Shanna Duck "Let a search be made in the royal archives..." Ezra 5:17 NIV

Often it means just that: that the person is going to give you the scripture regarding certain of your actions. In our modern world, there are many new Christians who don't know that while we're saved by grace alone, our actions should reflect the change inside of us. We are to grow in practical holiness (we're already holy positionally in Christ), renew our minds through the Scripture, and everything we do is to honor God. 

Galatians 5 gives us a good idea of some of the things we're to avoid as Christians. These things are fairly clear, and they hit all of us. 

Gal 5: 19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

That being said, there are lots of people who offer "biblical" correction that isn't biblical at all, or that is their particular interpretation. We all tend to cherry-pick the list of things that the New Testament says are wrong, and some people are more sensitive to things than others. Some people avoid anything they perceive to be related to an idol or to witchcraft, Eastern Religions, or ghosts; others may think that women should always wear dresses, or that Christians should never watch television. There are also lots of areas where it may be "wise" for us to personally to avoid certain things (such as window shopping, secular music, or certain magazines that lead us to envy or lust) but these things may not be specifically mentioned in Scripture. 

It takes discernment, prayer, and sometimes the advice of a mature Christian to decide if something is truly a biblical moral failure, OR if someone is just demanding that you live according to the yoke that their conscience demands. We walk a thin line between not giving in to a yoke of bondage, and yet we must never let our "freedom in Christ" turn into either an excuse for immorality or let it lead another person into sin.

March 14 2014 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report