Is it wrong/a sin to ________________

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Jullianna

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If a person is convicted by the Holy Spirit not to do a thing, but perhaps doesn’t recognize it yet for what it is because they are a babe in Christ, and they come here to ask whether it is a sin, and we tell them it is okay to do (and for US it may not be a sin, as some people are damaged by things others are not), what is our accountability to the Lord? Should we not simply offer them scripture as to whatever aspect of their question scripture addresses and lovingly suggest to them that they should inquire of the Lord and seek HIS will regarding whatever it is they felt burdened enough to post about? If scripture is silent, would it not be wise for us to be as well and simply say that we aren't sure, so don't take chances or play around with whatever you feel MIGHT be a sin? Just because a thing is not harmful to us (or we believe it not to be) does that mean it is not wrong for anyone else?

God has been showing me to be very careful in the way I post here…prayerful and cautiously. I don’t want to cause a younger brother or sister in the Lord to stumble. The scriptures address this issue at least three times, so it MUST be extremely important, huh? J

Matthew 18:6 -
But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.

Mark 9:42 -
And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck.

Luke 17:2 –
It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.
 
I'm not sure I'm clear on this...the idea that something might be a sin for one person and not for another? What are we talking about here? Because last time I checked, all the things that the Bible tells us are sins, they are sins for everyone, not just those people who might be more "damaged" by them.

I think a lot of times, when a person posts a question on here about whether or not something is wrong or sinful, they aren't asking because they honestly don't KNOW, I think they are asking because they want to be able to justify whatever it is they are doing. Granted, this is not ALWAYS the case- obviously sometimes a person is truly lost. In either case, the best thing to do is to direct them to scriptures that address their problems, but I don't see how it can hurt to have people giving their own opinions also; particularly if those opinions agree with what the Bible says, although opposing opinions do show both sides of an argument and can help the person in question to come to a more informed decision (God gave us free will so we could choose our own way- would it not be going against that a bit to try to shield a person from everything that is not straight from God? It's easy to choose God when He is the ONLY choice- and that's not how God made the world.)

I think it's fine to offer up different ideas, angles, and opinions to those seeking counsel on here; give them every side of it and let them choose their own way, but pray for them that they will choose God's way, and pray for yourself that you aren't misleading them with your words.
 
I absolutely agree that when the Bible says a thing is a sin, it is a sin no matter who you are. Period. :) What I'm speaking about are the things that aren't set out specifically in scripture (perhaps because certain things were not in existence at the time) that, as we mature in the Lord, the Holy Spirit prompts us to lay aside because of the possible harm to ourselves or others. Paul explained it far better than I can, I'm sure, but I'll try. :)

EXAMPLE: When I was a teen, my pastor's wife told me that she had a fondness for virgin daiquiris. She knew that she wasn't sinning by drinking strawberries/sugar/ice, but the Holy Spirit spoke to her heart and she became concerned that someone, particularly a young person, who might see her drinking one, might assume that she was consuming alcohol, think it was okay for them to as well and at some point become an alcoholic or drink to the point of intoxication and cause themselves or someone else bodily harm.

I'm NOT saying that drinking is right or wrong by this example. That's a whole other thread that I'm sure has been covered time and time again in these forums, so I'm totally not going there! haha What I'm saying is that as we grow spiritually and the fruits of the Spirit begin to display themselves in our lives, we understand that there is a larger picture and our love for others makes whatever may or may not be fair for us become so very unimportant in light of our loving concern for how our actions or inactions may affect the walk of another believer.

I find it fun and beneficial to pick the brains of other believers and I LOVE reading what they have to say, even if I don't agree. :) My point is that the Lord is leading me to give more thought to my posts because we never know how what we say might affect someone else's life. If what I'm posting is solely my opinion, I want to make that clear and encourage the person posing the question/situation to seek God's input through prayer and scripture regarding a thing and not depend upon what I or others may think about it.
 
Jullianna said:
If a person is convicted by the Holy Spirit not to do a thing, but perhaps doesn’t recognize it yet for what it is because they are a babe in Christ, and they come here to ask whether it is a sin, and we tell them it is okay to do (and for US it may not be a sin, as some people are damaged by things others are not), what is our accountability to the Lord? Should we not simply offer them scripture as to whatever aspect of their question scripture addresses and lovingly suggest to them that they should inquire of the Lord and seek HIS will regarding whatever it is they felt burdened enough to post about? If scripture is silent, would it not be wise for us to be as well and simply say that we aren't sure, so don't take chances or play around with whatever you feel MIGHT be a sin? Just because a thing is not harmful to us (or we believe it not to be) does that mean it is not wrong for anyone else?

God has been showing me to be very careful in the way I post here…prayerful and cautiously. I don’t want to cause a younger brother or sister in the Lord to stumble. The scriptures address this issue at least three times, so it MUST be extremely important, huh? J

Matthew 18:6 -
But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.

Mark 9:42 -
And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck.

Luke 17:2 –
It would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.
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Nicely put and very true. I respect and admire your desire to disciple young people. They are the most important possession that we have other than Christ himself.
 
Ohh, I see what you're saying now :)

In that case, while I hold to what I said before about letting a person see all sides of an argument for or against whatever the issue may be, I agree it is important to be careful with our words and actions- and not just in front of other believers, but before the world. If we, as proclaimed Christians, are seen doing things that are of a questionable nature, then what might a non-believer think of that?

So I do see your point and agree for the most part, we should certainly watch ourselves closely in regard to steering others in the right direction when the opportunity arises.
 
I think the whole thing of something being a sin for some people and not a sin for others is because we don't always register what sin is correctly. Addiction is sin. So for some people drinking alcohol in proportion is fine, but if you become addicted it harms your body, and can distract you from a life with God. This means becoming addicted to a tv series that you have to rewatch online every week, and you often dream about is sin, but just watching the program generally for most people won't be classed as sin, because its not an addiction. It only becomes a sin, if it becomes more important in your life than God, or something that you spend more time doing, than the time you spend with God. That being said, there are obviously sins, which are clear sins, such as porn and murder. Sin is something that harms you, others or distracts you from God. Being a christian isn't supposed to be about missing out on things. Being a christian isn't about rules. Its about freedom. Its about choosing to give your life to God. To no longer be chained to this world, and sin chains you to this world, and paralyses you. Being a christian means you get to live your life to the full. It means living for Jesus. So I think when someone asks whether something is okay. You should ask them, is it something that will harm you, or others? is it something that will distract you and something you might become addicted to? is it something that will stop you living your life for jesus? Thats not to say you can't be a christian and have an addiction. But if you overcome your addiction or prevent yourself from being addicted, think how much more time you would have to be with God and doing his work, because a life with God, doing his work, is the most fulfilling life you could ever ask for.
 
Thanks all. :) And I certainly hope I didn't come off as pointing fingers at anyone. This is something I've been thinking about regarding my own posts for the past couple of weeks and just wanted to share my heart. :)
 
Em1509 said:
I think the whole thing of something being a sin for some people and not a sin for others is because we don't always register what sin is correctly. Addiction is sin. So for some people drinking alcohol in proportion is fine, but if you become addicted it harms your body, and can distract you from a life with God. This means becoming addicted to a tv series that you have to rewatch online every week, and you often dream about is sin, but just watching the program generally for most people won't be classed as sin, because its not an addiction. It only becomes a sin, if it becomes more important in your life than God, or something that you spend more time doing, than the time you spend with God. That being said, there are obviously sins, which are clear sins, such as porn and murder. Sin is something that harms you, others or distracts you from God. Being a christian isn't supposed to be about missing out on things. Being a christian isn't about rules. Its about freedom. Its about choosing to give your life to God. To no longer be chained to this world, and sin chains you to this world, and paralyses you. Being a christian means you get to live your life to the full. It means living for Jesus. So I think when someone asks whether something is okay. You should ask them, is it something that will harm you, or others? is it something that will distract you and something you might become addicted to? is it something that will stop you living your life for jesus? Thats not to say you can't be a christian and have an addiction. But if you overcome your addiction or prevent yourself from being addicted, think how much more time you would have to be with God and doing his work, because a life with God, doing his work, is the most fulfilling life you could ever ask for.
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Thank you. I just hope this thread won't be derailed into what is and is not sin and whether or not drinking is a sin. That's been done to death and it's not the intent of this thread. :)
 
Crossfire said:
Nicely put and very true. I respect and admire your desire to disciple young people. They are the most important possession that we have other than Christ himself.
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Thank you. I haven't hit 40 yet (nor have you haha), but I suddenly feel very old. ;)
 
Hebrews 11:1 HCSB "Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen."
 
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