Some years ago, a pastor at our church taught a sermon on the difference between what is “not sinful”, and what is wise. There may be plenty of things that you and I, in the freedom provided by the salvation of Jesus Christ, can do without technically breaking a specific command in the Bible, but not all of these options are a good idea.
We may have heard others dismiss a friend’s bad idea by saying, “It’s a free country”. Their point is that the friend could act upon their idea, but it’s probably not going to work out the way that they hope it will. When asked by a new guy, “Can I sit here”, an attractive woman might say, “It’s a free country”, but her implication is that exercising his freedom to sit next to her is not going to result in him getting her number.
In a letter to the church in Corinth, Paul describes some philosophy (held by at least some in the church, apparently) that might be technically accurate, but is not very wise to pursue to its extreme.
“I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but not everything is constructive. No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.
1 Corinthians 10:23-24 NIV
Let’s compare some things about following Jesus to the Law of Moses, and maybe even to the legalistic view of the Pharisees. This is an oversimplification, but should help illustrate the contrast that Paul identifies here in 1 Corinthians.
| Topic | Law of Moses | Pharisaism | Christianity |
| Sabbath | Keep the Sabbath holy | Don’t do a bunch of specific things on the Sabbath | Appreciate that the Sabbath helps us, rather than us being a slave to the Sabbath |
| Dietary Requirements | Limits on clean and unclean animals to eat | Extra rules, apparently [see Overview of Jewish Dietary Laws & Regulations (jewishvirtuallibrary.org)] | Eat with thanksgiving, but respect others |
| Sins | Sacrifices were required on a regular basis | All of our sins were paid for once and for all by Jesus’ sacrifice |
Jesus challenged His followers to think of the principles behind the Law, rather than following them as an end unto themselves. However, for the Christian in the first century who had previously followed a legalistic religion (whether a Pharisee-influenced form of Judaism, or some other rule-based belief system), there was great freedom in following Jesus. In fact, there still is great freedom in following Jesus for those today who were ensnared by legalism, whether in a “religion” or the artificial, man-made rules of a so-called “secular” society. (When we think about it, there is far more freedom in following Jesus than trying to follow all of the ever-changing rules of our society.)
So, it’s easy to imagine Christians going around telling each other “Everything is permissible” [NIV 1995], or “I have the right to do anything” [NIV], or “All things are permitted” [NASB]. It’s as if they are saying, “neener-neener” to those whose faith required a lot of specific steps.
However, having freedom doesn’t mean that it’s wise – or loving – to abuse that freedom. As the Lookout [cited below] put it, “Not everything Paul had the right to do was ‘right to do.’ ” Or, as a commentator wrote, “…permission is not the final and sole criterion when determining whether an action is right or wrong.” [Oster, p.235]
For instance:
- If – being an American – I have freedom of speech, but I go up to a big burly, mean-looking guy and say that I think he’s ugly, that’s not very wise.
- If I have a bunch of snacks in the back room of my house, I might have the freedom to eat all of them at once, but my body will not be very happy afterwards.
- If I have the freedom to go out to a bar for a meal with friends, but I invite a friend to join us who I know is in Alcoholics Anonymous and who is desperately trying to stay sober, that’s not very kind.
- If I have the freedom to eat pork chops, but serve them up when inviting a Jewish friend over for dinner, that’s just rude. Similarly, if I bring my lunch to work, and vocally savor bacon in front of my Jewish co-worker, that’s an abuse of my freedom.
So yes, Christians have a wide range of activities available to us, but we’re not saved to just do what we want. Based on Paul’s comments above, there seem to be a couple of key criteria here:
- Is it beneficial? Just because we can do something doesn’t mean that it’s a good idea. See 1 Corinthians 8:1-13 for a discussion of knowledge and love.
- Is it constructive? Does it build up or edify? [see NASB] Part of being a family is encouraging others in the family, and part of making disciples is to help them grow.
Let’s consider these guidelines – not as new rules, but as helpful wisdom to guide our relationships in love – as we interact with others this week.
From Sunday School lesson prepared for March 17, 2024
References:
- The Lookout, March 17, 2024, © 2024 Christian Standard Media.
- Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
- Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Copyright by The Lockman Foundation.
- The College Press NIV Commentary – 1 Corinthians, by Richard E. Oster, Jr. © 1995 College Press Publishing Co.
Those Who Sin Differently 