I was recently contacted by a new believer who was concerned about going to hell for playing video games. Therefore, I thought it would be helpful to share some biblical principles with you to help you navigate gray areas not explicitly addressed in Scripture, like the one this new believer asked. I hope you find the information useful and valuable.
Before I present any principles, I first want to address the issue of salvation since I know many people share the same concern as this new believer. Thankfully, the Bible teaches that our salvation is not based on good or bad works but on God’s undeserved grace that He “credits to our account” when we trust Jesus exclusively for what He accomplished on the cross for us. Therefore, we are not saved because of what we “do” or “avoid” but because we have trusted (and continue to trust) Jesus for His undeserved gift of salvation (see Ephesians 2:8-9, Titus 3:4-7, and John 5:24).
However, just because our salvation is secured by grace through faith and not works does not mean our activities or choices are always godly, wise, or permissible. On the contrary, they could be sinless but not beneficial or sinful based on extenuating circumstances. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 6:12, “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.” Therefore, we must rely on biblical principles to help us navigate grey areas or activities to determine if we should engage in them.
The first biblical principle is in Romans 14:23, “Whatever is not from faith is sin.” Applying this principle means we should ask ourselves if a particular activity would violate our conscience in any way, even if the activity itself is benign. In other words, we must discern whether we are fully convinced that the activity is okay or have doubts or reservations about it. If so, we should not engage in it because we could not do so "from faith."
The second and third principles are in 1 Corinthians and Colossians. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 10:31, “Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” He also penned in Colossians 3:23-24, “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.” Applying these principles means we should ask ourselves if participating in certain activities would glorify Jesus and enable us to do them unto Jesus. If not, we should abstain.
The fourth and fifth principles are in 1 Corinthians and Romans. Paul stated in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.” He also declared in Romans 6:13, “Do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.” Applying these principles means asking ourselves if participating in certain activities would harm our bodies or make us feel ashamed. If so, we should not take part in them.
The sixth, seventh, and eighth principles are in 1 Corinthians and Philippians. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 8:8-9, “But food will not commend us to God; we are neither the worse if we do not eat, nor the better if we do eat. But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.” He stated in 1 Corinthians 8:12-13, “By sinning against the brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble.” He also declared in Philippians 2:3-4, “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.” Applying these principles means we should ask ourselves if participating in certain activities or engaging in certain Christian freedoms would cause another believer to stumble in their faith and sin. It also means we should consider other believers before approving something for ourselves so our Christian freedoms do not violate them or cause them to stumble. In other words, love and consideration for others should primarily govern our actions and choices in this regard.
The second-to-last principle is Ephesians 5:8-10, “For you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.” One way to apply this principle would be to ask ourselves if Jesus would engage in the activity we are considering if He had the opportunity. We could also ask ourselves if participating in a particular endeavor would reflect our professed faith in Christ and represent Jesus appropriately. If not, we should abstain.
Last but certainly not least is James 1:5-8. It says, “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” The way we apply this principle is to ask Jesus for His guidance, direction, wisdom, and discernment about any activities we are considering. Even if it "passes all the other tests," Jesus may not want us to engage in it for reasons we may not detect or understand. Therefore, we should always seek God for His direction and submit to His sovereign leadership.
Other questions we can ask ourselves to help determine whether something is appropriate or beneficial are as follows:
Will this activity grow or hinder my spiritual growth?
Will this activity draw me closer to Jesus or away from Him?
Will this activity positively or negatively affect my Christian witness?
Will this activity rob me of the time I should spend with Jesus to cultivate our relationship?
I hope this information gives you more insight into evaluating gray areas not specifically addressed in Scripture so you can help others navigate these often tricky predicaments.
