is a message in itself. Today I would put abortion, homosexuality, and the death penalty in this category. I believe thorny issues like this bring the Lord more closely into our lives, and thus are in their own way blessings from him. Until the Lord shows us more clearly what his will is on these topics, I suggest we all hold them in suspension, respecting one another's viewpoints and not judging. He has called those of us who are his people to present a united front to the world. This he has made clear, for he asked for it three times in John, Chapter Seventeen. We can all disagree and still speak as one.
We don't have to know all there is to know about everything. We don't have to think alike in order to get along. Some items we can tuck into a corner of our minds and call it "God's Corner." And if he never makes it clear, does it really matter?
From my corner,
Margaret
