With everything that we do in life, we are faced with choices. An economist would call it a trade off, which seems appropriate to me. “Chicken or beef?” “Shoes or sandals?” “Car or truck?” “Water or soda?” They are all trade offs, or in other words you must give up one thing in order to get the other. Now, what you give up would be called “opportunity cost” (also an economic term.) Let’s say you choose chicken, your opportunity cost would be beef. Or if you choose water, your opportunity cost is soda. Obviously these are all very desultory things, but the principle can apply to anything. To focus on the broader context, simply put, our biggest trade off in life is a choice between God and Satan. Respectively, righteousness (life) and sin (death.) (Matt 12:30, 6:24; 1 Cor 10:21)
So we have established that there is a trade off between God and Satan. This means that you must give up one in order to get the other, or what we defined as the opportunity cost. EVERY CHOICE comes with an opportunity cost. Let me make myself clearer: Every single thing we do comes down to a choice between who we will serve. It comes down to what we choose as our opportunity cost.
Colossians 3:17 – “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”
With any trade off you face in life, ask yourself one question: “Will this decision bring glory to my God, my Father?” Remember how simple it is, you have a choice between God and Satan and every choice you make leans on these two paths! Remember this passage in Colossians; we will come back to it later.
Let me take it one step further. With every choice, you are taking a step toward one of the choices, and a step away from the other. Let’s say you choose the car over the truck (great choice seeing the gas prices today!) You cannot take a step toward both at the same time, so you must take a step away from one, and a step toward the other (this applies both literally and figuratively.)
If you apply this concept of stepping to our “trade off of life” (God and Satan) you will find that you are either taking a step toward God, or a step away from God and toward Satan. With every decision you make, you are taking a step. The stepping stones are all laid out, in both directions. Now is the choice, which direction will you step?
Application
Matthew 5:27 – “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
This is Jesus speaking here, but what is He trying to tell us? What is his point in saying this? Just before he said this, he said something very similar about murder:
Vs 21 - “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.”
Jesus is taking both of these commandments from the old law, and taking them a step further. He says that not only will the murderer be in danger of the judgment, but even those who are angry with his brother without a cause! Also not only is adultery a sin, but even looking with eyes of lust! Still, what is his point? Why would Jesus enact these more strict laws? The answer is simple. Jesus knows where sin begins, the heart. He knows when a person takes a single step away from God, that (even if it may not be sin itself) it is still a step towards sin!
Friends, Jesus is telling us that taking a step towards sin is JUST AS DEADLY as committing the sin itself!
Let’s apply what we see here: Every morning when we wake up, we make a choice. We choose what clothing we are going to wear, and how we are going to present ourselves. However, the question could be posed, “Well, why does it even matter what I wear? As long as I’m not lusting after someone (which is NEVER a guarantee) then I’m ok right?” Aside from the fact that we are commanded to dress modestly (1 Tim 2:9,) you must remember what Jesus taught! Sin begins in the heart, and a step away from Him is a step towards Satan. On top of this, how you choose to dress will also have an effect on others! You could very well cause someone else to stumble, and this is also condemned by God. (Rom 14:13)
Another application: Let me paint a picture for you, your friends and you are all hanging out and everyone wants to take a trip down to the local sports bar to watch the football game. No problem right? As long as I don’t take a drink, everything will be no problem. You arrive, and one of your friend hands you a beer. No problem right? As long as I don’t get drunk, everything is fine! WRONG.
The choice to go with your friends to the sports bar is just that. A Choice. Remember how everything works together with our trade off, and the steps. Go back and read our verse in Colossians again! “Well, the Bible doesn’t say that drinking is a sin, so as long as I don’t get drunk, I am not sinning!” Again, this is the most dangerous attitude any person can possess. Even if you believe that the Bible doesn’t condemn drinking, it does however condemn being drunk! Remember that every drink is a step towards being drunk, and every step towards being drunk (sin) is a step away from God! “So what about just going to the bar with my friends, I mean after all… I don’t have to take a drink.” The same rule still applies! You are taking a step towards sin, and a step away from God! Remember, “in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord.”
Also, as followers of Christ, the kind of example that we set before others is one of the most important things that we must wrap our heads around! We can lead others to Christ by our example that we give. What does Christian mean? We are followers of Christ and we strive to live our lives in the same manner that He lived His. This means that we should never find ourselves in a place or doing something that the ultimate example for us would not participate in, or give approval of.
Romans 1:32 – “who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.”
When faced with the trade off of life, remember who you are, remember where you’re going, and most importantly step on the stepping stones of faith that lead you in one direction – to God.
Thanks for your comments. Since the article was so long, I decided not to tackle all incidents of immodesty at once. You made some really great points that are easy to understand and will hopefully help someone.
Although I agree with you regarding your comments on Lynn's post, I have learned a few things since moving here. If you don't regularly read his posts, check out the one he wrote on 8/27. It was an eye opener for me, and I cannot say that I disagree. Ethan is my nieces husband and a gospel preacher. He was converted about 9 or 10 years ago. The demographic in the congregation here is more than half were not raised by Christian parents. It is as large as Cedar Park, but I have never worshipped anywhere with so many "first-generation" Christians. There are many who are distracted in their own worship when they pull out their best attire because instead of focusing on God, they're wondering if other people are noticing their clothing. They are not accustomed to "dressing up" so to speak, so it is uncomfortable for them and distracts them from concentrating. I think that we should strive to give God our best always, and a good and honest heart will usually grow into that. But I've had to be careful here in thinking too critically along the lines of casual attire until I know the background of the person involved. Again, you can tell how I FEEL about the subject by looking at how I allow my children to dress. I just sharing thoughts that after all these years in the pews were great eye-openers for me.
^^"Roseofsharon"...I definitly see where you are coming from. Every Christian is at a different point in their journey. I agree that we should watch out about being too critical. There is a RIGHT attitude to have about it, and a right way to help those people grow into things. And you are right, it is hard for those who aren't used to it yet, and haven't grown up going to church in suits since they were 2.
This doesn't mean they won't get there, but it doesn't happen over night. No REAL change happens over night. And we must have a humble attitude about it. So GOOD thoughts. I enjoyed reading them.
I'm not arguing with you. I agree. I just learned to be careful how I approached people about it because I had to step into their shoes first. I believe that we should grow in our faith and in so doing grow in our respect and understanding of who God is and what He expects. When that happens, I don't think this should be an issue. If it still is, I think willfulness is coming into play.
I read your comment on Sharon's blog? What was your point about corsets? I'm not quite following. Actually, corsets in the Victorian period (19th c) were the fashionable look because it sucked girls' waists in and accentuated their curves. I'm just not sure how the corset thing strengthens the argument. I'm not being antagonistic, I just want you to clarify. Also, I'd still like to know your stance on slacks. Maybe we can talk about it on Sunday over lunch:)
THanks for your clarifications. I just have a few more points to make. Concerning corsets, I've done some research on them and read 19th c women's magazines which both promoted and rejected them. I understand your point (i.e. women got used to wearing them and then it wasn't an issue whether to wear them daily as it concerns one's attitude), I think it's a weak example. Corests were very controversial during the period and good Christian folks certainly wouldn't have advocated them for worship services. I'm not arguing your reasoning, I just think that a different example would strengthen your argument.
second, I can't say that I agree with you on women weearing slacks. If your main concern is that they are too revealing, is this always the case? Furthermore, I've seen women in nice, flowing slacks that look just as modest as a loose-fitting dress. Also, I've also seen men wearing slacks that are just as form-fitting (if not more) than women wearing slacks. What I really think this is about is tradition: traditionally men have wore pants and women dresses and some believe that the whole feminist revolution has produced slack-wearing women. I think we have to be aware of blindly following cultural tradition and not following biblical example. I realize that the Bible doesn't specifically address women wearing slacks, but I still think there is more for debate on this topic. Thanks for your insights; it certainly gives me more to think about.
hey! um there are youth lectures in round rock and i was wonderin if you wanted to go..im tryin to get some people at our church to go. its Saturday the 27th.
You may not realize it, but you gave me great encouragement tonight (10-15-08.) Doug and I are praying for you to be strengthened in the Lord. If there is ever anyway we can help you, please call. Also, glad to finally get to meet you in person:)!
I didn't get a chance to talk to you last night, but I wanted to let you know how encouraged I was! Hopefully we can enjoy your company at the next Whataburger Wednesday! :)
"Still" is so beautiful it tugs at my heart! When you get 10 or so completed, would you burn me a CD? I'd go to the store and buy one if they were for sale. (Myspace said downloads weren't available). I love your music!
I have begun a somewhat skimmed study of the Preterist viewpoint which specifically deals with an alternate belief on the second coming of Christ. I will attempt to briefly explain what Preterism teaches, please correct me if you notice any flaws.
Preterism literally means past fulfillment, and this is exactly what Preterists teach, and believe. More specifically, that every known Biblical reference, prophecy, and revealing of Jesus's second coming was fulfilled in A.D. 70 with the destruction of Jerusalem.
Preterists usually point to the passage in Matthew 24 where Jesus states (Verse 2) "You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down." Jesus was speaking of Jerusalem here, from which he goes on to explain what the signs of these times would be also known as the "end of the age." The Preterist would explain this entire passage as referring to Jesus's SECOND coming which was the "end of the age" of Jerusalem.
As I said, this is an extremely abbreviated explanation of what Preterists believe but already I have a few key problems with the teachings:
1. My first reaction to the Preterist (Full Preterist) teaching was to question: "Why does it matter? We still have to answer to God when we die anyway, so what does it change?" Well it does matter!
1 Corinthians 11:26
For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
The focus here is on the last part of the verse "until he comes." If Jesus had already come again, we would be partaking in the Lord's supper without any authority to do so! This presents a great problem because the manner in which we partake in the Lord's supper will have a determining impact on our salvation! Take a look at the next verses:
Verse 27-29
Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself.
2. In Matthew 24, the entire context includes a response from Jesus to the questions asked by his disciples;
Matthew 24:3
"Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the close of the age?"
Notice here, they are asking two separate questions. "Tell us, when will these things be?" AND "What will be the sign of your coming and of the close of the age?"
Key here is that the beggars of the question did not even understand the question they were asking. You see, to them the temple was the most important thing that they had in their lives. When Jesus told them that "there would not be one stone left upon another," they were in shock, so to speak. If their temple (their whole life as it were) were to be destroyed... it would be to them as though it was the "end of the age" hence the question proposed by them to Jesus: "What will be the sign of your coming and of the close of the age?"
Jesus responds the way that any human being would when asked two questions, he gives two answers. One answer prophecies the destruction of Jerusalem, the other prophecies his second coming (as in the final judgment of the world!!) This brings me to my next point.
3. Jesus also told them that no one knows the day or hour that he would return, not the angels of heaven NOR THE SON, but the father only.
Matthew 24:36
"But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only."
Furthermore the day of the Lord is also described as coming like a "thief in the night." Meaning that it is unexpected. (A thief wouldn't be much of a thief if you knew he was coming would he?)
1 Thessalonians 5:2
"For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night."
Jesus obviously knew the exact day and hour that one of these occurrences was going to take place, he told them that the destruction of Jerusalem would be preceded by the surrounding of it by armies (Luke 21:20). Jesus never (as I understand it) gave such an accurate description of the "Coming of the Son of Man." He did, however, give us signs to the "end of times." Such as wars, natural disasters, famines, persecutions, etc. (Luke 21:10-19).
Remember in these passages that Jesus was answering two questions. One was when would the destruction of Jerusalem happen, and two was what would be the sign of the end of the age.
4. 2 Peter 3:10
"But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed."
Restated here is the warning about the unexpected nature of the day of the Lord (thief in the night,) as well as a prophecy that explains exactly what will happen when the day of the Lord comes. According to this scripture, there will be nothing left. All things in, and of the Earth will be burned up, dissolved, and exposed. (Some translations say melted and then burned up instead of exposed.)
Obviously none of this has happened yet, (I am still here, you are still here) so logic dictates that Jesus must have NOT YET returned in his second coming.
Again I will say that this was an extremely abbreviated explanation of the belief that Preterists hold, as well there are some more problems I have with this teaching which I have left unstated. But I would urge you to do some studying on this topic of your own and to please leave me comments or points you may have! Please try to correct me if you see anything in here that you believe is not an accurate translation of what is written for us.
-Skyler
ps. To those of you who commented on my previous post -- I appreciate the good things you have to say about Carajean, my family, and I. Very uplifting! I love you all.
Skyler, I admire and appreciate your studies and your desire for the truth. As you may have heard, I hold this view. There's way more here than I feel I can get into on a blog discussion here on pleo but if you (or anyone else) would be interested in sitting down to study this out, I'd be happy to do so. Appreciate you brother. :)
As many of you know, my sister Carajean Danielle Meek died 8 years ago in a horrible car accident. It was such a tragedy as many people lost a great friend, companion, and mentor.
Today (June 30th) marks her birthday, so I decided that I would give my sister something that could last forever; a song. The song I wrote for her can be found on my myspace artist page (link at the bottom.) It's called taken. You might notice that it's a fairly upbeat song with a joyous tone and melody to which you might think is odd, considering it's a memorial and "supposed" to be sad. To attempt to explain; my sister was an extremely faithful person. To God, that is. She understood what his purpose for her in this life was, and that one day her temporary life here would end. She knew where she was going and it actually makes me joyful inside that she is finally at peace... living with Him.
This is a song to remember Carajean, a joyous song because my sister (OUR) sister in Christ has gone home.
Great song and I totally understand the upbeat-ness. It is sad to let loved ones go but at the same time it's joyous since they get to be with the LORD.
That was an awesome song. Jana talks about her sometimes. I never got to know her. Isn't it great being able to smile (even if a tear is in your eye) at such sadness? Praise the Lord. Thanks for sharing this.
I have constantly admired your whole family for your strength and positive attitude. Although she was younger than me, she was such an example that I looked up to. I listened to the song and thought it was wonderful!
I only new her for one year, and it still made me cry to read your post and listen to your song. She was truly unforgettable. I still miss her smile. Is there a way I can download that song onto my playlist? I'm not that computer savvy. By the way, you are quite talented. The song is wonderful!
Hi Skylar. You don't know me but I've known your mom since she was a teenager. She lived with us some and was a "big sister" to me. I got to spend a day with her in March of this year and heard all about you and your sister. This is such a wonderful thing you did for your sister's memory (and probably very, very special for your parents!) You sound like such a fine young man!
