Part 3 has arrived, so make sure you know what happened yesterday and then read away.
Another argument against swearing, smoking, drinking or just behaviour that people may classify as "ungodly" is that as Christians we should be showing the world Christ through our lives. Usually the verse which accompanies this argument is Romans 12:2 which states "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind..."
I believe that this argument is half right, but only because it's based on half a verse. The rest of the verse says "...Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will."
This argument raises the question, should we be reflecting Christ at all? My answer to that question is: Yes, but not the way most people believe we should. Many Christians believe that we should become like Christ, and that means that we should become little Christs. Doing what he would do in every circumstance and the like. While I believe that is admirable, how much do we really know about Christ? And where do we draw the line? Do we now say that we need to listen to the same music Christ would? Does this mean that because Christ woke up early in the morning we should too?
For me the answer is an emphatic no. We should, however, be changing our belief system to match Christ's belief system. Based on this belief system we can then make decisions which we believe would match God's good, pleasing and perfect will. That doesn't mean that I should have to pray long and hard as to whether I should choose chicken or beef, but it does mean that I should read the Bible, and based on my adopted principles I should interpret Scripture with integrity, to the best of my ability.
Questions like "would Christ say fuck?" are about as relevant as saying "would Christ listen to speed metal?" because I don't believe we should be trying to recreate the man today, but rather trying to stand for the ideals he stood for.
There are a fair number of Christians who have a big problem with drinking too, but the Bible doesn't actually define drinking as a sin. It does however define it as unwise. And that is something I can wholeheartedly agree on. But why is it unwise? Well, the first thing that jumps to mind is the health factor. The truth is that alcohol is a poison and in large quantities your body doesn't agree.
So if the problem simply comes down to making a wise decision, why is drinking frowned upon, but drinking coffee isn't? The truth is that coffee is about as addictive and about as bad for you in large quantities. Does it really just come down to which one is more socially acceptable? Because if that is the case, then that's an awful argument. If you're prepared to eat McDonald's every day, why aren't you prepared to drink a beer or smoke a cigar.
I'm not saying that excessive drinking should be encouraged, but I am saying that it should come down to a person's choice rather than some random rule that you've decided is Biblical. Excessive drinking or smoking, just like eating McDonald's for every meal, should be seen as an unwise decision made by a person, and that's as far as it should go.
In rare cases I've encountered people who have a problem with Christians going to clubs. Now, the truth is that in one of these cases the man who told me I shouldn't be going to clubs also defined Satanism as having long hair, wearing black, drinking cat's blood and listening to heavy metal. For the most part, the people who draw these conclusions are so conservative they don't believe in different interpretations of the Bible. And in most cases I will hear their argument, and then disregard it without replying simply because they aren't actually open to hearing another view.
But for the record, both of the men who have told me that going to clubs is wrong have used Ephesians 5:1-5 as the basis for their argument. Now, if you remember the context of Ephesians, and you read the text you will quickly find that Paul was speaking to a group of people and encouraging them to ensure that the values and principles from the past were completely abandoned and changed to what Christ's are / were. He's not telling people to avoid sinful environments, but he is telling them to not mix up their past with their future.
Part 4 will be the last part, and will be up tomorrow. Remember, if you disagree or agree feel free to post your views and discuss away...
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