Are We Asking the Wrong Questions? (Part 2)

We discussed last week the problem we as Christians often have with asking the wrong questions (and I include myself in that statement).  Let me remind you that Paul’s admonition to us to “not conform” is accompanied by the key to success in that endeavor, the “renewing of your mind.”  We have to think differently than the world around us if we are going to fulfill Jesus’ mandate in Matthew 5:13-16 to be salt and light.  In that passage Jesus also warns against salt that has lost its effectiveness and light that has been hidden.  This happens when we begin to absorb the culture around us rather than transforming it through a life lived by the radically different guidelines established in God’s Word. 

So let’s take a look at a few more of the “right questions” we should be asking ourselves (and I will continue to borrow from Mr. Kennedy’s format in asking them):

My fellow Christians, ask not “Does my conscience bother me when it comes to (insert an action here)?” – ask “Does (insert same action here) violate any commands or principles of God’s Word?”

How often do we make the mistake of assuming that if our conscience is not bothered by an act we commit then it must mean that act is acceptable to God.  Truth is, our consciences can be very faulty.  This is because our conscience (that voice inside our head directing our moral decisions) is largely the byproduct of the environment in which we’ve been raised.  The Bible makes clear the unreliable nature of our conscience.  Hebrews 9:14 speaks of the need to have our consciences cleansed.  In 1 Corinthians 4:4 Paul makes an astounding statement – “My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent….”  He goes on to state that “it is the Lord who judges me.”  We have already discussed the fact that the criteria for making decisions in our life is not “Will this keep me out of heaven?”  Now we find another criteria often utilized by believers being challenged by scripture.  The basis for our moral choices must not be “Do I feel guilty about this?”  While “let your conscience be your guide” is the best those without Christ can do, we as believers have a much more reliable source.  We have the benefit of the Holy Spirit sitting in the director’s chair of our life and guiding our every choice.  It is this voice we need to be listening for and to, and this voice speaks to us primarily through the scriptures (not as a little man with wings sitting on our shoulder!).  This, of course, requires us as believers to be in the Word on a regular basis in order that the Spirit within us might reveal the mind of God within it. It is dangerous to make decisions based on “Well, I think….” or “I feel that…” – truth is, what you or I think or feel doesn’t really matter.  What matters is “Well, God’s Word says….”  Only this will insure our thinking is right and our choices are a reflection of the Jesus we love!

May I venture to pose one last incorrect question to ponder (I hope you said yes because I’m going to go ahead with it!):

My fellow Christians, ask not “Will (insert action here) hurt my relationship with Christ?” – ask “Will (insert same action here) do anything to hinder those around me in their relationship with Christ?”

Some of you may remember the song from the 1960’s in which Simon and Garfunkel declare “I am a rock, I am an island.”  Unfortunately this isolationist mentality is often encouraged in our culture today.  We praise “rugged individualism” and foster a “me against the world” approach to life.  This causes our moral choices to be all about what’s right “for me”, what makes “me” happy, what’s in it “for me”.  As believers we can’t live that way.  We’ve been called to put the best interests of others ahead of our own.

If a choice I make offends a brother or sister in Christ or causes them to stumble in their walk with Him, it is my problem not just theirs!  If my decision to compromise in some area of my life causes someone else’s view of Christ to become more dim, it is my problem.  And don’t be fooled, every moral choice we make either serves to bring Jesus into greater clarity for those around us or further clouds their view of Him. 

The right questions….can you imagine if believers across our nation began not only asking them but answering them honestly?  What would happen?  I don’t profess to be a prophet, but I’m pretty sure it’s safe to say that local churches would be radically transformed (many would shrink in numbers!).  A greater purity would bring greater power and genuine revival would result (and God would cause the church to grow rather than man!).  But remember, “believers across our nation” starts with you, starts with me.  One believer at a time daring to ask the right questions, answer them honestly and act accordingly can start a fire of revival that the “gates of Hades will not overcome”!  Will you, will I, be the spark to ignite that flame?

Clark Hausman

Pastor of Moyock Assembly of God