A Christian's Limitations

1 Corinthians 6:12: "All things are lawful for me; but not all things are expedient.
All things are lawful for me; but I will not be brought under the power of any."

1 Corinthians 10:23: "All things are lawful; but not all things are expedient.
All things are lawful; but not all things edify."

Paul knew how the people of his age thought about religion and religious concepts.
Paul's Hebrew training made him familiar with the highest religious conceptions.
His Roman background enabled him to to know about the empire.
His Greek interest enabled him to know the philosophies of the intellectual world.

And his relation to Christ affected all these things.
Paul was an uncompromising foe of the tyranny of the Hebrew priests,
and he argued passionately for the priesthood of the saints.

Paul admired the far-reaching splendor of the Roman empire,
but Paul could see that it needed correcting and that it should answer to the laws of God.
Paul was captivated by the analysis of life and the ministries of the Greek philosophers,
but Paul saw that they needed to put their focus on Jesus.

In Christ, Paul found the truth behind all error, and his teaching was directed
to correct the error by declaring the truth of God.
Paul was doing this using the principles of the two verses of our text.

These principles occur in a letter written for the correction of the life of a Christian church
in a Greek city.
This letter reflects the conditions in Corinth at the time.
False conditions existed in the church because the church was under the influence of the city.

Divisions had sprung up in the church out of discussions around the "wisdom of words"
that is seen as the counterpart of the philosophic discussions that were going on in Corinth.
The lack of discipline which was hurting the Church was their toleration
of impurity in the life of the city.

The prevalent impurity within the Church that Paul sternly denounced
was probably the atmosphere of the corrupt life of the city.
The disorderly observance of the Lord's Supper by these Christians reflects
the degradation of religious rite and ceremony in the Greek temples.
In the violation of love against which Paul strongly protested manifested
the sinfulness that prevailed among men outside.

Finally, in the difficulties about the resurrection which he combated
in a magnificent argument is discovered in the effect of the thinking of the Christian people,
and of the materialization of ideals which characterized Greek thought.

The cause of these conditions of life was mostly the Greek conception
that man was independent of all law external to himself.
This was the Greek idea of liberty.
It was expressed in a proverb which said: "Man is the measure of all things."

With this conception, men were claiming liberty and declaring that all things
were lawful for them.
It was a doctrine of liberty.
Paul affirmed it, and corrected it.

When the Greek philosopher declared all things were lawful,
Paul answered, "All things are lawful for me; but -- "

So we are going to consider those two matters in this sermon.
First, the Christian affirmation of liberty -- "All things are lawful."
Secondly, the Christian description of limitation -- "All things are lawful; but --"

First, we look at the Christian affirmation of liberty that" All things are lawful."

Notice that this affirmation is inclusive.
So let's look carefully at the words, for if words are the channel through
which truth is conveyed, then we need to carefully examine them
or we may miss the truth that they are intended to convey.

Paul made use of one Greek word, "panta."
We need to understand the meaning of this word if we're going to realize
the measurement of Christian liberty.
It is the plural form of a Greek word which simply means "all."

Theyer, the Greek scholar, tells us that when the word is in the plural
without the article, it means all things of a certain definite totality or the sum of all things.
It is the context showing what things are meant.

In this letter of Paul's the expression "all things" occurs no less than 30 times,
and every time it is necessary according to Theyer to interpret the meaning by the context.
For this message, we will look at some occasions in which the widest use is made
of "all things."

First, let us remember that when the Greek used this phrase and declared,
"all things are lawful," he referred to the sum total of material things and moral values,
and all the forces of life of which he was aware.

But the question is how did Paul use the term, "all things"?
We don't have to speculate.
We will see his own definition in the third chapter.
"Wherefore that no man glory in men.
For all things are yours," and then there is a parenthesis evident in the fact
that the main argument is taken up at the 23rd verse,
so that if you read directly from that simple word of the 21st verse
to the end of the 23rd verse, you will find the main statement,
"All things are yours… and ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's."

Between the first affirmation, "All things are yours," and the latter words,
there is Paul's expression of his own use of the phrase, "all things,"
"whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death,
or things present, or things to come."

Not only does Paul include all the Greek philosophy, but Paul says things
that far transcend anything that the Greek philosopher saw or understood.
"All things are yours, whether Paul, Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life,
or death, or things present, or things to come."

Paul is telling them that every system of thought is theirs.
Again, he was saying to them that the "world" is yours,
with all its forces and its movements.
He was also saying to them that "life," which you are perpetually attempting
to analyze and account for is yours.

And he went on to say that "death," which you consider a cessation of life
and ministry -- both are yours.
Then he said to them that "things present," which was an inclusive phrase
that was the boundary of the thinking of the Greek philosopher;
and things to come, which the Greek philosophy denies,
but with Paul closes in on his "all things."

So, when Paul wrote, "all things are lawful to me," he was including
all the schools of thought, and the world, and life, and death,
and things present, and things to come.
Then notice the claim in its nature as well as in its inclusiveness, "All things are lawful."

Here again we will look at the word, "lawful," to see its real meaning.
It is the opposite of imprisoned.
With regard to all things, Paul is saying, "I have liberty, I'm not in prison,
I'm not shut away from any of these things.
I am on the great highway and walking amidst them, and I am free.
I have power and authority in respect to these things for they are permitted to me."

Paul was affirming the freedom of the Christian with regard to all things
in the universe of God -- material, moral, and spiritual.

If we are to understand what Paul means, then we must explore the context.
We find in the 15th verse of the second chapter a principle of discrimination.
"He that is spiritual judgeth all things."

The Christian in the midst of things lawful to him does not take them promiscuously.
He takes them with discernment.

He mentions things lawful to him in the measure of the infinite.
He that is spiritual judgeth all things.
Later, Paul gives a balance of relationship.

"All things are yours" is not his last word, for he adds,
"and ye are Christ's and Christ is God's."
The final thing for the Christian is not the things which are lawful,
but it is the Christ who reigns over him, and God Who is at the back of Christ.

Paul gives us a great cosmic conception.
First, the infinite God, then Christ, then the Christian,
and, finally, all things stretching out beyond him.
The Christian must recognize that he is in the midst of all things,
but he must never forget that he must exercise the principal of discrimination
in dealing with them.

Now in chapter 8 and verse 6, Paul gives a great philosophy of the universe.
"Yet to us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we unto Him."
If you look further you will see that this conception still dominates his thought,
for in chapter 9 in verse 25, we read,
"And every man that striveth in the games is temperate in all things.
Now they do it to receive a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible."

That describes the attitude of Christians in the midst of all things.
In 1 Corinthians 10:31: "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink,
or whatsoever ye do, do all for the glory of God."

Some have called this the law of action in the midst of the all things which are lawful.
And in 1 Corinthians 15:37-38 we see Paul's vision of consummation:
"He put all things in subjection under His feet."
But when He saith, "All things are put in subjection", it is evident
that He is accepting all who did subject all things unto Him.
And when all things have been subjected unto Him,
then shall the Son also Himself be subject to Him that did subject all things unto Him,
that God may be all things in all things."

That is one of the most magnificent passages in all of Paul's writings,
and I hope that everyone here may may come to understand that.

Paul makes the magnificent of Greek philosophy appear poor in comparison
with the tremendous Christian conception.
Standing related to all, he says, "All things are lawful for me."
Paul was saying that there is nothing essential to the universe
that he does not have liberty to use.

In this passage, we see that Paul is showing the relationships that exist
in the universe -- God, Christ, the Christian, and everything beyond Him.
He declares that direction that everything is taking in the universe,
all things centering in Christ, to be finally presented to the Father,
until at last God shall be in all things, and all things shall find in God their perfect fruition.

We must interpret Paul's word only by his own writing,
but we must not dare to say that he meant so much if we had not taken all his argument,
and followed the movement of the phrase to the great consummation.
The Christian stands at the center of the universe, of the present in the coming things,
known and unknown, material and moral and spiritual, and he is Christ's and Christ is God's.

Now we come to see the limit of liberty that Christians have.
(1) " … But not all things are expedient."
(2) "… But I will not be brought under the power of any."
(3) "… But not all things build up."

These three principles are a test of how far we may use lawful things.
The test of personal progress -- not all things are expedient.
The test of authority -- I will not be brought under the power of any.
The test of social relationship -- not all things build up.

First, there is the test of personal progress.

Not all things are expedient.
That word is almost unfortunate, not in its first meeting but in its present day use.
We have come to speak of the thing as being expedient when it is a thing
that pays off without reference to principal.
That is the degradation of the word.

The word simply means, "foot free, set at liberty."
The figurative idea of the word is that of freedom to make progress along our journey.
The thing that is expedient is the thing that hastens us on our journey.

The Greek word means, "to carry together," that is, to cooperate,
and the best translation you can possibly have of the word is "profitable."
It's profit is to be tested by the lawfulness that we've already considered.

Paul stands in the center of the universe, and he says all things are lawful for me.
Art is lawful.
Music is lawful.
Science is lawful.
Games are lawful.
Food is lawful.
All these things are lawful.

But some of the things that are lawful are not expedient.
They will hinder our progress of our journey through life.
They will not minister to our progress.
They will not make for development into a perfect union with our Lord Jesus Christ.

That is the first principle as to the thing we may do, or may not do.
There are a thousand things that are lawful to me, but they're not expedient.
They will not help me in my progress for Christ.
They will not make me any stronger for the ultimate issue -- things that will not minister
to my strength for cooperation with Christ in God.

All things are lawful, but not all things are expedient.
Something that is expedient for you, but is not expedient for me.
Something that is expedient for me, but is not expedient for you.
Every one of us stands alone in this regard.

Every Christian must find his own relationship to lawful things.
First, he must do this by this principle:
"Is this something which ministers to my Christian growth
so that I may fill my place in God's ultimate will and intention for me?"

In the second place, there is the test of authority.
"I will not be brought under the power of any."

Here in the Greek is a distinct play on words which is not apparent in translation,
nor is it possible to express exactly in English.
I can suggest that it is saying, "All things are in my power,
but I will not be brought under the power of any,
or perhaps I can say, 'All things are permitted me, but I will not ask permission of any.'"

This is a great Christian principle.
The person who is submitted to Christ must submit to nothing else.
The person under the authority of Christ must have no other authority over his life.
Jesus in Matthew 6:24 says, "No man can serve two masters:
for either he will hate the one, and love the other;
or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other.
Ye cannot serve God and mammon."

Every Christian must test his or her relationship to "all things" by this principle.
This thing is lawful for me, but it must not master me.
This thing comes within the scope of the universe, into which I am brought
to have dominion over, but by which I must not ever be dominated.

In thinking about this principle, let us consider a simple illustration or two.
What is the relation of the Christian to money?
Money is lawful, but I must not be brought under the power of money.

What is the relation of the Christian to knowledge?
Knowledge is lawful, but I will not be a slave of knowledge.

What is the relation of the Christian to love?
Love is lawful to me, but I must not be enslaved by love.

As Christians, we assert our liberty by recognizing its limitations.
Our liberty to use anything except when the thing we use becomes our master,
and we become it's slave.

This is tremendously important principle.
This thing is lawful to me, but if this thing, habit or friendship, or manner of thinking,
or passion of living, masters me, then I have lost my liberty.

It is true that we lose our liberty when we are brought under the power of anything.
Maybe it would be good if every Christian could have these printed on their minds
and their hearts, and see these things rather than others.

All things are yours, but ye are Christ's.
We must keep that balance of relationship.
If we change it, we are in serious danger.

Only Christ is our Master, and all things are lawful to us, but we must not let them master us.
Once the innocent, legitimate, proper thing becomes master of us, it is no longer innocent.
It is absolutely illegitimate, it is utterly improper.

Love, for father, mother, wife or child, becomes improper if we are brought
under the power of that love that we no longer give first allegiance to our Lord Jesus Christ.

The third test is that "Not all things build up."
That is the test of social relationships, and that is the context of this passage.
"Let no man seek his own, but each his neighbor's good."

Again, there is a limit to my liberty.
All things are mine, but there are some things which I might use
that would hurt my neighbor by doing so.
Such things are not lawful.

We must be careful that this goes infinitely beyond what Paul has said in another letter.
He wrote, "Destroy not brother, for whom Christ died."

There is more.
He not only says that the thing which is lawful to me becomes unlawful if it destroys my brother.
but also that the thing which is lawful to me becomes unlawful, if it does not build up my brother,

As a Christian, I am to recognize that over me are Christ in God,
and under me all things -- Paul, Apollos, Cephas, the world, and life-and-death,
things present things to come.

But I am not to indulge in any of them as I put them side-by-side with the necessity
for my own advancement is the necessity for contributing to the building up
of my brother's strength, and the thing that doesn't build up is not lawful for a Christian.

This great affirmation of the apostle Paul makes it necessary for us as Christians
to assert our liberty, our possession of all things.
That person is sadly mistaken who imagines that we, as Christians,
are excluded from anything that is essential to the universe of God.

All things are lawful!

We make a terrible mistake if we imagine that we may exercise our liberty
by the indiscriminate use of the things that are lawful.
The tender, strong love of God in Christ lays restrictions on our liberty.

First, things lawful are to be exercised for our progress in becoming more Christ-like.

Secondly, things lawful are to be kept under us while we are under Christ.

Finally, in this great, far stretching universe, in which all things are lawful,
we make illicit use of the lawful things if we forget that we cannot live alone.

Our brother's life and our brother's edification are part of our responsibility.
We do not live alone, and we cannot live alone.

I think God for the limit on our Christian liberty.
I pray that we will always remember that there are limits to the liberty
wherewith Christ has made us free, and to keep within the limits
is to live in our spacious and wide sweeping liberty.

Sermon adapted from G. Campbell Morgan and from other sources by Dr. Harold L. White