All things are lawful
for me,
but all things are
not helpful.
All things are lawful
for me,
but I will not be
brought under
the power of any.
Foods for the stomach
and the
Stomach for foods,
but God
Will destroy both it
and them.
Now the body is not
for sexual
Immorality but for
the Lord, and
the Lord for the
body.
And God both raised
us up
by His power.
1Corinthians 6:12–14
Paul is now
using comparisons to give emphasis to his point that as a human all things are
considered lawful, but this does not mean that because a person thinks that all
things are lawful are also helpful. If we come to a belief that all things are
lawful then we will have taken on an old Gnostic form where some men thought
that it was ok to live licentiously. To be brought under such ideology is to
make a person servant to that which may be opposed to God’s will. Apparently
there were some people in the Corinthian Church that opposed eating of some
foods, sounds like a vegan who is very militant rather than being gracious that
all things are lawful, and when it comes to food, well food was made for the
stomach and stomach for fool, therefore there is no right way to eat, or a
certain type of foods to avoid or eat. But this is not the comparison will is
using for the next words speak of immorality a problem within the Corinthian
Church, especially would this occur as many temple prostitutes and those who
availed themselves of their services came into the Church bringing with them
the wisdom and practices of the Corinthian culture. The body was and is not
made for immorality, although many use it in this manner, for the body was made
for the Lord. Then Paul makes this point, God has raised us up by His power:
Note the Greek word for “raised” έγειρεν, a present imperative and this is that
at the present time for you and for them you are raised up by God’s power. This
then means that you cannot do anything to make cause for God to raise you up
other than that by the faith given to you by God you choose to believe upon
Him. This Greek word also is an imperative and this is a command an order to be
followed and God has chosen to follow His own command to raise up those whom He
has chosen to be His child. Why then would a person who has chosen God, and to
follow His command do anything other than what God has commanded? Why defile
your body with immorality, or other sins? God loves you this much to have
raised you up in Jesus Christ and that raising was accomplished by Jesus when
He became a propiation for your sins: “Do you not know that your bodies are
members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them
members of a harlot? Certainly Not! Or do you not know that he who is joined to
a harlot is one body with her? For ’the two,’ He says ‘shall become one flesh,’
But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him” (1Corinthians
6:15:–17). What has been known by physicians for many years is that when
one has sexual union with another part of you remain with the other person: you
are joined into one. Moreover, a most important fact that should be a driving
force for your life is: “Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does
is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own
body. For you were bought at a rice; therefore glorify God in your body and in
your spirit, which are God’s” (1Corinthians 6:19–20). We are not our own if
we are a child of God for we are bought at a price and that price was to make
adopted children and heirs to the kingdom of God, and a bride of Jesus Christ.
This price, the purchase price, is nothing more than that Jesus Christ the Only
Begotten Son of God took all the sin of the world, not every sin done by a
person, no, the sin that was the debt owed to God, and this Jesus Christ did by
dying on the cross a sinless man. Yes, through this propitiation of Jesus on
the cross then by His intercession before the Father eternally makes atonement
for sins that are of His children and if we repent then God will forgive us our
sins. This is the love and grace of God applied to His children. Even with that
God give common grace upon all people; i.e., sun, rain, snow, food, and life. Few
have much to praise God about and that praise should be externally demonstrated
to the world by our life, a life of denial of ourselves and living according to
His principles, and His Law.
We now
prepare to set aside the Sabbath, a day to just be with our God and our family,
and this may mean not only going to Church and hearing the word of God
expounded, it may mean walking along the river enjoying a peaceful time with
our God. What have you planned for that day?
Shout joyfully to the LORD,
All the
earth;
Break forth in song, rejoice,
And sing
praises.
Sing to the LORD with the harp,
With the
harp and the sound
Of a psalm, with trumpets and the
Sound of a
horn; shout joyfully
Before the LORD, the King.
Psalm 98:4–6
Exalt Our God and King
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