Standards

Yes! :thumbs:

Ed

 

I draw the line at sin...
You have to look at the word "conform" It means to be pressed into a mold.. to be formed under pressure from an outside force.

A person that is conformed to the world is constantly worried about fitting in with sinners... so much so that they start acting like the sinners that are putting peer pressure on them... so that they start sinning...

This verse is not about doing the same things the world does...
But about sinning to get the world's approval.

The world drives cars... we do too, no sin
The world uses electricity... we do too, no sin.

The world commits adultery, should we? No of course not.
The world lies to get their way, should we? Nope again... sin
The world tries to gain riches? should we? No, we should give.

See the difference... you have to draw the line at sin.
If God's word calls it a sin, we should too...
But don't get caught in the trap that says, just because the world does something, we shouldn't... some of the best ideas have came from the world....

Like indoor bathrooms!!!

ha hahahaha

Of course this is the way I see it, and others will disagree, oh well, I'm not pressured to conform to others ideas.

 

TinyTim gave an excellant post!

But I sense that your question wants an answer to more specific things like clothing styles and music preferences.

How do you make the decision on where to draw the line?

Well God gave us this little guidebook called the Bible and something called the Holy Spirit and between the two, with the catalyst of prayer, you will be able to make those decisions for yourself, cutomized for YOUR walk with God and not mine. No one can make those decisions for you. They can give guidelines out of their own personal experience, but when you get down to it, what fits them in their place, may not fit you in yours.

Two examples:

The Scriptures describe us as being part of a body. Going with that, would you clothe your foot in a glove meant for a hand? Or wear a shoe on your head? Of course not!

On the issue of wearing pants: I and another poster, Bapmom, have very differing views. Guess what? We are both right! Where she is and what she is doing calls for her to stand out from the crowd more that I need to. On top of that, the issue of wearing pants is very devisive in my part of the country and I would lose a portion of my influence if I made this an issue. Different walks, different clothes. Are either of us immodest? Not that I can tell.

Now music is a bit different. You can enjoy any music you like so long as the lyrics are God honoring and you are not offending someone. Wait, didn't I just use those same principals in my examples above? Yes, I believe I did. It might not be obvious, but the basics are there. Our lifesyles should be God honoring, period. If you are honoring God it is going to be difficult to offend someone.

Let me warn you about taking the idea of offending someone to far. There will always be someone who's tastes don't run the same as yours or are hardened into their own opinions. This does not mean that you are sinning! This is simply a difference of opinions just like any other and won't matter in a hundred years.

 

I do not believe that we can dogmatically draw the line at sin. Paul said it best when he said, "All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not." 1 Corinthians 10:23

There are many areas of life that, if we engaged in them, we would not necessarily be "sinning," however, that doesn't mean that it would be best or even right to do.

The bottom line is that God desires a people that are separate, different, disctinct, and peculiar. As Christians, we are the "light of the world." If we are not shinning as lights in this lost and dying world, then we are not what we are supposed to be.

As Christians, we are the "salt of earth." If we are not creating a thirst in the lost around us to know more about our Lord, then we are not living like we are supposed to be living.

 

Tiny hit the nail on the head!

That's why I'm a 4 point (maybe even 5 point) Tinyist :thumbs: :laugh:

 

Well Gooooooollllly!!!

 

I'm a 4 pointer too.

I balk on the "unlimited correctness" item:
TINY-ISM EXPLAINED:

Total humility (Ask Tiny...he won a ribbon for his humility, but they took it away because he wore it)
Unlimited Correctness
Limited posting (less than 100/day)
Intractable humor (must be a WV thing)
Please don't take offense, Calvinists, at this list.

 

Tiny and MK both did a good job of explaining.

And I'm really a big fan of indoor bathrooms AND electricity.

 

I like the way this song encapsulates the "conformed/transformed" idea of Romans 12:1-2...

(from the) Inside Out
(c) Hillsong United
A thousand times I've failed
Still Your mercy remains
And should I stumble again
I'm caught in Your grace
Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame

Your will above all else
My purpose remains
The art of losing myself
In bringing You praise
Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame

In my heart and my soul
Lord I give You control
Consume me from the inside out
Lord let justice and praise
Become my embrace
To love you from the inside out

Everlasting, Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending, Your glory goes beyond all fame
And the cry of my heart Is to bring You praise
From the inside out
Lord, my soul cries out

 

I have to agree. While it is obvious that we need to stay away from sin we also need to stay away from the things that lead to sin. I am afraid that today Christians want to play like and with the world and not be spotted. That is impossible. Just because a specific act is not sinful in itself does not mean that we are free to carry it out. We need to learn to look down the road at what can happen if we do certain things and how the world will perceive us if we do not. Our testimony is far more then a set of rules or commands being followed.

 

That is one way to look at the abstain passage, but when you really study it out... it is not talking about you appearing evil, but you staying away when evil appears...

Study it.
There is a difference... And this is one of the things that is confusing in the KJV.