Understanding The Freedom We Have As Children of God
Now before you think I’m setting up a list of rules that none of us can ever live up to, I need to talk about the freedom you have as a child of God.
Paul tells the church in Corinth four times what they have permission to do and he outlines three guidelines to help them – and us – regulate that freedom.
Do you realize, even with everything I’ve already written on previous blogs, you are free to do anything? Paul wrote four times – “everything is permissible.” Let’s see how he lived by that knowledge.
“Everything is permissible”—but not everything is beneficial. 1 Corinthians 10:23, 6:12 (New International Version)
Beneficial means helpful or good to yourself or another.
“Everything is permissible”—but not everything is constructive. 1 Corinthians 10:23 (New International Version)
Constructive means to build up; to put together.
“Everything is permissible for me”—but I will not be mastered by anything. 1 Corinthians 6:12 (New International Version)
In the context of 1 Corinthians 6 Paul is talking about sexual sin and in verse 18 he says:
Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. 1 Corinthians 6:18 (New Living Translation)
And because he’s talking about sexual sin it’s not a mistake that he points out “Everything is permissible for me – but I will not be mastered by anything.” Sexual sin is a sin that you can be mastered by. (Say that out loud to hear what I’m pointing to guys.)
What happens when sin is your master? What Paul wrote in Romans 7 makes so much sense to us:
For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.
Why is that? Didn’t Jesus say:
So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. John 8:36 (New International Version)
If you are caught in the cycle of habitual sin there are two possibilities for you to consider. We’ll look at the first one next time. You can be free from habitual sin. I know the freedom Christ brings.
Love to hear your thoughts on the permission we have to steward as children of God.
My name is Trevor Lund. I'm a Christian Speaker, Author and Lead Dreamer for Expectancy Ministries. I love to impart hope and empower destiny with creative communication, memorable motivation and applicable inspiration.
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