Praying for wisdom in gray areas/questionable things

[brianb]

or basically things the Bible doesn't address.
Is it common for pastors now to tell someone who is questioning something that it is okay if it's for God?  The Bible doesn't speak about everything but it does say to pray about everything and ask for wisdom. It doesn't seem right to say this or that is okay if you do it for God to people who are questioning something and not advise them to pray about it.  The Bible does say whatever you do do it for the glory of God but that's completely different from doing something for God which can be done in the flesh or the Spirit.

 

[Twisted]

or basically things the Bible doesn't address.
I've noticed with many young pastors they will say certain things are okay if you do it for God but they never say to pray about it.  The Bible doesn't speak about everything but it does say to pray about everything and ask for wisdom. It doesn't seem right to say this or that is okay if you do it for God to people who are questioning something and not advise them to pray about it.

Interesting.  How is it that you "noticed" these things?  It seems an odd thing to keep track of.  Is it from sermons (you must listen to a LOT of young pastors) or from their Facebook posts?

But not to detract from your point.  Youth=novice=inexperienced.  If they stick with it, they'll learn.

 

[brianb]

or basically things the Bible doesn't address.
I've noticed with many young pastors they will say certain things are okay if you do it for God but they never say to pray about it.  The Bible doesn't speak about everything but it does say to pray about everything and ask for wisdom. It doesn't seem right to say this or that is okay if you do it for God to people who are questioning something and not advise them to pray about it.

Interesting.  How is it that you "noticed" these things?  It seems an odd thing to keep track of.  Is it from sermons (you must listen to a LOT of young pastors) or from their Facebook posts?

But not to detract from your point.  Youth=novice=inexperienced.  If they stick with it, they'll learn.

I think you are right but shouldn't pastors be more careful with the souls of people? What if it proved to endanger someone in the long run? Pastors are held more accountable then the rest of us. I've edited my post by the way. Didn't really think it through.  It just seems like only the older pastors like John MacArthur are addressing these issues and advising people Biblically how to deal with them. That's not to say there aren't any young pastors who are well trained in this area but we know some who are just trying to be cool and not being diligent as the Bible teaches.

 

[Twisted]

or basically things the Bible doesn't address.
I've noticed with many young pastors they will say certain things are okay if you do it for God but they never say to pray about it.  The Bible doesn't speak about everything but it does say to pray about everything and ask for wisdom. It doesn't seem right to say this or that is okay if you do it for God to people who are questioning something and not advise them to pray about it.

Interesting.  How is it that you "noticed" these things?  It seems an odd thing to keep track of.  Is it from sermons (you must listen to a LOT of young pastors) or from their Facebook posts?

But not to detract from your point.  Youth=novice=inexperienced.  If they stick with it, they'll learn.

I think you are right but shouldn't pastors be more careful with the souls of people? What if it proved to endanger someone in the long run? Pastors are held more accountable then the rest of us. I've edited my post by the way. Didn't really think it through.  It just seems like only the older pastors like John MacArthur are addressing these issues and advising people Biblically how to deal with them. That's not to say there aren't any young pastors who are well trained in this area but we know some who are just trying to be cool and not being diligent as the Bible teaches.

"Trying to be cool" - Boy, you got THAT right.

I'm chuckling at the use of John MacArthur.  Young pastors make mistakes.  MacArthur totally screws up the blood of Christ.  Lesson?  Ain't no one perfect.

 

[brianb]

or basically things the Bible doesn't address.
I've noticed with many young pastors they will say certain things are okay if you do it for God but they never say to pray about it.  The Bible doesn't speak about everything but it does say to pray about everything and ask for wisdom. It doesn't seem right to say this or that is okay if you do it for God to people who are questioning something and not advise them to pray about it.

Interesting.  How is it that you "noticed" these things?  It seems an odd thing to keep track of.  Is it from sermons (you must listen to a LOT of young pastors) or from their Facebook posts?

But not to detract from your point.  Youth=novice=inexperienced.  If they stick with it, they'll learn.

I think you are right but shouldn't pastors be more careful with the souls of people? What if it proved to endanger someone in the long run? Pastors are held more accountable then the rest of us. I've edited my post by the way. Didn't really think it through.  It just seems like only the older pastors like John MacArthur are addressing these issues and advising people Biblically how to deal with them. That's not to say there aren't any young pastors who are well trained in this area but we know some who are just trying to be cool and not being diligent as the Bible teaches.

"Trying to be cool" - Boy, you got THAT right.

I'm chuckling at the use of John MacArthur.  Young pastors make mistakes.  MacArthur totally screws up the blood of Christ.  Lesson?  Ain't no one perfect.

I entered gray areas and the best I got was MacArthur. I should have entered "questionable things" and I would have got Curtis Hutson - however it's on a website I don't really agree with.

 

[Ransom]

or basically things the Bible doesn't address.

The Bible doesn"t address a lot of things. It can't. It's a sufficient, but not an exhaustive, book. Some of those things are such that you can infer what the Bible would say on them. For example, distilled spirits didn't exist, but we can reason out what their proper use is from what Scripture says about wine. Other things are truly neutral.

So with that qualification, what do you feel is wrong with the advice that it's OK to do those neutral things if it's for God? The Bible does say to do everything to the glory of God, after all....

The Bible does say whatever you do do it for the glory of God but that's completely different from doing something for God which can be done in the flesh or the Spirit.

Perhaps for clarification you could give an example of something that was morally right or neutral, but would be wrong to do because it was in the flesh rather than the Spirit?

 

[brianb]

or basically things the Bible doesn't address.

The Bible doesn"t address a lot of things. It can't. It's a sufficient, but not an exhaustive, book. Some of those things are such that you can infer what the Bible would say on them. For example, distilled spirits didn't exist, but we can reason out what their proper use is from what Scripture says about wine. Other things are truly neutral.

So with that qualification, what do you feel is wrong with the advice that it's OK to do those neutral things if it's for God? The Bible does say to do everything to the glory of God, after all....

The Bible does say whatever you do do it for the glory of God but that's completely different from doing something for God which can be done in the flesh or the Spirit.

Perhaps for clarification you could give an example of something that was morally right or neutral, but would be wrong to do because it was in the flesh rather than the Spirit?

Well Biblically and ideally we should be walking in the Spirit at all times (of course being sinners we don't).  This is so we don't fulfill the lusts of the flesh. Eating is morally neutral but God killed many Israelites for their lustful eating in the wilderness. There's really a long list of things that could be wrong but I think the problem is that Christians are not being taught correctly and have this trial and error attitude where they use their liberty for license to the flesh - it can even take years before they realize their wrong before it's too late and they may have even harmed others in the process. If only it were as easy as doing something once and see if your conscience instantly convicts you - can't the conscience be desensitized? It's the exact opposite extreme of being told this or that is wrong by a preacher (which I also disagree with).