I’m Christian… Can I binge this? Can I drink that? Can I work there?

Is there a practical answer to what a Christian is allowed to do? I mean, theology is great, but what about Squid Game? Can I binge Squid Game? What about meeting my unbelieving friends at the pub… is that OK? Can I apply for a job at a corporation that promotes DEI? We face so many little day-to-day decisions, which the Bible does not specifically address, so how do I keep it all straight? These seem like pretty straight forward questions, but what I am ultimately asking is how do I reconcile the notion of Christian freedom with the Fear of the Lord. If we are to live out our faith in the Fear of the Lord and the Lord demands our obedience of His commandments, then where is the freedom?

Let’s start with what we know for sure. First, in our justification by faith alone, we are granted freedom from the law. Then in our sanctification, the Holy Spirit helps guide us through the many day-to-day decisions we face, which are not specifically related to any one commandment. But… since my sanctification is a work in progress, I know I’m not always going to be perfectly attuned to the Spirit. So how do I consciously make the call?

It takes wisdom. The wisdom we rely on to navigate the freedom granted to us comes from the fear of the Lord, it is after all the beginning of wisdom. And to what end do we make these decisions? Well the chief end of man is to glorify God. Paul says, in 1 Corinthians 10:31 whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. So the litmus test in my decision-making is… God’s glory. Can I truly praise and thank God for the gift of what I seek to do? If not, then I should stay away from it.

Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness. (Ephesians 5:11)

So let’s get back to practical matters. This means that some decisions are plain and simple: Avoid anything that is going to cause you to sin. Obviously, avoid pornography, and avoid anything else that may cause you to lust or even tempt you into lustful thoughts. Avoid anything that causes anger to take root in your heart… for some of you, that may be avoiding watching a sports game (especially if you’re a Toronto Maple Leafs fan!). Avoid anything that causes covetousness to take root, for some that will be those real estate shows on HGTV. Avoid drinking any alcohol if you are susceptible to abusing alcohol or if you know you lack self-control when it comes to alcohol. You will not be any worse off if you avoid these things, you are not missing out on anything important… But note that these are all individual decisions, because only you and the Holy Spirit know your own sinful temptations. Although you are likely more susceptible than you think, so do not be too quick to let yourself off the hook.

OK, but what about if you can enjoy a particular activity or program with a clear conscience. It’s not sinful, it does not create a temptation to sin… then there is one more factor to prayerfully consider that may limit your freedom. Could you be leading another into sin by your freedom? Let me explain, in 1 Corinthians, Paul illustrates this principle with temple meat.

What in the world is temple meat? Well, in Paul’s time, in Corinth, animals were offered in sacrifice to idols in pagan temples. And anyone could go to these temples and buy the meat of the animals that were offered in sacrifice to idols. The pagan priests there would butcher the animals and resell the meat. And this was the cheapest option to buy meat, cheaper than the local farmer or butcher, mainly because oftentimes the meat was a little dodgy. But given everything surrounding the temple, all the icky, unsavoury and idolatrous activities… was it ok for Christians to buy their meat there?

In 1 Corinthians 8, Paul says “As to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “an idol has no real existence,” and that “there is no God b