Reflections on 1 Corinthians 10:23
“All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.” (1 Corinthians 10:23, KJV)
When I laid this verse out across my translations this morning, something unusual showed up. The translators split almost evenly between two readings. Some take it as being about what our choices do to us: not everything is good for us, not everything builds up our character. Others take it as being about what our choices do to others: not everything is good for others, not everything helps them grow stronger, not everything helps the building of the community.
So which is it? I believe Paul means both, and he deliberately moves us from one to the other. The word translated “expedient” means profitable or beneficial, and in the very next verse Paul says, “Let no man seek his own, but every man another’s wealth.” He ends the chapter with the same word turned outward: “not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many” (10:33). What benefits me and what builds up others are not two separate questions. They meet in the heart.
A Time and a Place Under the SON
In God’s universe we have the freedom to do anything we want, but not everything is healthy or in harmony with God’s design. There is a time and a place for everything under the sun. This from Solomon, the wisest and most foolish man to live under the SON.
The intent of the heart is the key to the benefit or harm of our actions, upon ourselves and upon those in the sphere of our influence. Our intentions, coupled with the wisdom that comes from maturity in our relationship with the Lord, allow the mind of Christ to be in us. The actions that flow from a wise and loving heart and mind will always build up those affected by them. Evil actions are the evil of the heart flowing out in the works of the hands.
The same action, seen through a different understanding of the heart behind it, can prove to be either a curse or a huge and lasting blessing. And if this is true of our actions, it is even more true of God’s. How we read what God has done depends on whether we know His heart.
The Flood Through the Eyes of Love
The history of God’s dealings with this fallen world gives us an example. One action in particular has been used to put God’s character of Love in the worst light: the worldwide flood that destroyed every living thing on the planet, except for eight souls and the animals safely riding out the destruction in the ark.
How could this be anything other than God throwing up His hands, saying “I give up!” and in a hot temper killing off His entire creation? Or do the eyes of Love see our loving God holding on until the last possible moment, the moment when only one human heart on the entire planet was willing to work with Him? Only one human left for God to pour His healing, restorative truth into. He had to keep the door open for Christ to come, be born, and restore humanity to a healing relationship with God.
For 120 years the entire world was warned that it was destroying itself. Just like the nation of Israel later in history, they absolutely refused to hear, or were so sealed in their hearts against God that there was nothing more He could do. So He let them go. The God of Love withdrew His protection, and the results of all their choices came crashing down upon them. Whether they brought it on themselves, or God withdrew His hand from nature and allowed the waters above to come down upon the earth, the result was the same: the destruction of every breathing thing that had not entered the ark.
This was the only way forward for our loving God. The heart of Love could see no other way to save humanity from destroying itself, so in Love He changed everything. God had the same freedom each of us has, and in His freedom of choice He chose the only action that would preserve the opportunity for each soul on earth to choose for himself to live or die. He chose this knowing He would be misunderstood, knowing Satan would strut around gloating, “I told you He could not be trusted! I never said He was not powerful, but can we trust Him with all that power?”
Free to Choose, and to Live With It
So the story of humanity goes on. The ability to choose is still ours; the ability to become who we will be is still up to each one of us.
Yes, you have the right and the God-given ability to choose to do anything. You also have the right and the God-given ability to live with the results of all your choices. You cannot avoid the results, the truth of who you are and what you have chosen to do with your life. You can only delay the day you deal with yourself.
If you deal with yourself here and now, while there is still the opportunity to overcome and grow up into the truly great creation God made you to be, the rewards are truly fantastic: heaven here on earth, and a never-ending eternity to keep growing and discovering even more. Or you can choose to deny, to blame others for your sorry life, and to develop a heart and mind that would find an eternity of Truth and Love everywhere to be pure hell.
So yes, there is a time and a place for everything under the SON. Everything is good in its proper place when it comes from a heart intent on blessing itself and everyone in its sphere of influence. The good or bad of a thing is all in the timing and the intent of the doer of the deed.
Laws for the Immature Heart
Concrete laws are for the immature in heart and mind, those who cannot yet be trusted to do right regardless of the cost to themselves or what others will think of them. Paul calls the law our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ (Galatians 3:24), and tells Timothy that “the law is not made for a righteous man” (1 Timothy 1:9).
The mature do what is right because it is right. They have a real, deep relationship with their Creator, whom they have known by experience can be trusted. To break faith with God, with Christ, the One who gave you life and then restored that life to you again, is to break faith with yourself and with every creation in the vast universe. All of creation is pulling for each and every lost soul on this sick planet.
The Freedom Love Requires
In the things God has left to our freedom, our personal choices and what we choose to believe, He will not manipulate us, for to force the will would be to destroy the very person He created. You cannot force someone to love you. You can love them and create an environment that makes them as comfortable and happy as possible, but you cannot make them love you; that has to come from them. We are free to choose what we will.
When we stop believing that someone has our best interests at heart, as Adam and Eve stopped believing that God had theirs, the circle of Love and trust is broken, and the immediate result is fear and selfishness, the need to protect self. Adam’s first words after the fall were “I was afraid, and I hid myself” (Genesis 3:10).
The whole history of mankind is God showing us in every way possible that He can be trusted, that He is not the manipulating, vindictive God Satan has claimed He is. And in that freedom, nothing is evil except the intentions of the evil heart.
