Recently, I stumbled across a social media post where a certain ministry was shaming a certain writer. While I used to be not accustomed to this writer, I didn’t appreciate the negative talk the ministry was giving to the writer. It is totally okay to have your personal opinions, but when it becomes legalistic, you run right into a problem. Never should anyone, including this ministry, teach or endorse a legalistic view of theology.
Whether individuals know it or not, we have now all been given freedom in Christ (Galatians 5:1). What this implies is that we’re free in Christ. We can read what we would like, take heed to what we would like, and watch what we would like. However, it is vital to ensure we don’t read, take heed to, or watch anything that promotes sin; nonetheless, it’s also essential we don’t push legalism onto others.
Just because one person struggles with a selected sin doesn’t mean another person does too. Therefore, one book, song, or movie might cause one believer to be enticed to sin, but for an additional believer, it doesn’t trouble them in any respect. It is best if everyone will not be quick to evaluate others based on their book, music, or movie selections. When we start being judges, we’re starting to play God. This is something that may be sensible to not do.
Christian Literature & Christian Classics
Many individuals imagine that Christians can only read the Bible. The Bible is amazingly essential, and we must always be reading it every single day, but nowhere does God say that that is the one book we are able to read. Most of us read a piece of the Bible every single day. This could possibly be a chapter, a passage, or a book of the Bible. For many avid readers, we also read other pieces of literature and there may be nothing incorrect with this.
The Bible is nourishment for our soul, subsequently, we want to ensure we’re reading it every single day. It is the important way God communicates with us today in addition to it comprises the whole lot we want to know to grow in our relationship with Him (2 Timothy 3:16-17). The Bible is of utmost importance, and it’s for the very best that we read it, listen to what it says, and apply its teachings to our lives. In truth, the Bible gives us wisdom that may extend to all areas of our lives.
Furthermore, it is vital to notice that we are able to read other books besides the Bible. We must be reading the Bible every single day, but we can even read other books. An ideal choice of books could possibly be Christian literature and Christian classics. If you’re nervous about books that might tempt you into sin or cause you to have sinful thoughts, attempt to look into a number of the Christian classics. A couple of ideas could possibly be “The Chronicles of Narnia” by C. S. Lewis, “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy by J. R. R. Tolkien, or “The Pilgrim’s Progress” by John Bunyan.
When it involves C. S. Lewis, it’s also essential to say that he wrote other wonderful books besides “The Chronicles of Narnia.” If you have got already read the Narnia series, possibly you possibly can look into his other books, equivalent to “A Grief Observed,” “The Problem with Pain,” or “The Weight of Glory.” All of those books are great reads and might truly show you how to in your walk with Christ. Try to read a wide range of Lewis’s books in addition to other Christian literature works and see whether it is the proper addition to your library.
With Christian literature, you won’t must worry about profanity, inappropriate content, or glorification of sin. If you ought to step more into the lives of individual Christians, you possibly can also attempt to read a missionary biography. There are many missionary biographies in addition to autobiographies that you possibly can attempt to read. As one can see, there may be nothing incorrect with reading books besides the Bible. They might be enjoyable and academic and show you how to learn more about other believers.
Freedom in Christ
As mentioned, all of us have freedom in Christ, but we have now to ensure we usually are not using our freedom as a cover-up for evil (1 Peter 2:16). When we’re exercising our freedom in Christ, it doesn’t mean we have now a license to sin. Rather, we must always need to do good since it brings glory to God. If there may be ever a book that causes you to feel as if you usually tend to commit a sin glamorized within the book, it might be best to step away from the book.
We have freedom in Christ, yet Jesus at all times wants us to be faithful followers of Him. If a book promotes adultery, inappropriate behavior, or intense sex scenes, it might be best to not read the book. While that is a well-liked genre for a lot of readers, we have now to ask ourselves if it is actually honoring God. If it isn’t, we want to place the book down and skim something that is healthier for our spiritual health.
You do have complete freedom to do as you please, but keep in mind that Jesus sees our hearts (1 Samuel 16:7). If we read books that promote sin, eventually we are going to need to do the sin too. If you have got it inside your Christian freedom to maintain tight control on these items without books affecting you, then that’s great, but we have now to face the truth that almost all individuals don’t possess this skill. Temptation is powerful, and it will probably come after we least expect it. This is why we should be careful and remember to glorify God in the whole lot we do, whether that’s what we read, what we write, what we watch, or what we take heed to.
Honoring & Gloryfing God
A very good test to run books through is that if the book honors God. If it doesn’t, the very best decision can be to stop reading the book. Reading books is fun, but when we’re honest with ourselves, lots of us read books to flee from the world. Don’t use books as a way for escapism or to live out a dream that will not be even real. Books are only books—whether it is a fictional book, it’s a made-up story. Don’t base your life on something that was created by an writer.
If a book ever makes you’re feeling bad about yourself, causes you to need to sin, or raises sinful desires in you, decide to put the book down. If you purchased the book, possibly you possibly can return it and get a book that can be honored by God. If you simply checked it out from the library, you’ll be able to return the book and take a look at a unique section the following time you’re there. There are great books on the market that won’t damage your relationship with Christ, nor will they promote sinful desires in you.
Some people might find this restrictive, but as believers, we have now to ask ourselves why we would like to read literature that promotes sinful behavior. Is there some form of unmet need in our life? Do we want to spend more time with God in prayer and Bible study? Or possibly we want a Christian mentor to assist us on this area. Pray over the matter and permit God to guide you in the fitting direction. You can read greater than just the Bible, but it’s good to ensure the books are glorifying God.
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