Is It Good or Bad?
An object does not hold the power to be good or bad
Reference: “We know that the law is good if one uses it properly.” 1 Timothy 1:8 NIV
Explore: An object does not hold the power to be good or bad, it is how the person uses it that determines its worth.
Take a knife, for instance. It can be used to cut vegetables to make soup to feed the homeless. That same object can be used to threaten or maim another human being.
It is not the knife that is good or bad but what the person holding it intends to do with it.
Application: Likewise, religion can be used for good or for evil. Those that determine its meaning can bring life and love to others. Using the same scripture and god, some can bring control and entrapment.
While it’s good to have an understanding of God’s word, it’s also important to express it with the character God intends. Jesus spoke with love and acceptance and was incredibly harsh to those who put boundaries on people for their own worth.
If we are in the privileged position of sharing faith with someone, let us use the law properly to bring people into God’s incredible love, not to bind others up with dogma.
Prayer: Lord, open our eyes and our hearts to Your essence so that everything we do and say brings honour and glory to You. Amen.
When have you seen something that was made for good, be used to bring about something bad?
This article was written by Linda Bailey
Linda started theological studies in 1999 in Australia. After working for ten years in various church ministries, she now works as the breakfast producer at 89.9 LightFM - the Christian radio station in Melbourne, Australia. She writes blogs every day about passages she is currently reading in the Bible. Follow her on Google Plus +Linda Bailey or Facebook by clicking the like button on the right of this page.