How Close is Too Close to Sin?

As Christians, we all know the consequences of sin, as well as where it gets us if we don’t repent of it. Sin without a doubt is something we should stay away from. The problem lies with how far away believers should stay away from it. A common idea, though it never directly appears in the Bible, is being “in the world but not of the world.” This is a concept derived from several passages throughout Scripture, and is correct if viewed from the right perspective. However, since this phrase came about, people have used it to extremes. Believers have used it to excuse putting themselves in sinful situations and at the same time stay away from the sin. These situations include bars, clubs, drinking parties, and so on. This has also made its way into how believers view media. It’s become a reason to watch explicit movies, listen to perverse music, and enjoy all kinds of other things that neither honor or glorify God. How does this affect our witness? Furthermore, how close is too close to sin?

One of the most clear verses depicting the phrase “in the world but not of the world” would be in John 17:14-15. John is saying to keep a group of believers in the world but away from evil. Not only does this best communicate the phrase, it takes it in an entirely different direction. We’re no longer called to not commit evil, but to stay away from it.

Another thing to take into account is what you’re actions say to other believers. In 1 Corinthians 8:7-13, Paul talks about how he won’t eat food that was offered to idols or eat in an idol’s temple if it caused a fellow believer to fall into sin. This example can easily be used today. There’s plenty of things we could be caught doing that could both destroy our witness and cause people to sin. True, is could be we aren’t doing anything wrong at all, but just as Paul says, other believers could either view us in the wrong way or take it a step further to say that some form of sin is okay. It’s hard, and many times inconvenient, but it’s something that every believer needs to take into account.

For church leaders, the Bible has an even higher standard. 1 Timothy 3:2 calls leaders to live “above reproach.” This means not doing anything that believers could take to be something sinful. Testimonies are one of the most powerful weapons we can have, but they are also the most fragile. A leader who puts his or herself in situations that could communicate something other than holiness in Christ would find it difficult to lead successfully.

On the topic of media, the best passage to look at is Philippians 4:8. This passage outlines what we should spend our time on, as well as what we should stay away from. Notice that this doesn’t say “whatever is Christian.” It doesn’t mean to only watch Christian movies or listen to Christian music. Some people might do that out of personal conviction, but it’s not necessary. There is plenty of secular media out there that communicates Christian morals. The key here is to look at both what’s in it and what it’s communicating. If it’s pointing you in a direction contrary to what the Bible says, we’re told to stay away from it.

A common rebuttal for most if not all of what I’ve just said is that we can’t be an effective witness if we don’t put ourselves into these potentially dangerous situations. Not true. Think about it. Unbelievers don’t spend all their time at parties, at bars and at clubs. They don’t spend all their time talking about explicit movies and perverse music. There are plenty of situations to meet unbelievers, and few of them are situations that could cause us or other believers to stumble. Jesus modeled for us to spend much of our time with unbelievers, but He never put Himself in situations that compromised His integrity. He always held Himself to a higher standard, and set Himself as an example to everyone around Him. This is exactly how we should be in this sinful world. We are already close enough to falling into sin with our sin nature, so let’s not get any closer.