Navigating the Gray Areas of Faith and LifeSýnishorn

Principles Are Principal

If you ask the Holy Spirit, “Should I play this particular video game?” and the Spirit responds with a resounding, “No!” then obedience is your next course of action. But if the answer is “Yes,” we still have some work to do. Our next question is, “Holy Spirit, what are the principles of the Word that guide my participation?”

While the Bible may not speak directly to our situation—it does not, for instance, give the command, “Thou shalt not play Grand Theft Auto”—it does indeed give principles of holy living that apply to every circumstance in which we could ever find ourselves.

The first thing we should observe is that the Old Testament tends to focus more on absolutes, while the New Testament hones in on principles. Why? Because until the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit did not indwell God’s people; He only came upon certain chosen individuals to empower them to complete certain tasks. This is important to note because when you’re dealing with people still dead in sin, who relied on the sacrifices of birds and animals to ensure they weren’t immediately struck dead in God’s presence, a whole lot of absolutes are the way to go. Make the rules concrete, make a pile of them, and make the consequences serious. The Old Testament has rules for just about everything, from what to eat and what to wear to how to make loans and when to pay workers.

The New Testament, on the other hand, offers us principles such as self-control, self-discipline, moderation, and guarding our minds against evil by dwelling on what is true and pure.

These help us in a great number of areas.

Consider, for example, our use of social media or video games. It’s so easy for hours to pass each day while we mindlessly thumb through others’ posts or face one more quest. As God has only given us twenty-four hours in each day to enjoy life and serve His kingdom, and we sleep for six to eight of those hours, an average of three to five hours spent daily online or watching TV may not be the best use of our time.

After telling us “yes” in answer to our first question, the Holy Spirit will share biblical principles to clarify situations in which it might be better to refrain.