When in Doubt, Choose "C" - The Christian Online Magazine

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“For he hath delivered me out of all trouble”

Psalms 54:7

When in doubt, choose “C.”

As a child begins to learn the fundamentals of mathematics, a parent may demonstrate their pride by having people, often complete strangers, question their child, “How old are you?” The child will proudly display their knowledge by holding up the appropriate number of fingers to indicate their age.

When a child begins their education in a classroom setting, they will often arrive home from school shouting, “Guess what I learned in school.” The child expresses the joyful sensation of having learned something, anything.

As the child continues to progress n their educational pursuits and the issue of grades becomes a major concern, the child will now enter their house from school shouting, “Guess what I got on my History test.” The act of learning now becomes associated with the reward of “good” grades.

In academia, examinations are often used to evaluate a student’s grasp of course material. These examinations can assume several forms, to include: “Essay” examinations, which require the student to write an answer; “True-False” examinations, which require the student to identify the true answer among two answers; and “Multiple Choice” examinations where the student is given several possible answers to a question, with only one answer being correct.

In taking a “Multiple Choice” examination, a student may often arrive at one particular question, ponder the list of provided answers, and think, “The answers are all so close. Which one is correct?” As the clock ticks away, the student faces the realization that they must make a choice. In an act of desperation, the student will dismiss the logic of considering the validity of each answer and will begin to look for a pattern among the previously selected answers.

The student may employ the illogical reasoning, “Well, the answer to the prior question was “A”, so the teacher certainly wouldn’t put the answer to this question as “A.” So, the student dismisses answer “A” as the correct answer. The student then continues this rationalization by thinking, “Answer “B” is too close to answer “A” and “E” is never the right answer.” Taking the safe, middle of the road approach, the student selects answer “C”, because it falls in the middle of the available choices. When in doubt, choose answer “C.”

In those incidents when a student is taking a “Multiple Choice” examination and they select “C” because they are unsure of the correct answer, the only apparent consequence is being marked wrong. In life, when a person makes the wrong choice, the consequence can last forever.

When in doubt, choose Christ.

A student is provided a textbook from which to study course material that is being taught in a particular area. In order to evaluate the student’s grasp of the subject material that has been studied, the student is usually given an examination. In most courses of study, a final examination will be used to determine a student’s final grade for the course.

Likewise, as spiritual beings, we have been provided the Holy Bible (textbook) to study. Using the Holy Bible as our textbook, we are informed that a final examination of our lives will indeed occur. As Hebrews 9:27 warns:

“And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.”

The astute student will make the conscious choice to read and study the provided textbook, in order to obtain an understanding of the course material, with this understanding providing valuable in taking an examination. Likewise, the astute person will make the conscious choice to read and study the Holy Bible, in preparation for the ultimate judgment.

As the student who will question the teacher regarding the impact that the final examination will have on their grade for the course, we are provided the answer regarding the impact of our final examination, as detailed in Revelation 20:12-15:

“And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works…..And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”

Unless a student was asleep during the prior class, students will arrive into the classroom on the day of an examination knowing that an examination will occur. Likewise, before the student even takes up the examination booklet, they will know the impact of the examination on their final grade for the course.

As the above scriptures relate and unless we have been asleep to the calling of the Holy Spirit, we will arrive at God’s judgment knowing that we will be judged and that the results of this judgment will decide our place of eternal residence.

Knowing that we will be judged, then how do we approach the choices that arise in our lives? As spiritual beings, the first choice determines all subsequent choices (i.e., You either serve God or Satan. If you choose to serve God, then all of the subsequent choices that you make will be aimed at serving God. Joshua 24:22-24 details that the decision to serve God is a choice:

“Ye are witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen you the Lord, to serve him…The Lord our God will we serve, and his voice will we obey.”

What would Christ do?

Upon making the choice to serve God, there often arises the problem of finding specific answers in the Holy Bible (our textbook to life) to questions involving contemporary society. As an example, when faced with the decision to smoke cigarettes, a review of the Holy Bible will not reveal reference to “cigarettes.” In confronting this decision, it becomes necessary to study the Holy Bible. As 1 Corinthians 3:16 advises that our bodies are the temples of God, it would be appear that our physical bodies are to be kept holy.

No matter the decision being faced, the right choice can be made by employing the simple reasoning:

What would Jesus Christ do?

Knowing that pre-marital sex is both against God’s commandment and can cause physical disease, would Jesus Christ have pre-marital sex? Knowing that stealing is against God’s commandment, would Jesus Christ shoplift? No, Jesus Christ would not engage in the above activities (1 Corinthians 6:9-20).

1 Corinthians 6:20 provides the tool in deciding what choice to make in any decision:

“For ye are bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

Consider the choices before you. What choice will bring glory to God? What would Jesus Christ do? Whenever you are in doubt about what choice to make, always choose “C” for Christ.