There is such a thing as too much freedom. Christians tend to lean towards legalism or liberty. The legalist makes up lists of what is right and what is wrong. The libertarian rejects all lists and emphasizes free will. You can easily see how both sides can go too far. True life as a Christian is somewhere in the middle.
1 Corinthians 6:12-13
All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything. “Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food”—and God will destroy both one and the other.
A Disciplined Life
As Christians, we have the liberty to do as we please, but just because we have the liberty doesn’t mean its good for us. Paul is encouraging us to live a disciplined life. The key is to make sure nothing masters us. We don’t want to be dominated by an addiction to anything.
Led by the Belly
Paul brings up the issue of the belly or stomach. The belly is the symbol of desire and cravings. In this passage, Paul is talking about sexual sin. The Corinthians thought having sex outside of marriage wasn’t just okay it was normal. Paul comes against that and says that it is wrong and we shouldn’t feel free to satisfy every craving. Sexual sin is the most damaging sin there is. It harms the person and many others around them. It controls the person and leads to the path of destruction. There is no profit in sexual sin whatsoever.
Bring It Under Control
Christians can take it too far. Too much freedom can lead to bondage. Every Christian should exhibit the fruit of self-control in their lives. Too many lives, marriages, and families have been destroyed. We need to beat our bodies into submission so that these liberties won’t get out of hand. We have been called to live to a higher standard, and that means bringing our bellies under the control of the Holy Spirit.