1 Corinthians 9:19-23

                                                             1 Corinthians 9:19-23

For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.

 

Paul’s priority is the salvation of men for the glory of God.  He is not concerned with his own comfort or preferences but with the ability to be able to reach people with the Gospel.  However, these is no hint that Paul was making any changes to the message of the Gospel to make it more palatable to certain groups.  He was willing to be flexible in areas of personal comfort without being flexible about the truth of his message.

 

THE CALL TO SERVE: Believers are called to serve others on behalf of Christ.  We live in a fallen world with fallen bodies.  It is inevitable that there will be problems stemming from our fallenness.  We get sick, relationships enter crisis, circumstances become difficult, things stop working, we struggle with addictions, and any other number of problems.  When Christ was on Earth, He ministered to the needs of others.  He healed the sick and brought comfort to the broken hearted.  God calls us to serve in His place.  Christ sets us free from our own sin so we can serve others in an effort to help them find the freedom that we have found in Christ.

 

THE CALL TO STRETCH: Paul was willing to stretch himself outside of his comfort zone to be able to win others for Christ.  Paul was born and raised in a Jewish tradition and was so zealous that he persecuted the church.  When Christ set him free through the Gospel, Paul understood that the Law had become a means to earn salvation through works in his own life and the lives of countless others.  Paul was willing to set his own feelings about the law aside so he could reach people from both sides of this argument.  He was sensitive to those who lived under the Law, thought he was free from it.  He was considerate of those who had not connection to the law so as not to confuse them.  We are all called to step out of our comfort zone in order to make the Gospel of Christ known to others.

 

THE CALL TO SAVE: Only Christ can save, but when we point others to Christ, we cooperate in the blessings of the Gospel.  As we willingly limit our liberties so as to not offend others, we gain the open doors to be able to point people to Christ.  The salvation of men should be our top priority.  There is nothing more important than the eternal destinies of men.  We must all learn to set our personal preferences aside in order to gain a hearing for the Gospel of God.

 

APPLICATION: Look for opportunities to serve others in practical ways so we have the opportunity to point them to Christ.  Be flexible in our relationships with others in areas of secondary importance like politics so as not to offend unnecessarily.  Make the loving and relevant communication of the Gospel our top priority.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Isaiah 54:1-17

Hope is a wonderful blessing from God, without which we would be vulnerable to all kinds of destructive tendencies in our lives.  Today’s society is marked by depression, anger, fear, anxiety and self-righteousness, in large part, because of the sense of hopelessness that prevails in our culture.  Isaiah writes to a people who are about to be taken into captivity because of their sin.  God knows that they will feel rejected, threatened and hopeless so He reveals His future plans for the nation in order to give them hope in the midst of the coming trial.  Hope is the expectation of good based upon the promises of God.  Many times when our lives are marked by the sins mentioned above it is because we have forgotten or failed to focus upon the promises of God’s Word. THE PROMISE OF GOD: From the very first day that God revealed His plan for the nation of Israel, He promised numerous descendants.  God chose Abraham, not because he was more righteous than any of the other people of his
Read more

1 Timothy 2:11-15

Let a woman learn quietly   with all submissiveness.    I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.    For Adam was formed first,   then Eve;   and Adam was not deceived, but   the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.    Yet she will be saved through   childbearing—if they continue in   faith and love and holiness, with self-control. There is certainly controversy and confusion about this passage in many churches today.  The idea of a distinction between men and women and their roles in the family and church certainly goes against the flow of many cultures around the world.  Some would argue that the literal and plain teaching of this passage is no longer applicable to today’s culture.  However, it is always dangerous to discard biblical teaching or try to interpret Scripture based on the cultures in which we live.  Certainly, the Spirit who inspired this text was aware of the many changes that would occur in future cul
Read more

1 Timothy 2:1-7

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and   dignified in every way.    This is good, and   it is pleasing in the sight of   God our Savior,   who desires   all people to be saved and   to come to   the knowledge of the truth.    For   there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,   who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is   the testimony given   at the proper time.    For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying),   a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.   Prayer is one of the greatest privileges believers have and it should be one of our greatest priorities.  Too often our lives are more often marked by complaining about our circumstances and our political leaders than by prayers for them.  The government in Paul’s day
Read more