7/19

1 Corinthians 6:12

¹²"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.

This phrase, "All things are lawful for me" may have been a saying within the Corinthian church. Paul is not promoting this expression. The surrounding verses warn that the sexually immoral, thieves, revilers, and swindlers will not be in heaven. He warns us to flee from sexual immorality. While Christ has freed us from the Old Covenant laws, being in Christ means we are new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17). We don't refrain from doing immoral things because of a law but because we belong to Christ and His nature is in us.

Christ freed us from the bondage of the Law, but not all things are helpful. I can drink wine. However, drinking in excess will not help my walk with the Lord or my physical well-being. I can worship on any day of the week or every day, but if my practice is not drawing me closer to the Lord, I need to find God's will for me.

While we are free from the Law, we should be careful not to indulge in anything that will dominate us. We are in a love relationship with Jesus. Anything that supersedes that is idolatry. If something other than Jesus dominates my thoughts and activities, I have once again become a slave of sin. My freedom has become a bondage. We are free from that Law in order that we might be the servants of Christ by the Spirit (Romans 7:4).

Consider: Is there anything you have permitted to be in your life that is not helpful to your relationship with your Savior?