Freed by God’s grace
...you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. And even though “I am allowed to do anything,” I must not become a slave to anything. 1 Corinthians 6:11-12
There will be those that will misappropriate the grace of God. Some will think it is okay for them to continue in their loose and carefree lifestyle. They will use their freedom and will be casual as to the way they live their Christian life. There will be those who will be grace abusers using God’s goodness and forgiveness as licenses to continue to live in their old sinful ways. Paul says, “Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory” (Romans 5:1-2). In order for a person to stand before God and be at peace with Him, that individual has to be made right before God. This was made possible only when Christ declared the individual righteous. Being made righteous does not mean sinless perfection. It is by faith alone that we are made right before God. Therefore, Christians are not to live their lives according to the accepted principles of the world (vv. 12, 13), but by an intelligent and balanced application of Christian principles. The statement “I am allowed to do anything” (v. 12) was capable of abuse if other equally important principles were neglected. It is true that the Christian life should not be hedged around with lots of laws and restrictions but, at the same time, it is to be lived according to clear guiding principles. Essential to attaining this is self-control which means recognizing the important difference between what is permissible and what is beneficial. While something may be permissible for me, I must not let anything control me rather than my controlling it. “I must not become a slave to anything” (v. 12) should be my attitude as a Christian. It is permissible for me as a Christian to have an interest in sport or a relaxing recreation that is physically and mentally good for me. But it is not beneficial if it masters me so that it becomes my main preoccupation. Self-control and honesty are again required of me. Day by day, bit by bit, I must learn what it means to live a life that honors Christ.
Blessings,
