Shades of Grey

"Shades of grey" is along the continuum between "right and wrong".  To know if there is such a spectrum in the rainbow of morality, one must know the baselines of what is "wrong" and what is "right".

"Purity" is the "goodness" boundary and "only God is good" (Matthew 19:7). Hence, the positive limit is purity and only God meets that standard. However, we're all called to be like God:

1 John 2:6 (ESV) Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked (Jesus).
1 Corinthians 11:1 (ESV) Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.
1 Peter 2:21 (ESV) For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his (Christ's) steps.

 Christ is God! God is "good". Hence, Christ is "good".  We are to walk as Jesus walked, we are to imitate Jesus and we are to follow his actions.  In effect we are to "do what Jesus would do" or  respond to each temptation with "What Would Jesus Do?" (WWJD). Jesus would not sin!

1 John 3:5 "And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him(Jesus) is no sin.

First off, before we look at what sin is, by now, you should be convinced that Jesus is our model and he never once sinned. That MUST be our goal to be in the will of God!  This is his will:

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.

This verse are "key elements" of being Christlike and without sin. We must all seek and do truth. What we do must be in accordance to reality. Deception must not be our repertoire  of communication with God, others or even ourselves!

Along with truth comes honesty. Honesty is the practice of being truthful. It's not using underhanded means for gain.

We must be "just" in our dealings with God and everyone else. That's the practice of "The Golden Rule". We are to never to condemn in reproof, but rebuke in a loving way. We are to love our enemy and if  ashes are to be heaped on another, it's God's place to condemn not ours.

"Purity" is without any sin at all! It's always doing what's right. It's being in the complete will of God and his total slave. Many will say that you can never be pure, and we can't be because we're burdened with "original sin", but that's not to stop us from seeking purity. Sin is a  "choice" and each time that we're tempted, we make a wrong choice or a right choice.  When making choices, Satan brings up a semi-transparent veil. He makes it seem that the decision is value neutral all the while knowing that you are being deceived! Discernment is watching out for those "shades of gray" veiled by Satan.

We don't think of not "being lovely" as something to cause us to sin. However, that has little to do with physical beauty, but our ability to love both God and others, even our enemies. Our relationship with our enemies is of extreme importance to God, being totally "white" (pure), but Satan shades that with irrationality "love your enemy?; that's hard to do so I'll just avoid people!" A pure command to "love", then, has just been shaded gray by the devil!

Being of "good report' means living a life of which you're not ashamed in the face of your community. However, using the community as a standard fails the test. It must also be living a life which you will not be ashamed of when you stand before God! When the nation was Godly people cared about having a "good reputation" in their community. The new standards of society is that anything goes! After all, who are we to judge others. Behavior is all relative and many things have "shades of gray!", or so people think.

"Virtue" is being in the will of God. It's obedience to what makes God happy. It's the goal of being pure! It's when confronted with choices, making Christlike decisions. It's empathizing with the emotions of God and prioritizing God's desires over one's own!

Lastly comes "praise". That's a high standard! Our actions must not only fail to offend God, but are to magnify him. Living our life for him is how we praise God. Being pure is the ultimate praise. It shows that we adore God and love him! Our very desire to do his will, is how we show our love. Keeping his commandments (1 John 5:3) is a demonstration of the love and that outward show of love is praise!

Now we know what is "right"; what we should do and how we should live. It's to live a blameless life without affront to God and in praise to him. Because we love God we're to love others and we show our love for God by obeying him and pleasing him. Now what is "wrong"?

"Wrong" is simply a failure to do what's "right"! If it's not in God's will, then it's "wrong"! Since  "right" has been well-defined and "wrong" is "what's not right", where are the "shades of gray"?

First, a short story: I'm divorced. It's something that I'm not proud of and any thought about that pains me. I failed in marriage and I failed God. There were no "shades of gray" in that decision. I put my desires and made my stress more important than pleasing God. Not only did I do wrong, but I disappointed God! However, a fellow Christian took me aside and advised me not to fornicate. I thought that very wise of him and praised him! I said "And how long have you been divorced yourself?" He replied "Three years." I remarked "That's commendable! Three years without sex!" His reply was "I didn't say that I've haven't had sex, but it was between 'consenting adults'." I was astounded! He was proud of himself for not raping someone... in essence!

This man "justified" sin by "rationalizing". He saw "shades of gray". His thoughts were obvious. "We're both adults. We weren't hurting anyone. What we do in the privacy of the home is no ones business. God doesn't judge us. Sex is a human emotion he gave us." All these are "irrational" thoughts place there by Satan. This man was deceived. The "Consenting Adult" left our of the equation was God himself. Sex between consenting adults is either holy matrimony or fornication. It seems that God left no  "shades of gray".

The weapon of choice for the devil is to prey on our basic instincts. Man has "needs". Among the basic are food, shelter, health and sex. Friendship is a second tier need. Sex is a basic one. Therefore, Satan attacks us where we're vulnerable! Most normal people's Achille's Heel is their desire to have sexual satisfaction. True, lust and love are often confused, both being needs, but sex and love are not mutually dependent. For instance, if we "love" our paramour, then it would be expedient to honor that person by not making them an accomplice in disappointing God and themselves.

Satan uses the faculty of "reason" which are ancestors got at the "Tree". He tells us to consider his thoughts and weigh them with what God teaches. Satan uses "shades of gray" to deceive!

Satan will put into the mind thoughts such as "Sex is just a mechanical function. It's no big deal!". He will also plant things in the mind as "Go ahead. Even if it is wrong, God won't send you to hell for that!" Discernment is the key to using our reason. Christians must ask "WWJD?" That's the exercise of discernment. The answer of course is "Jesus would not have you fornicate!" He has given us standards. Those standards are not "gray", but "pure" standards:

1 Thessalonians 4:3 (ESV) "For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality;  4 that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, 5 not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God;

Galatians 5:19-21 (ESV) "Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God."

Satan will tell you "Since you're not going to actually do these things, it doesn't hurt anyone if you fantasize!" You've thought that! You know that you have because Satan attempts to deceive us all! If we don't actually do the deed are we "wrong" or is it a "shade of gray"?

Matthew 5:28 "But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart."

Of course this applies to both genders and to any type of impure thought. Fantasizing is NOT a "shade of gray". Although we actually don't do the sin, we are sinful for having the desire to do it! That makes it important to be virtuous and live a life of purity:

Psalm 119:9 ESV "How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word."

To remain "pure" and far away from the standard of "wrong" we never linger where there are "shades of gray". Things are really "gray", but in the Light, we can see things others don't see. The word of God lights the path we are to follow and he gave us his word so that we are without blame. Likewise, if we sin we are without excuse.

"Secret sins" will be judged as well as those we do for the world to see. God sees all that we do and even our heart! If we're sitting in the midst of evil and sit there without leaving, we're choosing evil. I recently sat through a movie inculcated with "wrong". I was in sin for remaining there! There were no "shades of gray" (and that wasn't the movie, by the way). Everything has clarity when  compared with  the word! Whenever we do things and feel guilty, we're guilty and require repentance and forgiveness. If we don't feel guilty when we do "wrong" things, we're in spiritual trouble and need to seek forgiveness! We're in spiritual trouble either way.

I used the term often of "Christian Principle". That's "using bias toward doing what's pure even when uncertainty exists". If it feels wrong, it is, but "feelings" are not a good judge of right and wrong. However, through guilt is how the Holy Spirit "checks" us and aids us in being sanctified. We don't talk about "sanctification" very much because "grace" fools us sometimes. "Grace" is not a ticket to sin, but a gift to save us from sinning!

To live sanctified lives, we have Christian principle. It's being as pure as we can be with the limitations of our inheritance. God understands if we're sincere in our dealings with his will!

How to avoid danger? Use caution! How are we to be precautionary?

James 4:7 "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."