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Finally, Does it bring glory to God?

Seven Guiding Principles from Paul.

A. The Principle of Expediency
I Cor.6:12). Paul's liberty in Christ gave him the position or standing to say that all things were lawful to
himself, but he also found that not all was expedient. The implication is that it assists one in realizing the
highest ends in life or attainment of Christian ideal. Many actions are socially and even ethically
acceptable, but they are not expedient. That is, they do not minister to one's highest good and should,
therefore, be avoided. The Christian is not only concerned with "Lawful" he is seeking for the expedient
as well.

B. The Principle of Freedom
I Cor.6:12; Personal freedom is precious in the sight of God and man. Submission to God is what brings
freedom (Ga.5:1). Any action or thing that tends to hinder man's ability to choose or bring him into a
state of bondage strikes at the paramount purpose of redemption. Man was created to have dominion
of all things (Ge.1:28-30) and to be spiritually subservient only to God. If a thing gains control of our
spirit, it is, in a sense, idolatry. A Christian must strive to honor human dignity and the purposes of the
atonement by permitting nothing to bring his will into captivity.

C. The Principle of Edification
I Cor.10:23; The Greek expression "oikodome" denotes the act of "building a home," from "oikos",
home, and "demo", to build. To edify is to "instruct, especially to encourage moral or spiritual
improvement." Some things may be acceptable, but do they aid in a positive way for profit and up
building?

D. The Principle of Love
I Cor.8:1-3; No ethical principle is more important than to be motivated by love. In the delicate area of
eating certain meats offered to idols, some of the Corinthians appealed to their knowledge (they knew
there was only one true God) as a basis of conduct. Paul, however, counters this attitude as sub-
Christian and insists that love be the guide in settling disputes where believers differ. Knowledge puffs
up, that is, it centers on self; but love centers on one's neighbor, therefore love edifies. Can you site a
case where this principle might apply in modern times?

E. The Principle of Temperance
I Cor.9:25; From the illustration of the early Greek Olympic Games Paul preached a powerful sermon. If a
man is going to win, he must exercise self-control. Many contestants run in a race, Paul points out, but
only one wins. A Christian is to run to win. This requires temperance. Temperance is the same as self-
control (Ac.24:25; Ga.5:23) and self-discipline (2Pe.1:6). The Greek word translated as temperance
comes from the word "kratos", meaning strength and refers to the power necessary in maintaining rigid
self-control. Would you agree that the most successful Christians are those who often forfeit their rights
for sake of the mastery? Give an example of this principle in some outstanding personality.

35 John S. and Paul D. Feinberg “Ethics for a brave new world ,”(Crossway books, Good news publishers,
1993), 44

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