Morning Devotional
July 23, 2005
"Freedom in Christ" (Part 4)     
    by Don Emmitte

"How terrible it will be for you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are careful to tithe even the tiniest part of your income, but you ignore the important things of the law--justice, mercy, and faith. You should tithe, yes, but you should not leave undone the more important things. Blind guides! You strain your water so you won't accidentally swallow a gnat; then you swallow a camel!” (Matthew 23:23-24 NLT).

 

Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees in our reading this morning. He was referring to their efforts to hold on to the law by fasting, while they allowed people around them to starve to death. They obeyed the surface of the law, but inside, their hearts were wicked towards other people. This is the same principle we must use to apply to the gray areas we face in our spiritual life.

 

So far in this series we have seen that as Christians we have tremendous freedom. I don’t believe that everything the tradition of man has said is wrong is wrong for a Christian. There are gray areas in which it is more difficult to discern right from wrong. We have identified three steps in answering these gray areas: First, does it violate God’s written Word? Second, does it go against the moral compass inside you of the Holy Spirit? And, third, will it cause another Christian’s faith to stumble?

 

The final step, I believe, is to look for the deeper truth of the issue. Which decision will cause the greater good for the Kingdom of God? This may be the most difficult test, but the most important. Our purpose as Christians is to glorify God with our lives. We are to be living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to the Lord. We are to have the minds of Christ and strive to find out what pleases the Lord. (Romans 12:1, Philippians 2:5, Ephesians 5:10) If this is our end goal, then we can ask ourselves which path best accomplishes this purpose.

 

If you are facing a “gray area” decision, ask yourself, which of these two decisions will best bring glory to God in my life? Which will best make my heart more like Jesus Christ? Which will best impact the Kingdom of God for good? That may indeed be the correct decision to make. You may be free to make either decision. Your gray area may not violate Scripture. It may not go against your moral compass and it might not cause another believer to stumble in their faith. While all those may be true, what decision is the deeper truth of the issue? What will bring the greatest good to God’s Kingdom and your spiritual life?

 

Next time you are faced with making a decision and there appears to be two equally good choices, try applying these gray area tests to the choices and see if God will direct you to the best decision.