3 test questions for a follower of Christ

 Read 1 Corinthians 6.

Should a person who claims to be a Christian ________________?  (You may fill in the blank.)

Questionable activities spring up in every culture and some of the answers may change with time.  But the Scriptures do not change.  Here in verses 9-10, as in other passages, sin is named explicitly.  These are not negotiable.  The only ones debating these issues are merely seeking justification for their sin.

When God says "no" it is because He has something better in His plan for us.  Often times, selfishness and fear get in the way of our thinking and doing what is right.  We fear that God will not provide what we want or think we need.  So, we take matters into our own hands and go our own way.  Trusting the Lord to fulfill His promises toward us (Matthew 6:25-34) and waiting for God's timing to act is the challenge of faith.

Beyond the facts of right and wrong in God's word, there are three positive questions that should guide our lives.

1. Is it helpful? (v.12a)
Yes, we have freedom in Christ, but we do not have the freedom to sin or violate Biblically stated behaviors.  "Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God." (1 Peter 2:16)  How is this behavior pleasing to God and helpful to my Christian growth?  How is this behavior helpful others in their coming to faith in Christ?

2. Am I controlled by it? (v.12b)
Does this dominate my life?  The Apostle Paul wrote, "All things may be "lawful for me, but I will not be dominated by anything."  Can I easily live without it?  When others think of me, is this what comes to mind?  Am I presenting a lifestyle that others can follow as I follow Christ?

3. Am I demonstrating that Jesus is truly the Lord of my life? (v.13)
When a person comes to faith in Christ, they renounce their sin and selfishness to become a new creation in Christ Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17).  Life is no longer about me, nor about defending my rights.  It is about personal surrender, living to please the One who loved me and gave Himself for me (Ephesians 5:2). 

Therefore, we are to behave as those who "were (past tense) washed, you we sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of God" (v.11b).  As a temple of the Holy Spirit we are to make decisions based upon the fact that we are not our own.  We have been bought and paid for by the precious blood of Christ.  "So glorify God in your body." (vv.19-20)