1991) Are you aware there are 613 laws and commandments (the Hebrew word for these is mitzvot) spelled out for the Jewish people in the Old Testament? (You can look them up online.) They covered everything from how to worship God, what they could and could not eat, touch and partake in, and many more.  

Luke 22:20 tells us Jesus said his bloodshed brought us a new covenant. He fulfilled all the Law and in 2 Corinthians 3:6, Paul tells us this covenant gives us a new life and not the old one, which required living to the letter of the law. We now live in the period of grace because of Jesus’ death.  

Because of this, we have much more freedom than the laws of the old covenant and yet Paul makes a strong point in 1 Corinthians 6:12. He said, all things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful.  

The ‘Is It Helpful’ question is a good one to use when considering what we will or will not do in specific situations. Many things are now permitted in the New Covenant and it’s always good to determine, is it helpful?