What does it mean that not everything is beneficial (1 Corinthians 6:12; 10:23)?

Some who belonged to the church at Corinth claimed they had the right to behave however they wanted, declaring, “I have the right to do anything” (1 Corinthians 6:12). Paul countered their claim, arguing it was wrong to think that Christians have a license to sin, as it takes God’s forgiveness for granted. He said, while Christians are free to do anything, “not everything is beneficial” for them (1 Corinthians 6:12; cf. 1 Corinthians 10:23). Paul’s response clarifies that a Christian’s freedom is not a license to indulge in sinful behavior but a call to pursue holiness.

Paul’s statement that not everything is beneficial applies to a wide array of unwise behaviors. The implication is that, while some behaviors are permissible, context matters, especially regarding whether our behaviors hurt or help other people.

One result of an individual’s salvation in Jesus Christ is freedom from the power of sin. Jesus liberates people from the power of sin when they respond to the gospel and are born again. He broke sin’s hold over them through His death on the cross. Using graphic imagery, Paul taught that people’s sinful identity died with Jesus: “For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—because anyone who has died has been set free from sin” (Romans 6:6–7). Some Christians misunderstand their liberation, thinking it gives them permission to sin, but true freedom is living in obedience to God.

Peter uses two proverbs to describe false teachers who at one time professed Christianity but later reverted to their former lifestyle of sin. He states, “Of them the proverbs are true: ‘A dog returns to its vomit,’ and, ‘A sow that is washed returns to her wallowing in the mud’” (2 Peter 2:22; cf. Proverbs 26:11). In Jewish culture, pigs were unclean, and dogs were detestable. The dog’s return to vomit and the pig’s return to mud evoke reactions of disgust. The imagery illustrates how God views apostasy. The false teachers “are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning” (2 Peter 2:20).

Jude warns of “ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality” (Jude 1:4). Sin is never beneficial. Jesus taught that true freedom comes from following Him. He said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31–32). The Jews to whom Jesus spoke did not understand, noting that they had never been slaves. Jesus clarified, saying, “Everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:34–36).

Paul reinforces this truth in his letter to the Romans. He asks, “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” (Romans 6:1–2). Someone might say, “I have the right to do anything,” but the truth is that not everything is beneficial (1 Corinthians 6:12).

What’s beneficial to Christians is using their freedom to pursue holiness and Christlikeness. They should be grateful for God’s forgiveness and demonstrate their gratitude through obedience to God’s commands.