Does the Grey Line Exist?
(WARNING: Some of this content may be unsuitable for younger children.)
You won't ever recover or get to your full potential in Christ as long as you're focused on the grey line. If you’re constantly saying, “I don't see the harm in it; as long as I'm not doing anything OBVIOUSLY WRONG, then it's got to be all right,” it's focusing on getting as close to the line as you can without stepping over, not on trying to get as far away from it as you can to please Christ.
I feel like I want to go out down the clubs and spend time with some young people my own age in some tighter clothes and have a bit of alcohol and dance with a guy at a disco and do some necking in a car. My physical side's so achy I can't resist it.
And the Bible doesn't say I can't. It says I shouldn't be immodest. Well, I'm not. I'm going to wear clothes that are a bit comfortable that make me look good without being revealing. It says I shouldn't get drunk. All right, I'm not going to. I'm going to have some wine and stop being so different from everyone. And what's wrong with dancing and rubbing myself up a guy? Nothing. The Bible doesn't say anything against it. Necking in a car isn't having sex. I'm not stepping outside the lines.
Am I right? No! Of course not!
But why? Because being immodest isn’t the clothes over one’s skin. It’s the heart attitude that is changed by love for God enough to completely (as much as lies within our power) release the eyes of men from the physical and direct by Godly conversation to the spiritual. Because drinking alcohol is a fine line that leaves one open to criticism from the world and also to a deeper addiction than that. And while everything can cause an addiction, it’s advisable to get as far away from them as possible. Nothing’s wrong with dancing, or dancing with a guy. But the kind of dancing, the movement it produces and the way a lot of modern dancing is, points more to sex and appeals to the flesh than brings out movements of beauty and grace and gives healthy exercise – all of which glorify God. What’s wrong with kissing a guy? And oh, the joy it brings to finally KNOW the answer in my heart. Nothing. Nothing is wrong with kissing a guy. But the emotions it produces leads to unstableness, the heart follows the lips and it’s much easier to go all the way from one. Apart from the loss of the “first” (which isn’t a sin, just a regret), one’s heart follows one’s lips. Kissing lightly, no matter even if you just tell yourself it’s a basic attraction that won’t last, leaves a piece of your heart behind.
The fruit of the Spirit is love. God is Love. Love leads us to God, not to follow the grey line. And love does no wrong to a neighbour – and thinks nothing of itself.
Joy. Joy comes in true obedience to the will of God – and the more abundantly as you give up and give up to follow His Spirit into His presence.
Patience – to wait on God’s will and endure the pain as we cut the cancers to become like Him.
Kindness – product of love.
Faithfulness – product of patience.
Gentleness – softened as we walk further into the Light of His Glory.
All of them independent and yet intricately connected. Beautifully so.
And self control. Denying yourself isn’t easy. It’s painful. Agonising pain. Crucifixion is one of the most painful deaths there is – slowly starving you of oxygen. That’s exactly what it means when we are to crucify the old man. We don’t say, “We can’t do it; we aren’t strong enough,” because God has assured us that we “can do all things through Christ Who gives us strength.” And “God is not a man that He should lie.” We take that sin, that easy little weakness that seems so harmless, and we crucify it. We ignore the pain and we starve it of everything that would feed the parasite to our souls and keep it alive. We leave the porn. The cutting. The cyber-stuff. The emotional addictions. And we starve them into obedience to Christ.
That example I gave up there isn’t true, so breathe easy. :D It’s an example. Of exactly what one can get to inside the Bible lines. My entire backsliding for two years was within Biblical lines. All because the Bible didn't SAY I couldn't have a non-Christian boyfriend as long as we didn't have sex. It's all about getting AS FAR AWAY from the grey area/the black area (the further away you get, the more you see there's only black and white) as you can. Not what you can get away with. You will never reach your full potential while you're playing with the world. And I know I sound cruel. But please listen to me. I've been where you are and God smashed me. I've physical, emotional and spiritual scars for the rest of my life.
There's not a definition of worldliness. It's not, Thou shalt not drink, thou shalt not smoke, thou shalt not have sex, then thou shall not be like the world.
It's, “Come out of her, My people”. It's, Abstain from ALL forms or hints of anything which is not of Christ. It’s deny yourself and follow Me.
To the extreme limits. To the whiteness. From the darkness. Will you follow Him – no matter the cost, at every demand?
You won't ever recover or get to your full potential in Christ as long as you're focused on the grey line. If you’re constantly saying, “I don't see the harm in it; as long as I'm not doing anything OBVIOUSLY WRONG, then it's got to be all right,” it's focusing on getting as close to the line as you can without stepping over, not on trying to get as far away from it as you can to please Christ.
I feel like I want to go out down the clubs and spend time with some young people my own age in some tighter clothes and have a bit of alcohol and dance with a guy at a disco and do some necking in a car. My physical side's so achy I can't resist it.
And the Bible doesn't say I can't. It says I shouldn't be immodest. Well, I'm not. I'm going to wear clothes that are a bit comfortable that make me look good without being revealing. It says I shouldn't get drunk. All right, I'm not going to. I'm going to have some wine and stop being so different from everyone. And what's wrong with dancing and rubbing myself up a guy? Nothing. The Bible doesn't say anything against it. Necking in a car isn't having sex. I'm not stepping outside the lines.
Am I right? No! Of course not!
But why? Because being immodest isn’t the clothes over one’s skin. It’s the heart attitude that is changed by love for God enough to completely (as much as lies within our power) release the eyes of men from the physical and direct by Godly conversation to the spiritual. Because drinking alcohol is a fine line that leaves one open to criticism from the world and also to a deeper addiction than that. And while everything can cause an addiction, it’s advisable to get as far away from them as possible. Nothing’s wrong with dancing, or dancing with a guy. But the kind of dancing, the movement it produces and the way a lot of modern dancing is, points more to sex and appeals to the flesh than brings out movements of beauty and grace and gives healthy exercise – all of which glorify God. What’s wrong with kissing a guy? And oh, the joy it brings to finally KNOW the answer in my heart. Nothing. Nothing is wrong with kissing a guy. But the emotions it produces leads to unstableness, the heart follows the lips and it’s much easier to go all the way from one. Apart from the loss of the “first” (which isn’t a sin, just a regret), one’s heart follows one’s lips. Kissing lightly, no matter even if you just tell yourself it’s a basic attraction that won’t last, leaves a piece of your heart behind.
The fruit of the Spirit is love. God is Love. Love leads us to God, not to follow the grey line. And love does no wrong to a neighbour – and thinks nothing of itself.
Joy. Joy comes in true obedience to the will of God – and the more abundantly as you give up and give up to follow His Spirit into His presence.
Patience – to wait on God’s will and endure the pain as we cut the cancers to become like Him.
Kindness – product of love.
Faithfulness – product of patience.
Gentleness – softened as we walk further into the Light of His Glory.
All of them independent and yet intricately connected. Beautifully so.
And self control. Denying yourself isn’t easy. It’s painful. Agonising pain. Crucifixion is one of the most painful deaths there is – slowly starving you of oxygen. That’s exactly what it means when we are to crucify the old man. We don’t say, “We can’t do it; we aren’t strong enough,” because God has assured us that we “can do all things through Christ Who gives us strength.” And “God is not a man that He should lie.” We take that sin, that easy little weakness that seems so harmless, and we crucify it. We ignore the pain and we starve it of everything that would feed the parasite to our souls and keep it alive. We leave the porn. The cutting. The cyber-stuff. The emotional addictions. And we starve them into obedience to Christ.
That example I gave up there isn’t true, so breathe easy. :D It’s an example. Of exactly what one can get to inside the Bible lines. My entire backsliding for two years was within Biblical lines. All because the Bible didn't SAY I couldn't have a non-Christian boyfriend as long as we didn't have sex. It's all about getting AS FAR AWAY from the grey area/the black area (the further away you get, the more you see there's only black and white) as you can. Not what you can get away with. You will never reach your full potential while you're playing with the world. And I know I sound cruel. But please listen to me. I've been where you are and God smashed me. I've physical, emotional and spiritual scars for the rest of my life.
There's not a definition of worldliness. It's not, Thou shalt not drink, thou shalt not smoke, thou shalt not have sex, then thou shall not be like the world.
It's, “Come out of her, My people”. It's, Abstain from ALL forms or hints of anything which is not of Christ. It’s deny yourself and follow Me.
To the extreme limits. To the whiteness. From the darkness. Will you follow Him – no matter the cost, at every demand?
Brilliant, Sianie dear. :) I am so very thankful to read posts like this from you... God is so good. :)
ReplyDeleteSomething I thought of along these lines is that we've got to come to realize how very, very awesome God is. How beautiful, powerful, loving... How much more worthy and deserving of our all He is than anything or anyone in this world. I think that once we come to that place of loving and adoring and being in awe of God this all suddenly makes more sense... So it would seem that we should do whatever we can-- pray, read, talk... to get to that place as often as we can. :D
Love you! I'm praying for you. :)
Your big sister and FPW,
C'rissie