I believe many of us must have come across at least one of the above questions as a point of argument among Christians. And till this day, the debate is still on within some Christian circles, with different preachers and different denominations having their different views on the matter...
Indeed, we would all agree to the fact that the Bible does not mention certain acts or habits explicitly word for word as 'sin'; While some were referred to either indirectly or partially without a clear-cut and directly spelt out condemnation of the act as a sin against God that can lead to eternal damnation; hence the arguments around such topics...
However, we must also be aware of what the Bible refers to as 'the little leaven that leavens the whole lump' (Galatians 5:9); In other words, we must be wary of what we may call 'small sins' or maybe 'insignificant habits', and we must also be wary of the subtle and cunning nature of the Enemy and the strategy he uses to pull many off track... Often times when the Devil wants to destroy a man, he does not pull a gun and take the man down at once; rather he starts small and progresses little by little till he achieves his ultimate aim...
Like he did with Adam and Eve, he did not come to Eve and say "Take the fruit! Eat it!"; rather his temptation began with a discussion about what God said directly or what God did not say specifically; So from the distraction of looking at the beauty of the forbidden fruit and imagining how nice its taste would be, till finally agreeing to the Serpent's suggestion to just take a small bite; But little did Adam and Eve know that the consequences will trail the whole generations of humanity till this day...
Adam and Eve thought it was just about one act of eating one tasty fruit, but their Enemy was thinking generationally... In the same manner, many today have become victims of actions, behaviours, and even addictions that were picked up from their family lineage, and for others from peer influences... We must recognize that our actions have consequences and often times the effects can be passed on to upcoming generations, who grow up to fight the same battles...
So, yes we may say an alcoholic or a smoker or a gambler can still make Heaven and we may be right, but he/she can also die young and not fulfilling God's plan for his/her life and he/she is also a good target home for other evil spirits and so can eventually end up in Hell...
So, aside from the natural negative effects some of these acts or habits can have on a person's life such as physical and mental health effects, and emotional, financial, and relationship effects; When an unclean spirit utilizes the opportunity to attach itself to the person due to consistently engaging in the habit, the consequences may not just be a spiritual deliverance case, but the same spirit may trail the person's bloodline eventually...
Moving on, we must understand that the Holy Spirit dwells within us for a reason, one of which is to keep changing us progressively into the image of Christ by altering our desires and passions into those that are holy and pleasing to God... So whether we find the sinful act or habit explicitly mentioned in the Bible or not, if it is not in alignment with the holy nature of God and below the standard of the character of Jesus Christ, then the Holy Spirit within us will pull up the red flag, and it would be left to us to accept His conviction, turn in repentance, and work with Him to bring an end to the issue...
Also, we must understand that we are in a race, with the ultimate goal of fulfilling God's plan and purpose for our lives on Earth before we transit to Eternity to be judged and rewarded... Therefore we must set our priorities right, and we must of necessity lay off any weights slowing us down on our race... Whether the Bible calls it a sin or not, we must throw any unnecessary excess baggage off of our backs so that we can run and finish well...
So, a sin or not a sin is not the point! The point is are we wasting our time, energy, and resources on activities and habits that weaken our relationship with God and strengthens sinful desires; that have no eternal value and that have no positive impact on us, on the unbelievers around us and also on the upcoming generation?... And are we indulging our selfish and fleshly desires and giving in to the temptations at the detriment of our spiritual health and growth, risking our lives getting into a spiritual bondage to a habit or addiction?...
Also, we must ask, how does the act or habit bring glory to God through our lives? How does alcohol help one to develop a godly passion? How does smoking help one receive divine inspiration from the Holy Spirit? How does gambling or gluttony help one to win the heart of God? How does masturbation help one gain stamina to overcome sexual temptations? How does tattooing one's skin and going to extremes to beautify one's body help one to draw unbelievers to God?...
We must ask: How is this act or habit helping me become more like Jesus???...
Because those who make God the Father proud are not those who remain at the basic spiritual level where the argument is often over what is a sin or not; But those who are growing progressively into the image of Jesus Christ His First-Born Son, reflecting His nature and character in all ramifications, and running their race with passion and with focus on the eternal prize...
The Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians:
📖"Someone may say, “I’m allowed to do anything,” but not everything is helpful. I’m allowed to do anything, but not everything encourages growth. People should be concerned about others and not just about themselves." 1 Corinthians 10:23-24 (GW)
And the Book of Hebrews says:
📖"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith..." Hebrews 12:1-2 (NLT)
...And if you are reading this and you have found yourself in a battle struggling to lay off any of such weights, I pray that as you yield yourself to the Holy Spirit to work on you and as you take the practical steps needed on your own part, may you find total and lasting freedom, in Jesus name. Amen!
Thank you for reading! Please do share! God bless you!
#JesusChristIsLORD #GODisStillinCharge
