"Christian Freedom Part 2" Kathryn Kuhlman 1 Corinthians Series Conclusion

I'm going to continue that heart -to -heart talk that we began in the last broadcast. And I want you to stop whatever you're doing for the next 20 minutes because this is something that we all need. I'm giving you the Word of God. Now, If you're going to get a little miffed, don't get miffed with me. After I get through talking with you, if you've gotten your feelings heard, you go someplace all alone and talk it over with the Lord. And you tell him that you weren't too pleased about it all and he got your feelings heard. And then apologize to him and he'll forgive you. Because, you see, I'm giving you God's Word. And a fool is the man or the woman who take issue with the Word of God. And we need to get back to God's Word. The Bible is the foundation for all things. All right? We have been discussing the 12th verse. of the sixth chapter of 1 Corinthians. This is what Paul says. All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient. He repeats. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. This is what he's saying. I have been set free from the power of sin. And that is exactly what we discussed in our last heart -to -heart talk. Any man, any woman who's been born again is no longer under the bondage of Satan. You had been set free. You are free from the bondage of the law. You are free. The only really true person who has absolute freedom in the world today is the person who is a Christian. He has been set free from this bondage of law and this bondage of Satan, this bondage of sin for whom the Son sets free is free indeed. And Paul is talking of that wonderful freedom in Christ Jesus. That's the first statement of principle that Paul makes. Mm -hmm. Every gift. All the power of human life is lawful to the Christian. It really means something to be born again. It really means something to know that you have passed from death unto life. I repeat it. Every... And the power of human life is lawful to the Christian. But watch. Paul didn't stop there by saying all things are lawful unto me. No, ma 'am. And this is where we get into trouble. We do not go on. and finish the scripture. But, Paul says, all things are not expedient. What does he mean? That word expedient means they are unwise. In Galatians, Paul makes himself very clear in what he's talking about. Ye have been called unto liberty. Only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but to service one to another. Be careful how you use this liberty. You had absolute freedom. You had absolute liberty, but be careful Careful how you use this liberty. Be careful how you use this freedom. Do not use this liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but to service one to another. I was thinking as I was meditating on this personal word of God, just what illustration I could give you that would... just clinch the whole thing and make it very clear to you. And the only thing that I could really think of that would be something that all of you could understand is the fact that as an American citizen, I have the right of the freedom of speech. Being an American citizen gives me the freedom of speech. Nobody can stop me. I can stand on the street corner. I have the privilege of standing on the street corner and talking just as loudly as I want to on any subject that I want to, whether it's political or religious or whatever it is. The fact that I am an American citizen gives me that freedom, that liberty. But I can also make a fool of myself by taking advantage of that freedom and that liberty. In doing such a thing, I am misusing my freedom. And it's just like that. You may have the freedom of speech, but don't misuse your freedom of speech. Be very wise in how you use that liberty and that freedom that is yours as an American citizen. Paul is saying the same thing. You are a Christian. You are a member of the body of Christ. You are no longer under bondage. There is a freedom, there is a liberty that is yours as an heir of God and a joint heir with Christ Jesus. But be careful how you use this liberty and how you use this freedom. Use it wisely. Take, for instance, the gift of discernment. The gift is from God. And when God gives one of his children a gift, he never takes it from them. He trusts them with that gift so long as they live. They are responsible for the use of that gift. It's a great responsibility. Whoever that child of God is listening to me this very moment, if God has given you a gift of the Spirit, be careful how you use that gift. Don't misuse it, whatever you do. Use it wisely, for there have been those who have misused gifts of the Spirit. Should one be given a wonderful gift of discernment, and be called to this wonderful gift, you know that someone is living in sin. Should you use that gift of discernment and blab all over the church that Mr. So -and -so is living in sin, he's living in adultery, and you use that gift of discernment for gossip, you are misusing that which God has given to you, something that's very sacred. And it's just like that. Somebody says, Oh, Miss Coon, I have the gift of tongues. I can speak in tongues at will. Anytime. God has given me a wonderful gift of tongues. And I don't want anyone to put any restraint on me. What? because of something that God has given me. What something, beloved? With every gift, including the gift of tongues, God gives a responsibility, and you are to use that gift very wisely. If in using that gift, you bring a reproach on the gospel, Lord Jesus Christ. Then, beloved, you are misusing the gift and the liberty and the freedom that God has given you. That's exactly what Paul is saying here. All things are lawful unto me. But all things are not expedient. Why? Because I am not living alone. If I was the only person in the whole world, then, beloved, I could do anything that I wanted to do. I could express myself any way I so desired. I would not have to think about anyone else. If you are living all alone in a house and you do not come in contact with anyone else in that house, then you do exactly as you want to do. You have perfect freedom. But when there are others in the household, be careful how you use your liberty and your freedom. Use it. wisely, lest you bring a reproach on the gospel, on the Lord Jesus Christ. If the first principle shows the naturalness of the Christian life, the second principle for the Christian shows the supernaturalness of it. And that is the fact that All natural things are to be under the control of the spiritual and the supernatural. And it's like that. Your liberty should be controlled at all times by the spirit. Did you get it? Are you listening? All right, you have the gift of tongues. But under all circumstances, at all times, that gift should be controlled by the supernatural, by the power of God. You may have the gift of discernment, but at all times, that gift of discernment, And the use that you make of that gift should be under the control of the Holy Spirit, of the spiritual, the supernatural power of God. The gift of healing. At all times, that gift of healing should be controlled by the supernatural. by the power of the Holy Ghost. Even though you are given the freedom, the liberty of using it at will, you are still to use wisdom in using that gift. Let's go further. He gives an illustration. Meats are for the belly. and the belly for meats. Sure. You are given the freedom to eat anything that you want to eat. If it's sanctified, you can go out and eat as much as you want to. You are free. You are at liberty to do so. There is no power that's going to stop you. But you're going to do it to your own harm. It's one thing to live to eat. And it's another thing to eat to live. If you're going to be a glutton, knowing that you have the liberty to eat anything and as much as you want, knowing that nobody's going to stop you, Go right ahead and do it. Nobody will stop you, but you're going to suffer for it. Yes, you will. Mm -hmm. He goes a little further and says, now the body is not for fornication. You'd think the way some folks lived and the way they act and the way they talk, you would... think that God made the body for just one purpose and one purpose only. Mm -hmm. But he didn't. The body is not made for fornication, but for the Lord and the Lord for the body. And if you use your body for just that one purpose, for fornication, you're going to suffer for it. Nobody will stop you. Nobody will stop you. You go right ahead. If you're going to use your body for one purpose, go right ahead. But you're going to suffer part because your body was made for that purpose. It was made for the Lord and the Lord for the body. And God has both raised up the Lord and will also raise up. as by his own power know ye not that your bodies are the members of christ should i then take the members of christ and make them the members of an harlot god forbid what know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body for two say of he shall be One flesh. Beloved, you're bought with a price. Body, soul, and spirit. Give yourself completely to him.