MEMORISE
All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any (1 Corinthians 6:12).
READ:
1 Corinthians 6:12-20
[12]. All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.
[13]. Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.
[14]. And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power.
[15]. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not!
[16]. Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For “the two,” He says, “shall become one flesh.”
[17]. But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.
[18]. Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.
[19]. Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
[20]. For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.
EXPOSITION
Glory be to God for this year's Nigeria's Independence Day. May we all experience true freedom in all aspects of our lives. There is therefore the need to look into what true freedom is. The Corinthian Church was a divided one; there was a conservative party. There was also a 'libertine' party. From the latter came the slogan, *Everything is permissible for me* (NIV). They used it to cover up their acts of immorality. Paul was quoting them in order to correct them. Even though the statement was true, Paul believed that it required some qualifications, and explained that their liberty must be applied with the principle of love to both neighbours and self; because, any liberty that is not beneficial to others is not loving (1 Cor. 8:1; 10:23), and must be avoided. More so, any liberty that becomes slavery is not love, but hatred of self. And so, Paul determined, *...I will not be brought under the power of any.* The point is that, the principle of freedom (everything is permissible for me: 6:12; 10:23-24) must be regulated by love for others, and every activity that is not beneficial, constructive, or that does not promote the good of others must be avoided in the Church of the Living God. You hear some brethren saying, "You know me, I say it as I see it" or "I cannot be present where I will not be free to say what's in my mind." That is right. But that you see and want to say, have you asked yourself how true, relevant, helpful and necessary it is. Do you know that you can become a slave to the freedom you are claiming? Permissiveness can take you to the point of no return! Taking too far on sex can make you promiscuous. Your right to eat anything can make you gluttonous. You can use your right to either help others or use it to hurt others. Hear Paul's conclusion: *Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble* (1 Cor. 8:15). What is yours?
SUGGESTED HYMN FOR TODAY:
CAC GHB 261
1. Grace! 'tis a charming sound,
Harmonious to the ear,
Heaven with the echo shall resound,
And all the earth shall hear,
Saved by grace alone!
This is all my plea:
Jesus died for all mankind
And Jesus died for me.
2. Twas grace that wrote my name
In Thy eternal book;
Twas grace that gave me to the Lamb,
Who all my sorrows took.
3. Grace taught my wand'ring feet
To tread the heav'nly road;
And new supplies-each hour I meet,
While pressing on to God.
4. Grace taught my soul to pray,
And made mine eyes o'erflow;
Twas grace which kept me to this day,
And will not let me go
5. Oh, let Thy grace inspire
My soul with strength Divine!
May all my pow'rs to Thee aspire,
And all my days be Thine.
Amen
PRAYER POINTS
1. Pray to God to help you use the right you have in Christ to build your fellow human beings up.
2. I will never be a stumbling block to others, in Jesus' name.
3. Pray that God should cause the libertines and freestyle Christians to stop polluting the Church and innocent Christians.
EXTRA READING FOR TODAY:
Obadiah 1:10-21;
Jonah;
Micah 1-3
AUTHOR
CAC Worldwide
Remain blessed
 DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE DATE: Sunday, October 1, 2023 (Nigeria's Independence Day) TOPIC: PERMISSIBLE THOUGH, NOT BENEFICIAL!){kind=link}