Dr. Jack L. Arnold Equipping
Pastors International Questionable
Practices
DEFINITION. A
doubtful thing or questionable practice is an act, not sinful in itself nor specifically commanded against in Scripture, but which
may become sinful for the individual Christian if practiced or abused.
A
doubtful thing deals with a religious scruple and the Bible does not speak
for or against it in any way. It falls into gray areas or things in between that the Bible
neither commands nor condemns.
MAJOR PASSAGES. I Cor. 6:12; 8:1-13; 10:10-33; Rom.
14:1-15:3
Biblical
Times: In the New Testament, which
covered the time during the first century of the Church, there were only three
areas of questionable practices: 1) Observing Jewish religious days; 2)
Drinking wine; and 3) Eating meat which had been sacrificed to idols. It is
obvious that in the last two thousand years the Church has added many more
questionable practices to the list due to cultural considerations.
Modern
Times: A representative list of these
questionable practices in modern times are things like smoking, use of alcohol,
dancing, cosmetics, womenÕs dress, braided hair, menÕs dress, body piercing and
tattoos, television, movies, card playing, wearing jewelry, meat sacrificed to
idols, etc. Some extreme groups hassle over selling grapes to wineries, working
for a brewery, the use of the eye and hook instead of buttons and mixed
bathing. Probably the most controversial of all questionable practices is
contemporary music, and the use of that kind of music in worship.
Problem. Most
Christians today do not have a proper biblical perspective concerning sin in
their lives. Many see sin only as outward acts, such as smoking, drinking,
dancing, movies, etc. They limit sin to a few external ÒtaboosÓ or Òno, noÓ
rules and feel that they have arrived spiritually because they do not practice
these things. Actually the Bible does not speak out directly against any of the
so-called taboos. They all fall into the area of doubtful things.
It may be shown that some of the
doubtful things may not be good for a Christian to practice, but it cannot be
proven from any positive statement in the Bible. The area of doubtful things
must ultimately be solved on the basis of biblical principles, for it is
obvious that the Scripture is deliberately silent on these areas. Had God
wanted to command against these doubtful things, He would have, but the writers
of the Bible, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, are led to be
deliberately silent about them. Since the Bible is
silent on these issues, we can have opinions on them but we cannot be dogmatic
from any Scriptural position. We must not be presumptuous in judging someone in
these areas. These issues are not for others to settle for us, but for each
Christian to settle for himself.
Biblical Position on Sins. Where
the Bible speaks, Christians are to speak and where the Bible is silent,
Christians are to be silent or at least gracious. There are many areas in which
the Bible does speak out loud and clear and these things are always wrong no
matter when they are done or where they occur. For example, it is wrong to
steal, lie, get drunk, gossip, have a critical spirit, be jealous, express
anger, slander, display bitterness, envy, hate, prejudice. Premarital and
extramarital sex is never right. Homosexuality and lesbianism is sin. A failure
to read GodÕs Word, pray, give monies and witness is
always wrong. (Prov. 6:16-19; Col. 3:5,8; Gal. 5:19; Prov. 23:21). When Christians do these things (or any
sin mentioned in the Bible) they know they are wrong and their
consciences as well as the Bible tells them they are sinning.
Freedom and Moral Law. Christians often confuse freedom and
moral law and freedom and questionable practices. Christians are spiritually set free
in Christ. So if the Son
sets you free, you will be free indeed (John 8:36). They are set free from the guilt, penalty and
dominion of sin. You have
been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness (Rom.
6:18). They are free from
the condemnation of the Mosaic Law and the Law as a total rule of life. For sin shall not be your master,
because you are not under law, but under grace (Rom. 6:14). The Christian is spiritually
free in Christ and is as free as one can possibly be in this sin cursed
world. For he who was a
slave when he was called by the Lord is the LordÕs
freedman; similarly, he who was a free man when he was called is ChristÕs slave
(1 Cor. 7:22).
However,
spiritually free people in Christ are still bound by the moral law of God that
consists of all the moral commands of the Old Testament, Jesus and the
Apostles. They are never free to
break the moral law by lying, drunkenness, gossip, jealousy, anger, slander,
bitterness, envy, hate, prejudice, murder, premarital sex, extra-marital sex,
or failure to keep the LordÕs Day, read the Bible, pray tithe, witness or
whatever standard the moral law sets for Christians. In Christ, Christians are described as slaves of
righteousness and God. You
have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness (Rom.
6:18). But now that you have been
set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to
holiness, and the result is eternal life (Rom. 6:22). Therefore Christians can never be indifferent about
the absolutes in the moral law.
With
freedom in Christ comes responsibility and limitations. Freedom demands a different kind of
life. What shall we say
then? Shall we continue in sin
that grace may abound?
Certainly not (Rom. 6:1)!
Pursue . . . holiness, without which no one will see the Lord . . .
(Heb. 12:14).
Freedom
and Questionable Practices. Christians have freedom in the area of
questionable practices, but are to use their freedom responsibly in wisdom and
love. Everything is
permissible for me—but not everything is beneficial (1 Cor. 6:12).
The Weaker Brother.
The weaker brother has
religious opinions based on his background that affect his conscience,
prohibiting him from freely engaging in certain questionable practices because
to do so would be sin for him. He
may not be weak in theological knowledge but is weak in conscience in the area
of some questionable practice. To
have a weak conscience is not sin but it is spiritual immaturity in the
questionable practice under consideration. The weaker brother under no circumstances should ever
violate his conscience. As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully
convinced that no food is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it
is unclean (Rom. 14:14). And
everything that does not come from faith is sin (Rom. 14:23). His motto must always be: ÒWhen
in doubt, donÕt!Ó
The Legalistic Brother. A Christian can become a legalist about questionable
practices by insisting all Christians conform to his opinions of conscience in
questionable practices. The
legalistic brother is not to bind or judge another manÕs conscience, knowing
each will give an account to the Lord for his own actions. You, then, why do you judge your
brother? Or why do you look down
on your brother? For we will all
stand before GodÕs judgment seat (Rom. 14:10).
The legalistic brother is in sin for a judgmental
attitude. He needs to have his
bound conscience freed up to enjoy all or some questionable practices, or at
least tolerate those who have freedom to do things that he cannot do.
The
Libertine Brother. In
questionable practices, it is easy to go to extremes. A libertine brother often abuses liberty by getting as close
as possible to breaking the moral law without actually doing so. There is no setting aside of rights for
the weaker brother. And his battle
cry is, ÒI have my Christian liberties and I wonÕt give them up for any
narrow minded, immature legalist!Ó
He will flaunt his liberties in order to make the point that he is really
free. The libertine brother is in sin when he despises the weaker brother, or
when he pushes his freedom to the maximum breaking the moral law.
The Stronger Brother. The stronger brotherÕs conscience appreciates his
liberty in Christ and is not bound by legalistic restraints. He is free but will voluntarily limit
his freedom if it causes a weaker brother to stumble. It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do
anything else that will cause your brother to fall (Rom. 14:21). The strong, balanced brother,
who understands Christian liberty, will gladly set aside his liberty for the
weaker brother. He will use his
liberties in private without boasting publicly about them. So whatever you believe about
these things keep between yourself and God (Rom. 14:22). He will not destroy a weaker
brother (1 Cor. 8:11) or the work of God (Rom. 14:20) for a momentary pleasure
from some questionable practice.
Love rules the balanced brother.
Therefore if food (any questionable practice) makes my brother
stumble, I will never eat meat (do any questionable practice) again, lest I
make my brother stumble (1 Cor. 8:13).
WHEN DOES A DOUBTFUL THING
BECOME SIN?
When
a Christian is personally convicted in his own conscience that a particular
doubtful thing is sin for him. As
one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in
itself. But if anyone regards
something as unclean, then for him it is unclean (Rom. 14:14). But the man who has doubts is condemned
if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not
come from faith is sin (Rom. 14:23). A Christian should never do anything
his conscience says is wrong, even though there is no Scriptural basis to
indicate it is sin. The danger is that the convicted believer will try to force
his opinions on other Christians, resulting in a form of Christian legalism.
When
a Christian is practicing a doubtful thing that causes his weaker brother to
stumble in his Christian walk. It
is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause
your brother to stumble (Rom. 14:21).
When
a Christian practices a doubtful thing and the unbeliever makes an issue out of
it. If some unbeliever invites
you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without
raising questions of conscience.
But if anyone says to you, ÒThis has been offered in sacrifice,Ó then do
not eat it, both for the sake of the man who told you and for conscience
sake—the other manÕs conscience, I mean, not yours (1 Cor. 10:27-28).
When
a doubtful thing gets a mastery over the Christian and he is brought under its
authority. Everything is
permissible for me—but I will not be mastered by anything (1 Cor. 6:12). If the
Christian becomes addicted to TV, tobacco, alcohol, coffee, tea or cokes, he is
brought under its power and that is sin.
Principle of Liberty (1 Cor. 6:12;
10:23). All doubtful things are lawful for the
Christian to practice. There are
things a Christian can do that will not hurt him personally or disturb his own
relationship with God.
Questionable practices will not cause a Christian to fail his Lord in
any way, for we know Òthe earth is the
LordÕs and the fullness thereofÓ (1 Cor. 10:23), and the Christian has
freedom and liberty in Christ (Gal. 5:1).
Principle of Love (Rom. 14:13, 21; 1 Cor 8:9). Because of the strong (mature)
brotherÕs love for a weaker (immature) brother (often times the weaker brother
is legalistic), he will forego his rights and freedom in order to help the
weaker brother understand grace, keep him from stumbling and be constantly
thinking of the unity and peace of the Body of Christ. The stronger brother, advanced in the
application of doctrine, refrains from doing certain things, not because they
are inherently wrong but because he wants to help other believers and not
hinder them. The mature believer
has liberty but he is to temper that liberty with love (Gal. 5:13).
Principle of Expediency (1 Cor. 6:12). This principle seems to apply mainly to
the unsaved world. There are
certain rights a believer has but he willingly gives them up that he might not
ruin his testimony with the lost.
A mature Christian refrains from doing certain things, not because they
are wrong but because they offend an unbeliever and keep him from seeing the
true issue in salvation, which is Jesus Christ and His work on the Cross.
Principle of Edification (I Cor. 10:23). While all questionable
practices are lawful, it may not be wise to do them if the action tears down
rather than builds up the weaker brother. Any action that hinders the growth of another believer is not
edifying the Church of Jesus Christ.
Principle of Mastery (1 Cor. 6:12). While the Christian has
the liberty to practice any doubtful thing, if in practicing it, he is brought
under its mastery and power, and in any way becomes addicted even in the
slightest, then he must forsake the practice. If the practice leads to a habit that brings the Christian
under its control such as addiction to nicotine, alcohol or caffeine, this is
obviously is no longer Christian liberty but a breaking of the moral law of
God. What is an addiction? There is physiological addiction when a person says, ÒI can quit the habit
any time I want.Ó But in reality
the person cannot quit and does not want to quit (the body requires the
substance). There is also
psychological addiction when a person says, ÒI can quit whenever I want and
have done so on occasion to prove it, but I do not want to quit because it is a
pleasurable experience.Ó The
personÕs body does not require the substance, but the mind and emotions really
want it.
Principle of GodÕs Glory (1 Cor. 10:31). Can a Christian eat or
drink or whatever he does (any questionable practice) and do it all for the
glory of God? The moral law of God
must still govern oneÕs freedom in questionable practices. A Christian should ask, ÒCan I take
Christ with me in whatever questionable practice I choose to do?Ó
SOCIAL PROBLEMS DUE TO WRONG UNDERSTANDING OF
QUESTIONABLE PRACTICES.
Attitudes. The
problem of questionable practices is as much a matter of attitude as it is
theological understanding. Certain
Christian personalities either lean towards legalism or libertinism. The key is to get biblically balanced.
Pride. Most people, who do not practice
certain questionable practices, generally are very proud people. The reason for this is their lack of
understanding of what sin really is.
Many Christians raised in a Christian home
(which is a tremendous advantage) or are from a ÒchurchyÓ background, have
grown up in a sheltered environment and often times redefine sin. There are two basic reactions to this
sheltered existence. First is rebellion. Young Christians often react negatively
to all the taboos, and when he/she is out from under the wing of parents there
is rebellion. Perhaps the person
has equated Christianity with legalism and throws Christ out with the
taboos. Second is a Pharisaical
attitude. A person goes along
with the legalism, developing a Òholier than thouÓ attitude towards
others. These Christians can
easily get puffed up with pride.
Often
the proud Christian finds it very difficult to understand a person who has been
marvelously saved out of the world system but does not shed certain habits
immediately after conversion. Many
times these self-righteous Christians will not accept the fact that a person
has been saved unless the behavior pattern in doubtful things of the new
convert is totally changed.
Cultural Differences. There is always a cultural pattern on doubtful things, and this will vary with the geographical location. Wherever the country or whatever the culture, the Christian must approach the Scriptures honestly and objectively on the subject of questionable practices, asking himself, ÒWhat does the Bible teach? What are my prejudices and how do these compare with the clear teachings of the Word of God?Ó