“PERMISSIBLE VS. USEFUL”

“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything.”

1 Corinthians 6:12

Knowing that we are saved by grace is a very profound truth, considering that God does not give us what we deserve (i.e., punishment for our sins) but gives us what we don’t deserve (i.e., the forgiveness of sins and eternal life).

But sometimes, people abuse this truth. Some use God’s grace as an excuse to justify their fleshly cravings. They explain their actions by saying, “If God has forgiven all of my sins, and if there’s nothing that can separate me from His love, I can do whatever I want and still be saved. I can eat whatever I want, regardless of volume, and I can be intimate with anyone because God loves me anyway!”

That’s the mentality that corrupted the Corinthian believers. They used to be pagans who participated in sexually immoral acts. They believed that it was okay to satisfy their sexual appetites outside of marriage because they were “free.”

Paul corrected their false belief and explained that Christians should stop being selfish, gratifying their sensual desires, and think about what’s helpful for them and their fellow believers. He further expounded that illicit, unholy activity should not take them captive.

I understand where the Corinthians were coming from because they were living in a sinful environment. The city of Corinth was dubbed a “sin city” in the first century, just as Las Vegas is known today. The Temple of Aphrodite was situated in Corinth and was infamous for housing 2,000 temple prostitutes. Many professing Christians in our time would struggle, to say the least, living in such a place.

But our environment does not necessarily give grounds for sinful living. Justifying unholy behavior with a distorted view of God’s grace is inexcusable either. It is like crucifying the Lord over and over again. Such conduct is not the right response to the kind of love God demonstrated on the Cross. Jesus deserves more.

Just because you “can” doesn’t mean you “should.” There’s a big difference. As a Christian, you must pass from doing what is fun and permissible to go after what is right and useful.

Pursue the Saviour today!