Spiritual Edification!

“…Everything is permissible," but not everything is helpful. "Everything is permissible," but not everything builds up… Just as I also try to please all people in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved….” I Corinthians 10:23, 33 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)

As we have already learned, the true Christian experience is that which causes you and I to lend our lives to the production of other people. Too often do we hear the (overused and largely deceptive) phrase: “…my Salvation is personal….” While this statement is true from the perspective of its essential spiritual discovery, it is NOT true from the perspective of its spiritual application and development. The Salvation/Christian experience is divinely designed and purposed for the Baptism into the Body of Jesus Christ in complete fellowship, inter-dependence, and communion. In short, the whole is equal to the sum of its parts, and are therefore necessary for its production.

Much of our daily activities (generally speaking) are taken for granted with respect to their developmental value to the people around us. Christians everywhere, under the assumption that their experience is “personal”, allow their lives to promote actions and attitudes that are unhealthy to the development of other people (believers and non-believers). Many of us have spiritual “freedoms” that others of us aren’t able to maturely handle.

Our text helps us to understand this position from the perspective of connecting our daily activities to the edification of other people. First, I will concede that we (Christians) are on different levels of active faith, and have personal “freedoms” that only God can convict us about if they are out of order. While this is a debatable point, I will concede this point (for now at least). However, I will contest with relativity to our text, that our applicable judgments have much to be desired when it comes to how they are perceived by the people in our midst.

When the Apostle Paul says in our text that “everything is permissible” (“Lawful” in the KJV), he is actually referring to what other people will allow you to do without measure or correcting you if it is an incorrect action. The word Paul uses is the Greek word Exesti (ex'-es-tee), which is where we get the English word “Exist.” It has several applicable meanings, but essentially is that which is allowed to happen through an inward agreement within personal government. WOW! In other words, there are people who have no “personal government” that will allow you and I to behave in whatever way we desire to, not knowing that it has the potential to hurt them (they have no government). Also, if they have no “personal government”, they don’t even know what to accept from us. This is why it important for us to be careful how we act in front of other people.

So then, while everything is permissible (allowed to happen), Paul says something else awesome here that can help us. He also says “…everything is not helpful…” (“Expedient” in the KJV). Helpful, in this text, is the Greek word Sumphero (soom-fer'-o), which is where we get the English word and “Sumptuous” – something magnificent, very valuable and costly. It means to bring together, carry along with others and become profitable. In other words, what we do has a divine ability of bringing people to us. Oh, but if we understand the spirit of the text, we should see that their coming to us is NOT to our person, but to the person of Jesus Christ. This is why Paul says that their “profit” would be for them to be saved!

What are you giving to people who are coming to you? What are you doing that is profitable to those who are watching – to those who perhaps have no clue that you are giving them something? Saints, be careful to care for other people as you are “caring” for yourselves!

“…And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified….” Acts 20:32 KJV

Grace & Peace,
Roc