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哥林多前书：10:23-24: 23凡事都可行，但不都有益处。凡事都可行，但不都造就人。24无论何人，不要求自己的益处，乃要求别人的益处。
对于那些圣经没有规定的事情，我们有权利和自由去做我们喜欢做的事。我总是惊讶于上帝竟然给了我们那么多的自由！他并没有告诉我们要奉献多少钱，只要随本心慷慨奉献就好。所以我们可以自由选择我们投入奉献箱里的钱数。我们也有很大自由选择我们要穿的衣服，选择我们在教会的敬拜方式，敬拜的时间，等等。
但是保罗用今天这些经文非常仔细地限定了我们的自由。“并不是所有事都造就人。无论何人，不要求自己的益处，乃要求别人的益处。”我们有权利做任何事情，只要我们做的事情体现出我们的责任——能造就别人，并对别人有益处。
对于如何行使基督徒的自由，我父亲曾经给我上了重要的一课。那天是耶稣受难日，但那天晚上在消防员大厅刚好有一场青少年舞会。我真的很想参加那个舞会，但我父亲问我这样做是否有益处。记得我是这样对他说的：“这是我作为基督徒的自由。年轻人喜欢拥抱自由，不是吗?”然后，爸爸说：“但为什么你偏要在我们纪念耶稣死亡的这个晚上去跳舞呢？”我有权利去跳舞吗？是的。这是个好的判断吗？不是。我花了好几年时间成熟长大，才真正明白了我有权利做任何事情，但不是每件事都是有益的和造就人的。事实上，这是我每天都要不断学习的功课。
祷告：主耶稣，你并没有严格规定我生活的每一方面。你给我很大的选择权利和自由。我今日向你献上祷告，求你使我所有的决定和选择都是出于爱，不是为我自己，是为了荣耀你，为了对别人有益处。
1 Corinthians 10: 23 “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. 24 No one should seek their own good, but the good of others. (EHV)
In matters that are not determined by Scripture, we have the freedom and the right to do what we please. I am always amazed at how much freedom God has given us! He doesn’t tell us how much to give, only to give generously from our hearts. So we are free to choose the amount we drop into the collection plate. We have great freedom in choosing how we are to dress, what kind of worship services we will have in our churches and when, and much more besides.
But Paul measures our freedom carefully with these words. “But not everything is constructive. No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.” We have the right to do anything as long as we pair it with the responsibility to do what is constructive and good for others.
My father taught me an important lesson on the exercise of my Christian freedom. It was Good Friday and that night there was a teen dance at the Fireman’s Hall. I really wanted to God, but my father questioned whether that was a good thing. I remember telling him that it was within my Christian freedom to do this. [Young people love to embrace their freedom, don’t they?] Then dad said, “But why would you WANT to do this on the night we celebrate Jesus’ death?” Did I have the right to go? Yes. Was it good judgment? No. It took a few years of maturity for me to understand that I have the right to do anything, but not everything is beneficial and constructive. In fact, this is a lesson I have to keep learning every day.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, you have not ordered everything aspect of my life. You’ve given me great freedom to choose. I pray this today, that all my decisions and choices would be made out of love, not for myself, but for your glory and the good of others. Amen.