Truth Magazine

By Ryan Lindsey

Excuses are an everyday aspect of life. All people have made excuses at one time or another. Little children have made excuses when they did something they know is wrong. They pointed their finger at their brother or sister and said, “He (or she) did that.” The same thing applies to men when confronted with their sins. Instead of admitting that they did wrong, instead of confessing their sins, they try to justify their sins through the use of excuses. Excuses can be made for all types of sin. The sin we are discussing, the sin that is affecting young people, is the sin of dancing.

“They All . . . Began to Make Excuse”

In God’s sight, excuses are foolish and ridiculous. When considering this foolishness, I am reminded of a parable in Luke 14:16-24. From these verses, we can see that a certain man made a great feast, a great supper, and he bade all his friends to come. You would think that their reaction would be that they would be thrilled to come to this great feast. Instead, they all offered excuses:

And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.

All these people that the man invited made excuses.

Let us take a look at these excuses. The first excuse was that he bought a piece of property, and he had to go see it. Well, if somebody bought a piece of property, you would think he already would have taken a look at it in the first place. The next excuse was that he bought five yoke of oxen, and he had to go prove them or test them out. To compare this to an example today, if you buy a car, do you just listen to what the dealer says and trust what the dealer says, or do you want to test drive it first? The last excuse that was used was that he married a wife and therefore he cannot come. Well, this is ridiculous in that he could have brought the wife along as well. The master then invited the poor, the maimed, the halt, and the blind, and even those passing on the highways. “For I say unto you, that none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.” We see the sadness here in that all of his friends rejected him and the only ones that would come to his supper were the dregs of society.

Daniel: Courage, Not Excuses

Excuses are the cowardly way. We as Christians must not be cowards, but we must have courage in order to take a stand for what we believe. In the Bible we have many examples of courageous men, many people that were not afraid to take a stand for what they believed in. The first example that I can think of is that of Daniel.

But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself (Dan. 1:8).

From this verse we see that Daniel could easily have made excuses. He could have said, “Well, I am in a foreign country, I am miles away from home. Therefore it will not hurt me to do it just this once.” But he did not do this; he did not make excuses. Instead he took a stand for what he believed in and he did not defile himself.

We can also see another example of Daniel’s courage in Daniel 6:7 when the leaders of Babylon persuaded the king “to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of thee, 0 king, he shall be cast into the den of lions.” Now Daniel could very well have given in to this decree. But let’s read what he did in verses 10-11.

Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime. Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God.

From these verses we see Daniel’s courage in that he was willing to go the lion’s den for what he believed. He would not give up his praying; he continued praying three times a day. You know what happened then, how that Daniel was indeed thrown into the lion’s den and that he was delivered because of his faith.

Another example of a man that had courage was Moses. We read in Hebrews 11:24-25,

By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.

From this verse we see that Moses had it all. He was the son of the Pharaoh’s daughter, but he chose rather not be with God’s people and to suffer affliction with his people than to enjoy the pleasures of sin.

We as Christians must look at these examples, and we should be as courageous as these men. Paul said, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ; for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek” (Rom. 1:16). We should not be afraid to take a stand for the gospel of Christ because it is the power of God to save our souls.

“I Do Not Want to Feel Left Out”

But now that we have looked at how we should be courageous in examples of courage, let us look into the excuses that young people give for going to the prom. One widely used excuse is, “I do not want to feel left out.” They are afraid of the persecutions, the ridicule, the peer pressure, that they face in school. But we remember how the early Christians went through many persecutions. Paul was afflicted, he was tormented, he was in prison, he was scourged, yet he never gave in. He kept on preaching the gospel. Stephen was the first Christian martyr, and he, on the very edge of death, never gave in. When we look at the many persecutions suffered by the early Christians, we can see that they cannot compare to some small ridicule and teasing that we may face today. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 12:10, “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, them am I strong.” From this verse, we as Christians should rejoice when we are persecuted, when we are in infirmities, because they make us stronger in the faith. If we are strong in the faith, we should be able to resist the devil’s temptations and should not have trouble in taking a stand for Christ.

How do we take this stand for Christ? In Ephesians 6:13-17 we read,

Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins gin about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness: and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

If we are going to resist and defeat the devil, then we must take the whole armor of God.

“Dancing is Fun”

Another excuse that is widely used is, “Dancing is fun.” Well, all sin is fun temporarily. Knowing that, Moses chose “rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.” In the last part of the verse, we see that sin indeed is pleasurable, but it is only for a short time. We must ask ourselves whether we want the temporary pleasures of sin or treasures laid up in heaven and the promise of eternal life. “It is fun,” is a poor argument when one’s soul is in danger.

“What Can One Dance Hurt?”

Another excuse that is used is, “What can one dance hurt?” That is what everyone says when trying to justify committing sin. When an alcoholic looks back at his life, he probably thought at one time, “Well, what can one drink hurt?” That one drink led to other drinks, and so on, until he ruined his life. Satan wants us to “try it once” in the hope that we will be hooked and snared. When I think about this, I think about Jesus in Matthew 4 and how that he was tempted of the devil. He could very easily have just given in once. If he had, where would we be today? We would no longer have the perfect sacrifice; we would no longer have the remission of sins that we have today.

“I Go Just to Socialize”

Another excuse that people use is, “I am just going there for the socialization. I am not going to dance.” If you do this, you subject yourself to unnecessary temptation. You first of all subject yourself to the temptation to dance, and when you see other people dancing, you are tempted to lust after them. Finally, you are not just subjecting yourself to temptation, but you are subjecting others to temptation if people see you there. Jesus taught in Matthew 18:5-7,

And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe unto the world because of offences! For it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!

From this we see God’s disgust when people offend other people by causing them to stumble. He even said that it was better for them to be drowned with a stone wrapped around their neck. If we go to this dance, we may think nobody will see us, nobody we know will be there, and nobody will care. But we must remember that we are always being looked upon and our influence is making a profound impression on everyone.

“I Can Dance and Not Lust”

Another excuse that is used is, “I can dance with my girlfriend (or boyfriend) and not lust after them.” It would be hard, but even if you could, how do you know that your partner and others watching you are not lusting after you? We can see the seriousness of lusting in Matthew 5:27-28.

Ye have heard that is was said by them of old time, thou shalt not commit adultery: but I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

From these verses we see the sin of adultery. In old times adultery was indeed a sin. But we must realize that if we lust after someone in our heart, it is just as bad as committing adultery.

“I Am a Senior Only Once”

Another excuse that is used is, “It is my senior prom; I am only a high school senior once.” But we ask ourselves, “Is one night of sin worth losing an eternity in heaven?” In Hebrews 11:25 Moses did not think that sin was worth losing his soul.

Someone Danced and “Nothing Happened”

A last excuse that people might use is, “I have seen people dance and nothing went wrong, nothing happened to them.” Let us consider this excuse. Do we judge war as harmless because we can say, “Look how many people came back alive; look how many people survived”? What about those people who died, and their families? Would they have the same viewpoint? Dancing like war leaves many victims; some we see, some we do not. How can you read other people’s minds and thoughts? Only God can read our minds and thoughts. And how do you know that no one was thinking evil thoughts? How do you know what happened after the dance? Dancing often opens the door to drinking, at the dance or later which causes other sins. Young people drinking is one of the leading causes of car wrecks and fatalities. Just like any other sin, the sin of modem dancing developed slowly, but over a period of time it has become more dangerous and more accepted. In fact, couple dancing with partners is fairly new; it did not exist until about the 15th century. It is more vulgar and harmful today than ever before.

David Halbrook explained the basic reasons why people should not go to the prom. I have looked at answering excuses that people give for going to the prom. We as young people must ask ourselves just like Moses did, “Is one night of sin worth losing an eternity in heaven?” Excuses in God’s sight are foolish and ridiculous. In fact, they make God angry at us, and in the end we can lose our soul because of our excuses. If you are an erring Christian, and have been making excuses for sin in your life, please confess those sins so that you might be right with God. If you are not a Christian, then please, confess Christ, and be baptized for remission of sins.

Guardian of Truth XXXIX: 6 p. 13-15
March 16, 1995

By Scott Wiginton

“He who finds a wife finds a good thing, And obtains favor from the Lord” (Prov. 18:22). We know from the Bible that marriage is a blessed union, established by God with the marriage of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. “For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife; and they shall become one flesh” (Gen. 2:24). It is therefore scriptural, and natural, for a young man to seek out a woman who would become his wife. Aside from the decision to surrender one’s life to Christ, choosing the person to be your mate for the rest of your earthly life is probably the most important decision a Christian can make. This is evident for two main reasons: it will deeply affect a man’s life on earth, and it will most certainly affect a man’s ability to have eternal life in heaven.

A Worthy Woman

The ways that a wife can affect the everyday life of a man are extremely obvious. People in the world who have no concern for spiritual matters still seek out a wife that will make their life a pleasant one. A man of God is advised to do the same. “An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, But she who shames him is as rottenness in his bones” (Prov. 12:4). Solomon points out the value of a good wife to a husband. She is priceless. Giving her up would be like a king renouncing the throne and giving up his crown. “An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels” (Prov. 31:10). The rest of that chapter describes a worthy woman: she does good and not evil, she is industrious and keeps the affairs of the household in order, she is compassionate and generous, and she knows the teachings of the Lord. Who is better qualified to fit that description than a Christian girl? Christians are commanded to overcome evil with good works (Rom. 12:21). Christians are not slothful, but labor so that they might have something to share with those in need (Eph. 4:29). Christians are to preach the word and teach the ways of God to their children (2 Tim. 4:2; Deut. 4:9). The Christian wife is commanded to fulfill these attributes and duties (Titus 2:3-5; 1 Tim. 3:11; 5:13,14; 1 Pet. 3:1-6). Again, who can live up to this pattern better than one who walks in the ways of Christ?

God also warns man of the potential strife that can result in marrying an ungodly woman. We already saw in Proverbs 12:4 that “she who shames him [her husband] is as rottenness in his bones.” ” When someone does not use the Lord’s will as his standard for living, there is really no telling what he will do or say. Any sense of morality is purely subjective to such people. In their minds, one person’s ethics are as good as another person’s. It is not hard to see how a wife who thinks this way can bring shame to her Christian husband. “The wise woman builds her house, But the foolish tears it down with her own hands” (Prov. 14:1). Anyone who ignores the warning of God is guilty of foolishness. A divided house is doomed for destruction (Lk. 11:17). Proverbs explains three times how undesirable it is to live with a contentious and vexing woman (21:9,19; 25:24). Such is not a trait of the Christian woman. The Scriptures make it clear that a good, prudent wife is a blessing from the Lord, not the world (Prov. 19:14). Therefore, it would be wise to look for a wife who walks with the Lord.

Although it is possible for a young man to marry a girl who is not a Christian and still have a peaceful life on earth, it is not a very likely prospect. Even less likely is the prospect of this unbelieving mate helping him reach the ultimate goal of heaven. “Do not be deceived: `Bad company corrupts good morals (1 Cor. 15:33). Is there any company more intimate or influential on our lives than our spouses? If a Christian marries “bad company,” can he escape her evil influence when such a huge portion of his life is spent with her? Of course, this corruption of good morals would not likely be a sudden change, but a gradual one. The unbelieving wife exerts more influence over her husband as the years go by: convincing him that he does not really need to go to every single worship service, constantly questioning why he gives money to the church when they really need it, perhaps encouraging him to engage in various sorts of sin that seem perfectly OK to the world, encouraging him to let the kids stay home from church if they do not really want to go, and steering him away from the fellowship with his brethren that every Christian so desperately needs.

I Want to Marry a Christian Girl .. .

On the other hand, a righteous wife who fears God can be just as strong of a positive influence on our spiritual lives. She can encourage and teach through her example, she helps to raise and teach the family in the ways of the Lord, and she can help us find the error in our ways when we sin. A loving Christian wife would do all that she could to help her husband get to heaven. Why then are there those who still consider marriage with a woman of the world? Here are some common “reasons:”

(1) She is not a Christian, but she is basically a good person. It is good that a Christian man is attracted to someone who is morally good. However, if her reasons for living that way are not because of Christ, there is nothing to stop her from simply changing her way of thinking. As was mentioned before, any sense of moral standard created by man is completely subjective. What was considered wrong one day may be considered perfectly acceptable in a few years. Also, take into consideration how difficult it would be to raise children in the ways of God in such a marriage. They see Daddy going to church and doing certain things because he believes that God wants him to do it. They also see Mommy, who does not go to church and does basically what she wants. Which is an easier path to choose in the mind of a child? Won’t Mommy and Daddy seem like hypocrites if they cannot agree: on what the children should be allowed to do? Think of the constant turmoil and heartache such a relationship would cause.

(2) I can teach her about Christ after we are married. I have seen many cases where that is exactly what happened. My own parents are such an example. It is fortunate that such happy “endings” came from these marriages. However, if you were to keep a tally of all of the marriages between Christians and unbelievers, the large majority of them have ended with the Christian falling away from the faith. Our eternal soul is not something we should gamble with, especially on such poor odds. Would it not be better to teach her about Christ and try to convince her to obey before a permanent commitment is made? There are several issues about the home that couples try to agree on before they are married. Wouldn’t it be easier to reach such an agreement when both parties are trying to mold the home as a Christian home? Do not be put in the situation where there will always be arguments about issues that could easily be avoided if both husband and wife are Christians.

(3) I am a strong enough Christian to resist any bad influence that she might be. This is probably one that is not often said aloud, but is believed by some young men. That may just be true. You may be able to resist the daily temptations to fall away from Christ. However, keep in mind what is at stake  your soul. Are you willing to bet your life, your eternal life, on it? Remember that King Solomon, a man who was blessed from God with the wisdom to rule his kingdom, fell prey to the evil influences of his foreign wives (1 Kgs. 11:1-13). He began to worship the foreign gods and idols of his wives and even built high places for their worship. This is the same man who had built the temple of Jehovah! “For it came about when Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away after other gods; and his heart was not wholly devoted to the Lord his God” (v. 4). Can we keep our hearts wholly devoted to God with a worldly wife when even wise Solomon could not? I would rather not even take the chance.

(4) She is religiousa member of the (fill in the blank) church. Again, it is good that a young man is attracted to a woman who believes in God and his values. However, wouldn’t it be rough on a marriage if every Sunday morning the couple left in separate cars to go to separate places (or if one did not go anywhere)? How will this look to the children when they come into the picture? Will it not be more difficult to teach them the truths of the Bible? “He who is not with me is against me” (Matt. 12:30). As with the point #1 above, a wife that does not believe in Christ or who practices and teaches error is against Christ. Can that sort of a person be a good influence? Is it a good idea to marry such a person?

(5) I am in love with her. Here is where the emotional part of this issue comes into play. How often have apostasies in the church been justified by some sort of emotional argument? The problem is that such reasoning might help justify what we are doing in our minds, but it will not matter when we are ultimately judged by the word of God. Such an argument will not convince God to change his will, for he has already stated it in the Scriptures. That is where we need to find our justification for our practices.

So you may love this girl. Do you love God as well? Which one comes first in your life? “If anyone comes to me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple” (Lk. 14:26). God must absolutely be first in our lives in order to be pleasing to him. Your first concern should be spiritual matters, not the physical.

Perhaps there is something to be said, then, for young men to date Christian girls to find a mate. Oftentimes we hear the argument, “There are no girls my age at my congregation.” Parents might even try to take this into consideration when they decide where they will live and worship. Even still, efforts can be made to find Christian women in the local area. Try visiting some congregations that are not too far from the one you attend. A little effort is not asking much for such a serious matter.

I have been resolved for some time now. I do want to marry a Christian girl. The reason is because I have a simple goal: I want to be with God in heaven. I want my kids to be with God in heaven. I want my wife to be with God in heaven. And knowing that such a goal is possible with a good Christian wife, makes life on this earth a more pleasant thing.

Guardian of Truth XXXIX: 6 p. 19-20
March 16, 1995

By John Isaac Edwards

I want to preach the gospel of Christ! I believe that preaching the gospel is the greatest work to be done. When I think about why I want to preach the gospel of Christ, many reasons come to mind. Here are a few reasons why I want to preach the gospel of Christ:

It Is God’s Will

It is God’s will that those who hear and obey the gospel learn how to teach it to others. Before ascending into heaven, Jesus commanded, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mk. 16:15). Matthew’s account says, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen” (Matt 28:19-20). It is written, “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also” (2 Tim. 2:2).

In Hebrews 5:12-14, Paul rebuked the Hebrew Christians, a saying,

For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

Evidently there is a time after one’s conversion when the Lord expects his child to be able to teach others.

To Be Pure From The Blood Of All Men God said unto his prophet Ezekiel,

Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul (Ezek. 3:17-19).

I want to preach the gospel of Christ because I realize that if I fail to warn the wicked of their wicked way, I will be held accountable. I want to be able to say as Paul said, “Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men” (Acts 20:26).

Preaching Saves

Paul wrote, “For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe” (1 Cor. 1:21). It may seem foolish to some that I want to preach the gospel of Christ, but preaching saves! The gospel of Christ has saving power! The apostle Paul declared, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek” (Rom. 1:16). The gospel of Christ is able to save men from their sins (Jas. 1:21), but it must first be preached!

We Are Going To Be Judged By The Gospel

I want to preach the gospel of Christ because we will be judged by it at the last day. Paul revealed, “In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel” (Rom. 2:16). This judgment will be world-wide in scope, but individual in nature. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2 Cor. 5:10). Since the gospel will be the standard of judgment, folks need to have the gospel preached unto them.

The Influence of Godly Parents and Grandparents

I have been blessed with one of life’s greatest treasures:godly parents and grandparents. My desire to preach the gospel of Christ did not just happen accidentally, but rather, it is the result of being brought up “in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4). The duty to “fear God and keep his commandments” (Eccl. 12:14) was impressed upon me at an early age. While I was yet in my mother’s womb, I was at every church service and attended many gospel meetings. My parents tell me that I was about two-years-old when I began preaching. I would stand on a footstool and “pretend” that I was preaching. One time, as Dad was preaching in a gospel meeting, he said, “Let there. . . . ,” and before he could finish, I hollered, “be light.” I still remember the times that I went on gospel meetings with my granddad, Johnie Edwards. In a hotel one Sunday afternoon, when I was only about seven or eight years old, we both sat at a table and he showed me how to put a sermon together. My dad and granddad have helped me tremendously. There is no way that I would be where I am now if it had not been for them. No doubt Timothy’s background influenced him to want to preach the gospel of Christ. As Paul wrote this young man, he said, “When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also” (2 Tim. 1:5). I have been taught, as was Timothy, to “Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity” (1 Tim.4:12).

The Encouragement From Others

I have received much encouragement from members of the church and other gospel preachers. When I felt as if I had preached the worst gospel sermon ever heard, there were those who said such things as, “Keep up the good work,” and “You did an excellent job.” There have been times when I have felt like “throwing in the towel,” but when I called to remembrance those encouraging words from others, that was enough to motivate me to keep on keeping on. Just those small, kind words have been a great source of encouragement. There have also been those who have helped me financially. I have received checks and gift certificates from several individuals to help me purchase books and other tools necessary for preaching the gospel of Christ. Cletus and Lorena Dowden have encouraged me greatly. Cletus is one of the elders of the Downtown church of Christ in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee. The Dowden’s have extended many kind words of encouragement and have had me in their home on many occasions. Also, it has been very encouraging to be around other young men who want to preach the gospel of Christ. The preacher training program, a work of the Ellettsville, Indiana church of Christ, has been a tremendous encouragement.

Paul’s Charge

Paul charged Timothy and all future generations of gospel preachers when he said,

Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry (2 Tim. 4:2-5).

I will make every effort to keep that which is committed to my trust (1 Tim. 6:20).

To reach my goal of preaching the gospel of Christ on a regular basis, I preached my first gospel sermon when I was 14 years old before a church in Oblong, Illinois. Further, I gave Wednesday evening talks, did Scripture readings, and waited on the Lord’s table. I served at every opportunity realizing that I was gaining much needed experience. When I was 15 years old, I preached occasion-ally for different area churches. I also started attending the Ellettsville preacher training program taught by my granddad, Johnie Edwards, and my dad, Johnie P. Edwards. When I turned sixteen, I sent out letters to some of the churches around Indiana expressing my interest in preaching the gospel of Christ. Before long, I was preaching every Sunday. Now that I am seventeen, I have been preaching every Sunday for different churches within a 150 mile radius. Just recently I completed my work in the Ellettsville preacher training program and have begun working with the Westside church of Christ in Salem, Indiana. I hope this article will inspire other young men to want to preach the gospel of Christ.

Guardian of Truth XXXIX: 6 p. 22-23
March 16, 1995

By David Halbrook

I would like to discuss with you some basic Bible reasons why I did not go to the prom. Prom time is decision time. Those who serve God have always had to face difficult decisions and make tough choices with the help of God. To begin, please consider Hebrews 11:24-25.

By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.

Here we see that Moses had a decision to make, whether to stay in the house of Pharaoh and some day become the Pharaoh and live a life of luxury, or to be with God’s people and be a slave for a certain time. The problem with the prom is that it is primarily a dance. In the dictionary a prom is simply defined as a “formal college or school ball or dance.” Therefore, the prom presents God’s people a decision on whether to attend a dance. We need the courageous faith of Moses.

As a Christian, I look to the Bible as God’s Word and especially to the New Testament as the teaching of Christ that guides me in my decisions. I want to share with you how the teaching of the Bible convinced me not to go to the prom. Three points I would like to discuss from the Bible are lasciviousness, the influence on others, and some areas of personal choice.

Lasciviousness

The first reason I am not interested in attending a prom or any other dance is that the things that go on there can cause lasciviousness. Please turn to Galatians 5:19-21.

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

The Bible says lasciviousness will keep us out of heaven. Lasciviousness is defined as “wanton acts or manners, filthy words, indecent bodily movements, unchaste handling of males and females.” This definition is given in Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. Such conduct gives dancing its sex appeal. Sexual foreplay and sexual intimacy are reserved for marriage.

When questioning whether or not to go to a dance, there are three questions that I thought one should ask himself. First of all, can you control your thoughts so that you will not lust? Second, can you control the thoughts of the person you are dancing with and be sure that they are not lusting? Finally, can you control the thoughts of those who may be watching you and be sure that they are not lusting? If the answer to any of these is “no,” then a person should not go to the dance. I do not think there is a person alive who could answer all three of these as “yes.” One may think that he is able to control thoughts that he has, but once you get to the dance things can change. There is no way to control the thoughts of others. If we cause others to sin, we are partly responsible. Jesus said in Matthew 18:6-7,

But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe unto the world because of offences! For it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!

We can see from this how God hates for people to be lost. You can see the severity of being responsible for someone being lost. Christians are to be the light of the world. Bill Reeves, who has done a lot of gospel preaching in Mexico and America, once gave me this piece of advice. Christians should not feel peer pressure because Christians are leaders, not followers. Christians are the light. And when you turn on the light, darkness scatters. There is no pressure on the light. By the good example of Christians, there ought to be pressure on people not to go to the dances instead of to go to the dances. Exodus 23:2 teaches that we should not be followers but leaders. “Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment.” So we can see from this we are not to do something just because everybody else does.

Influence

But another reason I am not going to the prom or any other dance is because I want to have the right influence on others. The matter of personal influence should be very important. In considering dancing, there are several things to think about in terms of what the effect would be on other people. The first point to consider is what would be the effect on non-Christians. When non-Christians see some Christians dancing and others taking the stand of not dancing, what message is this sending? All they are going to see is a double standard, and they will not see any difference in our standard and the standard of the world with its error and confusion. The second point to consider is what would my influence be on other Christians? If I go to the dance, I may influence others to go, causing them to be weak and fall away from Christ. We have seen what God thinks of those who cause others to fall away.

Thirdly, what would the influence be on the church? Because some may go dancing and others not, the world may view the church of Christ as hypocritical, which may directly or indirectly keep them from learning what is right and being saved.

Finally, I will lose the power of my personal example if I attend dances such as the prom. How can you expect someone to listen to you when teaching them if you are not living your life in the way you should? I Thessalonians 5:22 teaches, “Abstain from all appearance of evil.” This is a simple verse and easy to understand, but it has a message we should consider. Christians should abstain from all forms, fashions, and appearances of evil. Christians should not give Satan any opportunity to cast a shadow of doubt on our character. Christians should be willing to give up some things in order to be sure that nobody would get the wrong idea about what we believe and how we live our lives. Attending the prom and other dances shows that we flirt and compromise with evil rather than abstaining from it.

Areas of Personal Choice

Some things in the Bible are concrete and leave no doubt about what we are to do in order to be pleasing to God. But there are also some areas of personal choice which must be decided by each individual. One thing would be going to the prom just to get your picture taken and then leaving. While there is not a book, chapter, and verse to prove this either way, there are a couple of things that I myself have to consider when making a decision on this. First of all, how do people who only see the picture know that I did not dance? Every time someone sees that picture, I am not going to be there to defend myself and say, “Oh.. I just got my picture taken there and left, and I did not dance.” I am not always going to be there when the picture is seen. Secondly, my presence could be misleading. People may only see me going or coming out. How are they going to know I did not dance?

Another area of personal choice would be going to a banquet that is given at a site other than where the prom is being given on prom night. Some schools sponsor banquets at one site, and then those who are going to the prom leave there and go to the prom. A Christian might attend the banquet without attending the prom. These are just a couple of examples of personal matters that must be carefully decided by each individual.

While looking through some material on the history of dancing, I found something I thought was interesting to share with you. On October 12, 1778 the Continental Congress of the United States ruled dancing as an act that produced idleness, dissipation, and a general depravity of principles and manners. Dancing was ruled illegal. Surely dancing has not gotten any better from that time until now. My, how we have changed in some two hundred years!

Conclusion

Let us remember again the courageous faith of Moses in Hebrews 11:24-25.

By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.

I would have to say that verse 25 pretty well summarizes why I did not go to the prom. I have chosen not to enjoy the deceitful pleasures of sin for a season. To follow Christ, we must fight the temptations of this world. We cannot be afraid to be different.

We must let our lights shine no matter what the cost. Jesus said in Matthew 5:13-16,

Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify our Father which is in heaven.

It is clear Christ would not be a part of dances with their sexual appeal. If we allow ourselves to fall into these traps of Satan, our salt will have lost its strength, and we will allow our light to be blown out by Satan. Christ is the great light of the world and Christians must reflect his light to the world by following Christ. Jesus said in Mark 16:16, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.” Since I first believed in Christ and was baptized into him, I have been trying to follow his teaching and his example. That is why I did not go to the prom.

Guardian of Truth XXXIX: 6 p. 7-8
March 16, 1995