INTRODUCTION

Two Equal & Opposite Errors

In the church scene today there are two equal and opposite errors which are concerned both with the way that disciples of Christ can behave and also with the extent to which our activities should be in this world. In its extreme version, one of these views asserts that the disciples of Christ should only ever be interested in religious matters and little else. In this view, the disciples of Christ should not have any hobbies or interests other than those connected with church or Christianity. The advocates of this view would say that diligent disciples of Christ should only devote themselves solely to spiritual matters and working for the Lord; therefore time spent doing anything else was squandering precious God-given resources and thus is in direct contravention of the command that disciples of Christ should be “redeeming the time” (Ephesians 5:16). Even if they do go to a public event, it has to be “messianic” or have some connection to ‘church’ and so on. So they say.

The advocates of this view would say something like: “When did Jesus or the Apostles ever go to a musical concert, or the theatre, or read poetry or books by unbelievers? Therefore, to do so is unbiblical”. It has even been said to me by someone holding this view that disciples of Christ should not take holidays on the basis that Jesus never went on holiday but spent all His time at work! However, the Bible does not tell us about absolutely everything done by Jesus or the Apostles. Can you imagine that they never enjoyed any leisure time at all — never spent some time laughing and relaxing for a bit before another intensive time of ministry? What we have been told in Scripture is on a ‘need-to-know’ basis. That is all we need to know. As John said, “There are many more things that Jesus did. If all of them were written down, I suppose that not even the world itself would have space for the books that would be written” (John 21:25).

In any case, if we wanted to press this all the way (as a reductio ad absurdum), we would have to walk everywhere (rather than use motorised transport), never wear pyjamas, never go to a public library, abandon Sunday Schools, etc. because they are not in the Bible!

The seepage of such thinking into evangelicalism and fundamentalism has made a great many disciples of Christ believe that there is something wrong with really enjoying oneself through anything other than reading the Bible, praying or sitting in a church, or listening to so-called “Christian music”. They have been made to feel guilty for having good old clean fun! I have even been told that listening to my beloved classical music is sinful because it was written by sinners! The thinking here is that only liberals and unbelievers can enjoy themselves with such things; true disciples of Christ must have nothing to do with them. After all, the Scripture says: “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you” (2 Corinthians 6:17; cf. Revelation 18:4), which is a terrible misappropriation of Scripture.

If your church is insisting that ALL your time (outside of your working life) be spent in service to the church, then you are being unnecessarily enslaved and could well be in something bordering on a cult. There are far too many disciples of Christ today who seem to be obsessed with religious things and appear to have no interest in anything else. This is a comparatively recent phenomenon, which has its roots in fundamentalist pietism, with its fear of anything which is not specifically “Christian” or religious.

So what can the disciples of Christ do? How far can we go without transgressing the Law of God? Well, I’ll tell you something interesting: If we went back to the Puritan era, we would find that — in spite of the modern misunderstanding of the Puritan as a narrow-minded religious zealot — people took a wide interest in many different aspects of life. Especially one would find that the Puritans were very widely read indeed, and would be well-versed in the Classics and philosophical literature — not to mention the writings of the pagans (with which even the Apostle Paul was very familiar, Acts 17:28).

“Puritans were not the dour fun-haters they have been portrayed as recently. In fact, they engaged in a lot of recreational activities including sports, visual arts, literature, and music, and saw these pursuits as necessary for reinvigorating both body and spirit. Puritans particularly enjoyed spending time outdoors. Some of the more popular diversions were hiking, picnicking, and fishing… They frequently enjoyed singing and playing instruments in the home” (“Puritans & Entertainment” in U.S. Congregational Library and Archives).

You will also find that many disciples of Christ of some stature in history had interests in different aspects of God’s creation, and had ways and means of physical and mental recreation. Benjamin Warfield, for example, Christian author and theologian, Principal of Princeton Theological Seminary (1886-1902), had an abiding interest in, and wrote extensively on, a certain kind of longhorn cattle, on which he was quite an expert. When you are discipled to Christ, your whole life (including your “hobbies” and interests) is sanctified and brought into service to Him. Of course, the obviously sinful elements will, of necessity, have to be rejected. But why should we ditch an interest in great music or literature, carpentry or car-building? Is there any way of knowing from Scripture if we should do so?

By the way, this is not to say that no one at all should devote his or her whole life to religious things — for to insist on that, too, would be a form or legalism. They are free to do that. But what I am saying is that to press such a way of life on ALL is wrong, and a plain affront to the freedom we have in Christ.

However, the equal and opposite error to this “one-dimensional Christian who never does anything except religious things” is the completely free indulgence in crass materialism and worldliness which we find so prevalent in the wider denominational and even in segments of the evangelical church scene today. In this view, all people have to do is attend church on a Sunday and live in any way they like for the rest of the week without a thought for any spiritual matters.

So we have these two equal and opposite errors — the one involves various degrees of legalism, the other varying degrees of antinomianism. The one involves a tendency to observe mere letter and form rather than spirit. The other asserts total freedom at the expense of divine moral law. Both of these influences are rife in various degrees in the ecclesiastical scene.

One problem is that folk can swing off in one extreme direction after having been in bondage to the other. It is not uncommon for former legalists to become rabid antinomians. Similarly, former antinomians can swerve over to extreme legalism. I have seen former laid-back New Agers become dour suit-and-tie-wearing, twin-set-and-pearls donning, prim-and-proper types with a huge leather Bible ostentatiously tucked under their arms who look down their noses at anyone not like them and who are continually ‘tut-tutting’ anyone who doesn’t come up to their imagined high standard! That is not what being a disciple of Christ is all about.

So is there another more balanced way that encapsulates both divine law and freedom? How are we to conduct ourselves in this world? Can the disciples of Christ attend a theatre, read a novel, go to a musical concert, enjoy music at home either live or on a hi-fi, etc., without going through agonies of guilt?

The big question is this: How can I lead my life in such a way that I can enjoy ALL that God wants me to enjoy while at the same time ensure that I keep myself “from being polluted by the world” (James 1:27)? Surely, we should want to live the gift of life to the full, with all the joy which that entails? Yet we also want to be faithful and true, not doing anything crass or worldly which would offend our Lord or make ourselves into less than what we could be and should be.

One can, of course, pick certain Scriptures out of context and then become a legalist. One can pick other Scriptures out of context, and then become an antinomian. But if we read and interpret the Bible correctly, and in a balanced fashion (“rightly dividing the word of truth”), we will find that it deals with these problems in a masterful way. Let’s go into this more by way of introduction, before we cut our teeth on the real issues…

Don’t Beat Yourself Up!

I counsel a lot of people and here is a question  that I received which I often receive in similar form from others:

“I hope this doesn’t sound weird but I’m trying to work out how I’m supposed to behave. Thing is that some things are really easy to know. Don’t kill. Don’t steal. Don’t worship idols. And all those things are very clear. But what about the grey areas that aren’t specifically dealt with? Are there guidelines that I can apply so I know how to behave in those less clear cut situations?”

Right at the outset, I am going to say, “Don’t beat yourself up about this”. You see, if you are being led by the Spirit, you do not need to be in a constant state of panic or forever wondering if you’ve messed-up. That is not the state of mind and heart that is meant for God’s people. Self-awareness and self-examination are important so that we become aware of when we are stepping out of line. But we are not helpless victims who cannot prevent ourselves from being complete moral failures. We are well able to stand against testings, temptings, and assaults from the forces of darkness if we are diligent; and we have the means to do so, should that be necessary. There are many places in the sacred texts which encourage us and assure us of that:

  • “Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full armour of God, so that you can make your stand against the devil’s schemes” (Letter to the Ephesians, chapter 6, verse 10. But read through to verse 18).
  • “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength” (Letter to the Philippians, chapter 4, verses 13).
  • “Christ said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness’. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me” (Second Letter to the Corinthians, chapter 12, verse 9).

However, whatever promises we are given, we have to take action, to be proactive. But we are not robots or puppets being controlled by God. We are responsible people who must do the necessary work. This is where our diligence comes into play. We do not need to be involved in 24-hour agonizing about the way we behave. That is not the way of the warrior of Christ. For we are victors! If we spend all our time agonizing about that, then Satan has got us ‘by the short and curlies’. What we do need is 24/7/365 diligence. Fortunately, that is supplied in unctuous quantities to those who persevere and seek only the good.

There Are Checklists if you Want Them

For those who think they need them, there are checklists of behaviours which are clearly designated as being out of bounds for the disciple of Christ and which can show us how to behave. However, I do believe that such a ‘checklist morality’ is somewhat outmoded for those who have the Holy Spirit. The children of Israel consisted of a ragtag bunch of people of whom comparatively few at any one time were truly the people of God in their hearts. So the law had to be laid down for the children of Israel as a whole in a detailed checklist fashion. Much of that law was ceremonial and thus was fulfilled in Christ, so that does not apply to His disciples today.

At a very basic level the moral law of God is “written on the hearts” of everyone in this world so they really already know what is required in terms of their behaviour in this world and towards others (Letter to the Romans, chapter 2, verses 14-16). But the corruption of those hearts prevents them from following up on that requirement. Jesus said that the two greatest commandments are to love God and to love one’s neighbour. That is what lies behind the entirety of God’s law, about which disciples of Christ do not need continually reminding, for they have the Holy Spirit, about which more below.

Nevertheless, it is always good to be reminded through the checklists in the Bible regarding what God requires of us, so we can see just how far we have come in living out divine morality in our lives. We see those delineated initially in what is known as the Decalogue or Ten Commandments: Refraining from making something more important than God; no idol-worshipping; no misusing God’s name (e.g. perjury, swearing, name-magic, etc.), always honouring one’s parents (even when they may not seem to deserve it!); not murdering another person (includes abortion and could include destroying someone’s life in other ways), not committing adultery (no explanation necessary); not stealing (no explanation necessary); not lying about one’s fellow humans (not only slander or calumny but could include malicious gossip); not envying or desiring what others have (underestimated nasty trait). There is also the principle of a one-in-seven rest, although it is clear from Scripture that the Saturday sabbath was instituted as a ceremonial law for Israel rather than as part of the moral law and thus is not applicable for disciples of Christ today. It is nowhere reiterated as a commandment in the New Testament, unlike all the other commandments which are reinforced, many times. Ultimately, all disciples have their rest in Christ and are devoted to God 24/7, as Jesus Himself is our ‘sabbath rest’ (Letter to the Hebrews, chapter 4, verses 9-11), but setting a day of rest apart from working days is a very sound principle. If you can spend it in the company of other disciples then all the better. I realise that my words will be controversial in some quarters but we have to be very careful not to saddle people with inappropriate burdens. If keeping a sabbath religiously each week is your thing because you believe that the Fourth Commandment is still in force, I will not stand against that. You are free to do it and I respect that. But you will have to allow me the same freedom. We are not under the Jewish ceremonial law. [I have written a complete book about this, in much detail, entitled “From Servitude to Sonship: The Law of God and the Covenants”, which you can find here: https://diakrisis-project.com/2024/02/01/new-ebook-from-servitude-to-sonship-the-law-of-god-the-covenants/ . I would urge you to read this book because it shows very clearly what is the ‘rule of life’ for the disciple of Christ].

Then there are also other lists of behaviours which should never happen in the life of a disciple of Christ (or anyone else’s, for that matter!). Really, these things should not even need to be spelled out, as they are so obviously off the cards for a diligent disciple. But the visible church is so wayward that it seems they do need to be mentioned. Here they are:

“But to the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and sexually immoral and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulphur. This is the second death.” (Book of Revelation, chapter 21, verse 8). [I break this list down in detail in §1, chapter 10, in my commentary on the Book of Revelation, available freely for download here: https://diakrisis-project.com/2022/06/10/the-essential-apocalypse-making-sense-of-the-book-of-revelation-is-ready-for-download/  ].

The presence of the word “cowardly” in that list may surprise some. But such timidity and fear should have no place in the life of the faithful. Courage goes hand-in-hand with perseverance and endurance. The word “abominable” there refers to human beings who are vile and repugnant by nature and fill one with disgust. Examples of this would be utter perverts, paedophiles, and others who commit abominable acts against living beings, human or animal, which civilized, sensitive people would normally never even think of, never mind mention. Abominable = the unmentionable acts of the reprobate.

Another list is here:

“Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, men who make themselves effeminate, sodomites, practising homosexuals (literally, in the Greek, men who bed other men), nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God” (First Letter to the Corinthians, chapter 6, verses 9-10)

A challenging list for a worldling but not for a true disciple of Christ. All very straightforward, though if you announce that list publicly in ‘politically correct countries’ — so far has the world apostatized from moral absolutes these days — you will be accused of having a ‘-phobia’ of some kind and you might even be arrested for a ‘hatecrime’! Such are the strange and revealing times in which we live.

Then there is a list of “acts of the flesh” which, according to Paul, should be “obvious”:

“The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; idolatry and sorcery; hatred, discord, jealousy, and rage; rivalries, divisions, factions, and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Letter to the Galatians, chapter 5, verses 19-21).

However, for the genuine disciple of Christ, these things should not only be ‘obvious’ but also totally anomalous, even anathema. For if you “walk by the Spirit… you will not gratify the desires of the flesh” (Letter to the Galatians, chapter 5, verse 16). It really is as simple as that. Which disciple of Christ can look at any of the items in those lists and say, “Well, that one’s not so bad”. You know in your heart of hearts that all that stuff is wrong and you would not be seen dead doing any of it!

So how are we then to live in such a way that we live it to the full, yet remain faithful?

I. REMEMBER THAT YOU ARE “UNDER LAW TO CHRIST”

This means that we are to follow every aspect of the moral law of God as revealed from beginning to end of the Scriptures. Especially it means that our lives are to be governed by the exposition of God’s law revealed in the New Covenant. “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son…” (Hebrews 1:1‑2).

We are to be imitators of, and listeners to, the Lord Jesus Christ: “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!” The apostle said that we are “in-lawed to Christ” (1 Corinthians 9:21), and that by living the life of love we would be fulfilling “the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:1). This does not involve slavish observance to a written code of law, but a liberating adherence to walking in the footsteps of Christ.

To be under law to Christ means that “the love of Christ constrains us” (2 Corinthians 5:14). That love that we have has a constraining power to enable disciples of Christ to fulfil Christ’s law. Our love towards Christ will enable this power; and Christ’s love towards us, which was manifested in his dying for us, means that our lives will be sacrificial ones dedicated to His service. Being under law to Christ encapsulates the fact that we have been given “all things pertaining to life and godliness” (1 Peter 1:3).

[Again, my book “From Servitude to Sonship: The Law of God and the Covenants” goes into all of this in much detail].

A second way in which we are to live so that we live it to the full, yet remain faithful is…

II. NEVER UNDERESTIMATE YOUR CONSCIENCE

The human conscience is the faculty by which humans understand the moral demands of God, and which cause them to anguish when they fall short of those demands. It is possible for that conscience to be inadequately disciplined (1 Corinthians 8:7), to become weakened (v. 12) and even to be defiled (v. 7; cf. Titus 1:15), and ultimately to grow seared and unresponsive (cf. 1 Timothy 4:2). Thus it is essential for the conscience to be properly educated, trained and informed by the Holy Spirit. This is a natural process in the life of the disciples of Christ (Galatians 5:18-25).

If you are worried about your behaviour, what I want you to take away from this is that you should never underestimate your conscience. As a disciple of Christ, you have the Holy Spirit guiding you in all truth (John 16:13; 1 John 4:6). You also have a Holy-Spirit-endowed good conscience (1 Timothy 1:19; 2 Corinthians 1:12). In other words, if you have the slightest doubt about doing, saying or writing something — if you get a jar in your spirit about it, then do not do it. The truth is that if you are a genuine disciple of Christ who is serious about progressing in the faith, then the situations described above should not really encroach on your life except if you have slidden far backwards in some way and for some reason, or in very unusual circumstances, or because you are (by permission of God for testing purposes) under particular assault from the demonic realm. In which case, your action is clear: “Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7).

One really does need to be a very serious, dedicated, diligent person to be an active, counterculture servant of God and disciple of Christ. There is no room for laxity or taking your eye off the path and your hand off the rudder. “Be sober-minded and alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (First Letter of Peter, chapter 5, verse 8). That sober-mindedness and alertness is the key. And it does not have to be forced, as it will come naturally to those with the Spirit of Christ within if they hold faithfully to the pathway. It only needs to be prayed for and acted upon. One of the greatest facets of true spirituality, apart from showing one’s faith in love and compassion for the weaker folks, is “to keep oneself from being polluted by the world” (Letter of James, chapter 1, verses 27). There is always to be this distance between oneself and this world of corruption. This is not about being aloof but about developing wisdom and insight.

So before making any decision, follow the voice of your conscience — not in doubt but in certainty. “Let each be fully convinced in his own mind” (Romans 14:5). Therefore, if your conscience tells you that something is wrong, then it more than likely is — so don’t do it! The conscience is not infallible, but taken with every other way of determining how we should behave, it has an immensely useful contribution to make in the life of the sanctified soul.

A third way in which we are to live so that we live it to the full, yet remain faithful is…

III. LITMUS-TEST ALL YOUR ACTIONS

So, having ascertained that our intended actions do not contravene the above three moral principles — being under law to Christ, being constrained by the love of Christ and being in conformity to the voice of our sanctified conscience — we can then apply some further tests from a variety of Scriptures which reveal what is a lawful activity for a disciple of Christ. Therefore, before we do something in life about which there may be a question mark, we should ask ourselves the following four key questions as the litmus test of our behaviour:

1)  Is it Beneficial to Me?

“All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful…” (1 Corinthians 10:23). So says Paul. He does not mean that he can do anything whatsoever. He means that all things are lawful which are known not to be sinful; but a further qualification must be made:  Will this action be helpful — profitable — edifying for my life. The Greek word translated here as “helpful” (KJV: “expedient”) is sumphero, which means, literally, to carry together. Will your action bring it all together for you in some way? Will it be helpful or will it hinder you in some way?

The second litmus test question concerning our behaviour is…

2)  Will it Build me Up in my Faith, Spiritual Growth and Strength of Spirit?

“All things are lawful for me, but not all things edify…” (1 Corinthians 10:23). Again, the apostle is saying that all things are lawful which are known not to be sinful; but yet again a further qualification must be made: Will this action promote wisdom and growth in your life, or will it work against it? Will it have a general effect of building you up as a person in some way? Or will it have a deleterious effect? The Greek word here translated as “edify” is oikodomeo — which literally means the building of a house. That is what life is like — the building of a house on the right foundations. While we are free to do anything which is not obviously sinful, we must be careful to avoid those things which are likely to dismantle what has been built up in our lives, or which may even disturb our foundations, and we should seek out those things which will enrich us in the highest senses.

The third litmus test question concerning our behaviour is…

3)  Is it Likely to Take over my Life in an Unhealthy Fashion?

“All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any” (1 Corinthians 6:12). Again, the apostle is saying that all things are lawful which are known not to be sinful; but yet again a further qualification must be made: Is this action, in which I am about to indulge, likely to be addictive or to exercise some power over me, making me captive and bringing me into bondage? For example, one may think one is free to smoke cigarettes (although it does not represent good stewardship over that gift from God, our body), but that would be to ignore the likelihood of becoming addicted to nicotine. The same is true for many other activities. The disciple of Christ is a truly free person; therefore to be addicted to ANYTHING — sex, drugs, rock ‘n roll, cigarettes, television, work, money, power, etc. — is really anathema for the disciple of Christ.

If disciples of Christ spent ALL their time, or an inordinate amount of it, doing anything — with their head under the bonnet of a Chevvy, or polishing their Harley-Davidsons, or visiting the local muscle-building centre or on the platform of the local railway station (book and pencil in hand) or endlessly building shelves galore in the home, etc. — then there is an unhealthy imbalance. Time is not being redeemed but squandered. Healthy activity will have given way to idolatry.

The fourth litmus test question concerning our behaviour is…

4)  Could it possibly be a stumbling-block for others?

Diligent disciples of Christ are people who think carefully before they act, considering not only the benefits to themselves but also weighing up the possible effect it may have on others. It is no coincidence that after having said — four times in the same letter — that “all things are lawful” for him, Paul then states emphatically: “Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being” (1 Corinthians 10:24). That is a great watchword in all that I am speaking about here.

All things which are not sinful are lawful for us. However, to qualify that, whenever we are considering any actions or behaviour, we must give due thought and consideration to the effect they may have on others — especially what the Bible calls “weaker brethren”, those who are new or fragile disciples of Christ who do not have the assurance of conscience and confidence of conviction which we may possess in the areas on which we are about to embark. These are important pastoral considerations; and we must take these things into account in all our actions. It should happen automatically. As the apostle puts it: “Beware lest somehow this liberty of yours becomes a stumbling block to those who are weak… and wound their weak conscience” (1 Corinthians 8:9,12). For to do so would be to “sin against Christ” (1 Corinthians 8:12).

So we have to be careful how we behave in different situations — not necessarily behaving in exactly the same way every time, but always taking into account those around us who may see us in action. We have a good biblical precedent for this. For the apostles worked out how they should behave in different situations on a case-by-case basis. When dealing with the “weaker” Jews they were willing to partake in some Jewish ceremonies as a sign of good faith (e.g. taking a Nazirite vow, Acts 18:18, and even circumcision, Acts 16:3). But when dealing with the false apostles or adversaries of the free grace of Christ from among the Jews, they withstood them to their faces 100%. For example, Paul was willing for Timothy to be circumcised so as to win over the “weaker” Jews (Acts 16:3). He knew that circumcision or uncircumcision meant nothing one way or the other. But when dealing with the Judaisers in Galatia — who weren’t weak Jews but powerful heretics who sought to undo everything that Christ stands for — he was completely unwilling for Titus to be circumcised so as not to give them any leeway at all (Galatians 2:3-4). We see here the importance of working things out on a case-by-case basis, so as to accommodate our behaviour to the sensitivities of others.

So, to sum up, those verses from Paul in 1 Corinthians 6:12 and 10:23-24 and 31-33 provide us with litmus tests about how we should behave. What these four texts are saying — and it is no coincidence that they are all written to the same church which was somewhat all over the place morally at that time — is that even if something is technically permissible and lawful for you to do, there may be considerations which override that principle. So you have to ask yourself some searching questions based on those texts: Is it beneficial for me? Or is it the opposite. Why do it if it is not beneficial? No need to agonize. You have your criteria. Will it edify me — build up my faith, my growth as a human being and my strength of spirit, or will it work to my detriment? If not, why waste time doing it? Life is too short to waste on worthless activities. Is it something which will take me over and bring me under its power? Plenty of things can become addictive and rule over you without being drugs or alcohol. Television, for example (especially ‘soap operas’). Gymnasium workouts. Chocolate! Even sexual intimacy in a marriage, if it is an addiction. And much more. In themselves, in normal doses, there is nothing unlawful about them. But if those activities master you rather than you being in control of them, then they are a bad use of God-given time and destructive to those involved. And a final question is this: Will it be a stumbling-block for others if I do it? Bear in mind that we are all examples for others. All of us. Though some are more so than others (e.g. pastors of the flock, teachers, the more mature, etc.).

So I must ask myself, “If I do this thing, will it give the wrong message to someone who has a weaker conscience or spirit-power than me?” We can glean this from three sayings above, first, “No one should seek his own good, but the good of others”, and “Be careful, however, that your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak”, and “For I am not seeking my own good, but the good of many, that they may be saved”. Really, before we do anything, we have to be sure that it is not going to cause problems for someone who may not have the same level of strength and faith as us.

Another thing we need to take account of, in terms of our activities and interests is

IV. VALUE THE IMPORTANCE OF “AESTHETICS”

This may sound strange and it is a little-explored area in the corpus of most disciples of Christ’s discussion. “Aesthetics” means the principles of beauty, good taste and fine art. Aesthetics is not something which is reserved only for the “Luvvies” and “camp Claudes” involved in the secular world of the Arts. In a sense, the disciples of Christ should be the ones who are setting the trends of aesthetics. The activities of the disciples of Christ must never be uncouth, crude, coarse, vulgar, ruthless, brutal, uncivilised or unrefined. It is actually among disciples of Christ that one should find the very best in beauty and refinement — a kind of exquisitely graceful poise coming from within which is both attractive and alluring, yet without a trace of sensuality. Even in the case of a disciple of Christ imprisoned in the foulest dungeon, if one came into his or her presence, one should sense the greatest nobility, sublimity and loveliness.

Such aesthetics should play a great part in the life of the disciples of Christ. They should want to surround themselves with aesthetics and ensure that their activities are aesthetic. All this has nothing to do with class or snobbery. It should be a natural outworking of the disciples of Christ’s love of higher things —  their desire to surround themselves with a little bit of ‘heaven’ even here on earth. As the apostle puts it:

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think on these things” (Philippians 4:8).

This does not only apply to our lives, comportment and conversations. Just walking into a disciple of Christ’s home should be an aesthetic experience. It should fill the visitor with a real sense of something ordered, balanced, coordinated and lifeful — not because that home has swanky furnishings (though the colours and shapes one surrounds oneself with can have an effect on the mind and one’s emotional being, as many psychological studies have shown) but because there is a creative order there which aligns with God’s creation. Chaos should not exist there. Only cosmos.

The kind of activities we indulge in will, to a great degree, determine the aesthetic which we cultivate. And the aesthetic which we cultivate will, in turn, influence our daily walk. It’s a circular thing. Disciples of Christ Aesthetics — the neglected area of the disciple of Christ’s life.

CONCLUSION

The disciples of Christ have a freedom such as the non-disciple of Christ does not have. But it is a freedom which must not be abused, for all the reasons given above. However, we must also not be robbed of that freedom by those who have a “one-dimensional” mindset.

It is not denying the sufficiency of Scripture if one says that disciples of Christ can learn things from non-Christian sources. The Scriptures do not tell us everything about every area of life. The Scriptures alone are sufficient to make us wise unto salvation and are of the greatest possible profit in terms of teaching, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:15-16). The Scriptures alone will equip us to perform every genuine good work. But the Scriptures do not tell us about playing technique for treble recorder in the 17th century (whereas Hans-Martin Linde’s “Recorder Player’s Handbook” does). The Scriptures do not tell us how to cook burritos with refried beans and salsa (whereas my Mexican cookbook does). The Scriptures do not tell us what it was like to be a composer in the Soviet Union under Stalin (whereas Solomon Volkov’s book “Testimony” does). The Scriptures do not tell us what it was like to be a prisoner in a Russian jail at the turn of the 20th century (whereas Fyodor Dostoevsky’s autobiographical novel “Memoirs from the House of the Dead” does). And while the Scriptures alone reveal to me the miracle of regeneration and conversion, and give me numerous examples of it happening, I was mightily enriched when I read about the way that Robinson Crusoe came to Christ (and led Man Friday there) in the novel of the same name. When I have been depressed, Jeno Jando playing the last four Piano Sonatas of Franz Joseph Haydn has made my heart leap for joy. I have thrilled to see talented non-disciples of Christ perform something wonderfully, and I revel in their God-given gifts, even if they are not aware of the provenance of those gifts.

What does this tell me? Simply that God “gives us richly all things to enjoy” (1 Timothy 6:17). I can enjoy these things and still have the Word of God at the centre of my life. The non-disciple of Christ will enjoy them, and perish. They are all he’s got. But I am free to enjoy them because they are optional additions in God’s creation to that most important of things which I already have in Christ. So let us enjoy the activities of our lives well, but bear in mind the boundaries defined for us by our Creator.

Anyway, that is a minimalist excursion into the realms of morality and ethics. The reality is that the closer we are to our Divine Creator, the less we will have to ruminate over what we ought to do, about how we should do it, and the more we will simply do the right thing naturally. Genuine disciples of Christ do not have to be lectured or hectored about how to do the right thing. Neither do they need a raft of rules and regulations, or guilt-tripping by others, or ‘heavy shepherding’ in order to do the right thing. They will zealously want to do it and will automatically do it because their conscience works well within them and because the Holy Spirit is inspiring them and, as a bonus, they know that angels are watching them too, observing how those disciples being a new creation is panning out in space, time and history (1 Peter 1:12). That in itself is a wonderful inspiration to do the right thing and do it well !

The final thought should surely be “Whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). The person who is aware of the need for their actions to glorify God will surely take care about what those actions involve. The love of Christ constrains me; my desire for God’s glory restrains me. But I will richly enjoy all things which are lawful for me. That is my freedom.

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© Copyright, Alan Morrison, 2023
[The copyright on my works is merely to protect them from any wanton plagiarism which could result in undesirable changes (as has actually happened!). Readers are free to reproduce my work, so long as it is in the same format and with the exact same content and its origin is acknowledged]