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Jul 04, 2025 06:00am

A Biblical Filter for What We Say and Do

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Sure, you can say anything you want, but should you?

My husband and I were talking about this very thing as we drank our coffee this morning. Social media allows you to share your opinions, viewpoints, rant and rave, but the ultimate question is, should you?

While Facebook has become the online complaint department, we have to ask ourselves, is it helpful?

1 Corinthians 6:12
“All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient; all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.”

Here’s another way to say it from the NIV:
“‘I have the right to do anything,’ you say—but not everything is beneficial. ‘I have the right to do anything’—but I will not be mastered by anything.”

Remember the context. Who is Paul speaking to? What are the issues surrounding this statement? What was the culture like during this time that would cause him to speak on this topic?

Paul is speaking to the believers in the church at Corinth. The city was a giant melting pot of diverse cultures and people groups. Money, intellect, and pleasure drove the actions and lives of the people there. The church was struggling because of the influence of the immoral culture around them.

In this section of Paul’s letter, he was addressing their immorality, particularly sexual sin. In the previous passage, he told them that God’s kingdom had no place for sin and that believers should let go of their sinful lifestyles and hold tight to the Lord and His ways.

So why did Paul say this in verse 12? Because the believers were arguing about their freedom. Their statement was that Christ had died and forgiven all of their sins to give them complete freedom so they could live as they pleased. They also argued that what they were doing wasn’t “specifically forbidden” in Scripture.

Yes, we have freedom, but it’s to follow Christ, not remain in sin. Furthermore, what we do does not just affect us. Just as Paul said, we can say or do this or that, but is that helpful to accomplishing the purpose Christ gave us?

Does Paul need to write us a letter today?

We could walk through a hundred scenarios and situations this morning, but ultimately, I think you get the picture. Whether we’re talking about what we post, what we eat or drink, what we do with our bodies, the ultimate question should always be: is this helpful? Is this glorifying to the Lord?

As believers, we have been empowered by the Holy Spirit to help guide our thoughts and decisions. If you’re faced with a temptation, pause and pray. Ask the Holy Spirit for help.

For a long time, I just listened to what others said was right and wrong. I didn’t study it out for myself from the source. When I began to open Scripture and see the truth, the Holy Spirit began convicting me of the sins in my life. These things needed to change. They created a barrier in my relationship with the Lord. I could not change them on my own. I needed His help.

Maybe you’re in that place too. You know something needs to change, but you’re not sure how to begin. Or maybe you aren’t sure what is right and wrong—what Scripture really says about the things you’re doing.

Let me help. Go to follow.lifeword.org. This is an online discipleship tool that helps you learn the basics of following Christ. It can also be a tool to use to disciple someone else. It’s now also in Spanish at follow.lifeword.org/spanish.