To Do or Not To Do the Dubious
Please stand with me as we go over our current memory Scripture:
Titus 3:3-5
“At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.
“But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.”
And our memory Scripture “refresher” verse is:
Galatians 5:22-23
“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
Today we will be reading from 2 Timothy 2:22 - 3:5
Dubious - fraught with uncertainty or doubt …
Have you ever noticed that some people seem to conduct their lives without any doubt or uncertainty? It seems as if they have everything figured out. It is as if their life shouts, “This is right and that is wrong and if you had any brains you would agree with me.”
In their lives there are no gray areas only pure certainty about each and every situation.
Is life really that simple?
With that in mind let’s go ahead and read 2 Timothy 2:22 - 3:5
(Prayer for help)
In last Sunday’s SS Class, part of the lesson that Carol was teaching had to do with gray areas of morality in a Christian person’s life.
We all know that it is righteous to love others in a self sacrificially way, and, we all know that it is wrong to murder someone. But, what about a gray area of morality? If I’m not murdering the person, is it OK to kick someone in the shin “out of love” once in a while?
I realize that is a silly example
In the Scripture we read this morning we saw a pretty definite line of how we, as devoted followers of Jesus Christ should behave.
2 Timothy 2:22
“Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”
So, what does that first phrase say?
2 Timothy 2:22
“FLEE THE EVIL DESIRES OF YOUTH …”
Flee: “to run away often from danger or evil”
Do you think the Holy Spirit prompted Paul to use the word “flee” for a reason? Yes, He did. That’s why it is there!
Have you ever noticed how the “gray areas” of morality are often the first tiny steps in the wrong direction?
Suppose you are standing in the end zone of a football field. That end zone is salvation. That end zone is the security of living in fellowship with God Himself and with others who love Him.
In the end zone on the far end of the football field is the world, those enslaved in sin, those who are “free to do whatever they want to do”, those who are “blazing their own trail”, those who are living “the good life.”
From the end zone of salvation you start glancing toward the end zone of sin. It looks so appealing. They are having such fun. After a while you are not just glancing at the end zone of sin but you are desiring what they have.
It certainly wouldn’t hurt for you to get a little closer so you could get a better look. Perhaps you could get close enough so you could be a witness to those who are heading that way.
Perhaps it would be OK to flirt with that guy at work a little bit, he probably doesn’t know Jesus and his wife is not treating him right.
Perhaps it would be OK for me to have just a little sip of wine each night before I go to bed. What could it hurt?
Perhaps I could watch a movie where there is only partial nudity and I can fast forward through the “love” scenes even though I know the movie is glamorizing the “romance” of an unwed couple.
Perhaps I don’t really need to report the money I made from the job I did on the side to the IRS.
They’ll never know …
And then the “perhaps” starts taking on a different perspective …
Perhaps I don’t really need to read the Bible and pray every day.
Perhaps I don’t really need to gather for worship every Sunday.
Eventually, the “perhaps” disappear …
Gathering to worship Jesus turns into “going to church”.
There IS a big difference between the two …
If I go to church once or twice a month that’s plenty. It’s a lot more than most people do.
Eventually it turns into Christmas and Easter and that’s only if Christmas does not fall on a Sunday.
And, finally, you end up in the far end zone and you find that what looked so good from the “end zone of salvation” was really re-enslavery to sin.
That is why the Lord instructed Paul to write, “Flee the desires of youth …”
Don’t go into that gray area of morality.
Don’t dip your toe into the whirlpool of sin, it will suck you under.
If you are going into a place that has no other objective than to promote sin don’t say you are going there in order to be a witness for Jesus unless you are fully committed to Jesus and are fully convinced that He has instructed you to go.
“Stepping out in faith” does NOT apply to morally dubious decisions.” If you fall into sin, it will be your own fault!
James 1:13-15 says,
“When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”
So, we see the warnings from the Bible, “Flee the evil desires of youth” and that if you fail to do so it will, “(give) birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to (spiritual) death.”
All, excuses to venture into morally “gray” areas have one thing in common; “this is something I just want to do, it’s for me, not for you” and without coming out and actually saying so, it’s not for God either.
Before we come to know Jesus as our Savior we are basically driven by self-desire; how is this going to affect me. If I do this will it help me or hurt me? And, decisions are based upon the answer to that question.
When we come to know Jesus as our Savior everything gets turned upside down. A great reorganization happens in our lives. We have new priorities. A new set of questions drive our decision making.
Will this action be pleasing or displeasing to the Lord?
Will this action benefit or bring harm to the kingdom of God?
Will this action be a benefit to or bring harm to a fellow believer?
Will this action enhance or damage my witness for Jesus?
The decisions made in the world are upside-down when compared to the decisions made in the kingdom of God.
When we start making morally dubious decisions as Christians we become upside-down to the kingdom of God which is upside-down to the world and that makes us look just like the world.
Is that what we want? When we who call ourselves Christians end up in Gamblers Anonymous, or in AA, or in divorce court, or in bankruptcy court what is the world to think?
Why do we need Jesus, they are just like us!
When the person, who is supposed to be upside-down to the world becomes upside-down to he is supposed to be, there IS no difference.
So, how can we keep the allure of gray areas from creeping into our lives?
2 Timothy 2:22
“… PURSUE RIGHTEOUSNESS, FAITH, LOVE AND PEACE, ALONG WITH THOSE WHO CALL ON THE LORD OUT OF A PURE HEART.”
When you are fleeing or running away from “evil desires” you are pursuing or running towards “righteousness, faith, love and peace”. AND, you are NOT running alone. You ARE running “along with those who call on the name of the Lord out of a pure heart.”
You see, it is impossible to run in two opposite directions at the same time.
Either you are moving toward evil desires or righteousness, faith, love and peace.
In which direction do you think a morally gray area will take you?
Proverbs 3:5-8
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.”
Does this sound like an invitation to participate in morally gray actions? Do not be wise in your own eyes? Fear the Lord and shun evil?
Romans 6:22-23
“Now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Have you been set from sin and destined for eternal life? Why would you ever want to even glance back that way?
Romans 12:1-2
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God - this is your true and proper worship.
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is - His good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Have you been transformed by the renewing of your mind?
If so, you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is?
And, what is His will? His will is for you to live a pure and righteous life for His honor and His glory and for the benefit of His kingdom!
Titus 3:3-5
“At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.
“But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.”
If we now know “the kindness and love of God our Savior” who “saved us … because of His mercy” why would we ever want to be “foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved … (living) in malice and envy … being hated and hating one another”?
People often say that God can do anything; there is nothing He cannot do. That is false.
God cannot and will not EVER instruct you to do something sinful or something that could potentially lead you into sin.
So, To Do or to Not Do the Dubious, that is the question …
And, the answer is, do not do the dubious, do not become involved with morally gray actions.
The world needs to see us living holy lives filled with joy in the presence of our Savior. They don’t need to see us getting as close as we can get to the flame of sin just to see if we can do it without getting burned!
Final thoughts …
Benediction and dismissal …
