Amid scandals, 5 questions to ask yourself

Salacious scandals seem to be everywhere. Recently it became public that California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger fathered a child by his housekeeper. The despicable case of New York Congressman Anthony Weiner sending self-made pornographic images to women became a leading news story. Sports legends like Brett Favre and Tiger Woods had their sins exposed to a gawking public. Christians shake their heads and mumble about the state of morality, but sadly, believers have the same weaknesses of the flesh.

Pastors, pastors’ wives, leading laypersons and other church members have fallen, bringing disgrace on their families, ministries and the Lord. For someone to say that will never happen to them is the first step down a tragic path. We must be ever vigilant to live a life honoring to Jesus Christ. When a believer falls it can and often does impact the eternity of those who are without Christ.

Early in my ministry I was caught up in legalism. John R. Rice’s booklet “Skimpy Skirts and Hippie Hair” provided some of my favorite preaching material. Once delivered from legalism I began to test the limits of my liberty. There is a lot of liberty in Christ. I found that the propriety of many activities, attitudes and actions were not explicitly spelled out in Scripture. I discovered some simple questions that have helped me determine a course in the “gray” areas of life:

• Will I have more power as a Christian? From 1 Corinthians 6:12, we see that some very enjoyable things are not forbidden but have the potential to control my life. Those activities or actions have the very real probability to take over my life. They must be avoided.
• Will my involvement bring glory to God? First Corinthians 10:31 says our practices should point people to Christ. Our testimony before a watching world either glorifies God or damages our witness. We can say we bring glory to God but the fruit is in building up the Body of Christ and winning people to Jesus.
• What type of atmosphere am I in, spiritual or carnal? First Thessalonians 5:22 provides a direct warning about identifying with places and things that are evil. In being missional we engage the unsaved where they are but we must be careful not to soil our testimony. Jesus was friends with sinners, but he didn’t sleep at Mary Magdalene’s house.
• Will I cause someone else to sin? From Romans 14:13, we glean that what may be a liberty for one believer might be the demise of another. Legalists have a long list of stumbling blocks. Antinomians don’t have a list. Being careful not to trip up a fellow believer in his walk takes a spiritual sensitivity.
• Who are my closest relationships? Again, we are to befriend the lost. We are to cultivate relationships that will open the door for us to lead them to Christ. On the other hand we are cautioned about allowing evil influences to corrupt our witness (1 Corinthians 15:33). Your support system needs to be a fellow believer who can hold you accountable and encourage you.

These questions are designed not as rules to keep but tests to gauge our decisions. It is not about legalism or liberty. It is about the Lordship of Christ. The questions call us to recognize Jesus’ Lordship in every area of our lives. This is Discipleship 101. 

My prayer to God is that I finish well. When I leave this life I want my legacy to be about the Lord Jesus. I sin. I falter. I fail. But God’s grace is amazing. By His grace we can continue to answer the questions of discipleship correctly.