Corinthians: Christian Conduct — Stephen Kaung

This is Monday morning, October the 8th, 1973, in Richmond, Virginia. Ministry is being given through Brother Stephen Cohn.

The Corinthian Church and Christian Conduct

Corinthians, chapter 6. 1 Corinthians, chapter 6, verse 10, verse 12. 1 Corinthians, chapter 6, verse 12. All things are lawful to me, but all things do not profit. All things are lawful to me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.

Verse 23. All things are lawful, but all are not profitable. All things are lawful, but all do not edify. Verse 31. Whether therefore you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all things to God's glory.

Give no occasion to stumbling, whether to Jews or Greeks or the church of God. Even as I also please all in all things, not seeking my own profit, but that of the many that they may be saved. That's all we'll read for this morning.

The church at Corinth is full of problems. But we do thank the Lord that we have Paul's first letter to the Corinthians. Because if we don't have that letter, if Paul's letters are all like the prison letters, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, we may wonder whether there is any word for us.

Now, no doubt the letters to the Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians, they are for us. They are relevant to us because they show us God's presence, God's plan, and what God wants. We need to know that.

And yet sometimes when we look around, look at the condition, the situation of God's church today, we feel we are so far, far off. Sometimes it discourages us. We wonder if God has something to say to us in our present situation.

Situations that is filled with problems of all kinds. Now, thank God for the first Corinthians, because there you'll find they have all kinds of problems. And God has a special word for us. So in that sense I believe first Corinthians has a very special message for us.

It is relevant in a very special way to our situation today. For the past we have mentioned two things. One is in the church in Corinth there is this big problem of unity. They are not united. They are all believers, and yet they are divided.

Some say I'm a Paul, some say I'm a Paul, some say I'm a Peter, and some will come out and say I'm in a very special way of Christ. Now, is it not true that this is our problem today? Among God's people I think the greatest problem we have is this matter of unity.

We are not one. We are not united. Even though sometimes we may say we are one in Christ, and yet our action doesn't seem to correspond with our confession. It is a practical question. You know, in Paul's letter to the Corinthians he is not dealing with a theory.

He is dealing with practical issues, with practical life. In theory we all know we are one in Christ, but how about our practice? And that is what we find in 1 Corinthians. If only our eyes would be centered and not be distracted to man, even to spiritual man such as Paul and Peter, then in practice we will be one.

Last night we fellowshiped on the second big problem with the church in Corinth, and that is in the church at Corinth there is no discipline. Here you'll find a group of believers, and I believe it's not a small number, because if you read the book of Acts you'll find many, many of them.

There are many members in the church at Corinth, and yet there is no discipline. One person has sinned so terribly, a sin that even you cannot find among the nations, and yet this person is not disciplined.

This person goes on as if nothing happened. And the whole church, the conscience of the whole church is so insensitive that people allow the sin to remain, and the church does not take any discipline.

There is no discipline. They may even go for themselves as being very liberal, most tolerant, very loving, but there is sin in their midst. Not that way. So brothers and sisters, as we look at our situation today among God's people, I think there is one thing above many other things that is very much needed among God's people in the church, and that is discipline.

As a matter of fact, if there is no discipline, there is no reality of the church. If there is no discipline, there is no establishment of the church. Discipline is very important in the building up. So last night we mentioned that from the Bible you can find three different ways of discipline.

The fatherly discipline, the brotherly discipline, and the faith discipline. Now we will not go back into these this morning, but I just mentioned it. So here you'll find another very helpful word in 1 Corinthians, how we meet discipline.

This morning we would like to enter into another area, and that is this matter of Christian conduct. God has put a number of people together. How should they conduct themselves towards one another? Christian conduct in relationship.

And that is another area that you'll find very much lacking in the church at Corinth. Here you'll find in the church at Corinth, a brother will go to court to sue another brother. Probably that other brother has defrauded him in some way.

And because of that, he feels that the wrong must be righted. And he reports to the court in the way, trying to have his wrongs being adjusted. A brother. See, here you'll find in the church in Corinth, not only this matter of suing one another, but evidently their marriage life is very little.

And that you'll find in the 7th chapter of 1 Corinthians. Evidently they are very little in their marriage relationship. And further than that, you'll find many of them think that they are intelligent.

They have the knowledge. So they go to the idol country to enjoy themselves in social. So much so that those who are weak in conscience are being offended. And they don't care. They don't care. In other words, you'll find among the Corinthian believers, they are very much lacking in Christian conduct in relation with one another.

Salvation by Grace and Conduct as Its Fruit

Brothers and sisters, I wonder if this is also a practical problem among God's people. No one can be saved by this good conduct. Once upon a time, we all tried to behave ourselves. Why? Because our salvation was dependent upon our good deeds.

We thought that if we had good deeds to present to God, then we would be accepted. We were like Cain of old, taking the produce of our own land and trying to offer it to God. But we didn't. It wasn't.

As in the book of Isaiah, you'll find our righteousness are as filthy as that. Even though we may think we have accumulated quite some righteousness. But when we try to present them to God, they were filthy red.

Not only red that cannot cover our nakedness before God, but filthy red. Unclean. So more or less, I think we, like the Corinthians, probably when we are convicted by the Holy Spirit of our sins, our first reaction will be, we will try to behave.

We will try to do something good. We will try to accumulate some merit, so that we might be saved. And then one day, by the grace of God, our eyes will open to see that we are not saved, by which we are saved.

And you know, the same thing happened to the Corinthian believers. That's how they came to the Lord.

It was Jesus Christ and Him crucified. That is the gospel, the Savior. The Corinthians, in their former days, they were very wicked in their behavior. Because there is a proverb at that time. You act like a Corinthian.

It means that you live a very wicked life. But thank God, through the gospel of Jesus Christ, they were brought, not by worship, but by brothers and sisters, after we are saved. It is true that we cannot be saved by our good conduct.

Our good conduct is not the cause for our salvation. But after we are saved, there should be good behavior, as evidence, as effect of the salvation. Not as merit, no. But as the life of Christ is in us.

And with the life of Christ in us, it should be manifested, means attained. There should be. There should be a testimony to the Word. For say to say, with the Corinthian believers, they had received the salvation of the Lord.

They were saved. Their sins were forgiven. They were washed. And yet somehow, they went on to live, as they lived. It wasn't because they did not have the life of Christ in them. They did. And most probably, the Holy Spirit who dwelt in them, because they had the Holy Spirit, in the first letter to the Corinthians, Paul said, you are the temple of God.

And God dwelt in you by His Spirit. They had the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit must have spoken to them. And yet somehow you'll find they, their behavior, their conduct towards one another were such that were ashamed.

I wonder if it is not because of a misnotion, a wrong notion. We are not saved by our good deeds. We are saved by grace. After we are saved, are we not under grace and no longer under law? Are we not free?

We can do anything that we like. It will not matter anymore. Because after all, good deeds is nothing in the sight of God. It is the grace of our Lord Jesus. In other words, this is an abuse, a misunderstanding of the grace.

Probably that is it. They feel themselves so free. They enjoy the liberty as they did in Christ. Therefore, they feel they can do anything. Brothers and sisters, is it not true with believers today? You'll find there are two different schools.

Of course, one school is, you must have good deeds. Because without good deeds, you cannot be saved. And with that kind of teaching, you'll find people do try to have good deeds. But of course, they are not accepted.

Because in the sight of God, deeds are dead work. We need to be delivered from dead work. Even good work. And yet you'll find, especially among the pastors, the preaching of the grace of God is wonderful.

It is the gospel of grace. We are saved by grace. But somehow, there seems to be something missing. After we have received the grace of God, there seems to be a lack of emphasis as to how we should behave.

Now you are saved. You will go to heaven. Everyone who is saved will go to heaven. But what about today? What about our lives on this earth from day to day? How should we live before God and before man?

I'm afraid there is something missing. Just yesterday, a few brothers, young brothers, we were talking together after the morning meeting. And one brother said, he said for a few years, he felt that something was missing.

It is true we are saved by grace. It is true that we will go to heaven one day. But, is there anything for our present day? In the word of God, we are saved. We will all be taken to him. We'll all go to heaven.

Then, some people will say, why bother? Why should we deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow the Lord? After all, you go to heaven just like your brother who may live a very loose life, enjoy himself on this earth and reject all the cross, but after all he is saved by grace.

Why be so foolish? We all go to heaven eventually. We are all saved by grace. So that brother said, for years, he felt something was missing. And you know, when you read the letters of those Corinthians, what, how did Paul answer these Corinthian believers?

These Corinthian believers make, make misuse of grace, liberty, freedom. We can do anything we like. You are redeemed by the precious blood. You are the temple of God. It is true you are saved by grace, but grace has saved you, has redeemed you to God.

You are no longer your own, so you must glorify God in your body. It is not yours, it is God's. And furthermore, Paul says, no one who is unrighteous can enter into the kingdom of God. There is more than to go into heaven.

There is the kingdom of God to come. And only those whose righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the Pharisees and the Scribes can enter into the kingdom of God. You remember in Matthew, the Lord says, except your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the Scribes and the Pharisees, you cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

By the grace of God we will all go to heaven. That is true. But that doesn't mean that everyone who is saved will enter into the kingdom of God that will come upon this earth one day. To reign with Christ for a thousand years requires the righteousness of the Pharisees.

And Paul says, you are in a race. You have to sow love that you may get the prize. Otherwise you will lose the prize. It is true, you will not lose your salvation, but you will lose the prize. You will lose the reward.

And Paul even mentions, now look at the Israelites. They all came out of Egypt. They all ate the heavenly manna. They all drank of the water out of the smithing rock. They all were baptized unto Moses through the Red Sea.

And yet, because they tempted God, they did not believe in God, because they sinned, the result was, they fell in the earth. And only Joshua and Caleb and the new generation entered into the kingdom. Paul said, am I not free?

I am free. God said, my body. To bring it to captivity let I preach to others and I myself. So brothers and sisters, here you'll find there is very important in our practical daily living. And that is something you'll find very much lacking in the church.

These brothers and sisters are saved by grace and they seem to enjoy their liberty so much over enjoying their liberty. And look what a mess they create among themselves. One will oppress the other and one will someday even bet proper Christian.

And I'm afraid this is true with us today. God's people seem to forget that they are saved to be a witness. God's people seem to forget that their bodies are not their own. We are purchased. We must glorify God in our body.

Not in any things that we are accumulated merits as it were. But because we are not our own we have to glorify God. And we are not in a race. We must so run as to obtain the prize. And this is an area I'm afraid which is very much, very much needed in the church today.

Four Principles for Christian Conduct

When Paul deals with this matter of practical Christian conduct he deals with it according to certain principles. And here we will try to maintain these principles and try to apply these principles to various problems.

In other words, the way to correct our conduct is not by laying down rules and regulations for everybody. That will put us under the law as it were. But the way to deal with our conduct is to know certain principles.

And then by the power of the Holy Spirit to apply these principles to our daily life. And that is the way. So here you find first, Paul says, all things are lawful to me. But not all things. All things are lawful to me.

Freedom Must Be Governed by What Is Profitable

Paul is one who has been delivered. Paul is one who is no longer under law but under grace. Paul is one who can look at all things as lawful. In other words, the word lawful is the same word but in different form as my right, my liberty.

All things are lawful. I have my right to all things. I have liberty in all things. Because Christ has already delivered me. He has already saved me. I'm a free man instead of not lawful. The thing that one man in Corinth has committed that the nations have not heard of is certainly unlawful.

But Paul does not refer to these things because to a Christian, to a believer he should know better. In other words, when Paul says all things are lawful to me, he does not include those things which are unlawful.

Even in the sight of the world, he does not include Jesus. When he says all things are lawful to me, he is relating all things to him. A person who has been saved and delivered. A person who is in Christ.

A person who has the life of Christ in him. A person in whom the Holy Spirit dwells. A person who is in fellowship with the Lord. Now to him these unlawful things are caused. Do not need to be mentioned because you won't do anything.

But the problem today is, Paul says, all things are lawful to me. I am a free man. I have the liberty. I have the right to do anything that I feel. All things are lawful. It is true dear brothers and sisters.

We are free persons. We are free by Christ. Once upon a time we were under bondage. We had not that liberty. We could not do what we wanted to do. And we did what we did not want to do because we were not free.

But today we are free. We are free. We can do what we want to do and we can not do what we do not want to do because the Lord has freedom. We have the freedom to do that is our position in Christ. No doubt.

Not all things are. You can do these things but are they possible? Are they possible? Now in the case of the Corinthians here, you find a sinner goes to court to sue another brother. And to this brother he may think it is a lawful thing to do.

It is my right because my brother has befallen me. I must correct that wrong. I have every right to sue him at the court so that he will give back what he has owed me. It is not an unlawful thing. He feels the liberty to do that but is it profitable?

Is it profitable in 1 Corinthians 6? It emphasizes more on your own self. Does it profit you when you go to the court to sue your brother in order to regain your loss? It is true. Physically, materially, you may have your loss recovered but spiritually is it profitable to you?

When you do such things, such lawful things, will it damage your spiritual life? Is the loss worthwhile or the gain worthwhile by going to court? Oh, brothers and sisters, you know there is something which is very deep in our flesh and that is if it is unlawful we know we shouldn't but if it is lawful if it is our liberty if it is our right and that's the place where we exercise our right we take our liberty because we feel we have every right to do it.

It is lawful but when we are doing things of that kind outwardly we may gain something but how about our spiritual well-being? Not all things are bad. Sometimes we do things that will really hurt our spirit.

Think of the spirit of this brother when he goes to court to sue another brother. Think of his spirit. He may do a lawful thing but his spirit instead of the spirit of law, of sacrifice, of willing to suffer here is a spirit of revenge, a selfish self-centered spiritualized.

So Paul says why do you go to a court to sue your brother? Is there no wise brother in the church that can help to solve this problem? Why do you go to the Gentiles whom you despise? They are not the Lord.

You are the Lord and you go to them. And Paul even goes a little a step further and says why are you not willing to be defrauded by your brother? It is a matter of whether it is possible. Maybe brothers and sisters you think that we don't have such problems today but we do.

We do. And of course this topic, whether it is profitable, of course it includes also. When do you are doing such a thing to your brother? Will it be profitable? But the answer is in chapter 6 is more on yourself.

In chapter 10 is more on your brother because you find this is repeated in chapter 10. All things are lawful but not all things are profitable. But in that case the emphasis is more towards your brother.

When we are doing something brothers and sisters we need to consider if I do it will it be profitable to my brother or to my sister? If it is not profitable to him or to her? Even if it is lawful it is something.

So here you'll find this is the first point. The first principle of Christian conduct. Whenever something comes up we need to go to the Lord and say Lord yes you have freed me. I'm a free person. All things are lawful to me but is this profitable?

When I do it will it hurt? Will it bring profit to my brothers and sisters? Am I seeking their profit? And of course the profit here does not mean material physical temporal profit. It means the eternal spiritual.

Christian Liberty Must Not Become Enslavement

All things are lawful. I will not be brought under the power. A Christian is free. All things are lawful. You have the liberty to do these things. But Paul said I will not be brought under the power of anything.

If anything will king of saints enslave me. It is a lawful thing but it will enslave me. Instead of I'm the master it will master my life. In other words I have to do it. If I don't do it I cannot I cannot live.

I'm depending upon it. This is something that has laid hold of my life. I'm under its control. Now if such things happen because you are under control of a Christian. We are Christians. We are under the control of our Lord.

Our life is under His control. He is our God. He is our Lord. But when we are under control of anything however lawful may be that thing something. Look at the Corinthians. In this matter of meat probably in the early days among the Corinthians they had the same problem as we have today.

Meat price is high. And you know because meat price is high you can get cheaper meat in the market. Because the Corinthians they offer sacrifices to their idols in the temple. And after they offer the sacrifice the meat belongs to the priest.

And of course the priest of those idol temples they cannot consume all the meat. All the meat? They cannot consume all the meat. So the way they do it is they will eat part of the meat but the greater part of the meat they will take it to the market to resell it.

And the profit will go to the priest. And usually they resell those meats cheaper. Because they do not care they will destroy it. You know it is simple. So those meats that have been offered to idols are sold in the market at a much cheaper price.

Much cheaper price. So if you want to buy cheaper meat, now that's the meat you look for. Some people with a weak conscience, who are newly saved, when they buy these meats and eat them they feel they are eating the meat that is offered to idols.

In other words they feel they are being defiled. Being defiled by things offered to idols. And if the urge for meat is so strong you have to have meat. But you cannot afford it. So instead of living without meat for God's sake.

Meat controls your life. You have to have it. And therefore against your weak conscience you buy the meat that has been offered to idols and eat them. Now brothers and sisters all things are lawful but I will not be brought under the power.

Something you must have. Yes, you are a free man. And yet it has controlled your life. It has controlled your life. It has become a master. Instead of you a master to that thing. When such thing happens you know you have done wrong.

Now brothers and sisters we are the Corinthian believers of course meat is a problem. But you can multiply this and apply this to many things. Many things in our lives because we are free. You can apply this to many things.

Not only to eating and drinking to some habit of your life even to your relationship or even you can apply to spiritual things. If a spiritual thing should dominate you instead of the Lord we need to be free from the control of all because that's what Christ has liberated us.

He has liberated us from all things and he has put us under him. So here you find another principle that will govern our Christian conscience and you can apply it as the Holy Spirit will convict you and lead you.

It can be applied to many many things. Many many things. And number three. Whether eating or drinking of course they are lawful. God has created us in such a way that we need to eat and to drink for the sustenance of our life.

Drinking and eating are perfectly lawful. Do all things to the glory. It is true. All things are lawful. But when I do certain things will God be glorified? If God is not glorified don't do it. Don't do it.

If I eat, I eat for the glory of God. If I drink, I drink for the glory of God. If my eating and drinking will bring shame and disgrace to God then even in such lawful things as eating and drinking now in the case with the Corinthians of course it is more than just buying meat from the market.

You know the Corinthians their social life is such. They have lots of parties. And when they have a party they usually have their party in the tent. Just like today when you have a party you have a club country club.

That's where you have a party. So their social life is so involved with their temple. When a person a neighbor has a party he will have the seat served in the temple. That's the place they go for social life.

So the problem with the Corinthian believers is now they are safe. They no longer go to the temple to offer sacrifice. That they know. But they are cut off from all social life. Because all the parties are held in the temple.

If they don't go to the temple then they will have no social life. And they cannot enjoy themselves. They like to eat. They like to drink. They like to have a good time. But all the parties are held in the temple.

Now what should they do? They know that they shall have nothing to do with either. They know that. But they are not willing to pay the price of following the Lord even in the lonely way. They still long to have these parties.

They want to enjoy their life. They want to continue their social life with their neighbors. So when they are invited to these parties. Now what do they do? They try to rationalize. Some say, we have the knowledge.

Idols are nothing. They are not real gods. They are nothing. We know there is only one God. And if the idols are nothing then the temple built for the idols are nothing. And the food sacrificed to the idols are nothing.

So that shouldn't affect us at all. We have the knowledge So with that knowledge and you cannot argue with that knowledge. Their knowledge is a true knowledge. It is true. So based upon their rationalization based upon their knowledge they continue to go to the temple and enjoy themselves.

Now brothers and sisters you cannot question their knowledge. Their knowledge is real. But their motive they are not glorifying God. They are enjoying themselves. In other words, it may be lawful to them.

It is lawful to them. Because they have the knowledge. The reason for their going is they want to enjoy themselves. They are not doing it to glorify God. Brothers and sisters, very often we have the same problem.

To enjoy ourselves. And we try to rationalize. But the point is Is God glorified? If God is not glorified that is not something. Because our body is not ours. It is the Lord. We must glorify God. So this is the third principle.

Love and the Duty Not to Stumble Others

And then the fourth one. Do not give occasion. All things are lawful. If you have the knowledge, all things are lawful. You can do it. But you must consider what you do is lawful to you. But it will stumble your brother.

Not for your own sake. For your brother's sake. Because knowledge talks up. But love. Do all things that will edify that will build up people. Here you find these Christians. Some of them. They profess to have the knowledge.

So they go to the temple. And enjoy the party. Completely forget. Neglect those young believers. Those who are newly saved. Because they worshipped the idol before. Therefore their conscience they cannot enter into the temple.

They cannot sit there and eat the food that has been offered to the idol. Because in doing that they feel they are heading apart with the idol. Their conscience bothers them. But then they see these big brothers marching into the temple and enjoy themselves.

They say well if they can do it why not we? But when they go into the temple and enjoy themselves their conscience is not at peace. If anything is done without a peaceful conscience so to them they have committed sin.

They have committed sin. They are stumbled. And Paul says how can you stumble a brother whom the law has made if my eating meat will stumble my brother then I will not eat him. I will not eat him. Nothing wrong with eating meat.

But if you stumble your brother Paul said I rather not eat him. When you go to the market and buy meat and eat fine. If you are invited by some people to eat with us whatever is put on the table you eat.

But whenever somebody mentions that this is temple not for your own sake. Now brothers and sisters it is true. Some people have weak conscience. We need to have a sensitive conscience but not a weak conscience.

A weak conscience is due to the lack of knowledge. We shall help these brothers and sisters with weak conscience with truth. So that they may be delivered from their weak conscience. But before they are delivered you have to respect even their weak conscience.

You cannot go by your strong conscience. You have to go by their weak conscience. And this is love. And only love brothers and sisters. If we see these four principles and by the power of the Holy Spirit practice being our daily conduct in relation to one another.

What a difference. These are very practical. We know our position. We know our position is we are free in Christ. That is our position. We are not being brought back under the law. You know there is no contradiction here.

In Romans Paul said you are not under law you are under grace. In Galatians Paul said do not go back and put yourself under the bondage of the law because Christ has already liberated you. It is true.

Freedom in Christ and the Call to Self-Denial

We are free. Brothers and sisters we who are saved we are free. And to us all things are lawful. We have our rights. We have our liberty. Thank God for that. This is our position. But be careful at how to use your life.

Paul said am I not free? Am I not apostle? Can I not do like the rest? Like Peter? Bring his wife and travel with him? Can I not do with the rest to have my needs, physical needs, supplied as I bring the gospel to you?

But Paul said I do not use my life. I do not use up my life. And this is something that is very important. We are free. All things are lawful. But does it mean that you have to use up all your life? Can you for Christ's sake forsake some of your life?

In order that, in order that you may help your brothers and sisters. In order that you may glorify. And you know it is in giving up our life for Christ's sake. Not to use up our liberty for Christ's sake.

For the sake of our brothers. And when there is such love among God's people. So we thank God. Because of the mass in the church in Cardiff, we are giving some insight into those spiritual principles that need to be applied to our relationship.

So may the Lord use these words to help us in a practical way. Let us pray. We do praise and thank thee. Because thou hast freed us. All things are lawful to us. We who are in Christ. But Lord, we are free.

But we are under your grace. Thy life in us is our law. We praise and thank thee. Because thou hast given us the liberty to choose. Thou give us the strength to do that which we please. Lord, do not allow us to be so self-centered as to live for ourselves.

But Lord, enable us to forfeit our right even our liberty for thy sake and for the sake of our brethren. O Lord, fill our hearts with thy love. That we may really seek the advantage of others. That we may not be under the control of anything.

That in all things we do, we may glorify thee, edify our brethren, and not be astounded. O Lord, you help us to see all these things. Maintain us by thy Spirit. And we ask all in the name of our Lord Jesus and for his glory alone.