“I have the right to do anything,” – you say – but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything,” – but not everything is constructive. No one should seek their own good, but the good of others. (1 Corinthians 10:23-24)
To make sense of these verses, we need to see that there are two voices:
- One voice says, “I have the right to do anything.”
- The Apostle Paul says, “Not everything is beneficial nor constructive. You should not seek your own good but the good of others.”
I have the right and the freedom to act like a jerk. That is totally within my rights. But it is neither beneficial nor constructive. It does not seek the good of others.
I have the right to watch porn. It is totally within my rights to do so. But it is neither beneficial nor constructive. It does not seek the good of others. It is purely for the purpose of the self.
I have the right to lie. That is totally within my rights. But it is neither beneficial nor constructive. It harms others. It only attempts to protect the self.
The principle is to do those things that benefit others, those things that build up others, and those things that seek the good of others.
Notice that this seeks the “good” of others. It is not mere acquiescing to the wants of others. In fact, oftentimes, doing so would lead to more harm for the other than good. What is good is not determined by me, nor the other. God determines what is good and what is best. God and his word is the standard that determines what is good.
So, in treating others:
- Do that which is beneficial to others
- Do that which builds up the other
- Do that which is good for the other
This is how Jesus lived. Be like Jesus.
Praxis: Faith in Action 