Posted on by Margarita & Stace Crews

EVERTHING IS PERMISSIBLE FOR ME / 1 CORINTHIANS 6:12

START YOUR DAY RIGHT DAILY DEVOTION

(KJV) 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.

The Trap of “Everything is Permissible”: Understanding True Freedom in 1 Corinthians 6:12

Have you ever heard someone justify a questionable choice by saying, “Hey, God forgives me, and I’m under grace”? It is a line of thinking as old as the Church itself. In fact, the believers in ancient Corinth used this exact logic to defend behaviors that completely contradicted the Gospel.

When we read 1 Corinthians 6:12, we encounter a phrase that has tripped up many readers: “‘Everything is permissible for me’—but not everything is beneficial. ‘Everything is permissible for me’—but I will not be mastered by anything.”

To understand what is actually happening here, we have to look past the surface. True Christian freedom is not the right to do whatever we want; it is the power given by the Holy Spirit to do what we ought.

The Corinthian Slogan: A Misguided View of Grace

When Paul writes, “Everything is permissible for me,” he is not making a blanket statement of divine approval for all behaviors. Scholars widely agree that Paul is actually quoting his opponents—or rather, a popular slogan circulating among the Corinthian believers.

The Corinthians were misinterpreting Paul’s teachings on Christian liberty and grace. They argued that because their sins were forgiven and they were no longer bound by the strict regulations of the old Mosaic Law, they had a spiritual blank check. They believed that their physical actions did not affect their spiritual standing.

Paul immediately exposes the fatal flaws of this mindset by using their own slogan against them, refiltering it through two crucial tests:

  1. The Test of Benefit: Is this action profitable for my spiritual growth and the well-being of others?
  2. The Test of Mastery: Is this action secretly enslaving me?

Grace is Not a License to Sin

Paul explicitly rejects the idea that absolute behavioral freedom exists for a believer. Just a few verses earlier, he provides a sobering reminder of the boundaries of God’s kingdom:

“Don’t you know that the unrighteous will not inherit God’s kingdom? Do not be deceived: No sexually immoral people, idolaters, adulterers, or males who have sex with males, no thieves, greedy people, drunkards, verbally abusive people, or swindlers will inherit God’s kingdom.” — 1 Corinthians 6:9-10

Furthermore, in 1 Corinthians 6:18, he commands them to “Flee from sexual immorality.”

The Corinthians thought they were practicing high-level spiritual freedom, but Paul reveals they were actually walking straight back into slavery. Sin is never beneficial, and it is never permissible for a follower of Christ. When we abuse God’s grace to indulge our flesh, we are not living as free people; we are letting our desires master us.

Shifting the Question: From “Can I?” to “Should I?”

The cultural mindset asks: “What am I allowed to get away with?”
The Christ-centered mindset asks: “What honors God and edifies my neighbor?”

True freedom in Christ means we are finally free from the power of sin so that we can pursue holiness. Your body is not a playground for personal indulgence; it is a temple of the Holy Spirit.

The next time you face a choice that sits in a moral gray area, don’t ask if it is technically “permissible.” Ask if it brings life, if it builds up your faith, and if it honors the Price paid for your ransom.

Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for the profound freedom You have given us through the sacrifice of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Forgive us for the times we have cheapened Your grace and used our liberty as a cover-up for selfish desires.

Lord, give us holy discernment. Help us to look past what is simply “permissible” and pursue what is truly beneficial and pleasing to You. Guard our hearts and minds so that we are never mastered by addictions, habits, or toxic mindsets. We remind ourselves that our bodies belong to You. Strengthen us by Your Holy Spirit to flee from immorality and to live lives that reflect Your holiness.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Bible Study Tools I Use

Some of our Post That Might Interest You, All Out of the Current Book / Chapter

  1. JUSTIFIED … BY THE SPIRIT / 1 CORINTHIANS 6:11
  2. THE WICKED WILL NOT INHERIT THE KINGDOM / 1 CORINTHIANS 6:9-10
  3. BEFORE THE UNGODLY / 1 CORINTHIANS 6:1
  4. JUDGE THOSE INSIDE / 1 CORINTHIANS 5:10-12
  5. LITTLE YEAST WORKS THROUGH THE WHOLE BATCH / 1 CORINTHIANS 5:6
  6. HAND THIS MAN OVER TO SATAN / 1 CORINTHIANS 5:4-5
  7. BEEN FILLED WITH GRIEF / 1 CORINTHIANS 5:2
  8. SEXUAL IMMORALITY AMONG YOU – HAS HIS FATHER’S WIFE / 1 CORINTHIANS 5:1
  9. KINGDOM OF GOD … POWER / 1 CORINTHIANS 4:20
  10. APOSTLES … CONDEMNED / 1 CORINTHIANS 4:9-13
  11. HAVE ALL YOU WANT … HAVE BECOME RICH / 1 CORINTHIANS 4:8
  12. WHY DO YOU BOAST / 1 CORINTHINANS 4:7
  13. EXPOSE THE MOTIVES OF MEN’S HEARTS / 1 CORINTHIANS 4:5
  14. CONSCIENCE IS CLEAR DOES NOT MAKE ME INNOCENT / 1 CORINTHIANS 4:4
  15. GOD WILL DESTROY HIM / 1 CORINTHIANS 3:17
  16. YOU YOURSELVES ARE GOD’S TEMPLE / 1 CORINTHIANS 3:16
  17. HE WILL SUFFER LOSS – BUT ONLY AS ONE ESCAPING THROUGH THE FLAMES / 1 CORINTHIANS 3:15
  18. ONE PURPOSE / 1 CORINTHIANS 3:8
  19. YOU ARE STILL WORLDLY / 1 CORINTHIANS 3:3
  20. NOT ADDRESS YOU AS SPIRITUAL / 1 CORINTHIANS 3:1
  21. WE HAVE THE MIND OF CHRIST / 1 CORINTHIANS 2:16
  22. WORDS TAUGHT BY THE SPIRIT / 1 CORINTHIANS 2:13
  23. THAT WE MAY UNDERSTAND / 1 CORINTHIANS 2:12
  24. A DEMONSTRATION OF THE SPIRIT’S POWER / 1 CORINTHIANS 2:4
  25. I DID NOT COME WITH … WISDOM / 1 CORINTHIANS 2:1
  26. CHRIST JESUS HAS BECOME FOR US WISDOM / 1 CORINTHIANS 1:30
  27. NULLIFY THE THINGS THAT ARE / 1 CORINTHIANS 1:28-29
  28. GOD CHOSE THE FOOLISH THINGS / 1 CORINTHIANS 1:27
  29. THE FOOLISHNESS OF WHAT WAS PREACHED / 1 CORINTHIANS 1:21
  30. THE WISDOM OF THE WORLD / 1 CORINTHIANS 1:20
  31. IT IS THE POWER OF GOD / 1 CORINTHIANS 1:18
  32. CHRIST DID NOT SEND ME TO BAPTIZE / 1 CORINTHIANS 1:17
  33. I FOLLOW PAUL … APOLLOS … CEPHAS … I FOLLOW CHRIST / 1 CORINTHIANS 1:12
  34. GOD IS FAITHFUL / 1 CORINTHIANS 1:9
  35. YOU DO NOT LACK ANY SPIRITUAL GIFT – WAIT FOR OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST TO BE REVEALED / 1 CORINTHIANS 1:7
  36. CALLED TO BE HOLY / 1 CORINTHIANS 1:1-2
  37. CREWS N AWAY: ANCHORED IN GRACE

Thanks for stopping by the blog today! I love having you here. If this post resonated with you, please drop a comment below and share your thoughts. See you in the next post!

Blessings, Margarita & Stace

2 Replies to “EVERTHING IS PERMISSIBLE FOR ME / 1 CORINTHIANS 6:12”

  1. Pingback: NOT MEANT FOR SEXUAL IMMORALITY / 1 CORINTHIANS 6:13 – Crews N Away
  2. Pingback: KEEPING GOD’S COMMANDS / 1 CORINTHIANS 7:19 – Crews N Away

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