Some material adapted from Discipleship Defined
“I have the right to
do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do
anything”—but not everything is constructive. No one should seek their own
good, but the good of others. 1
Corinthians 10:23-24
Dictionary.com defines gray area as an undefined situation or
subject that does not seem to conform to known categories or rules; an
intermediate area or topic that is not clearly defined. A gray area is a very dangerous place,
especially for a Christian. It seems
like a gray area is a place we can shape however we want to. There are no real rules or definitions. We set the boundaries and rules the way we
want to.
Some situations we face in life have clear cut black or white
choices. We immediately know what the
right or wrong answer is. Murder,
stealing, or committing adultery are wrong.
There is no question about those issues.
Sometimes, however, the answer is not so evident. It is not always easy to discern which choice
is right or wrong. Not everything is
specifically addressed in the Bible and these things can be cloudy and gray to
us. Gray areas are issues that Scripture
does not take a dogmatic stance on, or at the very least, issues that Scripture
does not discuss in depth. Instead, the
Bible gives Christians the liberty to make God-glorifying decisions based on
their convictions.
Some examples of gray areas are drinking, dating, music,
clothing, gambling, dancing, etc. These
topics, among some others, are either not discussed in scripture or are
discussed only briefly. Debates about
some of these areas have caused serious dissention between believers,
individuals, communities, and churches.
Some disagreements come from differing interpretations and
preferences. When we begin making our
own preferences, the rule by which we judge all people, problems will
arise. For example, the Bible does not
specifically say that kissing before marriage is a sin. If one person decides to refrain from kissing
until marriage, are they more right than the person who believes it is ok to
kiss on the second date? The problems
can arise when judge others by the standards we create for ourselves in gray
areas.
Our Own
Slippery Slope
Sometimes, as Christians, we create our own gray areas that
are not really gray areas at all. We can
be masters of justifying our own sins by making up our own rules and
definitions. We can make exceptions for
ourselves in order to shake off the guilt of continuing in sin that we really
know is wrong. Satan is a master of
helping us in this pretense. He wants us
to fail. He wants us to make excuses and
to keep the sin going in our lives.
Guidelines
for Gray Areas – Five things to consider
- Is it a sin? – If the Bible teaches that it is a sin, then it is a sin.
Turn away!
- Does it negatively affect another Christian? – Is this going to cause another
Christian to stumble? This is an
unselfish choice that God calls us to make. It may not be wrong but if it causes
another to stumble, don’t do it!
- Does It Affect Your Testimony To Unbelievers? – We are called as Christians to
positively affect unbelievers. It
is our responsibility.
- Does it go against your conscience? – What is your gut
instinct? Usually a Christian has a kneejerk
reaction to right and wrong. You
really know whether something is right or wrong, even if you choose to
ignore the warning coming from inside.
Don’t ignore your conscience!
God gave you that still small voice for a reason! Our conscience is
just a guide, not a court of last appeal.
You can talk yourself into a clear conscience and still be wrong in
the sight of God but it is a guide that God has given you for a
purpose.
- Is It Unwise? – Biblical wisdom is both religious and practical. Seek biblical wisdom and apply it in
your every decision.
Scripture to
Claim:
But because of his great love for us, God, who
is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in
transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. Ephesians 2:4-5
