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Lawful But Not Expedient1 Corinthians 6:11-12“And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. 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.”Having full assurance that I am saved, that I am “washed…, sanctified…, justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God” is the greatest assurance of all. The part in these verses where Paul writes about all things lawful but all things not expedient can be a challenge to any Christian. To know that some things in life, though they may be ok to participate in, are not expedient (profitable) can be a challenge to one’s faith and walk with Christ. A key truth here that can help us all may be the part that says, “but I will not be brought under the power of any”. It is possible to be under bondage or the control of both the sinful and the good. Thus the challenge is this, are there good things I am a part of that have me under their power or bondage?The only power or authority a Christian should be under is Jesus Christ and His Word. Tertullian, a church father from Northern Africa, born around 150 AD confronted some Christians of his day that they were working, and making images for the pagans. They argued that they were simply craftsmen and had to make a living. Tertullian answered them by asking, “Must you live?” I think that Tertullian understood that a Christian only has one “must” in his or her life. We must not allow ourself to be brought under the power of anyone or anything but Christ.Is Christ first and only in your heart?