Criminal law is/was created to bring
to justice those that are lawless within themselves. Civil law was/is created to provide
boundaries in which society can function.
It protects us from ourselves; because of this we can naturally assume that
the law will rise no higher than the base morality of society. If this be true, can a Christian who only
lives to the standard of man’s law expect himself/herself to be any different
from mainstream society? Can they really
believe that they are separate from the world?
Can they hope to influence the world to true holiness?
“All things are lawful for me, but all things
are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.” I Corinthians
10:23
The apostle Paul’s (writer of the
book of Corinthians) value system extends far beyond just what he deemed acceptable. “All things lawful,” many things that Paul
did not do, he could do according to the law.
By law (Greek law), he could eat meat offered to idols, by law he could
serve golden images, by law he could fornicate.
When they accused him of preaching the gospel for money, he then refused
to take money. Why? Not because the law made him. When they tried to praise him as though a god
for the miracles he performed; he tore his clothes and pointed them to the true
God. Why? It was certainly not because of the law. He represented something far greater than
himself, and his own desires. He was an
ambassador for Christ, and a minister of the gospel (Are you an ambassador for
Christ?). Why am I telling you
this? Fact, the Bible never specifically
says don’t go to the movie theater, or to school dances. It never tells you to abstain from going to a
house party and volunteering to be the DD.
“It denounces drunkenness but what about a little wine?” All across Christendom today I see a group of
“Christian” people who are living to no higher standard than the pleasures they
desire. Justifying each and every
action, with the perversion of scripture and paying preachers who will speak
words that are as healing balm to hot sunburn; they have no concern for the
long term effects, only a want for the burn to be gone. Have we forgotten that all things are not
expedient? That all things edify
not? Have we forgotten about sacrifice? Count this one thing for sure, if you have
forgotten it; so will your children. Drinking, dancing, fornicating, idol worship;
are these things lawful or expedient?
Indeed they are lawful, when the pleasures that we long to enjoy are
held up against the standard society sets, for the average individual it will
be lawful. However, we ought to ask
ourselves are they expedient? Will this
profit Gods kingdom? Will it edify and nourish
the seed of holiness that God planted in my heart?
The Word of God can mold a man or woman,
if we let it. It can make us into
something we never thought we could be, take us to places we never thought we
would go; if we read it with a willing heart and a willing mind. I submit to you that living to what is lawful
i.e. living to what we justify as acceptable will only lead others to do the
same. I write to all, as I write to
myself. We must all ask ourselves,
perhaps now more than ever; are we living to the standard of what is
lawful? Or, what is expedient; what is edifying? We must ask ourselves do we want those behind
us to live: lawfully or expediently? So
why bring this up? Why bother pointing
fingers, and drawing lines? Why make
waves? Why? Because four Hebrew children
changed Babylon by living expediently; not by living lawfully.
Thoughts? Send them too Pgcollins65@gmail.com
