“Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God. Now, brothers and sisters, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, “Do not go beyond what is written.” Then you will not be puffed up in being a follower of one of us over against the other. For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?” 1 Corinthians 4:5-7 NIV https://bible.com/bible/111/1co.4.6.NIV

A friend recently told me of his experiences in his new neighborhood. There are many Christians who live there, and they frequently have get-togethers that include alcohol. He has been learning about whisky and bourbon, even drinking some when previously he had nothing to do with alcohol. I enjoy a cigar on the golf course and post a picture always with my boys and my cigar during our round on social media. Neither alcohol nor cigars are condemned in the Scripture, but many Christians condemn those who engage in these things. They have ‘gone beyond what is written.’ Drunkenness is condemned, and smoking leads to poor health, so not engaging in these things is probably more helpful for the body, which is the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. Yet we are not made holy by what we don’t do, but by what we do that causes God to reward us with His praise. Doing God’s will, the Great Commission is the mission of every Christian. What matters most is leading people to Jesus and helping people grow more into the image of Jesus. Doing these things by loving people sacrificially and unconditionally the way Jesus loves us, enduring persecution from those who hate God while suffering judgment from those who claim to know God is part of the process of living the Christian life just as Jesus suffered at the hands of the righteous (Jews) and the unrighteousness (Romans). Paul, too, suffered and was judged by those who claimed to be doing God’s will and those who opposed the will of God. The Scripture makes clear how we are to live and what we are to do. That should be our focus. Summarily, we are to love everyone while helping everyone love God most, and first, then all of us will stand before Him to be judged by our deeds that were determined by His will or our own.