But the Man Who Has Doubts...

I was reading in the book of Romans today, and I happened to land on chapter 14. Paul is talking about how we will sometimes hit “disputable matters” in our walk with God – things that may or may not be healthy for each of us, depending on our level of faith. For instance, Paul says, some people believe that eating meat is wrong. And, “if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean.”



The thing is, if a certain action is not directly addressed in one of God's commandments as a sin, then God has reserved the right to convict each one of us about it separately.

This realization floored me. God has had to convict me over and over again about certain music, TV shows, and websites like Pinterest. Every time He tells me no, I always find a way to justify my actions. “But the Bible doesn't say that this is a sin,” or “that was only wrong for me in a certain season, when I wasn't fully grounded in the Word.”

Some of you may not think that going on the computer and looking at pictures of cute outfits is a big deal, even if, once upon a time, my conscience was uncertain about it. But I've realized that for me, those pictures carry with them the lies of our culture. They tell me that women are meant to be skinny, and that it's OK to desire wealth in the form of clothes and makeup, if only to cover up my insecurities. If I didn't have Jesus in my life, I know that I would be bought into those lies 100 percent. That's a measure of my faith. And for me, using Pinterest is a sin.

Verse 24 uses the illustration of food again: “But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.”

This post is not to tell you all to turn off your television, throw out your music, and ditch social media. I just want to leave you with a thought. Is there anything in your life that God has told you to take a break from? Is there anything that sows a lie in your heart, and keeps you from entering God's presence with a clear conscience? If so, Romans 12:24 is here to draw a clear line in the sand. That thing that the Spirit is whispering to you about – guess what – it's a sin.

P.S. I know that this could be a touchy subject for some of you. So I want to encourage you to read through the chapter and form your own opinion. Please, don't take it from me. Spend some time with God. Ask Him to speak to you.