Saturday, March 10, 2012

Lawful ... But Not Profitable (1 Cor. 6:12-14)

All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything. Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food, but God will do away with both of them. Yet the body is not for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body. Now God has not only raised the Lord, but will also raise us up through His power.
(1 Corinthians 6:12-14, NASB)

Susanna Wesley was the mother of two great men of faith, John and Charles. A wonderful quote about sin is ascribed to her: “Whatever weakens your reason, impairs the tenderness of your conscience, obscures your sense of God, or takes off the relish for spiritual things then it is sin for you, however, innocent it may be in itself” (source: dailychristianquote.com).

This is very much what Paul is saying. Yes, there are many things the Bible condemns as sin—those things we must not do. Things like adultery, lying, covetousness, wrath, pride. But sometimes, even those things that are “lawful” become sin to us. If I’m focusing on a hobby or a vocation or a relationship that takes my focus off of God, then it is sin for me.

One definition of sin is “missing the mark” or not being whom God has created me to be. Sin is anything that separates me from God and His plan. So, believe it or not, even ministry can be sinful if I’m not pursuing it and seeking God's will with my whole heart.

Praise God, though, all we have to do is turn back to Him—and turn over anything that is making Him anything less than the number one priority of our lives. We merely need to “confess our sin [knowing that He is] faithful and just to forgive us of our sin” (1 John 1:9).

Or as Martin Luther wrote, “Either sin is with you, lying on your shoulders, or it is lying on Christ, the Lamb of God. Now if it is lying on your back, you are lost; but if it is resting on Christ, you are free, and you will be saved. Now choose what you want” (source: dailychristianquote.com).

Indeed. Choose what you want. Choose those things that are profitable and choose not to be mastered by anything—other than the Master of your heart.

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