Is it a Sin ...?

I'm sure we've all asked at some time or another. "Is it a sin to ... ?" fill in the blank. It's an interesting question. I mean, most of the time it seems as if we're looking for the "outer limit." "How close can I get to sin?" As if we're afraid we'll get to heaven and find out, "Oh! I could have done that! I gave too much to God."

Now, to be fair, there are other reasons to ask. Like, "My friend is doing something and I'm not sure if I should be concerned. Is it sin?" Okay ... that's one thing. But usually we're asking, if we're honest, because we want something that we suspect is sinful. We have desires, we want to fulfill them, and we're thinking it might be sin. But I'd say we're asking the wrong question. James says, "You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures" (James 4:3). It's a two-fold problem. You don't have because you don't ask. That's one reason. But the other is that when you do ask, you ask with the wrong motives. Why do we typically ask, "Is this a sin?" it's because we're asking in order to fulfill our own pleasures. Wrong question.

Do we ever ask, "Will this glorify God?" (1 Cor 10:31). Do we ever ask, "Will this show love to my neighbor?" (Matt 22:37-40). Do we ever ask, "Will this honor my spouse?" (Eph 5:22-33). Are we pursuing giving more ... or getting more? If we're hoping to find the hairy edge of sin and just stay within the boundary, remember a couple of things. First, "whatever is not from faith is sin" (Rom 14:23). You know you're not asking because you believe it's not sin. Then, we need to be giving up self and pursing God's best interest and the interests of others. In that context, "Is that a sin?" doesn't even have a place.