The Gray Areas

From: Leading The Way Ministries - Michael Youssef

Galatians 5:13 "You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love."

How do you handle the "gray areas" of life? If you're like many Christians, you probably struggle with the balance of grace and legalism. You want to please God, yet you're not always sure where the line is between sin and acceptable. How much freedom do we have with regard to behavior not explicitly forbidden in the Word of God?

As Christians, we fall into the temptation of lopsided faith—we either become too legalistic, or we take license with God's grace. Legalism places rules above faith. It says keeping rules is more important than our relationship with God. At the other extreme, too much grace leads to sinfulness and excess, all the while saying "God's grace covers my sin."

We must balance both legalism and grace. When we fully understand the cost of our sin, we choose not to take God's grace for granted. When we fully understand Jesus' sacrifice and love, we begin to cherish our relationship with Him above all else. When we love God with all our heart, soul, strength and mind, we will hate sin and crave a closer relationship with Him.

This balanced faith helps discern how to handle those gray areas of life. But even with balance, we must be cautious in using the freedoms of grace. What may seem inconsequential to us may wound the conscience of another person. What we may think of as a harmless action could damage the spiritual walk of another believer.

Who is watching you today? Someone is, whether you notice them or not. If you have been a careless Christian, confess that to God. Seek to become a good example for others.