1 Corinthians: A 35-Day Reading PlanSample

Just Because You Can Doesn’t Mean You Should

In 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, Paul says we are not our own. We were bought at a price. Having received our bodies as a gift from God, we are to use them to honor God.

Problems arise when we see our decisions as separate from our bodies or too small to impact our life. If we want to honor God with our bodies, we have to first honor Him with our decisions.

Not thinking things through is how “just one drink” leads to several drinks and eventually a night of regret. It’s how the racy photo you meant for one person can leave you exposed before lots of people. It’s how the innocent private message on Facebook can lead to a full blown affair.

Small decisions have eternal impacts.

Like the church in Corinth, we easily buy the lie that grace means “I have the right to do anything” (1 Corinthians 6:12).  As Christians, our actions are covered by the cross. We have forgiveness for everything — past, present, and future. But grace is not an excuse to do wrong; it’s a reason to do right.

Grace is not an excuse to do wrong; it’s a reason to do right.

There is grace, but there is also truth. God’s best for us is found on the other side of every decision, big or small. What is right for someone else is not always right for us.

Some practical questions to ask when a decision arises:

• Is there a specific command for or against it in the Bible?
• Will this draw me or others closer to Jesus?
• Will doing this represent Jesus well?
• Is it necessary or helpful?

The Bible is God’s Word, not a Magic 8 Ball. Rules might make decisions easier, but they don't cultivate intimacy or longing for Christ. The more we seek God in all that we do, the more we begin to think as He does and the easier it becomes to decide.

Reflect:

• Do you seek God in the small decisions?
• Have you ever made a seemingly small decision that impacted the rest of your life?
• What is one way you can train yourself to think more like Christ?