I'm going to continue that heart -to -heart talk
that we began in the last broadcast. And I want
you to stop whatever you're doing for the next
20 minutes because this is something that we
all need. I'm giving you the Word of God. Now,
If you're going to get a little miffed, don't
get miffed with me. After I get through talking
with you, if you've gotten your feelings heard,
you go someplace all alone and talk it over with
the Lord. And you tell him that you weren't too
pleased about it all and he got your feelings
heard. And then apologize to him and he'll forgive
you. Because, you see, I'm giving you God's Word.
And a fool is the man or the woman who take issue
with the Word of God. And we need to get back
to God's Word. The Bible is the foundation for
all things. All right? We have been discussing
the 12th verse. of the sixth chapter of 1 Corinthians.
This is what Paul says. All things are lawful
unto me, but all things are not expedient. He
repeats. All things are lawful for me, but I
will not be brought under the power of any. This
is what he's saying. I have been set free from
the power of sin. And that is exactly what we
discussed in our last heart -to -heart talk.
Any man, any woman who's been born again is no
longer under the bondage of Satan. You had been
set free. You are free from the bondage of the
law. You are free. The only really true person
who has absolute freedom in the world today is
the person who is a Christian. He has been set
free from this bondage of law and this bondage
of Satan, this bondage of sin for whom the Son
sets free is free indeed. And Paul is talking
of that wonderful freedom in Christ Jesus. That's
the first statement of principle that Paul makes.
Mm -hmm. Every gift. All the power of human life
is lawful to the Christian. It really means something
to be born again. It really means something to
know that you have passed from death unto life.
I repeat it. Every... And the power of human
life is lawful to the Christian. But watch. Paul
didn't stop there by saying all things are lawful
unto me. No, ma 'am. And this is where we get
into trouble. We do not go on. and finish the
scripture. But, Paul says, all things are not
expedient. What does he mean? That word expedient
means they are unwise. In Galatians, Paul makes
himself very clear in what he's talking about.
Ye have been called unto liberty. Only use not
liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but to
service one to another. Be careful how you use
this liberty. You had absolute freedom. You had
absolute liberty, but be careful Careful how
you use this liberty. Be careful how you use
this freedom. Do not use this liberty for an
occasion to the flesh, but to service one to
another. I was thinking as I was meditating on
this personal word of God, just what illustration
I could give you that would... just clinch the
whole thing and make it very clear to you. And
the only thing that I could really think of that
would be something that all of you could understand
is the fact that as an American citizen, I have
the right of the freedom of speech. Being an
American citizen gives me the freedom of speech.
Nobody can stop me. I can stand on the street
corner. I have the privilege of standing on the
street corner and talking just as loudly as I
want to on any subject that I want to, whether
it's political or religious or whatever it is.
The fact that I am an American citizen gives
me that freedom, that liberty. But I can also
make a fool of myself by taking advantage of
that freedom and that liberty. In doing such
a thing, I am misusing my freedom. And it's just
like that. You may have the freedom of speech,
but don't misuse your freedom of speech. Be very
wise in how you use that liberty and that freedom
that is yours as an American citizen. Paul is
saying the same thing. You are a Christian. You
are a member of the body of Christ. You are no
longer under bondage. There is a freedom, there
is a liberty that is yours as an heir of God
and a joint heir with Christ Jesus. But be careful
how you use this liberty and how you use this
freedom. Use it wisely. Take, for instance, the
gift of discernment. The gift is from God. And
when God gives one of his children a gift, he
never takes it from them. He trusts them with
that gift so long as they live. They are responsible
for the use of that gift. It's a great responsibility.
Whoever that child of God is listening to me
this very moment, if God has given you a gift
of the Spirit, be careful how you use that gift.
Don't misuse it, whatever you do. Use it wisely,
for there have been those who have misused gifts
of the Spirit. Should one be given a wonderful
gift of discernment, and be called to this wonderful
gift, you know that someone is living in sin.
Should you use that gift of discernment and blab
all over the church that Mr. So -and -so is living
in sin, he's living in adultery, and you use
that gift of discernment for gossip, you are
misusing that which God has given to you, something
that's very sacred. And it's just like that.
Somebody says, Oh, Miss Coon, I have the gift
of tongues. I can speak in tongues at will. Anytime.
God has given me a wonderful gift of tongues.
And I don't want anyone to put any restraint
on me. What? because of something that God has
given me. What something, beloved? With every
gift, including the gift of tongues, God gives
a responsibility, and you are to use that gift
very wisely. If in using that gift, you bring
a reproach on the gospel, Lord Jesus Christ.
Then, beloved, you are misusing the gift and
the liberty and the freedom that God has given
you. That's exactly what Paul is saying here.
All things are lawful unto me. But all things
are not expedient. Why? Because I am not living
alone. If I was the only person in the whole
world, then, beloved, I could do anything that
I wanted to do. I could express myself any way
I so desired. I would not have to think about
anyone else. If you are living all alone in a
house and you do not come in contact with anyone
else in that house, then you do exactly as you
want to do. You have perfect freedom. But when
there are others in the household, be careful
how you use your liberty and your freedom. Use
it. wisely, lest you bring a reproach on the
gospel, on the Lord Jesus Christ. If the first
principle shows the naturalness of the Christian
life, the second principle for the Christian
shows the supernaturalness of it. And that is
the fact that All natural things are to be under
the control of the spiritual and the supernatural.
And it's like that. Your liberty should be controlled
at all times by the spirit. Did you get it? Are
you listening? All right, you have the gift of
tongues. But under all circumstances, at all
times, that gift should be controlled by the
supernatural, by the power of God. You may have
the gift of discernment, but at all times, that
gift of discernment, And the use that you make
of that gift should be under the control of the
Holy Spirit, of the spiritual, the supernatural
power of God. The gift of healing. At all times,
that gift of healing should be controlled by
the supernatural. by the power of the Holy Ghost.
Even though you are given the freedom, the liberty
of using it at will, you are still to use wisdom
in using that gift. Let's go further. He gives
an illustration. Meats are for the belly. and
the belly for meats. Sure. You are given the
freedom to eat anything that you want to eat.
If it's sanctified, you can go out and eat as
much as you want to. You are free. You are at
liberty to do so. There is no power that's going
to stop you. But you're going to do it to your
own harm. It's one thing to live to eat. And
it's another thing to eat to live. If you're
going to be a glutton, knowing that you have
the liberty to eat anything and as much as you
want, knowing that nobody's going to stop you,
Go right ahead and do it. Nobody will stop you,
but you're going to suffer for it. Yes, you will.
Mm -hmm. He goes a little further and says, now
the body is not for fornication. You'd think
the way some folks lived and the way they act
and the way they talk, you would... think that
God made the body for just one purpose and one
purpose only. Mm -hmm. But he didn't. The body
is not made for fornication, but for the Lord
and the Lord for the body. And if you use your
body for just that one purpose, for fornication,
you're going to suffer for it. Nobody will stop
you. Nobody will stop you. You go right ahead.
If you're going to use your body for one purpose,
go right ahead. But you're going to suffer part
because your body was made for that purpose.
It was made for the Lord and the Lord for the
body. And God has both raised up the Lord and
will also raise up. as by his own power know
ye not that your bodies are the members of christ
should i then take the members of christ and
make them the members of an harlot god forbid
what know ye not that he which is joined to an
harlot is one body for two say of he shall be
One flesh. Beloved, you're bought with a price.
Body, soul, and spirit. Give yourself completely
to him.