Reader’s questions: “Can Christians do this?” “Are Christians not allowed to do that?”…

I often hear, from both believers and non-believers, questions about whether Christians may/should/can do various things, such as: “Can Christians get tattoos?”, “Can Christians buy stocks?”, “Can Christians engage in politics?”, “Can Christians do yoga?”, and so on. Through a series of articles, I hope to analyze and share the spiritual considerations involved. This piece is only an overview, sharing the thinking framework I see in Scripture.

Why do we ask “Can Christians…?”

Ephesians 5:8–15 (ESV):

8 for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light

9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true),

10 and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.

11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.

12 For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret.

13 But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible,

14 for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise.

Before becoming disciples, our conduct may have been easily driven by our own desires, without careful thought or a pursuit of “what is pleasing to the Lord.” But as disciples, the text reminds us to “look carefully how you walk,” to be “wise” and not “unwise.” So it is entirely natural for Christians to consider and “discern” whether certain behaviors or practices are “pleasing to the Lord.” As we grow spiritually, our perspective may change: what once seemed harmless may now be avoided due to deeper conviction; conversely, with maturity, we may form new convictions to do—or not do—what once felt routine.

The emphasis is on “discern,” “be careful,” and “be wise”—not merely “doing what others do,” nor acting “headstrong” (ignoring counsel).

What are “the wise” and “the foolish” in Scripture?

Proverbs addresses this extensively. A small selection:

Proverbs 9:10 (ESV):

10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.

Proverbs 10:23 (ESV):

23 Doing wrong is like a joke to a fool, but wisdom is pleasure to a man of understanding.

Proverbs 18:1–2 (ESV):

1 Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment.

2 A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion.

Proverbs 12:15 (ESV):

15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.

Proverbs 14:8 (ESV):

8 The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way, but the folly of fools is deceiving.

In short, the wise in Scripture fear God, pursue knowledge and wisdom, consider how their actions affect themselves and others rather than being driven by desire alone; they welcome counsel and are not self-conceited.

When is it unsuitable to ask “is it allowed or not?”

In the New Testament, some frequently asked Jesus questions framed as “is it lawful or not?”:

Matthew 12:10 (ESV; cf. Mark 3:4; Luke 6:9)

10 And a man was there with a withered hand. And they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”—so that they might accuse him.

Matthew 19:3 (ESV; cf. Mark 10:2)

3 And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful to divorce one’s wife for any cause?”

Matthew 22:17 (ESV; cf. Mark 12:14; Luke 20:22)

17 Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?

Luke 14:3 (ESV; Jesus questions them)

3 And Jesus responded to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?”

These Pharisees and lawyers asked “may or may not” to test Jesus, not to seek what pleases God. Jesus saw their motives and did not offer a simple “yes” or “no.” This shows that many “may or may not” questions cannot be decided in a few words. Each such decision is contextual and requires the wisdom to distinguish good from evil (cf. Hebrews 5:14).

If we don’t probe the reasons and contexts behind each “may or may not,” but only want a quick answer, we won’t grow in wisdom or in discerning God’s will. We risk outsourcing discernment to the responder, hoping they decide for us—this neither trains our minds toward spiritual maturity nor helps us own and learn from our mistakes.

Is wisdom just following formulas or cherry-picking verses?

How do we pursue spiritual wisdom? We naturally think of Scripture:

Deuteronomy 4:5–8 (ESV):

5 See, I have taught you statutes and rules, as the LORD my God commanded me, that you should do them in the land that you are entering to take possession of it.

6 Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.”

7 For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the LORD our God is to us, whenever we call upon him?

8 And what great nation is there, that has statutes and rules so righteous as all this law that I set before you today?

Yes, Moses said God’s law would display Israel’s wisdom among the nations. But even God’s statutes were not meant to be followed thoughtlessly. Consider:

Numbers 27:1–11 (ESV):

1 Then drew near the daughters of Zelophehad…

2 And they stood before Moses and before Eleazar the priest and all the congregation, saying,

3 “Our father died in the wilderness… and he had no sons.

4 Why should the name of our father be taken away from his clan because he had no son? Give to us a possession among our father’s brothers.”

5 Moses brought their case before the LORD.

6 And the LORD said to Moses,

7 “The daughters of Zelophehad are right. You shall give them possession of an inheritance among their father’s brothers and transfer the inheritance of their father to them.

8 And you shall speak to the people of Israel, saying, ‘If a man dies and has no son, then you shall transfer his inheritance to his daughter…’”

Israel was a patrilineal society; thus, when they entered Canaan, the land was allotted according to the number of males in each tribe and family. Land was crucial property and the basis of a family’s livelihood, so losing inheritance rights due to having no sons would be a great loss. The daughters of Zelophehad knew that ordinarily only males inherited their father’s land, but they wisely understood the LORD’s intent to bless Israel through the allotment. Therefore, they proactively asked Moses to grant them their father’s portion so that their father’s name and estate could continue. The LORD responded, “The daughters of Zelophehad are right,” and issued corresponding amendments to the inheritance laws. The matter was not yet concluded; later:

Numbers 36:1–10 (ESV)

1 The heads of the fathers’ houses of the clan of the people of Gilead the son of Machir, son of Manasseh, from the clans of the people of Joseph, came near and spoke before Moses and before the chiefs, the heads of the fathers’ houses of the people of Israel.

2 They said, “The LORD commanded my lord to give the land for inheritance by lot to the people of Israel, and my lord was commanded by the LORD to give the inheritance of Zelophehad our brother to his daughters.

3 But if they are married to any of the sons of the other tribes of the people of Israel, then their inheritance will be taken from the inheritance of our fathers and added to the inheritance of the tribe into which they marry. So it will be taken away from the lot of our inheritance.

4 And when the jubilee of the people of Israel comes, then their inheritance will be added to the inheritance of the tribe into which they marry, and their inheritance will be taken from the inheritance of the tribe of our fathers.”

5 And Moses commanded the people of Israel according to the word of the LORD, saying, “The tribe of the people of Joseph is right.

6 This is what the LORD commands concerning the daughters of Zelophehad: ‘Let them marry whom they think best, only they shall marry within the clan of the tribe of their father.

7 The inheritance of the people of Israel shall not be transferred from one tribe to another, for every one of the people of Israel shall hold on to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers.

8 And every daughter who possesses an inheritance in any tribe of the people of Israel shall be wife to one of the clan of the tribe of her father, so that every one of the people of Israel may possess the inheritance of his fathers.

9 So no inheritance shall be transferred from one tribe to another, for each of the tribes of the people of Israel shall hold on to its own inheritance.’”

10 The daughters of Zelophehad did as the LORD commanded Moses.

Although Zelophehad’s daughters were granted their deceased father’s inheritance, marriage outside their tribe could have shifted that land from one tribe to another under a patrilineal system. In response to this concern, Moses conveyed the LORD’s affirmation (“The tribe of the people of Joseph is right”) and issued an additional statute to preserve tribal inheritances. This shows that even in applying Torah, wisdom and an understanding of God’s heart for justice and mercy are required.

Another example:

Proverbs 26:4–5 (ESV):

4 Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself.

5 Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes.

If you only read v.4, you’d conclude you should never “answer according to a fool’s folly.” But v.5 commands the opposite. The pairing teaches that following God isn’t rote; it requires careful discernment, applying wisdom differently by situation and person. So even with Scripture, you cannot always answer such questions with a simple “yes” or “no.”

Similarly in the New Testament:

Matthew 6:1 (ESV):

1 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them…”

Matthew 5:14–16 (ESV):

14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden…

16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father…”

Should disciples do good before others? The wise answer is: yes—unless no. We must examine motives. If the aim is human praise, refrain. If the aim is God’s glory and witness, then shine. Distinguishing motives requires wisdom.

If we treat wisdom as grabbing a verse or two, we may repeat the errors of some religious leaders:

Luke 13:14–17 (ESV)

14 But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the people, “There are six days in which work ought to be done. Come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day.”

15 Then the Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and lead it away to water it?

16 And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?”

17 As he said these things, all his adversaries were put to shame, and all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by him.

Some people challenged Jesus for healing on the Sabbath, on the grounds that the Mosaic Law specified that “no work may be done on the Sabbath.” But Jesus also appealed to common sense by pointing out that no one fails to untie their livestock to give them water on the Sabbath—so is it not permissible to loose a human being from Satan’s bondage? Elsewhere Jesus pointed out that the Law also states that if a person sees a neighbor’s animal fallen into a pit, he must not stand idly by (Luke 14:5; Deuteronomy 22:4). Likewise, if it is permitted to rescue livestock on the Sabbath, is it not permitted to rescue people? The religious leaders of that time adhered merely to the letter of the Law and did not act with wisdom and an understanding of God’s heart (justice and mercy), and thus they were challenged by Jesus (another example: Matthew 12:1–8). From this it follows that “may or may not,” like many ethical questions, is not simply black and white; it requires wisdom applied to the situation.

Your “can/can’t” does not automatically determine others’ “can/can’t”

Romans 14:1–23 (ESV):

1 As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions.

2 One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables.

3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him.

4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.

6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God.

7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself.

8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.

9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.

10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God;

11 for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.”

12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.

13 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.

14 I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean.

15 For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died.

16 So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil.

17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

18 Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men.

19 So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.

20 Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats.

21 It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.

22 The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves.

23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.

Finally, I would like to point out that since everyone’s motives, backgrounds, and circumstances differ, the convictions reached after examining matters as followers of the Lord will also differ. Because people vary in spiritual maturity and faith, views on “can/can’t” will often differ. On core doctrines, disciples should be united; but many “can/can’t” discussions concern matters of opinion (Romans 14:1, ESV: “not to quarrel over opinions”). When Scripture is not explicit on matters of God, salvation, sin, and judgment, differences among believers are understandable. Paul therefore urges us to welcome one another. In other words, what you regard as “can” may not apply to others (assuming they do not share the same freedom of faith); likewise, what you regard as “cannot” need not be imposed on others (assuming they act in faith and know what they are doing)—“His can does not mean your can; his cannot does not mean your cannot.” In this passage, Paul does not command everyone to eat meat or everyone to eat vegetables; he calls each to act according to his faith, without forcing others to follow. He urges both sides not to criticize or despise one another, but to pursue peace and mutual edification, remembering that in the end each of us will give our own account to God.

Conclusion

Even before getting into specific topics, please see that thinking through “Can Christians…?” involves many wisdom considerations. We must avoid one-size-fits-all answers. I hope believers will cultivate the habit of examining their actions and searching their motives, so as to walk carefully in ways that please God and lead others to give Him glory. At the same time, beware of judging one another because of differing opinions—the opposite of “in humility count others more significant than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3)—which damages our unity. I believe that by sharing ideas and discussing together, we grow in spiritual maturity and understand one another better; even when we disagree, we can still respect and receive one another. This is what God desires us to do.

Reflection questions

  • In your daily decisions, do you try to think from God’s perspective and “discern what is pleasing to the Lord”?
  • On “Can Christians…?”, do you simply follow custom, or do you truly consider the convictions behind actions? When you ask others for advice, are you hoping they make the decision for you, or are you seeking to learn their discernment process?
  • Is your understanding of Scripture a cold set of rules, or do you notice God’s wisdom and kindness—His heart behind the commands?
  • Do you assume your “can/can’t” answer should apply to all times, places, and people? Are you quick to judge brothers and sisters who hold different views?