Think of all the sports or hobbies you can love. Think of all the music you can love with no raunchy or vulgar lyrics – Southern Gospel, traditional hymns, classical, jazz, some country, and probably some others I’m not thinking of. And, there’s and others among the songs about Christ. Now, think of all the types of books you can like, that don’t have sex, violence, or bad words. There are a lot. Maybe more old time ones than today, but there are still quite a few of all of these.
That’s just a few of the different things that we can have within the body of Christ. Philippians 4:8, which we discussed earlier, doesn’t just have 1-2 things in it. Indeed, “if there be any virtue, if there be any praise” cuts a wide pattern.
While we need to accept those who differ, they – and we – have a duty, though. We have a duty not to lead others astray.
Paul tells the Corinthians and Roman believers this as it relates to meats which were dedicated to idols. (Romans 14, last part of 1 Corinthians 10) He said eating it was okay, but it might lead some believers to think about those false items of worship.
Here is a modern example. A wonderful, Godly woman was a Sunday School teacher for over forty years after she was saved. She never drank in the 40+ years from the time she was saved till she died. In fact, she never went into a restaurant with a bar in it. If she was invited to one, she wouldn’t go.
Why? Because she had been saved out of that lifestyle. Others had a duty not to tempt her, and they didn’t.
Some people can be saved out of alcoholism and not be tempted at all by going into a bar. However, they should never tempt God by starting to drink.
Paul sums it up nicely in 1 Corinthians 10:23, when he says that he’s allowed to do everything, but not everything is expedient. Not everything is going to help him, and so he’s not going to do what doesn’t help. That’s an important lesson to learn, because of the one place where you will find not only a huge number of people, but a system that says that speaks so much of our freedom. That place is the school. Since many who read this will be students, or at least be leading other students, here are some tips regarding surviving in that environment.
