Choosing What to Do Requires Some Thought

Choosing What to Do Requires Some Thought

1 Corinthians 6:12  All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable.  All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.

1 Corinthians 10:23  All things are lawful, but not all things are helpful.  All things are lawful, but not all things edify.

  • Rather than choosing based on rules, choose according to what is profitable, helpful, and edifying.
    • One-size-fits-all systems have never worked.
    • Congregations, groups within congregations, and individuals will look at things differently and do things differently. Is this a problem?
  • Be careful not to be enslaved by your own system.
    • That’s the reason behind the “bad lists.”
      • Romans 1:26 – 32 Why are people the way they are?
      • Galatians 5:19 – 21 Contrast of law versus Spirit
      • Colossians 3:5 – 11 Contrast between the old and the new person
      • 1 Corinthians 6:9 – 11 Such were some of you
    • Over time, logic can degenerate into rules
      • Are we growing? Are we seeing the power of the Spirit?
      • Do we have diversity?

 

Ephesians 2:8 – 9  For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works lest any should boast.

Romans 3:21 – 28  But now the righteousness of God apart from the Law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the prophets, even the righteousness of God through the faith of Jesus Christ to all who believe…being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God has passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has the faith of Jesus…Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the Law.

See also Romans 4:4 – 5, 6:14, 11:5 – 6, Galatians 2:16, 3:2 – 5, 5:4

  • Grace versus law
    • Grace is the collection of all godly character traits
    • Prominent among those traits are patience, gentleness, and kindness
    • Also included in grace is justice, which must be balanced against the other traits.
    • Grace does not suspend justice. Grace does not cause God to overlook sin.
    • Grace is best illustrated by the plan that resulted in God satisfying justice by coming to earth and paying the debt Himself.
    • Law focuses on justice, without the other character traits of grace.
    • Grace is balanced, law is inflexible and merciless.
  • Grace versus works
    • A works mentality does not sufficiently consider the personality of God.
      • God becomes the “all-seeing eye” rather than a person.
      • God has and likely will continue to change His mind.
    • A works mentality assumes that success may be achieved by this method.
  • Faith versus law or works
    • The faith under consideration is the faith of Jesus and those who have the same
    • Law does not require much thought: obey or not.
    • Faith requires applying promises and principles in context.
    • Faith requires accepting that Jesus paid our debt using His flawless faith.
    • Law or works assumes that the debts incurred by past performance are never paid.

Certainly, people can excuse themselves with shoddy logic.

  1. Is God fooled?
  2. People do the same with rules.
  3. Liberty must not be abridged for all in a vain attempt to harness the lawless
  4. 1 Timothy 1:8 – 9

Faith requires a lot more thought and is a lot more difficult than works or law.