Written by D. Eaton |
Tuesday, February 27, 2024
Paul says, “All things are lawful, but not all things build up” (1 Corinthians 10:23b). Unlike the first limitation we covered, this is not asking whether or not it will build us up. Instead, it focuses on those around us. We know this because of the following verse, which says, “Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor” (1 Corinthians 10:24). If there is something we are permitted to do, but it will spiritually harm our neighbor if we do it, we should abstain.

Just because we are free to do something in the Christian life does not mean we should. There are limits to Christian freedom, but how do we know what those limits are? Paul is quite clear in 1 Corinthians: anything not deemed sinful by the Word of God is permissible. He says, “All things are lawful.” The freedom in this statement is profound. Many people speak of Christianity as a list of restrictions, but the “Thou shalt nots” appear regularly in Scripture because they are so few compared to the list of things we can do. Compiling a list of the things the believer is free to do would fill 100 Bibles. Christianity is a religion of freedom, but simply because all things are lawful does not mean all things are expedient.
Whether or not a Christian should abstain from something permissible is always a personal matter. When it comes to Christian liberty, the problem arises when a Christian decides he should refrain from something that is permitted and then begins to apply that restriction to every other child of God. The answer to someone doing that is, “All things are lawful.” But how can we decide whether we should abstain from something Scripture does not forbid? Paul gave us three criteria that we can use to help us determine if we should limit our freedom.  
1. Does It Hinder Me from Progressing with Christ?
Here is how Paul puts it. “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful” (1 Corinthians 6:12a). Another translation says, “but not all things are expedient.” The words “helpful” and “expedient” speak to making progress, specifically in your walk with the Lord. Maybe there is something lawful, but when you do it, it becomes like a weight that slows you down as you run the race. In that case, throw off every weight which so easily entangles you.
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Written by D. Eaton |
Monday, December 25, 2023
The husband, a priest under the old covenant, was chosen by lot to burn incense in the holy place in the temple. On this day, fulfilling his duty, an angel appeared beside the altar of incense, near the veil separating the holy place from the holy of holies. After calming the man’s fearful heart, the angel declared, “Your prayer has been heard. You will bear a son.” Yet, his prayer as he served in the temple would have likely been for Israel and the promised Messiah, not for a son. We should keep three vital truths in mind as we consider the silence of God. God eventually broke His silence. He does not forget His people or promises.

The silence of God is something we all must endure, but we must never misinterpret it. Sometimes, God seems distant, and prayers appear unanswered, but that does not mean he is absent or abandoned his people. It is where our faith is to be exercised, as he always has more magnificent plans in motion than we can imagine.
It had been 400 years since the Lord had spoken through the prophet Malachi. Four centuries, yet He was about to speak again.
The Gospel of Luke begins the narrative with, “In the days of Herod, king of Judah…” The Jews lacked a king; instead, they had an imposter ruler—a malevolent Pagan usurper.
God remained silent; they endured evil rulers, and a righteous husband and wife from the lineage of Levi faced barrenness beyond childbearing years. In our culture, we may never fathom the reproach of an Eastern woman unable to bear children, but it was intense.
A silent God, malevolent rulers, and a barren womb; this couple must have prayed for a child for years, yet God stayed silent. They likely had given up on praying for a child as they aged. However, their faithfulness to God persisted.
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Written by D. Eaton |
Tuesday, August 22, 2023
When Hebrews says, “Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sin,” it means without Christ’s blood. If we deny Jesus and his death on the cross, we have no forgiveness. We stand guilty before God himself, and we will bear the wrath we deserve. Many years may now stand between you and your greatest sins, but time does not erase guilt. Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sin. You might think you can come to a point where your good deeds will outweigh your evil deeds. It will never happen. Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sin.

When the author of Hebrews makes the negative case concerning the blood of Christ, its significance is far-reaching. Throughout the book, he makes the positive case that Christ’s blood can cleanse us from dead works. Still, later he says, “Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sin” (Heb. 9:22). By saying it this way, he cuts off any other options we think we might have, yet we live in a world that believes there are many roads to God.
Earlier in the chapter, he tells us that God makes no covenants with man that do not require the shedding of blood. He goes on to say that almost everything was cleansed with blood in the Old Testament. The Tabernacle, the Book of the Law, and even the people were sprinkled with blood (Heb. 9:21). There could be no ceremonial cleanliness in the Old Testament unless a death had occurred, and these Old Covenant ceremonies were types and pictures of actual heavenly realities (Heb. 9:23).
Blood was required under Old Testament worship because the wages of sin is death. If God was going to paint a picture of the only way man could be right with God, death was a necessary component of that illustration. However, the pictures themselves were not sufficient. The blood of bulls and goats cannot take our place in bearing the wrath of God. They are not valuable enough to pay our debt.
If it was necessary for the Old Testament copies of the things in heaven to be cleansed with blood, how much more the heavenly things themselves, with a better sacrifice (Heb. 9:23). Christ did not enter an earthly copy of the Holy of Holies on our behalf to put away sin, he entered the presence of God (Heb. 9:24).
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