Black, White, and Grey

Some things appear to be categorically condmned, but then are shown in a positive light in some cases. Lying, for example.

Somtimes we have cases where 80% of scripture on a topic seems to saying one thing, but 20% something else. Sometimes these things even appear to be contradictory. How do we respond? Examples IMO include sovereign grace vs. choice and assurance.

Personally, I accept contradictory statements in divine revelation, and just acknowledge it as a limitation in my own abilities. IMO thowing out the statements that don't fit isn't an option. I think it's funny that there probably isn't a fundamental baptist church in the world that would accept Jesus as a pastor since He apparently was foolish enough to have said "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved". Just kidding there, but I hope you see my point.

Obviously God meant for it all to be this way, but I'm not sure what it all means.

 

Egyptian midwives. Also,

1Samuel 16:2
And Samuel said, How can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me. And the LORD said, Take an heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to the LORD.

Looks like God commanding deception, so that a man would not be wrongfully murdered.

And,

1Kings 22:22
And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so. 23 Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee.

 

BTW, I don't think there are any contradictions in the Bible, God's perfect revelation to man. There may be apparent contradictions because I'm woefully stupid compared to God, but that's really my problem, not God's.

 

The only gray area that the Bible ever speaks of is all in our heads. Get it...in our heads. Look it up, every mention of gray is talking about gray hairs.

God has no problem with color vision. I, on the other hand, am quite often wrong about what color something is. There are no gray areas, just my poor ability to discern.

 

Olive,

For each individual I don't think there are any grey areas. Every thought/action will be judged.

 

This seems to be a drastic overstatement. I have always understood black to be a reference because 1) Scripture refers to the world of sin and Satan as "darkness," and 2) black is generally considered the opposite of white or light. Since righteousness and sin are opposites, so white and black, light and darkness, are opposites.

With all due respect to my friend Bob, I think trying to attach this to racism goes way beyond the pale. It seems like an attempt to politically correct when no such thing is needed.

 

Life is full of grey areas in the sense that many of the things we do daily are not inherently moral or immoral. Attitude plays a big part here. Going to church could be sinful if my frame of mind is not worshipful, while going on a hike in the mountains could be an act of righteousness if I spend it as a time of communion with God. Although there are certainly things that are always evil, there are also many morally neutral acts that become sinful only if our hearts are wrong.