Tuesday, February 15, 2005

Decision-Making and the Will of God

When making decisions in life, we need to avoid the temptation to only ask the question, “Is this action or attitude sinful?” We must certainly ask that question, but we must also ask the deeper, more profound question of whether or not our attitude or action will be glorifying to God and whether it will serve the advancement of the Kingdom. To that end, here are some questions that John Feinberg and Paul Feinberg suggest in their excellent book, Ethics for a Brave New World (Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway, 1993) [pp. 44-45]:

  1. Am I fully persuaded that it is right? (Rom. 14:5, 14, 23)
  2. Can I do it as unto the Lord? (Rom. 14:6-8)
  3. Can I do it without being a stumbling block to my brother or sister in Christ? (Rom 14:13, 15, 20-21, 22)
  4. Does it bring peace? (Rom 14:17-19)
  5. Does it edify my brother? (Rom. 14:19)
  6. Is it profitable? (1 Cor. 6:12)
  7. Does it enslave me? (1 Cor 6:12)
  8. Does it bring glory to God? (1 Cor. 10:31)
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