In my previous paper I wrote about the curse of inclusion, that being, the curse of including things in one’s life that are not forbidden per se, but that may be, if consistently followed through, somewhat troublesome, & the resultant confusion that this kind of thing, at least for me, leads to, or has lead to.
Some of you have responded to me & I sincerely thank you for that! I don’t expect all of you to do so, as we all have different present concerns & a matter like this may seem somewhat trivial & trite to say the least, so don’t, anyone here feel obligated in the slightest.
This second part of my ‘confession’ is to bring some of my findings & further thoughts to the equation! This is the fruit of grappling through these matters with some of you & especially due to the faithful ‘rebukes’ & encouragement of a discerning friend!
What I know is that, as Paul said it, “All things are lawful for me but not all things are profitable”!
That is to say, that it is not so much a matter of law as of benefit or profit!
But ‘profit’ according to whom?
According to me & my self-governed goals & agenda? According to a life I now ‘share with God,’ & the ‘joint ventures’ we, ‘together’ choose to embark upon? Or, as the Word of God plainly states, solely & sufficiently so, according to God?
It’s not merely about what we are allowed to use & not abuse! It is about asking ourselves this question & this one alone;
Does this aid in the glorifying of God, in the extension of His kingdom or not?
Does this movie, not merely teach me about stuff, but does it exalt God in the doing thereof? Does it fuel & fire me for missions? Does it draw me closer to Him – honestly? Does its inclusion & the inevitable & immediate resultant exclusion therefore of other things, justify itself? Am I living for God really? Am I honestly seeking first His kingdom? Is this what Paul & the others would have done? Better, as that little bangle said it, ‘what would Jesus do’?
My point is not to swing again to the other side, even though my heading may give this impression.
My point is to propose a healthy & Biblically & theologically strong & satisfying answer to my own muddle!
Without this second article the impression may be given that I am on a careless & callous trip! I’m not at all! I’m on a sincere (as much as a sinner san say that) mission to find true & God honoring religion! Not a pursed lipped legalism!
To be completely honest with you, the impression I previously gave, of my earlier walk, was of one ‘completely’ legalistic in his ways! This was imbalanced! There were recognizable seasons & moments of this kind of folly, but there were, too, many sincere & truly, & for the right reason, consecrated times!
Now my conclusion to the matter is as follows; we are permitted, in a vacuum, to do most things really! At least allow such terminology if you will give Paul grace with the word’s “all things are permissible”!
But I say ‘in a vacuum’ for the reason that this leads the Apostle to his next phrase, “not all things are profitable”!
That is, as already mentioned, according to God!
What needs to be consulted before we rush headlong into the specifics is the whole matter of context!
We are never in a vacuum!
Our situation is rather grim to say the least! Christ called the world of mere men, that is, those under the sway of Satan, those in whom the god of this world is currently at work etc. etc… an ‘evil & perverse generation’!
Further he said we are, though in this world, not to be of this world! Add to this then the sorely absent doctrine of ‘urgency’ that aught to permeate every pore of those who are Christ’s as it did Himself & His apostles!
Add again to this the whole matter of a ripe harvest & that laborers are few!
Now our goal aught to be, to be sober minded at all times!
This is to say that we aught never to ‘escape from the facts’ for the sake of pleasure! Truth liberates! Love rejoices in the truth! Satan is the father of lies & all that is wrong & erroneous is a son of darkness! So God doesn’t want us to entertain anything that distracts us from the ever present battle!
We will, & I know this for a fact, have greater joy in overcoming our laziness & fear through prayer & the supply of the blessed Spirit &, in turn, going out with other saints to boldly share our faith with all people, than if we watched another time sucking soul ignoring movie!
I’m speaking to those of us that, like me, don’t know how to, in a maximal sense, minimize their use of ‘lawful’ things & so make them, actually, ‘lawless’ in the light of the ‘better’ options in context!
I must speak like this! Because the context & the alternative options that compete for our time, betray the radical inconsistency between us now & us at our best, between us & those saints who were willing to pay the price, & especially, between us & our Savior & Lord!
Incorporate the concept of our context & with that the other possible alternative ways we could better spend our time & that, so as to be refreshed really, & filled with the same joy as were those who landed on such a conviction in the history of God’s dealings with His Church!
It’s not about now! Party starts upstairs! We are simply here to hand out invitations!
This is not a legalism wrapped up in feverish froth!
It’s a sincere challenge to my own soul & yours, to, if not having done so already, shake off the shackles that so easily ensnare us!
All things are good in a sense & are to be used & not abused!
Even Satan has a place in it all! So do drugs & alcohol!
But not all things edify or suit or are fitting or helpful or ‘best’!
We, surely, aught to pursue the best!
To make the most of every opportunity! Not waste time, resources, & our gifts! This, again, isn’t providing us with a protestant ‘Pope’! I don’t here say “Don’t watch movies – period!” But I do say that we, if you are somewhat like me here, must test our liberty against the backdrop of the New Testament ‘sense of urgency’ under which the apostles labored!
There is a place for everything! Granted! But in this place (Earth) there is a great & pressing need that is ever before us! That is the salvation of sinners & the discipleship of the saints! There are more needs than there are laborers to meet them! There are also so many false teachers & ‘luke-warm’ churches that confuse so many! In this light Paul wrote to Timothy, in his second epistle, chapter 4 & verses 1-8 that he, Timothy, must preach the Word…in season & out! That coupled with the fact that he, Paul, was about to be executed & the extra void he would be leaving, humanly speaking, aught to compel young Timothy to even more serious & vigilant labor!
This does not leave us family men with no time for ‘the wife & kids’! & in that time for ourselves to relax & recuperate! But, is your refreshing time ‘refreshing’ you really & that for the battle into which you have been born & from which you need rest so as to again return to?
If you are like me at all then you will at once agree that when you come to your times of family devotions & spend a large part of your prayer time wrestling ‘David Copperfield’ or whatever you have been filling your mind with, out of your head so as to have a decent time of prayer, that this is anything but edifying!
Was there a time in your life when you chose the ‘better thing’ & gave yourself to prayer, meditation & study, or even a good chat about the things that really matter? Was that so unfulfilling that you sensed the great need to ‘balance’ your self out with a little bit of just neutral stuff?
I’m just posing some questions here!
I’m not promoting a legalistic trip at all!
God forbid that we should again be ensnared to the elementary principles of this world! “Don’t touch! Don’t look!” Indeed we are to be innocent concerning evil, not ignorant thereof!
I’m seeking to share with you what I think has helped me in this all & what I assume may aid you as well.
Think on these things!
Let us all spend & be spent for the things pertaining to the kingdom!
Even if that includes the rare movie! (Extremists watch out!)
We are all on a journey! We are all at different places & must honor each others personal walks with the Lord! But at the same time if we see our brothers in need we are obligated from within, if we are saved at all, to lend a helping hand!
If you have anything to challenge my thoughts here please feel free to write me!
I have exposed myself & I love you all for your gracious & wise comebacks!
Surely this is why God gave us the computer!
All my heart longs for is to see the real thing!
May God have mercy on us all & grant a mighty move of His Spirit! May He pour out grace upon grace to guide us in all our viewing & doing!
Praise King Jesus forever & ever more!
Amen!
In His Incomprehensible & infinitely impenetrable love & grace
Glen Thompson
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