All Things are Lawful Unto Me, But...

I Corinthians 6:12

"All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any." (I Corinthians 6:12)

There is no sin that I can commit, that can cause me to lose my salvation. All is lawful unto me. Why? "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship," (Ephesians 2:8-10). My own works had nothing to do with my salvation. It was God's gift. It was done so that I could not take pride in my own efforts. I am his workmanship. I cannot claim to be self made. What I am is what he has made me to be. My actions cannot change who or what I am. I am not what I do, but what I do will usually reflect who and what I am.

It is not my own works that keeps me, any more than it was I who saved me. I Peter 1:5 tells us, "Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. It is the power of God that keeps me saved, through faith. As Paul asks in I Corinthians 10:22, "Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?" Unless we are, nothing we do can break his power to keep us.

So what does it matter what I do? If I cannot lose my salvation, doesn't that mean I am free to do any thing? As one lady said, "If I believed that, I'd kill my husband."Such an attitude ignores who and what we are. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." (Ephesians 2:10) We were saved with the intent tha we would do good works. It is part of our new nature, as we have seen from our study of I Corinthians 6:9-11.

We choose to yield unto God rather than to the carnal nature. As Paul describes in Romans 7:14-25, The only way to obtain victory over that sin is through faith in Jesus Christ. This is where James 2 fits into the picture. The devils believe. They also believe that they can overcome God, so ignore his commands. We demonstrate our faith in his power by acting according to his word. The actions do not save us or keep us saved, but they demonstrate the reality of our faith.

As I Corinthians 6:12 says, there is nothing that can send me to hell, but there are things that I can do that are not beneficial to me or to the cause of Christ, and may be actually harmful to my relationship to him, or to my physicasl wellbeing. I Corinthians 10:23 clarifies this. "All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not." A lot of things I can do will not strengthen me or other Christians. Many will serve to hinder my testimony to the unsaved, or even driuve them away.

There are also things that Satan uses in an effort to gain control of my life. Paul Says that he refuses to allow them to gain control. as they then prevent freedom in his relationship to Christ. Such things can include alcohol, drugs, gambling, and sex are some of the more commonly recognized as evil. All the action listed as works of the flesh fall into one of these categories.

A less commonly recognized source of control is debt, but Proverbs 22:7 tells us, "The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender." Employers, political leaders, religious leaders, marriage partners, and parents can all attempt to attain control. While all have some authority, their authority is limited, and all tend to try to gain greater power. That attempt to exceed their authority is Satanicly inspired.

While it is good to participate in sports, to have a job, to care for children, and many other things, these things should never be allowed to control our life. When they prevent us obeying God, they are sin.

Note again Paul's statement: "All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any." (I Corinthians 6:12) As the Apostles told the council in Acts 5:29, "We ought to Obey God rather than men." Allowing anything or anyone to have excessive power over our lives prevents us from obeying God fully. Anything that hinders my relationship with God, or that of others should be avoided.