Question:
Why don’t you directly answer questions like ‘is it okay to drink?’ or ‘is gambling a sin?’. Aren’t you being a little wishy-washy? Are you afraid to take a stand?
Answer:
I’m assuming what you mean by “directly answer” is saying “don’t do it” or “it’s okay”. There are two primary reasons. First, the Bible frequently doesn’t give a direct, simple answer. When it does, I do. Second, I can give readers my personal belief or opinion, but that doesn’t teach people to be discerning and self-evaluating.
We have an awful lot of Biblically and spiritual lazy Christians nowadays who simply follow what their “Pastor” or church says, and do not take the time to learn “why?” themselves. They don’t learn the principles, concept, study habits and critical thinking that result in what is called DISCERNMENT.
Discernment is the ability to determine what is right, and what is wrong. The lack of discernment in Christianity today is alarming.
When people simply follow what someone else tells them without learning and understanding why, it leaves us with churches full of people who are legalistic, not because their opinion/choice is wrong (“don’t drink, don’t gamble”) but because they are simply following a checklist given to them and cannot DISCERN the matters themselves based on knowing the principles and commands of God’s Word.
That is the reason why I often give out “considerations” rather than “answers” because I feel like God has called me to motivate people to learn, think and discern for themselves so that they can then in turn teach others effectively “why?” something is right or wrong.
I believe my primarily ministry calling is to “teach people to learn for themselves”, not to simply tell people what they ought to believe.
I get called “wishy-washy” alot for taking that approach, but it’s the same principle as “give a man a fish.. teach a man to fish”. I’m trying to teach Christian how to study the Word, learn the principles and commands, and so they can then discern for themselves what is right and what is wrong… rather than spoon-feeding pre-determined answers.
Most Christians can tell you WHAT they believe but cannot defend why they believe, EVEN WHEN THOSE BELIEFS ARE WRONG. For example, one Christian might say, “I believe God created the earth in six days” but be totally unable to suppor that belief with anything more than “God says it, I believe it” (which is sufficient when a logical answer is outside of man’s ability, ie “God is totally sovereign, and man has free will”).
Another Christian might say “I believe God created the earth but used evolution to get us to this point”. They may proclaim that simply because they have been brainwashed about this “fact” or fooled by the deceptive propaganda.
Either way, it is far too common that Christians simply parrot what they’ve heard, read, been taught or what their church believes.