For the Glory of God

Passage: 1 Corinthians 10:23-33

I had a seminary professor who told a class I was part of, “The ethic that guides much of Western Christianity is an ethic of minimums. What’s the minimum I have to do to be saved? What’s the minimum I have to give to the church? What’s the minimum moral standard to which I have to adhere, and still be able to call myself a Christian?”

This approach is nothing new. In his letter to the church in Corinth, the Apostle Paul addresses the gray areas of the Christian life – the standards that fall outside the letter of the Law of God. For Paul and the other apostles, it’s a given that Christians obey God’s Law. But in 1 Corinthians 10 Paul argues that the Law is only the beginning. Paul has pointed out that Christians are not bound by the Law as a prerequisite for salvation. Having said this, Paul now cautions the members of his church against thinking they can live however they want. In this passage Paul says, “Yes, Christ has set us free from slavery to the Law. Now we serve a standard that is less rigid, but more pervasive.” Paul goes on to say, “Instead of avoiding what the Law prohibits, you now need to avoid anything that acts as a barrier between you and Christ. Any habit, substance, thought or relationship that threatens your relationship with Jesus has to go.”

The new standard, according to Paul, is this: Do everything to the glory of God. No longer think in terms of what you can get away with. No longer think in terms of obligatory acts that pay lip service to your commitment. Evaluate everything you say; everything you do; everything you own. Ask, “How does this glorify God?” If the answer is, “I don’t know,” then do some soul searching. If the answer is, “It doesn’t,” then let it go.