As you go through life and you are navigating what is right and wrong or what is true and not true, what do you use to determine these things? Do you use popular opinion? What the media says? What the celebrities say? Do you just use what you feel? For Christians, we are to use the Bible to measure everything. It is to be our plum line. Any other measurement is not accurate. It is like using a child's foot to measure a foot. It is not truly 1 foot or 12 inch. It is not an accurate measurement. The same is true when young people use their parents as the measurement for Christianity. Why is this? Because people are sinners and even believers are not perfect. People will always disappoint and fail you. Yes, parents are to be an example of Christ-likeness, but they cannot be the measurement of what is Christianity. I have heard and seen young people who do not have good examples at home or are in very controlling, oppressive homes say, "If that is Christianity I don't want any part of it." They most of the time use the word "if" which is an important thing to note. People tend to use other people as their plum line for Christianity, which is not an accurate measurement. Christian means little Christ. If you are going to look at Christianity then you have to only look at Jesus Christ himself. You can look at other Christians that are truly following Christ and their life lines up with the scriptures as people to learn from but ultimately Jesus is your primary focus on how to be a Christian. In my own life, I came from a controlling oppressive home and I didn't see a true example of Christ in the home. A pastor told me, one time, that he was amazed I was still walking with Christ. I told him, where would I go. Christ is all I have. He is my life, my hope, my Savior. He is my everything. I never even considered to use my parents as a plum line of Christianity because as I read and studied the scriptures the more in love with Jesus I became. I knew my dad didn't line up to what I studied in the Bible so I knew to continued to fix my eyes on Jesus, my Lord and Savior.
The Word of God is to be our measuring stick to everything in life. You use the scriptures to measure every kind of social issues such as gay marriages, divorce, non married people living together, cheating on a spouse, polygamy and bigamy. Some would say, "The Bible is out dated it is not to be used the way it was in Bible time." Well, hate to disappoint but God's standard does not change. He is immutable or unchanging. What he considered a sin then is still a sin now. Man can try to make every sin accepted in a culture but it does not mean it is acceptable to God. God is holy and He hates sin. He is also just. He cannot let sin be okay.
The Scriptures are also to be used for guiding you on everyday issues. You can look to the Bible and use the principles to guide you in areas of business, marriage, raising children, treating strangers, and how to walk closer with God. I do have to state, be sure that when you read the Bible that you keep the verses in context. I have stated this before in another article you cannot take scriptures out of context or have it say whatever you want it to say. Tons of people do take verse out of context. For those who know the context of the verse they get really frustrated when they hear someone take a verse out of context because the verse doesn't mean what they are saying it means. My point is, make sure you read the verse in the context of the passage to get the correct meaning.
Instead of being like Jiminy Cricket of letting your conscience be your guide or popular opinion be sure to let the Word of God be you guide and the plum line or measuring stick of your life. Make Jesus Christ the focus of heart, soul and mind.
