I was watching a special on Michael Jackson this weekend which prompts my question: is plastic surgery wrong?  Obviously, Michael Jackson appears to have had way beyond what most of us would consider a normal nip or tuck, but when does the pursuit of vanity become sinful?  What about changing your hair color, wearing makeup, or even getting braces to make your smile more pleasing?

Sincerely, Flummoxed Fashionista

Dear Flummoxed Fashionista,

It isn’t inherently wrong for a christian to change their appearance for beauty’s sake, but we do need to be careful. See the post “The 411 On The Bling Bling” for more details on the subject of wearing jewelry. Plastic surgery is a more extreme version of makeup or jewelry. It is precisely its extreme nature that should make christians wary of using it. Makeup and jewelry are intended to enhance someone’s natural appearance, while surgery is intended to permanently alter it.

Vanity is a sin. We are not supposed to glory in appearances (2 Cor 5:12). The most vivid Biblical example of the folly of vanity is Absalom who died because of his love of his beautiful hair (2 Sam 14:25-26, 2 Sam 18:9-14). Furthermore, we are supposed to be content with what God provides us with (Php 4:11), and that includes the body He has given us. Plastic surgery (if done for purely cosmetic reasons and not medical ones) smacks of being discontent with what God has designed. The more superficial our world becomes, the more christians need to remember what is truly important… not the outward flesh, but the inward man (2 Cor 4:16).

I have a question about playing video games (for example, war games that involve killing people to win war battles).  I know that these are just games, and I do like to play them, and I do not take them seriously.  I asked someone that was part of a church before, and he told me that it was not the same thing as a sin and that it was okay to play war games.  I think I might be taking sin too far when I think that I should not even play a video game, but I would like to know your opinion on the subject.

Sincerely, Pixel Killer

Dear Pixel Killer,

Playing video games is like many other forms of recreation – they are not inherently wrong, but they certainly can become wrong if abused. War video games come in all shapes and sizes. Some are ridiculously bloody and violent, others only moderately so. It isn’t wrong for a christian to enjoy playing battle-type games any more than it is wrong for boys to play “cops and robbers” in the backyard. The key to the whole thing is wisdom. It takes wisdom to decide when a video game has “crossed the line” into dark and disturbing realms. Video games like Grand Theft Auto (which portrays prostitution, theft, domestic violence, etc.) certainly qualify to be labeled as sinful, but not all video games are of that character.

Being a soldier isn’t an inherently sinful thing. John the Baptist taught that soldiers can be godly and that military life can be led righteously (Lk 3:14). So pretending to be a soldier while playing a video game isn’t inherently wrong either. The key is to make sure that you aren’t filling your mind with evil or dwelling upon ungodliness. God wants us to contemplate pure things (Php 4:8) and set our minds on heavenly, godly things (Col 3:2). Examine yourself and your habits to see whether that is the case for you (1 Cor 11:29-31).

Over the years, I have downloaded music off of the internet for my family and myself.  I know that within the past few years that the laws have gotten stricter on that subject.  I am not sure how many songs I have that would be consider "not legal" due to all of the rules.  Also, I know that years ago almost everyone would use tape recorders to record music off of the radio, and no one really ever said anything about that.  I was thinking of deleting everything that I have. I do not want to break God’s law, but the more I think about it, I know that it would be near impossible to figure out what would be "legal" and what would not be.  I hate to lose my songs that I grew up on.  I was thinking that I would just not download any more unless I was sure that it was legal and just keep what I have now.  Is that okay?  I am so confused because I also have a bad case of "OCD" that makes me think about things too much.  I want to do what God wants. Would God really want me to delete everything or just be careful from now on and keep what I have because I would not be able to separate the legal from the non-legal?  Also, with the way laws are, what is legal today will not be legal tomorrow, so it is like a never-ending battle keeping up with it.  I don't care about the law of this world; I only care about God's law.

Sincerely, Soundly Confused

Dear Soundly Confused,

Pirated music is definitely illegal, and you are right in being concerned about the morality of it. If you were stealing the CDs from a retail store, you would return them no matter how much work it took. We must keep in mind that just because it is more socially acceptable to steal music through online sites, that doesn’t make it any less of a moral issue.

The first and most important thing is that you steal no more (Eph 4:28). You have already committed to this, and it is commendable. After that, you must deal with the rest of your music collection in a way that allows you to feel comfortable legally and have a clear conscience. If you have any songs that you know are illegal – delete them. This also means that if someone makes you aware at a later date that some of your music is pirated, you should be ready to delete it then. Take the attitude of Zacchaeus who was ready to make restitution for his past wrongs whenever possible (Lk 19:8). It is true that government regulations are always changing, but we are still bound by them (Rom 13:1-2).

You also mentioned that you are “OCD” on this subject. That is probably a sign that your conscience is bothered by you having this music. If you can’t do something in faith, it is sin (Rom 14:23). It is very important that we keep a clear conscience in all that we do (Acts 23:1). If you are bothered by the music collection, it is better to delete it all and suffer a loss than to keep it (Matt 18:8-9). It may feel like a drastic choice, but it would be well worth the loss of both your legal and illegal music if it purified your conscience (1 Pet 2:19).

A few months ago, I read something I felt was bad about God on the internet. One night, out of nowhere, I had a thought of what I read come across my mind. I asked for forgiveness, and I tried to forget about it. I thought of it again a day ago, and now it is haunting me. Will God forgive me?

Sincerely, Frustratingly Fixated

Dear Frustratingly Fixated,

There is a difference between something popping into your brain and you purposefully dwelling upon an evil thought. Everyone has random thoughts and random ideas entering their mind – it is what you do with those thoughts that matter. The devil placed the thought of betraying Christ into the mind of Judas (Jhn 13:2), but when Judas acted upon those thoughts, he sinned (Lk 22:48).

James explains how sin is conceived in the mind, but then it is brought forth and born when we dwell upon it (Jas 1:14-15). From what you have said, you haven’t sinned yet. However, it is always a good idea to counteract ungodly thoughts with godly thoughts. Do what Paul told the Philippians – dwell upon good things, and the positive will begin to replace the negative (Php 4:8).

If sin, pride, coldness, and self-will are hindrances to walking in the Spirit, why is pride so acceptable among Christians, and should that be okay?

Sincerely, A Humble Heart

Dear A Humble Heart,

In English, we use the word ‘pride’ in three different ways – two positive, one negative. The Bible condemns pride that is arrogant and haughty (Jas 4:6). When someone is “full of pride”, we mean that they are self-willed and unwilling to yield to God’s authority. This kind of pride is always wrong.

In English, we also use the word ‘pride’ as a way of explaining attention to detail. If someone says, “I take great pride in my work,” they mean that they are careful and meticulous to do the job properly. That type of pride is pleasing in God’s eyes. God wants christians to work hard and have an appreciation for doing things properly (Col 3:23).

Lastly, the word ‘pride’ is used to express how we feel about things. When someone is “proud of their child”, they are expressing appreciation… which is perfectly appropriate. Paul constantly showed appreciation for the brethren (2 Thess 1:3). Paul would even single out individual christians, like Priscilla and Aquila, for specific praise and acknowledgement (Rom 16:3-5). This kind of pride is also acceptable.

The word ‘pride’ can be confusing because we use it more broadly in English than it was used in Greek. The context of a situation will tell you whether the word is being used in a moral or immoral way.