Living in Christian Liberty and Holiness
ICS Daily Devotions
1 Corinthians 10:23 (AMP) All things are lawful [that is, morally legitimate, permissible], but not all things are beneficial or advantageous. All things are lawful, but not all things are constructive [to character] and edifying [to spiritual life].
The above Scripture says, “All things are lawful,” which means we are allowed to do them, and they don’t affect our salvation or right standing with God, so are we allowed to take full advantage of this liberty?
In the Old Testament, the Jews were operating in the Mosaic and Abrahamic Covenant. Because God is a holy God, the Pentateuch contains many teachings regarding what the Jews were allowed and not allowed to do. It was a massive burden on them, which is why Jesus invited them to go to Him, especially those who are heavily burdened and wearied, and He will grant them rest, for His yoke is easy, and His burden is light (Matthew 11:28-29). Today, we live in the New Covenant established through the blood of Jesus Christ. Many things have changed, and because God is not a God of confusion, He teaches us how to carry ourselves in the new life in Christ without being legalistic and ritualistic.
Romans 5:6 (NKJV) For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
The Bible revealed that while we could not use our self-righteousness to redeem our sins, Jesus died for us. An ungodly person can be a sexually immoral person, drunkard, drug addict, prostitute, fraud, blasphemer, rapist, or murderer, all of whom are qualified to be saved and can live different lifestyles after they are saved.
Ephesians 2:8-9 (NKJV) For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.
We are saved and made right with God purely by God’s abundant grace. Therefore, there is nothing we can do to make God love us more, and there is nothing that we have done or spoken to make God love us less. He loves and accepts us based on the truth that we are hidden in Christ. Nevertheless, being saved doesn’t mean we should continue to live in lawlessness because God is holy and righteous, and He has given us the Holy Spirit who empowers us to reign in our flesh and not succumb to its desires to live independently from God.
Therefore, balancing between law and grace is essential for a believer in Jesus Christ. We need to be mindful of avoiding the two extreme ditches: legalistic and liberal. When we are legalistic, we will be pharisaic—more concerned about the do’s and don’ts, causing us to be judgmental of others. On the other hand, being too liberal leads us to live in lawlessness. We live in Christian liberty because we are saved by grace, but God expects us to live in holiness and righteousness, empowered by His Holy Spirit.
Sermon Series : Not All Things Are Beneficial
