Scripture to Read: 1 Corinthians 10:23
God used Paul as His writer to provide His Truth to the Christians in Corinth and all other Christians ever since. As God led Paul to write, God was lovingly rebuking the Christians in Corinth for their fleshly mindset. We read in 1 Corinthians 10:23, “All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify.” Most of the Christians in Corinth lived with a mindset of wanting to know how much they could get away with and still be Christians. They were not pursuing their intimacy with Christ, but they were pursuing their fleshly desires while still thinking they could be in right fellowship with God the Father through Christ. God wanted them to understand that even though things might be morally allowed, it did not mean that those things were beneficial or even preferred. It’s the difference between thinking, “Is there anything in this that can harm me?” compared to thinking, “Is this going to help me grow in my intimacy with my Lord Jesus Christ and His Word?” Although things might have been lawful, God wanted the Christians in Corinth (and us today) to understand that not all things are constructive in building us up in our walk with Christ. God wants all of His children to pursue those things that edify our spiritual lives as well as the spiritual lives of those we encounter. We must not live thinking about how much of the world we can enjoy and still remain pure before God, but we must constantly pursue our fellowship with our Lord.
Challenge & Application
Challenge & Application
What was the problem with the way the Christians in Corinth were thinking?
How can we guard against the same mindset that the Christians in Corinth had, and how can we pursue Christ and His Word?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!