But first, --- Let's raise the question; 
WHY WOULD ANYONE WANT TO BECOME A CHRISTIAN???

   Well, some might say, "Because I want to go to HEAVEN!" And I would have to say that's a 
very good reason. Another might interject; --- "I'm afraid of going to eternal HELL!" Again, it's 
a valid assessment! Surely, no SANE person would want to go to hell. Kind of makes you wonder
though; --There's a whole heap of "SANE" people in this world who seem bent on doing just that!

   But without spending a lot of time enumerating all the many good reasons why YOU or I or 
ANYONE would want to become a Christian; --- It basically boils down to the fact that in 
comparing MY LIFE to JESUS, --- I come to the cold hard realization that in GOD'S sight, I am 
miserably lost and in dire need of the GRACE of Almighty God!

   In short, I decided that I was going to DO BETTER!! And the only way I can DO BETTER in 
God's sight; --- Is to KNOW and OBEY His will from the HEART!! Motivated by LOVE!!
THAT'S IT! --- And the same drive that would cause one to become a Christian in the first place,
is the same drive that makes a Christian a BETTER Christian. BY FAITH-- I am determined to 
DO BETTER for God!

   Now let's look into God's word and ask; "HOW CAN I DO BETTER??"And that's the purpose 
of this little series: " Positive Principles For Proper Practice"

   I thought it would be beneficial for us to cover some Bible principles to teach us how to decide
between RIGHT and WRONG. Now there are many questions concerning right and wrong that 
are not covered SPECIFICALLY in the Bible!!
   You see, the Bible, contrary to popular opinion is NOT a "RULE BOOK"; ---But rather we 
should look upon it as a GUIDE BOOK; --- or a book of GREAT PRINCIPLES!! For instance; --- 
God does not say: "Thou shalt not SMOKE POT!" or "Thou shalt not drive through a school 
zone at 115 MPH!"
   You see, if God had made the Bible a set of "minute laws", -- Covering every little nitty-gritty 
detail; --- Can you imagine how GIGANTIC it would be? Why you'd have to have a box car just 
to carry it around. 
   And besides that, some of the "rules" to us today wouldn't make a lick of sense to Christians of
the 1st. century. ---- Can you imagine someone at Corinth trying to apply the "rule"; "Thou shalt
not attend any X-RATED MOVIES!"?? What's an X-rated movie, brother Paul?

   And another thing, --- If God made the Bible a RULE BOOK rather than a GUIDE BOOK, you
know there would always be some "smart" guy who would manage to find "LOOPHOLES" in 
the law; --- But friend, you can't find "LOOPHOLES" in God's great PRINCIPLES!!

              ___________________________________________

So; --- PRINCIPAL NUMBER ONE:  (I Cor. 6:12)

"All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable, ---" KJV says "EXPEDIENT"

   So the first principle for proper practice is: EXPEDIENCY; --- And Paul says; "All things are 
lawful---" That is to say, that no longer are we under the Mosaic Law; --- But all things are not
EXPEDIENT!
Now what does the word "expedient" mean? Originally means; "To have one's feet free".
So when you think of expedient, you think of TRAVEL--- An expedition is a "JOURNEY"
somewhere.
And when Paul says, "Not all things are EXPEDIENT", --- he's saying not all things will help
me along my way! Get it? A Christian is somebody whose GOING SOMEWHERE! 
And a Christian is somebody with a GOAL and a PURPOSE in life!!
He's not just drawing his breath and drawing a salary; --- Eating to live and living to eat!!
He has a GOAL in life and dear one if YOU don't have a GOAL, --- You oughta get one, because 
if you don't, you won't be worth much.

   I heard a story about a fellow who came to a certain town out west. And he began to notice that 
on every barn, on every tree, -- EVERYWHERE he looked he could see a "BULLS-EYE" type 
target painted. --- And right dead center of each target was ONE CLEAN SHOT!
The man thought; "Well I don't know who lives around here, but evidently he must be the world's
best marksman and I'm going to look him up and talk to him. He began asking around and found 
out who this sharp-shooter was. --- It was the TOWN "MORON"! He went to the man and said; 
"I don't understand it, how do you hit the bulls-eye EVERY TIME??"
   The "moron" answered; "Oh, I do it different than most people;--- you see, I shoot FIRST and 
draw the target LATER!!" 
He explained farther; --- "I aim at NOTHING--- and I HIT IT EVERY TIME!!

To sum it up; --- If YOU aim at NOTHING, it's guaranteed, that's what you'll hit every time---
NOTHING!!

   But as a Christian, you are not to be aiming at NOTHING, you are to be aiming at SOMETHING! 
You're to have some GOALS, some PLANS and they should be GOD-DIRECTED, Holy Spirit 
given. Goals established by the PRINCIPLES set forth by inspiration of the Holy Spirit in the
word of GOD!!
And EVERYTHING you do in WORD or DEED; --- EVERY DECISION, you need to ask yourself;
1. Is it EXPEDIENT?
2. Will it help me toward my GOAL?
3. Does it HELP me or does it HINDER me? ---OR SOMEONE ELSE??

Now there's nothing wrong with carrying around a 100 lb. bar bell on my shoulder is it?
BUT if I'm running a 100 yd. dash while I've got it on my shoulder, I'd be wise to get rid of it, 
right?
And some of the things in our lives are WRONG --- simply because they're a WASTE OF TIME, 
that's all!! They're a "DRAG-ANCHOR" that keeps you from arriving at God's appointed 
"HARBOR"!! (HEAVEN)

So the FIRST TEST, the FIRST Principle For Proper Practice is this; EXPEDIENCY!!
And the big question you should ask yourself BEFORE you are tempted to do THIS or THAT;---
IS IT EXPEDIENT???