The Discipline of Desire

''For even Christ pleased not himself'' (Rom. 15:3).

   As a Christian, a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour, a follower of the Altogether Lovely One, what criteria of Christian conduct should be mine? Should I go to the movies, the theatre, the opera, taverns, Sunday baseball games, and the like? On many points there is a wide variety of opinion, with the warmth of the argument varying in direct proportion to the debatability of the problem.

   It appears that the Scriptures distinguish between various types of conduct. Some matters are clearly required: to love the Lord our God with all our heart (Deut. 6:5), to keep His commandments (Exod. 20:1-17, with the understanding that in the New Testament the ''Lord's Day,'' the first day of the week, replaces the Sabbath of Israel), to be kind one to another (Rom. 12:10), to be diligent in our duties (vs. 11), to rejoice in hope (vs. 12), and others too numerous to mention here. On the other hand there are many things we must avoid because of their being sinful and harmful, as mentioned in

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the Decalogue, and elaborated in the Epistles, as ''Let him that stole steal no more . . . Let all bitterness. . . and evil speaking, be put away. . . . But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you . . . Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting . . .'' ''Children, obey your parents: for this is right'' (Eph. 4:28—5:4; 6:1), and the like. (See Col. 3).

   In between what we are told clearly to do, and what not to do, there is a wide area of border-line cases; matters intrinsically innocent in themselves, but good or evil according to principles found in the Word of God. It is this area that provides most of the confusion for us, and to which we should pay the closest attention, in order that we be consistent and effective Christians.

   For those border-line cases the Scriptures give us basic principles of conduct, rather then precepts (Rom. 12-14; I Cor. 8, and elsewhere); and we should catch the spirit as well as the letter of the Word to apply to our conduct. In so doing we must remember that customs and conventions vary from one country to another, as well as from one century to another. The relatively large amount of freedom allowed to American young people would be a stumbling-block to Latin American or Chinese Christians, for example.

   The criteria of Christian conduct seem to be the following:

   1. There should be no conformity to the world (Rom. 12:1,2). What is the world, and worldliness?

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The Word says, ''Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever'' (I John 2:15-17). The ''world'' is a spirit, and is expressed in things. It defies exact definition, because it is a spirit. The closest working definition I have found is that of John Wesley, ''Whatever cools my affection toward Christ is the world.'' This is a subjective standard, to be sure, to be applied individually by each Christian. What may cool my affection for Christ may be a matter of total indifference to you: worldly for me, and not for you! We should ask ourselves the question, however, ''Is it conformed to the world?''

   2. There should be no condemnatory attitude on our part (Rom. 14:1-3). ''Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth'' (vs. 3), for God had approved both of them. The Apostle Paul is using an illustration of worldliness familiar in his day: i.e., should a Christian eat food offered to idols (see I Cor. 10). The idol was nothing in itself; and a Christian could eat or not, according to his own conscience; but he was not to condemn his fellow Christian of different practice.

   3. We are to have our own convictions, based upon the Word of God (Rom. 14:4-9). ''Let every

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man be fully persuaded in his own mind'' (vs. 5). We are to have the Lord pre-eminent in our lives, to judge ourselves, and not of the servant of another (vs. 4). I recall the conversation of long ago with a distinguished servant of Christ. I had proposed to take off a Saturday afternoon (in my college days) to see a football game. He said, ''Go ahead; but not I, thank you.'' He went on to explain that he had been a great sports enthusiast in Canada, and that the Lord had pointed out to him that football on Saturday and preaching on Sunday might be inconsistent (for him). I respected his convictions, and he did not try to change mine on that point.

   4. We are to be considerate one of another (Rom. 14:10-13). ''Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling-block or an occasion to fall in his brother's way'' (vs. 13). The matter under consideration may be of itself innocent enough (''nothing [meaning meat here] unclean of itself,'' vs. 14); but our practice may prove to be a stumbling-block to another. For example, we are told of an immigrant lad from Central Europe that was led to Christ in this country. He was invited to Sunday dinner with an elder in the church; and beer was served. The new convert declined to drink, because by beer he had been led to strong drink. His host explained that beer with meals was the custom in the old country, and could be in America also. The young Christian bowed to superior knowledge of his elder brother in Christ. On the next Saturday night

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he was found dead drunk in the tavern, and was expelled from the church. It was the elder, however, who should have been expelled, because his conduct had been a stumbling-block to a weaker soul.

   5. We should be consistent in our practice (Rom. 14:14-17). ''Let not then your good be evil spoken of" (vs. 16). Our background and associations may give to some wholly innocent matters an ingredient of evil that would make our doing them inconsistent with our Christian testimony and conscience. More than once I heard the late Gypsy Smith relate the story of his father's conversion. He heard the message of salvation, and with penitence received the Saviour as his own. That evening he returned to his motherless children in the gypsy wagon, and related to them all he knew of the Saviour and of the Scriptures. Then he prayed with them, setting up a family altar the first night of his new life in Christ. The following morning he repeated the whole matter again. Then he went back to town, and took with him the dearest treasure of a gypsy's heart, his violin. On returning home that night he was without it, for he had sold it. He had sufficient spiritual insight, the first day of salvation, to realize that the old association of drinking and dancing places, where he had used his violin, would be inconsistent with his stand for Christ, and detrimental to his own conscience. We are glad for those whose background allows them to play the violin for God's glory; but whatever is inconsistent to us and to others must be abandoned.

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   6. Is our conduct constructive? (Rom. 14:18-19). ''Let us therefore . . . follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another'' (vs. 19). There is justifiable and timely irony in the parallel passage, ''Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but love edifieth'' (I Cor. 8:1). The emphasis is on the word ''knowledge,'' referring to what we allow for ourselves in Christian conduct. This ''knowledge'' however, is often self-centered into standards of its own, and is utterly oblivious of the feelings or fears of others. Such ''knowledge'' cocksure and cantankerous, swells us into pride, to the point of our being contemptuous of others, for we can do this or that with a clear conscience; whereas, true Christian love and compassion for our fellow believer would build him up in the faith. In our conduct we have a very real choice at this place. Do my words, actions, standards, make for peace, to establish others in the truth of the gospel; or do I live to myself, unconcerned about the blessing promised to the peace-makers (Matt. 5:9) or about building strong Christian character and convictions in those that are as yet weaker in the faith? In that same vein is the admonition to consideration for others, ''Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ'' (Gal. 6:1,2).

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   7. We should be careful of conscience in what we allow in Christian conduct (Rom. 14:20-23). ''Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth'' (vs. 22). Careful, I repeat, of conscience, our own as well as that of others. ''Hast thou faith?'' (vs. 22), does not refer to saving faith in Christ, rather to faith or confidence that our conduct is correct according to the standards of God's Word. If so, happy are we under the blessing of the Lord; but there is condemnation of conscience if we act without that confidence. ''Whatsoever is not of faith (confidence in our conduct) is sin'' (vs. 23). The admonition can be stated in elementary terms: if it is doubtful, it is wrong for you. One remembers the account of the Scotsman who had a dress shirt, to be worn on special occasions. After he had used it several times he would question the cleanliness of the linen, and possibly take it to the window for better light. His wife's words were very wise, ''If it's doubtful, it's dirty.''

   We have to live with our own conscience, to be under self-condemnation as well as under the conviction of the Spirit when our deeds are doubtful to ourselves; and on the other hand, we can have the happiness of a good conscience. We are to bear in mind also, however, the conscience of others in that which we allow. ''But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumbling-block to them that are weak. For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol's temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened

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to eat those things which are offered to idols; and through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ'' (I Cor. 8:9-12). Strong and searching words, that should give us a tender and thoughtful conscience, with conviction that ''Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend (stumble), I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend'' (vs. 13). High standard? Yes, high, but also holy and helpful; with the conscience of a weaker Christian as my criterion.

   8. The final criterion is the capstone of them all: is our conduct Christ-like? (Rom. 15:1-7), ''Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification. For even Christ pleased not himself . . . .'' (vss. 2, 3). Is the welfare and well-being of others a first consideration with us, as it was with Him? Can we deny ourselves, that we might please others (vs. 1)? Is any sacrifice on our part in the least commensurate with His sacrifice for us? He has been patient with us, and desires that we be ''like-minded one toward another according to Christ Jesus'' (vs. 5). Do our words and our deeds, our attitudes and our acts, show forth Christ to others, especially to the weak in the faith? Are we Christ-like in our consideration and concern for them?

   Non-conformity to the world, non-condemnation of others, convictions, consideration, consistency, constructiveness, conscience, and a Christ-like attitude;

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these are criteria of Christian conduct, the spirit and not the letter of divine law! Let us apply them to our action, in the light of another's conscience. Liquor and tobacco are clearly out of keeping with these standards. The movies—the good ones, you say? The question is—are there ''good ones,'' or is there the mixture of passion and depravity with all of box office receipts? Does the clean come out of the unclean? Roger Babson wonders why sensible Americans contribute so much to education and civic welfare, and allow all to be determined by an hour in the movies at night. Would not my attendance at ''good movies'' prove a stumbling-block to weaker Christians, whose standards of conduct might be less informed than mine? Are the movies worldly, or Christlike? Is not a high standard of separation worthwhile, for the welfare of others; for if movies make my brother to stumble, I will not attend as long as the world stands.

   We have the same problem in the radio programs we hear or in the magazines we read. After a season of deep spiritual awakening at Wheaton College one freshman girl settled the radio problem by posting on her radio, ''This radio is dedicated to the Lord Jesus Christ.'' The places we attend are before us; and it seems to me that baseball and football would be put in the clear, but prize-fighting would not be. A stick of wood and a ball—fine, as long as you hit the ball, as in baseball or golf, but do not push it around as in pool. Why? because of the association of the latter with pool halls. Our dress

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should be conservative and in good taste. Our Lord would not have us to be startling and ''smart'', nor to be scarecrows. The Lord's Day is especially important, in my opinion; for it is dedicated unto His service. The world watches the Christian, to see if he will conform to its standards of utter disregard for the sanctity of the day. Happy is that Christian who condemns not himself nor causes others to stumble by the places he attends, purchases he makes, paper he reads, programs he hears, on the Lord's Day.

   This is the discipline of desire, that we measure what we want to do by criteria of Christian conduct, with desire to be Christ-like and Christ honoring in all we do, that others may see Him in us.

   Our desires must be disciplined by obedience to Christ, lest they be destructive of the faith of others, not to speak of ourselves. We cannot please ourselves and please the Lord Jesus as well. To follow our own inclinations is to be indifferent to the spiritual welfare of others, especially of those who are new and weak in the faith. To say that there is no Scripture against one's ''Christian liberty'' is to repeat in substance the sneer of Cain: ''Am I my brother's keeper?'' Undisciplined desire can undo the standards of that one who looks to an older and more experienced Christian for the example and encouragement that are badly needed. It can prove to be a stone of stumbling rather than the building stone that he requires.

   By way of contrast, the desire that is disciplined

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to seek the welfare of others and to deny one's self, to consider responsibility rather than liberty, to be charitable, constant, consistent, constructive and Christ-like, such desire will strengthen the wavering Christian and silence the caustic criticism of the skeptic. The loss of ''liberty'' involved in the discipline of desire is more than compensated by the spiritual power that it brings into the life. Such discipline is sweetness to ourselves and strength to others.

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Past, Present and Future

He was better to me than all my hopes,

He was better than all my fears;

He made a bridge of my broken works,

And a rainbow of my tears,

The billows that guarded my sea-girt path

But carried my Lord on their crest;

When I dwell on the days of my wilderness march

I can lean on His love for the rest.

He emptied my hands of my treasured store,

And His covenant love revealed,

There was not a wound in my aching heart,

But the balm of His breath had healed.

Oh! tender and true was the chastening sore,

In wisdom, that taught and tried,

Till the soul that He sought was trusting in Him,

And nothing on earth beside.

Chapter Fourteen  ||  Table of Contents