by Neil Castro
When it came to Christian ethics, especially public-related issues, I initially believed that there were certain things that were straightforward; black and white. During the weeks of being in lectures and through the weekly readings this semester about certain matters of public ethics I realised that the things I believed to be black and white were also grey areas, with no set formulas so to speak. I am sure that some people have also come to this realisation at some point in their lives. Mixed feelings of frustration and confusion come into play, and we wonder that since there seem to be no solid answers to certain issues then how are we to know what God’s will is in these matters as well as what we should do.
In obeying the word of God and bringing glory to His name and kingdom, what is our motivation? What is it that influences our obedience to God’s will in our issues in life, both personal and public? In the grey matters of life, which seem to be a lot, how are we supposed to handle them, and how are we to conduct ourselves or treat each other in the midst of varying or conflicting views and possible solutions?
Romans 14:17 – For the kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God. And other people will approve of you too. So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up.
To give a bit of background to this text, Paul cautions the people in Rome about the dangers of criticising or judging other Christians who are weak in the faith. He addresses those who are strong in the faith about their actions, such as eating certain food which may bring offense to those of weaker faith or conscience or cause them to stumble, even though they may not see their actions as offensive or sinful acts. Paul strongly suggests then that those who are stronger should not look down on those who may not be and, for the sake of unity and out of love, respect and consider them in our actions.
In the same way, first, we as God’s people should live in a way that does not cause other Christians to stumble in their faith. We may think that they should grow up, mature and get over it, but God calls us to, out of love, not do something that will ruin the other person’s own conscience or convictions. Indeed, it is not about what we do that matters but living a life in the Spirit. It is not about living in a way to please people, but to please God in having a humble attitude and to consider others above ourselves, which Christ exemplified so evidently in his own life. Secondly, in our conflicting views, and different ethical approaches to certain issues, whether it is to do with big matters in life like sex and abortion, or small matters like eating and drinking, our motive should be the love that Christ modelled for us. Our actions should be influenced by the leading of the Holy Spirit. It is not for us to judge what another’s conviction or conscience is. It is also not our place to criticise or condemn people’s actions, or whether we approve of them or not. Let God be God in our lives. We may not always agree in our ethical methods or viewpoints about what God’s word says or doesn’t, but our goal is to build each other up and bring harmony in the church.
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