Without a doubt, Game of Thrones is the hottest show out there. It doesn’t hurt (sorry, small spoiler), that Arya is kicking butt.
But is it okay to watch if you’re a Christian?
Actually, there are a lot of things we would put in the “is it okay for a Christian to” category: get a tattoo, attend a gay wedding, be cremated, practice yoga, gamble, smoke marijuana, have cosmetic surgery.
So how do you find the answer in light of an increasingly complex cultural context?
Let me suggest a matrix.
Finding out whether something is okay begins with the top left box, which reflects going to the Bible to see what it has to say. If you want to know whether something is okay for a Christian to do, then you need to start with the authoritative guide for Christ-following.
When you do, you’ll find that the Bible gives you one or more of three answers: permission, prohibition or principles.
If blanket permission is granted, your investigation is complete. You are free to partake or pursue.
If there is a direct prohibition, then you are not.
But most of the time, particularly in regard to many of the issues puzzling Christians in our culture, there is neither a blanket permission or prohibition. More often than not, it’s thrown into the “freedom” box of life.
But it’s not cut-loose freedom; it’s freedom within the confines of a set of biblical principles, principles that form the boundary lines for freedom in Christ.
So is that the end of it? You simply pursue the freedom you’ve been given in light of the principles of the Bible?
No.
There is another box, perhaps best labeled “wisdom.” While you and I may have joint freedom in Christ on a particular issue, it might be foolish for me to exercise it, but not for you. We all have backgrounds and dispositions, histories and inclinations, strengths and weaknesses.
Less sophisticated is just common-sense wisdom. Just because you’re free to do something, doesn’t mean it’s smart.
(You may be free to get that tattoo, but having “I love Samantha” inked on your arm at 16 may not be smart when you might start dating Sarah at 17, or want to marry Sharon at 23.)
Finally, if you consult the graphic, there is the consideration of living out our lives before a watching world. In this regard, first, do not do anything that would lead the world to believe you have disavowed Christ and worship another god; second, do not exercise your freedom in a manner that would lead a fellow believer in close proximity into sin themselves.
Let’s call these ideas “witness” and “weakness.”
This is the gauntlet you run the questions of life through.
Sounds simple enough, but knowing how to do this is one of the principle lessons of discipleship, and few invest the time and energy needed to engage its dynamics.
James Emery White
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