- go or not go to a particular movie? Read or pass on a particular N.Y. Best Seller listed book?
- make a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ decision on the job today?
- say something to my friend, or keep my mouth shut?
- buy that car or motor cycle? New or used? …OR wait?
- drink or not drink alcohol with tonight’s dinner? Pork, vegetarian or steak main course?
- do or not do “this or that” in bed with my spouse? (…yep, thought this’d get your attention)
God gives us such freedom to live and love! And we’ve found this freedom through the application of these 2 verses above (as we try our best to live out Mk. 12:30-31, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength…and love your neighbor as yourself.”) Oh sure, it’s much easier to live in a legalistic rule box, where everything has a yes/no answer…but that’s not true freedom. Nor is it where we find deepest intimacy with our Lord.
For us, deepest intimacy with God happens when all perceptions all my past experiences are held out with open hands to Jesus…when every little tiny decision in daily living is worked out with God and becomes likened to breathing…when we ask His advice into everything and everyone we encounter, and fully expect that there will be areas where God says, “NO!”. (In our intimacy with God we understand that these “no’s” are something to be embraced because they’re for our protection, freedom and joy ~~not skirted as if God’s trying to keep us from ‘real fun’ as the devil wants us to think.)
Question: Regarding the above Corinthian verses, what is meant by “permissible”? Answer in short: Anything God has not recorded in His Word as a “no”. Stated differently, if God doesn’t say “no”, He is saying that it is permissible…but perhaps it’s not beneficial and/or constructive (vertically or horizontally).
This is the first step. If the question at hand passes the first test (is this permissible?), the next questions are:
- How does this affect my relationship with God? How does this affect the other person(s) walk with God? (vertical relationship)
- How does this affect my relationship with my friend? My friend with me? (horizontal relationship)
- Is this beneficial to our relationship? (vertical and horizontal)
- Is this constructive to our relationship? (vertical and horizontal)
- Is this going to produce any negative “triggers” to myself? To my friend?
- Am I mastered by this? Is my friend struggling with being mastered by this?
Based on the answers to these quick questions, we get either a green light or a U-turn sign. And when we choose to obey this sign, our intimacy with God then skyrockets, and He throws inexpressible freedom, joy, adventure, love and abundant LIFE to boot!
We’ll expand on this in future messages, but pray this helps you as much as it’s helped us through the years! Love to each of you.
