Tattoos, Drinking, & Gambling

Today we finished our series, "Got Questions, Get Answers." I've already gotten a lot of good feedback. You may not agree with everything I said, but it sure created a lot of discussion. And I think that's a good thing!

The message today dealt with what many would call "grey areas." I have found that most people ask one question when dealing with these questions: "Why not?"
"Why not get a tattoo?"
"Why not socially drink, as long as drunkenness doesn't follow?"

"Why not gamble, as long as I'm responsible and it doesn't cause my family financial loss?"

(For the answers to all of these questions and more, get the cd's of the services. You might be surprised by some of my answers.)

I think there is a better question to ask. Many times we don't get the right answers
because we don't ask the right questions. The better question might just be, "Why?" Why do some of the things that are considered to be in the grey area?

"All things are permissible, but not all things are beneficial" (1 Cor. 6:12). Remember, you have been bought with a great price and "you are not your own... glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's" (1 Cor. 6:19,20).

Scripture makes it clear, "Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God" (1 Cor. 10:31). Maybe if we asked, "Why," we could find the motive behind are actions. Maybe we would find we are doing whatever it is out of rebellion, pride, selfish ambition or simply out of our sinful nature. The Bible is clear here, "We should avoid every kind of evil" (1 Thes. 5:22).

Maybe as you're trying to decide how to live your life this week, instead of asking "Why not?" Try asking, "Why?" Realizing that for us as Christians, we should glorify God and seek to please Him in every area of our life.