I think the main point you guys are tapping on is this:

The more you walk/crawl in relationship/communion with God, the more you live as you truly should. This leads you to make good decisions, not because you have to, but because you want to. The key is living for God first and not your own dang self.

I admit that I'm drawn to a girl with "party" sensibilities, but a girl that I'd want to marry would have "God" sensibilities.
 

Ahhh...now this is a good answer...and one that's gonna draw some ire from some of the ladies on here, I bet! It seems to validate the "guys are only attracted to party girls, so that's why we do it in the first place" kinda responses that were posted on the previous entry. I know you well enough to know that's not what you're trying to say. But I can just see it being taken that way.

Thoughts, ladies?
 

What a can of worms indeed. We are faced with two critical issues here. Living by the Spirit or Walking in the Spirit and how to portray ourselves in the public realm. Let’s go with “walking in the Spirit”; that is a true road, a straight path, not a winding one with curves and detours. Not one that we can conveniently detour from for the sake of what we consider “small sin”.

Life in the public realm… our Christian Party Girl is probably making decisions of how to do this based on the anticipated response. They want to attract the opposite sex while desperately trying to preserve their faith. What a balancing act they face. The question is can you walk that straight path in the Spirit when you are off balance?

This issue is like todays society view and love of wealth and money which the Bible had plenty to say about. ”No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money” (Matthew 6:24, NIV). My point in this is that you just can’t have it both ways.
 

Hey guys -

I keep thinking of 1 Cor 6:12 throughout this discussion and I'm not sure if anyone has brought it up, but I think it makes a good point.

12 Everything is permissible for me— but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible for me— but I will not be mastered by anything.
13 Food for the stomach and the stomach for food— but God will destroy them both. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.

I love the part that says everything is permissible for me - but I will not be mastered by anything - the key being not being mastered by our wrongful desires.

I guess I'm also intrigued by the concept of people, even leaders of younger people, trying to cover up the pictures of them drinking. Are they not teaching that drinking in a public place over the drinking age and drinking in no way to excess in an acceptable manner to Christ is alright? If so, why hide that? Its a pretty easy rule, don't do at any time anything you don't want appearing on your MySpace/Facebook. Or, before acting, imagine would I want Jesus to be beside me if this shows up as a picture on Facebook?

I don't think it is coming down to what is acceptable or not, I think what it seems to be coming down to in the post is the "Oh my Gosh, what will people think if they see me in the picture with a beer in my hand?" If you are right with God and follow his written word, he will rule your heart correctly. So when it comes to picture time, I will take the judgement. And yes, that is a glass of wine in my hand at a large gathering on my Facebook.
 

Good thoughts, Rachel.

I do want to make two points to clarify:

1. The original discussion wasn't aimed at someone having a drink in a picture, or even being with a bunch of friends acting crazy. It was more aimed at the "Oh my gosh I was so hammered, hahah" type attitude that shows up in comments or picture quotes as well as the over-the-top "Girls-Gone-Wild" type of pictures ("Let's act like we're making out with each other", "let's do body shots while double-fisting two vodka bottles for the camera", etc.). That's a bit different than a picture of someone having fun with a drink and friends. And it's that type of thing that I originally wanted to call attention to because, honestly, I think many of the girls who do it genuinely don't realize that there may be elements of sin involved (heck, most people don't even know what "licenstiousness" or "debauchery" mean, much less that they're spoken against in Scripture). [And to note once again...guys are every bit as guilty of this many times as women, they just aren't as visible about combining it with proclamations of Jesus on their profiles.]

2. On a more technical subject, the phrase"everything is permissible for me" in 1Cor. 6:12, along with "Food for stomach and the stomach for food--yet God will destroy them both", are both slogans that the believers in Corinth had adopted in order to justify their extremely libertinism regarding issues of food, sex, and paganism (three things that in Corinth were almost inseperable!). This is why many newer translations put those phrases in quotes. It lets the reader know that Paul wasn't saying them, rather, he was refuting them.

I do like your point about teaching that moderate drinking over the legal age is not wrong and that instead of "hiding" it for fear someone might think bad of us, we should do a better job in teaching about it in the first place. It's interesting to hear the thoughts of British or other European Christians when they hear about the cultural taboo in America that Christians have adapted.

Thanks for adding to the discussion!

JMS
 

This blog has is going to make me late for a job interview. Thanks, JM!
 

Correction. This blog IS going to make me late for a job interview. And now it has.
 

thought I would see more replies since first was so successful. Didn't see any comment on my reply, maybe I am too cut and dry. Only reason for this additional post is to let our Bible Nerd... my hero, know I remember the Trash Heap LOL. I sure hope I didn't offend anyone... as my first post said, I am not here to Judge... just to offer my insight. Rock on Peeps... Word as you 20's and 30's say. Geez I am not that old... lol. Take care all, and so glad to hear all your repsonses to JMS's post.