"For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God,
pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things" (Phil 4:8). (See also Rom 12:1-2)
12. What does the church say about it?
"For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men" (Rom 14:18). "For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things" (Acts 15:28). (See also Rom 14:16).
13. Would I like to be doing this when Jesus comes?
"And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming . . . we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure" (1 John 2:28; 3:2-3). (See also 1 Thess 5:2-4; Matt 24:44-51; Luke 23:34-35).
These questions are taken from a book that I would like to recommend for your reading. It is by Robertson McQuilkin, An Introduction to Biblical Ethics. A lot of what you read in this chapter is taken from this book.
Finally, it needs to be mentioned that one danger of discussing ethical issues like these is that it sometimes creates a judgmental fault-finding attitude among Christians, that can really spoil fellowship. Now, I want to stress very strongly, that the ones we should judge and find fault with primarily, are ourselves. If you have been personally convicted that something you have been doing is sinful or questionable, you need to deal with it with repentance. We need to ask God to forgive us for violating His Code of Practice, and resolve to put things right from now on, with divine help. Only when we are living holy and pure lives following the Code of Practice God has given us in His word very strictly, will we be able to build a
79 A Christian in a Non-Christian World