There is great theology in cartoons and comics.As a young boy, I was walking down the highway with several other boys when we discovered some empty beer cans and decided to pick them up to pretend we were drinking. The only problem was the can I picked up had a good deal of beer in it. As I turned it up, it poured down the front of my shirt. I immediately panicked, because I knew I could not go home like that. I felt guilty, although I had not tasted a drop of it. Quick thinking saved the day for me. I walked straight to my big sister’s house. She washed and dried my shirt for me. I was blessed to have sisters to cover for me.
I didn’t know it at the time, but there was good reason for me to feel guilty. The Bible warns us to avoid even the appearance of evil.
1 Thessalonians 5:22 (NKJV)
22 Abstain from every form of evil.
The KJV translates the words “form of evil” as “appearance of evil”. The idea is to avoid anything that even looks evil or takes the shape of evil as well as avoiding evil in general. In my case, I was exposing myself to accusation even though I did not drink the beer. I was exposing myself to the temptation to drink beer and could have influenced another to drink it.
We are warned elsewhere about engaging in behavior that might seem OK to us but could be considered sin by others. In 1 Corinthians 8, Paul warns believers about eating meat that had been offered by pagans to their idols (1 Corinthians 8:1-13). Although the pagan gods are not real, and some Christians see nothing wrong with eating the meat, others would be offended. Paul says you should not eat so as not to offend those persons. This would include a wide array of other activity that we might engage in every day. The first thing many say to that is, “Why should my freedom be limited by the “hang-ups” of others?” Paul gives a good answer.
1 Corinthians 8:9 (NLT)
9 But you must be careful so that your freedom does not cause others with a weaker conscience to stumble.
Such a high view of Christian living requires maturity in the faith and sacrifice, but it can bring tremendous joy. Remember the acronym for JOY – Jesus first, Others second and Yourself last? Sounds a lot like the Lord Himself. There’s no doubt that He will honor such a spirit (Matthew 5:3-16). 03-25-09
www.nlcbchurch.com
Posts
