Sin is, by definition, something “misses and mark” and is displeasing to God. Sin usually comes down to a choice. The first man Adam was presented with a choice. God told him he could eat from any tree in the Garden of Eden except one (Genesis 2:16-17). Adam chose to disobey God (Genesis 3:6) and in doing so, sinned. The act of eating fruit isn’t sinful. The sin for Adam was disobeying God. However, understanding what is sin and what isn’t sin isn’t always so clear.
One guide we have to help identify sin is our conscience. For one who is striving to please God, the conscience is that part of the mind and heart that works to be in tune with God and identify actions that may be sinful. God’s followers develop their consciences through study of the Bible and by following the lessons it teaches. Jesus was a perfect example of one who completely pleased God. Jesus spent all of his time serving others, preaching God’s word to others, and living a life that exemplified a love for all those he encountered. Although it is impossible for any other to fully live up to Jesus’ example, God’s wants us to make every effort of heart, mind and action to try (Matthew 22:37-40).
Doing so requires sacrifice. The most irreplaceable, and thus most precious resource any person has is time. Lives are finite, and every action we take diminishes our time even more. We all need to spend some amount of time sleeping, earning an income to provide for ourselves and our loved ones, eating, and other necessities of life. However, a significant portion of our day is completely up to us. For those who are seeking to follow Jesus’ example, maximizing this time in the service of God is a priority (Ephesians 5:15-21). A developed conscience can often help determine what pursuits are pleasing to God and what pursuits are sinful (Matthew 6:21-23).
Determining whether one specific action is a sin, such as watching a particular kind of movie, can be a difficult question to definitively answer. The question of “what is a sin” is one all Christians have faced since Jesus’ death. In Romans 14, the Apostle Paul addresses a controversy among the Christians at the time. In those days, meat was often offered to idols as a sacrifice. After some amount of time, the meat was taken from the idols and sold in markets, usually at a reduced price. The reduced price made it appealing to many, but some of the early Christians felt it was inappropriate to eat such meat because they did not want anything in their lives that was associated with idol worship. Paul advises his brethren, including us today, that everyone will eventually answer to God for their actions (Romans 14:12). Paul states that although he personally does not have a problem eating such meat, every person must look to their own conscience (Romans 14:14, 20).
A smoker once asked a faithful follower of Jesus, “Is it sinful for me to smoke cigarettes?” The follower responded that our main goal in life is to please God – if one can smoke cigarettes to the glory of God, then smoke and rejoice! The smoker, guided by their conscience, saw what perhaps they knew all along and never smoked again, counting the act of quitting as a sacrifice to God.
Horror movies portray the worst aspects of mankind. By their nature, they paint bleak pictures of suffering and death. In contrast, the Bible assures us that when we spend our time trying to draw closer to God, He will draw closer to us (James 4:8). God doesn’t want us to sacrifice our time to follow Him because He is unreasonable or because He doesn’t understand the world. God assures us that His ways lead to contentment and happiness which will eventually spread to all mankind.
In the end, how we spend our time is a choice, and just like Adam or the early Christians who struggled with the choice of eating meat once offered to idols, we are all judged by our choices. We can’t be responsible for the choices anyone else makes except for ourselves. If one has developed a conscience that is in tune with Jesus’ teachings, one is usually well-served by following what one’s conscience is already telling them. We can’t always control the images or thoughts that enter into our minds, but when we can – when we have a choice – we are best served in spending our time and energy on the things we know will please God and filling our minds with the truth, joy and hope that He has for all mankind.
Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
Joshua 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
Additional Resource:
Christian Questions Podcast
Episode #1338: “Do My Habits Glorify God? (Part I) Personal Habits”
Revealing the different ways habits are made and how to change them
Preview Video
CQ Rewind Show Notes
Episode #1167: “Can Good Things Ever Be Bad?”
Applying Christian time management in an information-filled world
Preview Video
CQ Rewind Show Notes
