Biblical Guidance

guidance2.doc guidance2.
doc
Reference: VARIOUS The moral will of God lays out the boundaries for our lives
The things we must and must not do
Church: GRACE Date: 8/19/01 When we operate within those boundaries, there can be no sin
Biblical Guidance Because sin is defined by the law
We can create sin if we doubt we have moral freedom and persist
Purpose: Having shown erroneous ways to make decisions, build up a Biblical in an action
picture But generally there is no sin
Therefore there should be no guilt – we are free
OT – think of freewill offerings
1. Introduction Were they required? No!
Last week began to look at decision making in morally legitimate Think of Nazirite vows and other vows – voluntary
areas List of clean and unclean foods, but free choice within clean ones
Thought about God’s will – no individual will 1 Corinthians 10:27-31 If one of the unbelievers invites you, and you
In terms of a specific plan that we must find out in order to do it wish to go, eat anything that is set before you, without asking
questions for conscience’ sake.28 But if anyone should say to you, “This
Everything is decreed and this is secret unless God reveals it is meat sacrificed to idols,” do not eat it, for the sake of the one who
God has revealed His moral or perceptive will informed you, and for conscience‘ sake;29 I mean not your own
conscience, but the other man’s; for why is my freedom judged by
Looked at subjectivism – “I felt led” “I had no peace about this” another’s conscience?30 If I partake with thankfulness, why am I
Looked at circumstances slandered concerning that for which I give thanks?31 Whether, then, you
eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
At Fleeces If you wish to go, eat anything set before you
At providences 2 Corinthians 9:7 Let each one do just as he has purposed in his heart;
At Bible and pin approach not grudgingly or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver.
At supernatural Free to decide the amount

Discovered some are not valid for the believer at all But gift must not be grudgingly given
1 Corinthians 7:36 But if any man thinks that he is acting unbecomingly
Others may play a part in decision making but are not normative toward his virgin daughter, if she should be of full age, and if it must be so,
for the believer let him do what he wishes, he does not sin; let her marry.
Today we lay a Biblical foundation for decision making 1 Corinthians 7:39 A wife is bound as long as her husband lives; but if her
Again acknowledge Friessen husband is dead, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only
in the Lord.
Free to marry as desired,
2. We are Free!
But the intended spouse must be a believer.
The teaching of Scripture is that we are free to make decisions
NT phrases: “we thought it best”, “I thought it necessary”, “If it is
Provided those decisions conform to the Moral Will of God.
Genesis 2:16-17 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “From fitting”, “It is not desirable”, “It seemed good”, “I have decided”
any tree of the garden you may eat freely;17 but from the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat
from it you shall surely die.” Any decision we make within God’s moral will is pleasing to Him
Free to eat of any tree With this freedom, there comes responsibility
But not from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil We must choose, make decisions
We must seek to make the best decisions we can for God’s glory
What will we need in order to do this?
1 2
guidance2.doc guidance2.doc
Wisdom 3.4. Friends (spiritual insight, personal

Packer: “Wisdom is the power to see, and the inclination to experience)
choose, the best and highest goal, together with the surest means of Proverbs 11:14 Where there is no guidance the people fall, But in
abundance of counselors there is victory.
obtaining it”
3.5. Nature (life) – wisdom built-in
3. Seek Wisdom
Proverbs 30:24-28 Four things are small on the earth, But they are
The ultimate source of wisdom for the believer is? God exceedingly wise: 25 The ants are not a strong people, But they prepare
Proverbs tells us a lot about it: their food in the summer; 26 The shephanim are not mighty people, Yet
they make their houses in the rocks; 27 The locusts have no king, Yet all
Attained through seeking (prov 8:17, 2:6, 2:4-5) with the right of them go out in ranks; 28 The lizard you may grasp with the hands, Yet
attitude reverence (9:10), humility (11:2), diligence (8:17), it is in kings’ palaces.
uprightness (2:7), teachable ness (9:9), faith (Jas 1:5-8).
Where shall we obtain the wisdom we need? In all this we leave room for the operation of the subjective,
What means has God put at our disposal? circumstantial/providential.
3.1. Prayer 4. Riders to our freedom

James 1:2-8 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various
trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And 4.1. Must have the right heart
let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and
complete, lacking in nothing. 5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him Our attitude all important
ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it God would care if we put the left sock on first in the morning but
will be given to him. 6 But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for
the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the with the wrong heart
wind. 7 For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from He is pleased if we make decision with the right heart towards Him
the Lord, 8 being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
3.2. Bible 4.2. Not to be mastered

1 Corinthians 6:12 All things are lawful for me, but not all things are
Psalm 119:97-100 O how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.
profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by
98 Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, For they are
anything.
ever mine. 99 I have more insight than all my teachers, For Your
testimonies are my meditation. 100 I understand more than the aged,
Because I have observed Your precepts. 4.3. Is it profitable, edifying?
1 Corinthians 10:23 All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable.
3.3. Outside research All things are lawful, but not all things edify.
Nehemiah 2:11-16 So I came to Jerusalem and was there three days. 12
And I arose in the night, I and a few men with me. I did not tell anyone 4.4. The weaker brother
what my God was putting into my mind to do for Jerusalem and there was
no animal with me except the animal on which I was riding. 13 So I went Romans 14:21 It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or to do anything
out at night by the Valley Gate in the direction of the Dragon’s Well and on by which your brother stumbles.
to the Refuse Gate, inspecting the walls of Jerusalem which were broken 1 Corinthians 8:8-13 But food will not commend us to God; we are neither
down and its gates which were consumed by fire. 14 Then I passed on to the worse if we do not eat, nor the better if we do eat. 9 But take care that
the Fountain Gate and the King’s Pool, but there was no place for my this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the
mount to pass. 15 So I went up at night by the ravine and inspected the weak. 10 For if someone sees you, who have knowledge, dining in an
wall. Then I entered the Valley Gate again and returned. 16 The officials idol’s temple, will not his conscience, if he is weak, be strengthened to eat
did not know where I had gone or what I had done; nor had I as yet told things sacrificed to idols? 11 For through your knowledge he who is weak
the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials or the rest who did the work. is ruined, the brother for whose sake Christ died. 12 And so, by sinning
against the brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you
3 4
guidance2.doc guidance2.doc
sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I

will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to
stumble.
4.5. Presumption
James 4:13-16 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a
city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” 14 Yet you do not
know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while
and then vanishes away. 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and
also do this or that.” 16 But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil.
4.6. Need to be certain

Romans 14:21-23 It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or to do
anything by which your brother stumbles. 22 The faith which you have,
have as your own conviction before God. Happy is he who does not
condemn himself in what he approves. 23 But he who doubts is
condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and whatever
is not from faith is sin.
5. Decision Tree to Guidance

Prepared this sheet to try to summarize this approach
First – is it morally legitimate – Word decides
Then – gather information
Then – check out the riders on freedom
Then decide.
Don’t feel guilty about it
Rejoice in the freedom we have
Praise God for it!
6. Conclusions
Next week – practical applications of this model
Marriage
Jobs
Churches
Missionary service
The Ministry
5 6

Biblical Guidance

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Biblical Guidance

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Biblical Guidance

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

guidance2.doc guidance2.

At supernatural Free to decide the amount

Wisdom 3.4. Friends (spiritual insight, personal

3.1. Prayer 4. Riders to our freedom

3.2. Bible 4.2. Not to be mastered

sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I

4.6. Need to be certain

5. Decision Tree to Guidance

You might also like