1st Corinthians 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
This passage of scripture teaches us of the importance of having all of life's experiences being synthesized with the word of God, thereby making a very practical application of godliness in all that we do think or say. The word of God is not to be held as a mere theoretical treasure, to be discussed and read, but never interfaced with life's experiences, for whenever this is done, the scriptures become a dead letter to us, just like any other secular book that is perused for strictly intellectual purposes, and nothing else. Whenever we study the scriptures, it should be with an earnest desire not only to know God's will but also to do it, for that is the core purpose why it is written in the first place. Let's read:
2nd Timothy 3:14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; 15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
In the days of Christ the religion of the scribes and pharisees consisted of a sort of hands-off approach to the scriptures, in which vain babblings about non-essentials were allowed to consume valuable time and energy, whilst the core principles of the word were left on the back-burner of their consciences. This attitude is usually manifested in a disposition to argue and nit-pick at the smallest items which have no salvific value, whilst the weightier matters of the law, such as genuine love, mercy, truth, obedience and brotherly kindness are left virtually untouched. Christ alluded to this practice in a stern rebuke that was administered to those who were spying on Him, looking for little flaws, errors, and inconsistencies in His teachings, or in His followers. Let's read:
Matthew 23:1 Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, 2 Saying The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: 3 All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. 4 For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. 23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. 24 Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.
This stern rebuke to the hands-off approach to practical godliness, comes down to us in our day, where many Christians profess to follow Christ, and yet are found to be doing the same things, and in some cases, worse than the heathen who know not God. Whenever the Bible is studied it should be with an immediate intent to put into practice that which we have learned at the feet of Christ, and as we pray for enabling power to do God's will, He responds in the affirmative, by giving us grace to help in time of need.
For instance the Bible is very clear in matters pertaining to honesty and integrity in all of our interactions with our fellowmen, meaning that we should not use any double standards when dealing with the rich or with the poor. For example, if a Christian owns a body shop, where collision work is performed on crashed vehicles, and a person who has a dented front fender on his Ford mustang comes in for repairs, the Christian ought to evaluate the cost of repair using honest stands of the industry, and then charge appropriately. But if Oprah Winfrey were to show up with a similar mustang, dented in like manner, the price for Oprah should not then be escalated because of her ability to pay an exorbitant price, for then the Christian will be guilty of double-dealing before God, who takes note of all such inconsistencies in business deal. Let's read:
Leviticus 19:35 Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in meteyard, in weight, or in measure. 36 Just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin, shall ye have: I am the Lord your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt. 37 Therefore shall ye observe all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them: I am the Lord.
Leviticus 19:15 Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour.
Now, it is true that as Christians we are called upon to exercise sound judgment in our interactions with others, and there are cases where the person of the poor is to be helped out in situations where they may not be able to afford life's necessities. In such cases the Christian should seek counsel from God for the wisdom to implement mercy in a constructive manner, whenever and wherever it can be administered, but under no circumstances are we to be found charging by status, or varying our standards based on a rich person's ability to pay.
In other words, we should be found faithful in our tithes and offerings, just as much as we should be faithful in paying our taxes to the IRS, which has trillions of dollars at its disposal. No difference in principle whatsoever is to be made, because the fear of the Lord which leads us to depart from evil, should at all times and in all places, run as a common, golden thread throughout all of life's experiences.
We therefore end with a passage of scripture which encourages us to do what is right, by implementing practical godliness across the entire spectrum of our experiences, for in this way God will be pleased to call us His sons and daughters, having His character stamped upon our hearts and minds each day. Let's read:
James 2:8 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: 9 But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. 10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. 12 So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.
May The Lord add His blessing to the study and practice of His every word. God bless!