How far is too far when determining "how far to go" with your boyfriend/girlfriend?
What other morality issues do you have questions about??
Here's the thing, we make all this kind of stuff way too hard. Instead of step-by-step directions, God wants us to use the brains He has Blessed us with. He therefore has given us a compass.
God's compass can be found in 1 Corinthians...
1 Corinthians 10.31 says, So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
God wants you to use the compass He has given you. Just ask your self one simple question in all situations of life: Is this bringing Glory and Honor to God?
1 Corinthians 6.19-20 says, Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.
Honor God with your body. Use God's compass. Is smoking and damaging your lungs honoring God with your body? Is drinking alcohol and destroying your liver honoring God with your body?
Sometimes we make everything out to be "Is it a sin?" instead of just asking ourselves, "Is this honoring God?" or "Is this bringing Glory to God?" You see, take sin out of the equation for a second. Some of these questions should really be rephrased as "Is this stupid?" Why do you want to smoke in the first place. Why would you intentionally damage your lungs and your health, reduce your capacity to breath and increase your possibilities of having debilitating diseases?
Same goes for alcohol. Why set yourself up for having to rely on smoking or drinking because you are stressed out? Why drink just to make yourself fit in? When it comes down to it, regardless of whether or not it is sin, just take a step back and look how stupid it is....Why set yourself up for a dependency on such things??
How about your relationships? Doesn't seem stupid to ask yourself "how far is too far?" Do you really think God has set up guidelines and margins for something like this. We always search for margins in life, saying things like, "we can go this far but not too far." We think that we must "go all the way" in order to be cool. Society tells us that we must have sex to fit in, yet if a teenage girl becomes pregnant, then society treats her like scum. Why test the margins?? Sin or stupidity?....just use God's compass and ask yourself if you are honoring God or bringing Glory to God?
Sin or stupidity?...pretty much the same thing, the question that is more important is whether or not you are Honoring God with what He has given you and entrusted you with...God's compass, you always have it with you, use it :)
(inspired by Erwin McManus, Vital Signs, Restoring Your Health)
