Principles That Please God

By John Stallings

Several years ago I remember hearing a girl interviewed who had just won a beauty/talent contest.

 Evidently she had made the fact that she was a Christian very clear so the interviewer asked what her church taught & what she believed. Her answer was basically “we don’t do this & we don’t do that.” When pressed further for information on the positives of her faith & what her code of conduct might be, she stuck with the list of several things her church considered sins. That’s all she seemed to have.

I didn’t expect her to be a theologian but I was somewhat disappointed that she seemed to be clueless in regards to the tenants of her faith. It would have been great to hear her tell how knowing Christ had changed her or even something as simple as the little chorus- “every day with Jesus is sweeter than the day before.”

Maybe her lack of knowledge stemmed from the fact that her church just didn't preach much gospel, or maybe she just wasn’t listening. Who knew?

God makes it clear on the pages of His Word the things that He considers sins, that grieve His heart. There are the Ten Commandments from the Old Testament & the New Testament is replete with teachings not only from the mouth of Jesus but from the inspired pens of the other writers, all of whose words are “God-breathed,” & essential to our faith.

But there are areas about which the Bible doesn’t clearly speak. There are issues that we confront in our Christian lives where there isn’t a clear-cut Biblical proof-text to steer us.

In cases like that, God gives us personal freedom & leaves it up to us to decide how we’ll conduct our lives. There are however several Biblical principles that we can use that are helpful. I’m going to present these principles in eight words. The first word is;

1. CONFORMITY

Romans 12: 2 says….be not conformed to this world but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind…..

Here we have a very helpful principle. Does our conduct conform us more to the world than to Christ? Does it cool our love for Christ? Another translation of Romans 12:2 says; don’t let the world squeeze you into its mold.

 When we were raising daughters, there was one argument I heard from them more times than I can count. I don’t know why it should have surprised me because I used it many times on my parents. Here it is; “everybody else is doing it.” My answer was usually, If the crowds doing it, it’s wrong. Then I’d quote Matthew 7:14 …..Straight is the gate & narrow is the way which leadeth unto life & few there be that find it.

If I’m reading that verse right, the majority will not find the right road. The reason so many are on the broad road that leads to destruction is because we’re born on that road. The straight road leading to life must be “found.”

2 Corinthians 6:17 says…..come out from among them & be ye separate saith the Lord & touch not the unclean thing; & I will receive you.

1 John 2:15 says—if a man loves the world the love of the Father is not in him.

 I heard a story as a youngster about a Christian girl who was, against her better judgment, at a dance hall where alcohol was flowing freely. She was dancing with a young man she was fond of & felt she should at least give a Christian witness as she twirled across the floor. She asked him bluntly if he was a Christian & his reply without hesitation, was “No & you’re not either or you wouldn’t be here.” The fact that she was participating in an obviously worldly activity that was conforming her to the world made it just about impossible for her to give a Christian witness.

As Christians we should ask- is the activity bringing us more into conformity with Christ or less? The next helpful principle when we’re faced with a grey area is;

2. CONDEMNING

Romans 14: 2-3 says—for one believeth he may eat all things: another who is weak eateth herbs. Let him not that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him that eateth not judge him that eateth, for God hath received him.

In the areas of non-essentials, we have to be careful of our human tendency to feel what we do is right & sit in judgment on what others do. I have seen men who drink a case of Coke a week criticize people who drink coffee when Coke has as much or more stimulant in it as coffee. We shouldn’t criticize people for not buttering their spiritual toast the same way we do.

Every Christian has a strong personal conviction about something. I call it their “pet rock.” The trouble comes when we try to impose that conviction on others if they don’t share it. If we let everyone put their “pet rock” or personal conviction on our spiritual wagon it will become so heavy we can’t pull it. The next word is;

3. CONVICTIONS.

Romans 14:5 says….let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind

The first step to Christian maturity is realizing there are some things you can do that I can’t do & visa versa. Obviously when it comes to essentials we’re all subject to the same standards but in non-essentials we’re free to do what we feel good about.

When I traveled as an evangelist I found some churches allowed books & records to be sold in their lobby & others had a conviction against it. I never complained even though it sometimes meant loss of sales for us because this was their conviction. Who was I to ask them to go against it to accommodate me?

There are some churches who won’t allow food to be eaten on church property & others regularly have suppers & even raise money selling meals. We don’t “work for our Salvation” but everyone has to “work out their own Salvation.”


The fourth principle is;

4. CONSIDERATE

Romans 14:13 says,……..that no man put a stumbling block in his brother’s way.

In England many Christians think nothing about going to a Pub & having beer. There have been cases where Christian young people from America went to England where the standards on alcohol were different & trying to fit in, they got drunk.

Men are affected & tempted more by what they see & women are tempted more by what they hear. The Bible doesn’t tell a woman exactly how long her hemline should be but God will give her the wisdom to be considerate of men & dress modestly. Obviously if a woman is dressing to “knock men’s socks off” she’s displeasing the Lord.

1 Corinthians 8:12 says, But when ye sin so against the brethren & wound their weak conscious, ye sin against Christ.

Luke 17:1-2 says, ….it is impossible but that offenses will come but woe be to him through whom they come; it were better for him if a millstone were hanged about his neck and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. The next principle is;


5. CONSISTENT

Romans 14: 16 says, let not then your good be evil spoken of…

This principle is one of seeking to be in agreement as much as is possible with other Christians.

I have heard people say, “if was wrong in Jesus’ day its wrong now & if it’s wrong in one place its wrong everywhere.” That “aint necessarily so.” Let me explain with a couple of examples.

 A few years ago we went to Jamaica for meetings in two large churches. Shortly after we arrived, in conversation with a pastor I asked if there were any local customs we should be aware of. He acted relieved that I brought it up & went on to tell me that the Christian ladies of Jamaica didn’t wear slacks or pant suits. He added that a lady would have almost zero credibility there if she appeared in public in either of these outfits. Juda wears pant suits & had packed more of them than dresses but because of the local custom, she always wore dresses in public. If we had taken the attitude that we’d dress exactly as we wanted to, or we’d dress like we dressed in the States that would violate the principle of consistency & furthermore would show a stubborn unbending attitude which would have been displeasing to God.

 In parts of Germany to wear a neck tie is considered unspiritual but to drink wine is perfectly acceptable. Of course in America the exact opposite would be the rule in most places.

 In the early seventies I pastored in Montgomery Alabama. The church board asked me if I enjoyed bowling & answered that I did on occasion. In a very nice way they explained to me that there was only one bowling alley in town & it had a bad reputation as a hang-out for unsavory people. The bottom line was that if I were seen there I would be the subject of gossip. That was all I needed to hear & during my years as pastor in that city I never darkened the door of that establishment.

But about 90 miles north of Montgomery was the big city of Birmingham. I had several pastor friends there & there were dozens of beautiful bowling alleys. I’d go up occasionally & have lunch with my preacher friends & we’d go bowling. Now the alleys in Birmingham looked just like the one in Montgomery & certainly they were all built to the same basic specifications but when I bowled in Birmingham I was in no danger of being a stumbling block. Had I gone to the bowling alley in Montgomery, I’m sure it would have been displeasing to God as well as given me a bad testimony. But there was no problem in Birmingham. In conducting myself in this way I was honoring the principle of consistency. The next word is;

6. CONSTRUCTIVE

Roman 14:19 says; Let us follow therefore after the things that make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.As God’s people our goal is unity. We should always ask ourselves—do my words, actions, attitudes and standards make for peace? In the Sermon on the mount Jesus said, --Blessed are the peacemakers.

1 Corinthians 11:15-16 says; --But if a woman have long hair it is a glory to her; for hair is given her for a covering. But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom….

A pastor friend of mine had a disgruntled man in his church to stand during service years ago, hold up the new church songbook & proceed to criticize it & say he didn’t think the books were worth the money the church spent on them. The pastor meekly asked the people if they were enjoying the books & 98% raised their hands that they were. That man stood in the pastor’s office a few months later & said “Pastor, after the night I stood & said what I did about the songbooks, I lost hundreds of dollars a week in my business.”

That man very unwisely violated the constructive principle & he suffered for it. What he said had a divisive edge on it, it didn’t make for peace & wasn’t appropriate in the public forum he chose. The next principle is;

7. CONSCIENCE

Roman 14:22 says,--hast thou faith? Have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth.

This principle simply tells us if we feel bad about something we shouldn’t do it.

In 1Timothy 1:19 Paul told Timothy, Holding fast a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck….

Though I used the verse earlier, Paul said in Philippians 2:12 ---Work out your own salvation with fear & trembling.

While everyone has a conscience, only Christians have the indwelling Holy Spirit. Paul said in Romans 2:15, which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness….

Going against our inner monitor telling us what we ought to do is the first step to a hardening heart. If we do it often, soon our conscience will become seared. The last principle is;


8. CHRISTLIKE

Is our conduct Christ like? Are our activities making us more Christ like?

Romans 15:1-3 says,--We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification. For even Christ pleased not Himself……

In all that we do, we should ask the question; is the welfare of others uppermost in my mind? Our little loss of liberty, if it comes to that will be more than compensated with the joy, power & the good testimony we’ll have in the long run.

Blessings,

John