God: "I looked for someone to take a stand for me, and stand in the gap" (Ezekiel 22:30)
An individual Christian may see fit to give up all sorts of things for special reasons – marriage, or meat, or beer, or cinema; but the moment he stars saying the things are bad in themselves, or looking down his nose at other people who do use them, he has taken the wrong turning.
We must ask ourselves, “For me personally, is this something the Lord would be pleased with?” If we have any doubts we should not do it (Rom. 14:20-23). If you believe that the Lord’s will for your life would not be violated, then you’re free to proceed (Rom. 14:5). But be careful here: Paul warns us to be completely free from doubts. In other words, we should not be involved in some “gray” activity without having sought counsel, studied God’s Word, prayed, and scrutinized all possible pros and cons before proceeding. If important issues are bypassed and the conscience is violated, the result is sin (Rom. 14:23).
