Pastor Paul M. Sadler
Living
the Christian life can be challenging at times. How do we determine
what is acceptable to God when there is no direct command of Christ?”
The
Word of God is always relevant—it transcends the ages! If a particular
matter isn’t dealt with specifically in Paul’s writings, we are to defer
to a broader principle. For example, you may want to ask yourself the
question, will my action or participation in something glorify God? If
you have any reservations whatsoever, you are probably skating on thin
ice. Paul says, “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye
do, do all to the glory of God” (I Cor. 10:31).
Another principle to apply is to “prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil” (I Thes. 5:21,22).
Proving has the sense of putting things to a test. If you are
remodeling an old house and the steps going upstairs look unsafe, you
naturally make sure that the steps will hold your weight before you
attempt to ascend the stairs. We wouldn’t think of placing ourselves in
harm’s way—the same should also be true of our spiritual life.
Test:
Should we take possession of something that is not rightfully ours? To
illustrate, what would you do if you came across a satchel of money
sitting beside a park bench? Often, examining the conduct of a servant
of God in such matters will help determine whether our actions will be
acceptable to the Lord.
When
the Apostle Paul won Onesimus to Christ at Rome he could have reasoned
that since this runaway slave’s slate was wiped clean from past offenses
he would claim him as his own. After all, think how profitable Onesimus
could have been to Paul in the work of the ministry. But Onesimus
rightfully belonged to Philemon, so the aged apostle returned him,
along with a letter, to allow his coworker in the faith to make
that decision. In other words, he didn’t simply assume his friend would
understand, he did what was right. The Lord will handsomely reward Paul
for his good deed at the Judgment Seat of Christ. What would you do if
you found yourself in a similar set of circumstances?
King
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