This is Monday morning, October the 8th, 1973,
in Richmond, Virginia.
Ministry is being given through Brother Stephen Kohn.
And we will read from 1 Corinthians, chapter
6.
1 Corinthians, chapter 6, verse
10, verse 12.
1 Corinthians, chapter 6, verse 12.
All things are lawful to me, but all
things do not profit.
All things are lawful to me, but I
will not be brought under the power of
any.
Chapter 10, verse 23.
All things are lawful, but all are not
profitable.
All things are lawful, but all do not
edify.
Verse 31.
Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or whatever
ye do, do all things to God's glory.
Give no occasion to stumbling, whether to Jews
or Greeks, or the church of God.
Even as I also please all in all
things, not seeking my own profit, but that
of the many, that they may be saved.
That's all we'll read for this morning.
The church at Corinth is full of problems.
But we do thank the Lord that we
have Paul's first letter to the Corinthians.
Because if we don't have that letter, if
Paul's letters are all like his prison letters,
Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, we may wonder whether there
is any word for us.
Now, no doubt, the letters to the Ephesians,
Philippians, and Colossians, they are for us.
They are relevant to us.
Because they show us God's purpose, God's plan,
and what God wants.
We need to know that.
And yet sometimes when we look around, look
at the condition, the situation of God's church
today, we feel we are so far, far
off.
Sometimes it discourages us.
We wonder if God has something to say
to us in our present situation.
Situation that is filled with problems of all
kinds.
Now thank God for the first Corinthians.
Because there you'll find they have all kinds
of problems.
And God has a special word for them.
So in that sense I believe 1 Corinthians
has a very special message for us.
It is relevant in a very special way
to our situation today.
For the past we have mentioned two things.
One is in the church in Corinth, there
is this big problem of unity.
They are not united.
They are all believers.
And yet they are divided.
Some say I'm a Paul, some say I'm
a Paul.
Some say I'm a Peter.
And some will come out and say I'm
in a very special way of Christ.
Now is it not true that this is
our problem today?
Among God's people I think the greatest problem
we have is this matter of unity.
We are not one.
We are not united.
Even though sometimes we may say we are
one in Christ.
And yet our action doesn't seem to correspond
with our confession.
It is a practical question.
You know in Paul's letter to the Corinthians
he is not dealing with theory.
He is dealing with practical issues.
With practical life.
In theory we all know we are one
in Christ.
But how about our practice?
And that is what we find in faith
to unity.
If only our eyes would be centered upon
Christ.
And not be distracted to man.
Even to spiritual man such as Paul and
Peter and Apollo.
Then in practice we will be one.
Last night we fell asleep on the second
big problem with the church in Corinth.
And that is in the church at Corinth
there is no discipline.
Here you'll find a group of believers.
And I believe it's not a small number.
Because if you read the book of Acts
you'll find many, many of them.
There are many members in the church at
Corinth.
And yet there is no discipline.
One person has been so terrible.
A thing that even you cannot find among
the nations.
And yet this person is not disciplined.
This person goes on as if nothing happened.
And the whole church, the conscience of the
whole church is so insensitive that people allow
such things to remain.
And the church does not take any disciplinary
action.
There is no discipline.
They may even go for themselves as being
very liberal.
Most tolerant.
Very loving.
But there is sin in their midst.
Not that way.
So brothers and sisters as we look at
our situation today among God's people I think
there is one thing above many other things
that is very much needed among God's people
in the church.
And that is discipline.
As a matter of fact if there is
no discipline there is no reality.
If there is no discipline there is no
establishment.
Discipline is very important in the building up
of the church.
So last night we mentioned that from the
Bible you can find three different ways of
discipline.
The fatherly discipline.
The brotherly discipline.
And the church discipline.
Now we will not go back into these
this morning but I just mentioned it.
So here you'll find another very helpful word
in 1 Corinthians.
How we meet discipline in the church.
This morning we would like to enter into
another area.
And that is this matter of Christian conduct.
God has put a number of people together.
How should they conduct themselves towards one another?
Christian conduct in relation to one another.
And that is another area that you'll find
very much lacking in the church.
Here you'll find in the church at Corinth
a brother will go to court to sue
another brother.
Probably that other brother has defrauded him in
some way.
And because of that he feels that the
right, the wrong must be righted.
And he reports to the court in a
way.
Trying to have his wrong being a brother
to another brother.
Here you'll find in the church in Corinth
not only this matter of suing one another
but evidently their marriage life is very least.
And that you'll find in the 7th chapter
of 1 Corinthians.
Evidently they are very least in their marriage
relationship.
And further than that you'll find many of
them think that they are intelligent.
They have the knowledge so they go to
the idol country to enjoy themselves in social
activities.
So much so that those who are weak
in conscience are being offended.
And they don't care.
They don't care.
In other words you'll find among the Corinthian
believers they are very much lacking in Christian
in relation with one another.
Brothers and sisters I wonder if this is
also a practical problem among God's people.
It is true.
No one can be saved by his good
conduct.
Once upon a time we all tried to
behave ourselves but because our salvation was dependent
upon our good deeds.
We thought that if we had good deeds
to present to God then we would be
accepted.
We were like caving of oaves.
Taking the produce of our own land and
try to offer to God.
But we knew it wasn't sufficient.
As in the book of Isaiah you'll find
our righteousness are as filthy red.
Even though we may think we have accumulated
quite some righteousness.
But when we try to present them to
God they were filthy red.
Not only red that cannot cover our nakedness
before God but filthy red unclean before God.
So more or less I think we like
the Corinthians.
Probably when we are convicted by the Holy
Spirit of our sins our first reaction will
be we will try to behave.
We will try to do something good.
We will try to accumulate some merit so
that we might be saved.
And then one day by the grace of
God our eyes will open to see that
we are not saved by wit we are
saved by grace.
So thank you.
And you know the same thing happened to
the Corinthian believers.
That's how they came to the Lord.
It was Jesus Christ and him crucified that
gave the gospel that saved them.
The Corinthians in their former days they were
very wicked in their behavior.
Because there is a proverb at that time.
You act like a Corinthian.
It means that you live a very wicked
life.
But thank God through the gospel of Jesus
Christ they were brought to God.
Not by wit but by faith by grace.
But brothers and sisters after we are saved
how about our behavior?
It is true that we cannot be saved
by our good conduct.
Our good conduct is not the cause for
our salvation.
But after we are saved there should be
good behavior.
As evidence, as effect of the salvation.
Not as merit, no.
But as peace of our salvation.
The life of Christ is in us.
And with the life of Christ in us
it should be manifested.
Means a change.
There should be a change.
There should be a testimony to the Word.
It is strange to say with the Corinthian
believers they had received the salvation of the
Lord.
They were saved.
Their sins were forgiven.
They were washed.
And yet somehow they went on to live
as they lived.
It wasn't because they did not have the
life of Christ in them.
They did.
And most probably the Holy Spirit who dwelt
in them because they had the Holy Spirit.
In the first letter to the Corinthians Paul
said you are the temple of God.
And God dwelt in you by his Spirit.
They had the Holy Spirit.
And the Holy Spirit must have spoken to
them.
And yet somehow you find their behavior, their
conduct towards one another were such that were
a shame to the Lord.
Now why?
I wonder if it is not because of
a misnotion.
A wrong notion.
We are not saved by our good deeds.
We are saved by grace.
So after we are saved are we not
under grace and no longer under law?
Are we not free?
We can do anything that we like.
It will not matter anymore.
Because after all good deeds is nothing in
the sight of God.
It is the grace of our Lord Jesus.
In other words it is an abuse.
A misunderstanding of the grace.
Probably that is the reason.
They feel themselves so free.
They enjoy the liberty as they did in
Christ.
Therefore they feel they can do anything.
Brothers and sisters is it not true with
believers today?
You find there are two different schools.
Of course one school is you must have
good deeds.
Because without good deeds you cannot be saved.
And with that kind of teaching you find
people do try to have good deeds.
But of course they are not accepted by
God.
Because in the sight of God these are
bad deeds.
Bad deeds.
We need to be delivered from bad works.
Even good works.
And yet you will find especially among the
so called.
The preaching of the grace of God is
wonderful.
It is the gospel of grace.
We are saved by grace.
But somehow there seems to be something missing.
After we have received the grace of God
there seems to be a lack of emphasis
as to how we should behave.
Now you are saved.
You will go to heaven.
Everyone who is saved will go to heaven.
But what about today?
What about our lives on this earth from
day to day?
How shall we live before God and before
man?
I am afraid there is something missing.
Just yesterday a few brothers, young brothers we
were talking together after the morning meeting.
And one brother said he said for a
few minutes he felt that something was missing.
It is true we are saved by grace.
It is true that we will go to
heaven one day.
But is there anything for our present days
in the word of God?
We are saved.
We will all be taken to him.
We will all go to heaven.
Then some people will say why bother?
Why should we deny ourselves take up our
cross and follow the Lord?
After all you will go to heaven just
like your brother who may live a very
loose life enjoy himself on this earth and
reject all the cross but after all he
is saved by grace.
Why be so foolish?
We will all go to heaven eventually.
We are all saved by grace.
So that brother said for you he felt
something was missing somewhere.
And you know when you read the letters
of those Corinthians how did Paul answer these
Corinthians believers?
These Corinthians believers make misuse of grace.
Liberty.
Freedom.
We can do anything we like but Paul
said your body is not yours.
You are redeemed by the precious blood.
You are the temple of God.
It is true you are saved by grace
but grace has saved you has redeemed you
to God.
You are no longer your own so you
must glorify God in your body.
It is not yours it is God.
And furthermore Paul said no one who is
unrighteous can enter into the kingdom of God.
There is more than to go into heaven.
There is the kingdom of God to come
and only those whose righteousness exceeds the righteousness
of the Pharisees and the scribes can enter
into the kingdom of God.
You remember in Matthew the Lord said accept
your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes
and the Pharisees you cannot enter into the
kingdom of God.
By the grace of God we will all
go to heaven.
That is true but that doesn't mean that
everyone who is saved will enter into the
kingdom of God that will come upon this
earth one day.
To reign with Christ for a thousand years
requires the righteousness of the Pharisees and Paul
said you are in a race you have
to so run that you may get the
prize.
Otherwise you will lose the prize.
It is true you will not lose your
salvation but you will lose the prize, you
will lose the reward.
And Paul even mentioned, now look at the
Israelites they all came out of Egypt they
all ate the heavenly manna they all drank
of the water out of the smitten rock
they all were baptized unto Moses for the
rescue and yet because they tempted God they
did not believe in God because they sinned
the result was they fell and only Joshua
and Caleb and the new generation entered into
the kingdom.
Paul said am I not free?
I am free.
I got it my body to bring it
to captivity let I preach to others and
I myself am not free.
So brothers and sisters here you will find
there is something very important in our practical
daily living and that is something you will
find very much like these brothers and sisters
are saved by grace and they seem to
enjoy their liberty so much over enjoying their
liberty and look what a mess they create
one will oppress the other and one will
stumble on the other there isn't that proper
christian and I'm afraid this is true
with us today God's people seem to forget
that they are saved to be a witness
and a testimony to the Lord God's people
seem to forget that their bodies are not
their own we are purchased in the blood
we must glorify God in our blood not
in any things that we are accumulated merits
as it were not at all but because
we are not our own we have to
glorify God in our body and we are
not in a race we must so run
as to obtain the prize and this is
an area I'm afraid which is very much
very much needed in the case of that
but when Paul deals with this matter of
practical christian conduct he deals with it according
to certain principles and here we will try
to maintain these principles and try to apply
these principles to various problems in other words
the way to correct our conduct is not
by laying down rules and regulations for every
item that will put us under the law
as it were but the way to deal
with our conduct is to know certain principles
and then by the power of the Holy
Spirit to apply these principles to our daily
life and that is the way so here
you find first Paul said all things are
lawful to me but not all things are
possible that is the first principle all things
are lawful to me Paul is one who
has been delivered Paul is one who is
no longer under law but under grace Paul
is one who can look at all things
as lawful in other words the word lawful
is the same word but in different forms
as my right my liberty all things are
lawful I have my right to all things
I have liberty in all things because Christ
has already delivered me he has already saved
me I'm a free man of
course there are things that are not lawful
for instance the thing that one man in
Corinth has committed that the nations have not
heard of is certainly unlawful but Paul does
not refer to these things because to a
Christian to a believer he should know better
in other words when Paul said all things
are lawful to me he does not include
those things which are unlawful even in the
sight of the world he does not include
these things when he said all things are
lawful to me he is relating all things
to him a person who has been saved
and delivered a person who is in Christ
a person who has the life of Christ
in him a person in whom the Holy
Spirit dwells a person who is in fellowship
with the Lord now to him these unlawful
things of course do not need to be
mentioned because you won't do them but the
problem today is Paul says all things are
lawful to me I'm a free man I
have the liberty I have the right to
do anything that I here like to do
but not all things are lawful it is
true dear brothers and sisters we are free
persons we are free by Christ once upon
a time we were under bondage we had
not that liberty we could not do what
we wanted to do and we did what
we did not want to do because we
were not free but today we are free
we can do what we want to do
and we can not do what we do
not want to do because the Lord has
freedom we have the freedom to do that
is our position in Christ no doubt not
all things are you can do these things
but are they possible are they possible now
in the case of the Corinthians here you
find a brother goes to court to sue
another brother and to this brother he may
think it is a lawful thing to do
it is my right because my brother has
befallen me I must correct that wrong I
have every right to sue him at the
court so that he will give back what
he has owed me it is not an
unlawful thing he feels the liberty to do
that but is it profitable is it profitable
in 1 Corinthians 6 it emphasizes more on
your own self does it profit you when
you go to the court to sue your
brother in order to regain your loss it
is true physically materially you may have your
loss recovered but spiritually is it profitable to
you when you do such things such lawful
things will it damage your spiritual life is
the loss worthwhile or the gain worthwhile by
going to court oh brothers and sisters you
know there is something which is very deep
in our flesh and that is our loss
if it is unlawful we know we should
but if it is lawful if it is
our liberty if it is our right and
that's the place where we exercise our right
we take our liberty because we feel we
have every right to do it is lawful
but when we are doing things of that
kind outwardly we may gain something but how
about our spiritual well being is
it profitable not all things are profitable sometimes
we do things that will really hurt our
spiritual life think of the spirit of this
brother when he goes to court to sue
another brother think of his spirit he may
do a lawful thing but instead of the
spirit of law of sacrifice of willing to
suffer here is a spirit of redemption a
salvation life spiritual life so Paul says why
do you go to a court to sue
your brother is there no wise brother in
the church that can help to solve this
problem why do you go to the Gentiles
whom you despise they are not the Lord
you are the Lord and you go to
them and Paul even go a little a
step further and says why are you not
willing to be defrauded it is
a matter of whether it is profitable maybe
brothers and sisters you think that we don't
have such problems but we do we do
and of course this profit whether it is
profitable of course it includes also when do
you are doing such a thing to your
brother will it be profitable but the answer
is in chapter 6 is more on yourself
in chapter 10 is more on your brother
because you find this is repeated in chapter
10 all things are lawful but not all
things are profitable but in that case the
answer says is more towards yourself when we
are doing something brothers and sisters we need
to consider if I do it will it
be profitable to my brother or to my
sister if it is not profitable to him
or to her even if it is lawful
it is something so here you find this
is the first point the first principle of
Christian conduct whenever something comes up we need
to go to the Lord and say Lord
yes you have freed me I am a
free person all things are lawful to me
but is this profitable when I do it
will it hurt my spiritual life will it
bring profit to my brothers and sisters am
I seeking their profit and of course the
profit here does not mean material physical temporal
profit it means the eternal spiritual all
things are lawful to me
I will not be brought under the power
of anything a Christian is free all things
are lawful you have the liberty to do
these things but Paul said I will not
be brought under the power of anything if
anything will king of saints enslave me it
is a lawful thing but it will enslave
me instead of I am the master it
will master my life in other words I
have to do it if I don't do
it I cannot I cannot live I am
depending upon it this is something that has
hold of my life I am under its
control now if such thing happens something is
very wrong because you are under
control of a thing with a Christian we
are under the control of our Lord the
Lord our life is under his control he
is our God he is our Lord but
when we are under control of anything however
lawful may be that thing something is basic
look at the Corinthians in this matter
of meat probably in the early days among
the Corinthians they had the same problem as
we have today meat price is high and
you know because meat price is high you
can get cheaper meat in the market because
the Corinthians they offer sacrifices to their idols
in the temple and after they offer the
sacrifice the meat belongs to the priest and
of course the priest of those idol temples
they cannot consume all the meat all the
meat they cannot consume all the meat so
the way they do it is they will
eat part of the meat but the greater
part of the meat they will take it
to the market to resell it and the
profit will go to the priest and usually
they resell those meat cheaper because I mean
they they do not care you know so
those meat that has been offered to idols
are sold in the market at a much
cheaper price so if you want to buy
cheaper meat now that is the meat you
look for but of course some people with
a weak conscience who are newly saved when
they buy these meat and eat them they
feel they are eating the meat that is
offered to idols in other words they feel
they are being defiled being defiled by things
offered to idols but and if the urge
for meat is so strong you have to
have meat but you cannot afford it so
instead of living without meat for God's sake
meat controls your life you have to have
it and therefore against your weak conscience you
buy the meat that has been offered to
idols and eat them now brothers and sisters
all things are lawful but I will not
be brought under the power of idols something
you must have in a sense you are
a free man and yet it has controlled
your life it has controlled your life it
has become a master to you instead of
you a master to that thing when such
thing happens you know you have done wrong
now brothers and sisters we are the Corinthian
believers of course meat is a problem but
you can multiply this and apply this to
many things many things in our lives because
we are free or not but are you
under the control of it you can apply
this to to many things not only to
eating and drinking to some habits of your
life even to your relationship with people or
even you can apply to spiritual things if
a spiritual thing should dominate you instead of
the Lord something is wrong something is wrong
we need to be free from the control
of all because that's what Christ has liberated
us he has liberated us from all things
and he has put us under his sole
control we are under him but we are
above all of him so here you find
another principle that will govern our Christian conduct
and you can apply it as the Holy
Spirit will convict you and lead you it
can be applied to many many things many
many things and number three Paul said all
things are lawful whether eating or drinking of
course they are lawful God has created us
in such a way that we need to
eat and to drink for the sustenance of
our life that drinking and eating are perfectly
lawful do all things to the glory of
God it is true all things are lawful
but when I do certain things will God
be glorified if God is not glorified don't
do it don't do it if I eat,
I eat for the glory of God if
I drink I drink for the glory of
God if my eating and drinking will bring
shame and disgrace to God then even in
such lawful things as eating and drinking you
abstain from it now in the case with
the Corinthians of course it is more than
just buying meat from the market you know
the Corinthians their social life is such they
have lots of parties and when they have
a party they usually have their party in
the temple just like today when you have
a party you have a club, country club
that's where you have a party so their
social life is so involved with their temple
when a person, a neighbor has a party
he will have the seat served in the
temple that's the place they go for social
life so the problem with the Corinthians believers
is now they are safe they no longer
go to the temple to offer sacrifice that
they know but they are cut off from
all social life because all the parties are
held in the temple if they don't go
to the temple then they will have no
social life and they cannot enjoy themselves they
like to eat, they like to drink they
like to have a good time but all
the parties are held in the temple, now
what should they do?
they know that they shall have nothing to
do with either they know that but they
are not willing to pay the price of
following the Lord even in the lonely way
they still long to have these parties they
want to enjoy their life they want to
continue their social life with their neighbors so
when they are invited to these parties now
what do they do?
they try to rationalize some say we have
the knowledge idols are nothing they are not
real gods they are nothing we know there
is only one god and if the idols
are nothing then the temple built for the
idols are nothing and the food sacrificed to
the idols are nothing so that shouldn't affect
us at all we have the knowledge so
with that knowledge and you cannot argue with
that knowledge their knowledge is a true knowledge
it is true so based upon their rationalization
based upon their knowledge they continue to go
to the temple and enjoy themselves now brothers
and sisters you cannot question their knowledge their
knowledge is real but their motive is wrong
they are not glorifying God they are enjoying
themselves in other words it may be lawful
to them it is lawful to them because
they have the knowledge the reason for their
going is they want to enjoy themselves they
are not doing it to glorify God brothers
and sisters very often we have the same
problem we like to enjoy ourselves and we
try to rationalize but the point is is
God glorified?
is God glorified?
if God is not glorified then that is
not something that we should do because our
body is not ours it is the Lord
we must glorify God in the body so
this is the third principle and then the
fourth one Paul said do not give occasion
for stumbling to your brother all things are
lawful to you if you have the knowledge
all things are lawful you can do it
but you must consider your brother if what
you do is lawful to you but it
will stumble your brother don't, not for your
own sake for your brother's sake because knowledge
comes up but love, only love so
do all things that will edify all people
that will build up people and not destroy
here you'll find these Corinthians some of them
they profess to have the knowledge so they
go to the temple and enjoy the party
they completely forget, neglect those young believers those
who are newly saved because they worshipped the
idol before therefore their conscience is bothered they
cannot enter into the temple they cannot sit
there and eat the food that has been
offered to the idol because in doing that
they feel they are heading apart with the
idol their conscience bothers them but then they
see these big brothers marching into these temples
and enjoy themselves and their support they say
well if they can do it why not
we?
but when they go into the temple and
enjoy themselves their conscience is not at peace
if anything is done without a peaceful conscience
that is sin so to them they have
committed sin they have committed sin they are
stumbled stumbled and Paul says how can you
stumble a brother whom the Lord has made?
how can you do that?
if my eating meat will stumble my brother
then I will not eat meat I will
not eat meat nothing wrong with eating meat
but if you stumble your brother Paul said
I rather not eat it when you go
to the market and buy meat and eat
fine if you are invited by some people
to eat with us whatever is put on
the table you eat but whenever somebody mentions
that this is temple not for your own
sake now brothers and sisters it is true
some people have weak conscience we need to
have a sensitive conscience but not a weak
conscience a weak conscience is due to the
lack of knowledge we shall help these brothers
and sisters with weak conscience with truth so
that they may be delivered from their weak
conscience but before they are delivered you have
to respect even their weak conscience you cannot
go by your strong conscience you have to
go by their weak conscience and this is
love this is love and only love otherwise
it will not brothers and sisters if
we see these four principles and by the
power of the Holy Spirit practice these principles
in our daily conduct in relation to one
another what a difference it will make and
these are very practical so first of all
we know our position we know our position
is we are free in Christ that is
our position we are not being brought back
under the law you know there is no
contradiction here in Romans Paul said you are
not under law you are under grace in
Galatians Paul said do not go back and
put yourself under the bondage of the law
because Christ has already liberated you it is
true we are free brothers and sisters we
who are saved we are free and to
us all things are lawful we have our
right we have our liberty thank God for
that this is our position but be careful
at how to use your right Paul said
am I not free am I not an
apostle can I not do like the rest
like Peter bringing his wife and travel with
him can I not do with the rest
to have my needs physical needs supplied as
I bring the gospel to you but Paul
said I do not use my right I
do not use up my right and this
is something that is very important we are
free all things are lawful but does it
mean that you have to use up all
your right can you for Christ sake forsake
some of your rights in order that you
may save others in order that you may
help your brothers and sisters in order that
you may glorify God are you ready and
you know it is in giving up our
right for Christ sake not to use up
our liberty for Christ sake for the sake
of our brothers that is love that is
love and when there is such love among
God's people the church and God is glorified
so we thank God because of the man
in the church in Carlton we are giving
some insight into those spiritual principles that need
to be applied to our relationship with one
another so may the Lord use these words
to help us in a practical way let
us pray O Lord we do praise and
thank thee because thou has freed us all
things are lawful to us we who are
in Christ but Lord we are undergrad we
are free but we are undergrad thy life
in us is our law we praise and
thank thee because thou has given us the
liberty to choose thou give us the strength
to do that which will please Lord do
not allow us to be so self centered
as to live for ourselves but Lord enable
us to forfeit our right even our liberty
for thy sake and for the sake of
our brothers O Lord fill our hearts with
thy love that we may really seek the
advantage of others that we may not be
under the control of anything that in all
things we do we may glorify thee edify
our brothers and not be a stumbling block
to any O Lord do help us to
see all these things maintain us by thy
spirit and with us all in the name
of our Lord Jesus and for his glory
alone Amen