The
Apostle Paul makes no bones about it..."All things are lawful
for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for
me, but not all things edify. Let no one seek his own, but each one
the other's well-being" (1 Corinthians 10:23-24 NKJV). As Christ followers, it is very
important that we understand the point Paul was making to the church
at Corinth here...for it is a point we need to heed as well! It is
truly an inspiring passage, but inspiration has limitation. I submit to you,
Kingdom thinking like this cannot be accomplished without
TRANSFORMATION! Believing in change is a far cry from facilitating
it. There must be a decision on the part of the inspired person to
take that same inspiration to the next level...the ACTION
LEVEL! Paul wasn't just a big talker, he was a Kingdom WALKER!
He had been transformed by the Spirit of God in such a way, that he
was willing to lay aside HIS wants and desires in order to
positively impact the lives of others! He was free from the
traditions of man, and the law of God was written upon his heart
because of Jesus. However, he was no longer a zealot of the law.
After his transformation by Jesus, and his subsequent in filling of
the Holy Spirit, he became a zealot of LOVE! Paul became more
concerned with how he could help others, instead of just
helping himself to the honor of men. He no longer desired just to be
"right", he wanted to be right-eous! The righteousness of
Christ was being revealed through him by the Holy Spirit. Often we
as Christ followers concentrate too much on the do's and don'ts of
the Bible, and miss the most powerful truths. I once knew a man (he
has since passed on) who was extremely knowledgeable of the Word. He
knew so many scriptures by heart! He could rarely be out done when
it came to Bible trivia. He was also an accomplished teacher of of
Bible memory. I saw him teach literally hundreds to memorize
scripture. Unfortunately though, I also was around him enough to see
another side. Oh he was zealous for God, don't get me wrong. But, he
was also zealous for his own desires and or wishes. He was so
adamant that things be done his way, that he would
effectively destroy anyone who didn't meet his strict standards! I
remember seeing him literally humiliate, deride, and eject a young
man who was trying his best to meet his demands. As far as I know,
that young man NEVER returned to the church after that attack.
Unwittingly, in the flesh, seeking excellence "for God",
that man turned a Christ follower into one of thousands of walking
wounded. No doubt his desire to ensure excellence "for
God" in his ministry proved to be anything BUT
helpful! Hence, not all things are helpful...even when we are
supposedly "right" according to scripture. Paul understood
this fact. He knew there were things others were not ready to
understand. Through the Spirit of God, he knew there were teachings
that could cause young believers to stumble. He knew there were
things he had been empowered to do, or not do, that would cause
others not as grounded in their faith, to be confused by. His goal,
was to edify, or build up others in their faith. Therefore, he
denied himself, so others could grow. He desired the spiritual
health of others, more than his own spiritual indulgence. I believe
we, as the church, need to follow Paul's lead here. I believe we
need to consider others, and where they are spiritually, BEFORE we
step out in our own spiritual freedom. Like Paul, we need to be lead
by the Holy Spirit. We need to be sensitive to those around us. We
need to prefer others above ourselves. May we become zealots for the
love of Christ! May we not be just Word talkers...but through the
Holy Spirit, may we be Word WALKERS...always remembering..."not
all things are helpful", though they may be lawful. The first
letter of love is "L". Take that away from the word lawful
and what do you have? Awful. Think and pray about it. Until next
time, may you experience and pass on God's BEST!
Your
Brother In Christ,
Greg McCowen
Covenant Life Fellowship - Lubbock
Church - (806) 771-4244
