Is It a Sin?

We know the Holy Bible says things like stealing, murder, adultery, and are wrong, but what about watching television, viewing the Internet, smoking, and other activities not mentioned in the Holy Scriptures?

First, it might be helpful to look at the Biblical definition for sin. Simply, it means to miss the mark, the target. What is the target? “Be ye therefore perfect (complete), even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect (complete),” is written in Matthew 5:48.

Yes, outside of Jesus Christ we all fail. Those truly in Christ seek to meet that target of completeness through the grace of Christ: that is, the power of His life. That is why in recent years the phrase, “what would Jesus do,” was popular among many Christians.

By reading and studying the entire Holy Bible, and listening to His Holy Spirit, we learn to know what Jesus would do and how and why He would do it.

As we actually study the Holy Bible we find that it contains numerous principles to guide us on contemporary matters not specifically covered in the Sacred Text.

A series of such principles is found in 1 Corinthians 10:14-33 where Paul, by the Holy Spirit, deals with the issue of Christians eating food that had been offered to an idol but was later sold. We will look at those principles as forming questions to guide us. It will also be good to keep in mind 1 Corinthians 8:1-13 which also addresses the matter.

Examining our Fellowship

As we read 1 Corinthians 10:14-22 we will see that a primary question to be asked is, “What type of communion (fellowship) am I participating in?”

For example, I might tell you that I do not think playing billiards is a sin. Sure, it’s nice if I play the game with other Christians, but what if I am playing with a person that is not a true Christian or at least a weak Christian, or a team of people? I need the Holy Spirit’s guidance as to the type of fellowship I am entering into and if God really wants me to participate.

Certainly we are to reach out to the lost and should not avoid them. But we must be careful of our surroundings.

With this comes two additional questions, with one being, “Will I become like them?” One needs to honestly evaluate if they act like those around them, or are they behaving and thinking the way God wants them to think. We must grow in our spiritual walk to where we ourselves are a positive influence in the lives of others, and others do not influence us in a way that would be displeasing to God.

Logically then, if the members of my billiard team behave in ways that Christ would not behave in, I must make sure I do not succumb to their ways as to begin to act, even to think, like them.

But this needs to be taken deeper. Maybe I am not acting or thinking like them, but I feel a pull in that direction. So, the question must be asked, “Will I be drawn away from God?” And, certainly if I find myself playing billiards when I should be with my family, in the house of God, or somewhere else God wants me to be, then I am slipping away from God. Remember this: give in one time and you will be pressured to do it again. If you were not strong enough to say no the first time, you will have a more difficult time to decline when your friends put on the pressure.

The focal point for this first principle is verse 14 that started the passage: “Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.”

Is There a Need?

In verse 23 Paul by the Holy Spirit writes, “All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient.” By saying “all things” the context shows he does not me actions like murder, adultery, stealing and the rest that we know the Word of God states is a sin, but he is dealing with those situations that we might consider neutral or even good.

From this first part of verse 23 we see we need to ask, “Is there a need for me to do this?”

I feel God does permit us to have some hobbies we can enjoy. I do enjoy billiards. It’s different from the other things I do. Among other things, it hones certain motor skills. In the very least it could be considered something I might need every now and then to mentally refresh. However, meeting such a need never supercedes the main need we all have, and that is to do the will of God.

For a little more understanding on this point, let me mention something we can all agree upon is a real need: we need to eat.

And eating can even be good when we eat the right things in the correct proportions and not overeat. But, eating is a sin when God has told me to fast. Though I have a need to eat, the greater need is to respond to the command of God and fast if He told me to fast.

Does it Really Help?

The second part of verse 23 brings us to our third principle: “Is there any godly benefit derived from my activity?” It is written, “all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.”

With that principle, by the Holy Spirit Paul edges closer to the fact that each one of us has an affect upon others.

As noted above, I find some benefit in playing billiards, but is my participation helping anyone else? If I have family or my church needs help with something, but I decide to go play billiards, I might somewhat helping myself, but I would be better off if I would help others. In helping others, I am also edified.

Personally we need to ask ourselves if what we are participating in makes us more like Christ. Does it develop the fruit of the Holy Spirit? If the answer is “no” or “not much,” then we need to cease.

Blessing or a Curse?

The fourth thing we need to consider is,”Will what I do bring blessing to all fellow Christians that know I am doing it?” Or, “Will draw people to Christ, or drive them away?”

By the Holy Spirit Paul writes (27-29a), “If any of them that believe not bid you to a feast, and ye be disposed to go; whatsoever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience sake. But if any man say unto you, “This is offered in sacrifice unto idols,” eat not for his sake that shewed it, and for conscience sake: for the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof:

Conscience, I say, not thine own, but of the other.”

We see here that we must be concerned about the spiritual well being of others. In the above passage, one might say to the other “this is offered in sacrifice unto idols” out of fear, based on the complainer’s conscience that the eater is sinning, or perhaps their own conscience has pestered them about idol worship. Paul by the Holy Spirit states that one should refrain for the sake of the other.

For clarity, though I like billiards, if someone comes to Christ who had been playing the game to the point where it was something that helped to keep them away from God, and they gave up playing the game upon coming to Christ, I would not encourage them to join me in a game until they feel a true permission from God to so.

If they would object to me playing billiards, according to the leading of the Holy Spirit I might have to stop playing the game for a time until the situation is rectified.

Essentially, by the Holy Spirit Paul crystallizes the point in 1 Corinthians 8:11-13, “And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ. Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.”

Unlike what most people think, the word “offend” in this passage does not mean to make someone unhappy. It means to cause them to stumble from, or away from, salvation in Christ, through an action on our part that God has not decreed and was an act of our own will.

An Ultimate Goal

The fifth principle is brought out by asking the question, “Will what I do bring glory to God?”

“Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”– verse 31.

We should ask ourselves, “Am I giving glory to God by listening to the music that I do, reading the literature that I do, the way that I use the Internet, and every facet of my life?”

If we truly love God we will endeavor to glorify Him in every aspect of our lives.

Listen carefully to the Holy Spirit. Sometimes we do things and do not realize they are affecting us in a negative way. Which should you choose: a solid Christian song or something on secular radio?

Some time before I came to Christ, when I was a child I would innocently sing along with the pop music I heard over the radio. I now realize many of those lyrics dealt with sex and drugs and helped to pattern my thinking as an unsaved adolescent.

Another facet to consider is Paul writes by the Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19), “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?”

We need to ask ourselves if what we are doing to our bodies gives God glory. Smoking, drunkeness, sex outside of marriage, drug usage and a host of other activities affects our physical wellbeing. One might question sex outside of marriage, but along with the possibility of communicable disease the spiritual disobedience to the Word of God will also affect us.

For those that are saved, we must safeguard our lives by the Word of God and the Holy Spirit that satan2 must not have any portion whatsoever.

Under this point of bringing glory to God, by the Holy Spirit Paul reviews (verses 32-33) some other principles. “Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God: Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.”

May we love our Lord and our fellow man enough to follow these principles.

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2 For personal reasons I do not capitalize that name.