Enjoying the World without being Worldly - Part 5

You are free, right?   I hope you say yes.  I hope you are a Christian given great liberty in Christ.  All foods are good, now.  Every day is a holy day under the New Covenant.  All life is sacred and beautiful.  So does this mean we get to do what we want?  No!   Before we choose, according to Paul's letter to Corinth, we better make some further considerations.  If you are reading this blog for the first time you can catch up by going to the beginning by clicking HERE.

Paul has taught us to ask 4 questions so far:

1. How does this decision affect your relationship with Christ?
2. Will this decision lead you into bondage?
3. How will this decision impact other Christians?
4. Will others be spiritual impaired by this decision?

Now we ask the fifth question ....

Can This Decision Become an Evangelistic Opportunity?   Paul writes, " I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved."  Should we be doing this, that or the other thing in a way where people dishonor the Gospel?

Now we know that the Gospel is an offense to some.  The simple idea that there is one way to the Father; that we are sinners and unable to help ourselves; that we are saved by mercy, nothing good in ourselves – is offensive to many people.  But Christians can also do things that bring a bad repute on the Gospel, that is not part of the Gospel message.  Paul alludes to this in Colossians 4:5–6 (ESV),

⁵ Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. ⁶ Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

There is a lifestyle that proves to be wise in relation to unbelievers.   Peter taught that for people married.  There is a certain demeanor and approach to life that “. . . they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives,” (1 Peter 3:1, ESV).  Now when our conduct is such that it detracts from the Gospel and fails to be winsome to the unsaved, we need to consider changes.

I think you'd be surprised by some of the responses by some people.  Many years ago I went into a senior's facility and they were playing a game that involved a small amount of betting.  Right away someone (a person I did not know to be a Christian) said, "Oh here's the pastor and we are gambling."  There is an expectation among non-Christians that we might overlook.  Just recently I was playing cribbage with a man in my church.  A couple came in the home who are not believers and said, "Hope you're not gambling!"  

Now these illustrations relate to cards and gambling.  I don't want to make that the issue.  The question we need to wrestle with is this:  Will my choice make it easier or harder to win the unsaved to saving knowledge of Christ?

There is one final question to deal with.