So it’s been many days and weeks since I first started this conversation about my attempts to live out the gospel. I’ve had much to mull over.

The conclusion I have come to is this:

I am called to show God’s love to the world. I am called to bring glory to God. These two things are not incompatible. I am called to bring glory to God, and one way to do that is to show God’s love to the world. Also, I am called to show God’s love to the world, and the way in which I do that MUST bring glory to God.

I was not set free in Christ so that I might do semi-ungodly things so that the ungodly might know God. There is no logic in that. The example I set must be one which causes people to notice the difference between me and them. Too often, the example I set is one which causes people to notice how similar we are, but that I have this whole God thing going on.

I know that Christ went to where the sinner was and if he were incarnate today, maybe he would be going to bars and playing poker and going to parties and clubs-becase that is where the sinner is.

But you know? There’s one big difference between Christ and me. Christ never sinned. NEVER. Not once. Not even a tiny bit. He was tempted, but never sinned, for he was the perfect son of God. While that perfection has been imputed to me, I am still a sinner, battling against my flesh daily. So I can say that it is practically impossible (without the enabling of the Spirit) for me to go to all the bars and clubs and parties that I want and not sin. Heck, it’s practically impossible for me to wake up and go to class without sin. The sin may take on numerous forms, but I am quite sure that it will take on some form. And you know what? I don’t think the gospel needs my sin in order for it to be powerful. It doesn’t need me to be cool or hip or popular. It needs truth and authenticity and love.

I titled this series “walk the line” because that’s what we (or I) try to do. We ask how close we can get to the line. We should instead be aiming to be as far away from the line as possible.

Is drinking wrong? Is smoking a cigar wrong? Is gambling wrong? Should I only see PG movies? Should I only listen to “Christian” music? You tell me. I’m not legalistic, really I’m not at all. I don’t believe there is a list of wrongs and rights when it comes to this stuff. I fully and firmly believe that we are free in Christ. I know that Paul said that he became all things to all people. I know that all things are allowed, but not all things are profitable.  I also know that too many of us use our freedom in Christ as a veil for sin.

So tell me this. In whatever you choose to do, are you, 100% of the time, not sinning? Are you, 100% of the time, bringing glory to God? Are you, 100% of the time, pointing people to Christ? Or are you, maybe 5% of the time, letting down your discernment and allowing part of the world to creep in?

So I say, err on the side of caution, or the side of righteousness.  If you THINK you might be tempted, don’t do it. If you THINK you might not be pointing to Christ, don’t do it.

As for me and my job and my interactions with non-believers, all I can do (and the greatest thing I can do) is to pray for wisdom and for the Spirit to guide my words and actions. I pray that Jesus Christ might be made known and that God might be made great and that I might be more sanctified through this whole process

So you might disagree with my conclusions. We can best love the world by loving Christ the most. And for me to love Christ the most, I can’t allow the things of this world to have a prominent place in my life. For I am a sinner, who, at the slightest of urgings, can become indistinguishable from the fallen world.