1 Corinthians_6
Scripture
1 Corinthians 6:12-13
All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything. Food is for the stomach and the stomach is for food, but God will do away with both of them. Yet the body is not for immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord is for the body.
Observation - What does it say?
In chapters five and six, Paul discusses some of things to avoid as Christians. At the end of chapter six, he explains our liberties and the way we can use and abuse them. In verse twelve, Paul is likely quoting a member of the congregation in a tongue and cheek way. Although we have freedom in Christ, we are not to be mastered by anything. Our bodies our a part of our whole spiritual journey from sinful to someday being complete in heaven.
Understanding - What does it mean?
When I was about nine or ten, I remember being at a friends birthday party that was a slumber party. That night we had a feast of pizza and ice cream and I feasted as though I had never seen before. And shortly after I finished my twelfth piece of pizza and fourth scoop of ice cream my body let me know that I had consumed too much of a good thing. As an adult, I learned how to control my cravings when it comes to food. I even learned that I often feel better when I consume foods that come from the ground instead of from a laboratory. I have developed a craving for what is truly healthy.
In the same way, we all need to learn to crave Christ like vegetables. Only Christ can truly satisfy what our souls are thirsty for. In Romans 8, Paul tells us that if we are living according to the spirit then we need to die to the flesh. Given that we will someday live forever, whether it be connected to God through Christ or separated from him through death, I want to choose to fill myself with God’s spirit and not fill up on the material things of this lifetime.
Life Application