This is the same point he was making with cultural differences like circumcision: Were you uncircumcised? We start to show the love of Jesus for other people. And to give you faith to believe that Jesus became a human being for us and for our salvation, because he lived the perfect righteous life that was required of us and died the cursed death of sinners that we deserved in our place. Then Paul expands that principle to show us that its a general principle that should affect all of our lives. Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: "It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman." 2 But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. Instead what we need to do is to ask for illumination. By Leslie Holmes on February 28, 2023 15 Outstanding Quotes To Recharge Your Preaching Where we are in our life is not by accident. No matter how difficult his circumstances was, no matter how menials the assignments he was given, what a joy to abide in the presence with God. We areeach of usto remain with God in that state in which we were called. And likewise, the non-Jewish follower of Jesus was encouraged to remain non-Jewish and live for Jesus in that condition. But that is not the way Paul has used it eight out of the nine times it occurs in this paragraph. We cant help but repent from our sins and turn to him in faith to accept the faith offered in Jesus Christ. Part 1: Is He the Christ? This isnt to sugar coat slavery; it could be a very bad condition and thats why people did try to save up money to buy their own freedom. I have to think about the specifics of that in relation to who I am and who she is. There were people that were preaching that in order to be a Christian you had to first be circumcised. You must be white in order to be approved." God left them to remain in that very situation so that they might also have a godly influence upon their children. Preach on topics including unity among believers, immorality, spiritual gifts, the meaning of love, and the certainty of the resurrection. You have the same objective passages to look at, but you need to look at how that will be applied in your situation. Rejoice in the Lord and hope in him and you will be freer than all the anxious nobles." As a Jewish man, he would never have been indifferent to the covenant sign that God gave to his ancestor Abraham. A believing husband should not divorce his unbelieving wife, and a believing wife should not divorce her unbelieving husband. Search the scriptures, but not for an answer. John Piper Jun 14, 1981. Romans 4:1-5 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, discovered in this matter? You have heard this morning about how He transforms the lives of all those who trust Him. A brand new inner lifemade gloriously new in Christhas begun. . Caleb Greggsen pastors an English-speaking church in Central Asia. That speaks of the total transformation of our inner self. And if we understand its broad cultural application, it offends all of us. Do not be concerned about it. so it be allowed, having put her away, to marry another. Now, notice that later on in verse twenty-one, God doesnt prohibit slaves from leaving their circumstances. He has kept those relations in place for a reason. If Im not in full time ministry, am I really doing something worthwhile? Then Paul turns in verses 2123 to apply his principle to the issue of whether one is a slave or a freedman. Podcast: Play in new window Here begins our text in 1 Corinthians 7:17. But he allows the exception that if the relationship is abandoned and destroyed apart from your desire or control by the unbelieving partner, then let it be. Let's read 1 Corinthians 7:1724. Here Paul is telling us assignments in which we are called to abide as we wait for the full fulfillment that Jesus is calling to. The time may come when we may do something different, as long as it is lawful and properly available. Let each one remain in the same calling in which he was called. Let no man enslave your soul. The Holy Spirit takes the objective, inspired word of God and he illuminates that to my specific details of my life. 44:54. They are different from circumstance to circumstance and person to person. This has far-reaching cultural implications: if you are black, don't try to become white; if you are white, don't try to become black. The people group that God assigned you by your birth is in no way a hinderance to believing the gospel and following after the call of Jesus Christ to believe in him. When you serve your master, you are not serving him, but the Lord. Why is this? Should you leave whatever you are doing and go do whatever you think Holy Spirit should be doing? One of the most amazing and encouraging verses in the Bible is 2 Corinthians 5:17. Paul had planted the church in Corinth on his second missionary journey ( Acts 17:16-18:17 ). Our sovereign God makes those of us who trust in Jesus into new creations on the inside; but He then calls us to remain in the place where He has called us on the outsideand to thus let Him show forth His work in us to others who are also in that place. 21 Were you a bondservant when called? you should give the resounding answer: "His will is that I maintain close fellowship with him and devote myself to obeying his commandments." He wrote; And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. Having discussed the principle of staying in the God-ordained relationship of marriage when you become a Christian, Paul now discusses this principle in two other connections. But instead make obedience a big deal; make the whole aim of your life to obey the moral law of God. Other times slavery provided opportunities for upward social mobility that poor people wouldnt normally have. One is the work of the Holy Spirit in the objective inspiration of the Bible. 22 For he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is a freedman of the Lord. No new uncircumcised believer in Christ was required to become circumcised or to hold to the traditions passed on by Moses. This is the second principle that Paul goes on to say is that what the gospel does is undercut the very foundation upon which chattel-based slavery, possession-based slavery rests. Our new Preaching Suite solution makes it easy to prepare, preach and archive your sermons. 1 Corinthians 7:17-24 New International Version Concerning Change of Status 17 Nevertheless, each person should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to them, just as God has called them. You were bought with a price. Now if we read the word called as it is translated there it almost sounds like what Paul is saying is that we are called to these assignments. But Paul was urging that this was not at all necessary for a believing Jewish person to do. We're the "church on the hill. He told his story in 1 Timothy 1; and he was thankful for how God used the place of life he was in when he was called. This is my rule in all the churches. What do the scriptures teach about how God leads and directs the various circumstances in our lives? What matters in life and in eternal life is staying close to God and enjoying his presence. Once we are made new on the inside, things begin to change on the outside. Let's read 1 Corinthians 7:17-24. Paul has already used this word a few times and its good to look back and see them. In 1 Corinthians 7:8, All things truly have become new. So in answer to their question, he told them no. Your job is not to close your eyes, open the Bible, point to a word and then see what this has to say to me. And so I ordain in all the churches. This is my rule in all the churches. We can paraphrase the verses to show the difference between the general call and the effective call: Paul says, "We call everyone to believe in Christ crucified, but many Jews find this call to be a stumbling block, and many Gentiles find this call to be foolishness, but those who are called (that is, powerfully and effectively drawn to Christ) find the gospel call to be the power and wisdom of God.". Building On The Past - 1 Corinthians 10:1-12. That was about the most offensive thing Paul could say to a Jew: Circumcision is nothing. Paul is saying that change, as good as it is and as much as you should pursue it if you can, that change is unnecessary in light of what we are called to in Christ. Understand that ancient slavery, the kind that Paul was familiar with at this time, was very different than the kind of slavery that was practiced in the United States until the Civil War. That was a very important question that was being asked by the Christians in the ancient city of Corinth. Effectual calling is the work of Gods almighty power and grace, whereby (out of his free and special love to his elect, and from nothing in them moving him thereunto) he doth, in his accepted time, invite and draw them to Jesus Christ, by his word and Spirit; savingly enlightening their minds, renewing and powerfully determining their wills, so as they (although in themselves dead in sin) are hereby made willing and able freely to answer his call, and to accept and embrace the grace offered and conveyed therein. Now; if you have never placed your faith in Jesus and trusted Him as your Savior, I believe He is offering a call to you right now. We want the Bible to give us clear answers. I have to ask for the illumination to understand the objective teaching of scripture, does that line up with this situation? One of the questions that they asked had to do with their marriages. (But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.) Part 3: Sending the Spirit, John 8:12-30 Study Guide: I am the Light of the World, John 8:31-47 Study Guide: The Truth Will Set You Free, John 8:48-59 Study Guide: Before Abraham Was, \"I am\", John 10:1-21 Study Guide: The Good Shepherd, John 10:22-42 Study Guide: Safe in the Father\'s Hand, Jonah 1 Study Guide: Defiance and Discipline, Jonah 2 Study Guide: Salvation Belongs to the Lord, Jonah 3 Study Guide: The God of Second Chances. Sermon Central Share a Sermon; Try PRO Free; Help; Sign In; Sermon . Old sinful habits and practices begin to be set aside. First, I believe we should learn to be confident in Gods call for us. Likewise, Paul also said, Was anyone called while uncircumcised? 1 Corinthians 7:17, ESV Let Him make you into a new creation. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 Study Guide: Such Were Some of You, 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 Study Guide: Bought With a Price, 1 Corinthians 7:1-9 Study Guide: The Beauty of Marriage, 1 Corinthians 7:8-16 Study Guide: Approaching Difficulties in Marriage, 1 Corinthians 7:17-24 Study Guide: Living the Life God has Given, 1 Corinthians 7:25-40 Study Guide: Christian Singleness, 1 Corinthians 8:1-13 Study Guide: When You're 100% Right and 100% Wrong, 1 Corinthians 9:1-23 Study Guide: Surrendering Your Rights, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 Study Guide: Run to Win the Race, 1 Corinthians 10:1-14 Study Guide: A Way Out of Temptation, John 17 Study Guide 2: Sharing in Community, John 17 Study Guide 3: Sharing in Mission, John 17 Study Guide Part 4: Growing in Christ, 1 Corinthians 10:14-11:1 Study Guide: Glory to God in All Things, 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 Study Guide: Because of the Angels, 1 Corinthians 11:17-34 Study Guide: The Lord's Supper, 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 Study Guide: Spiritual Gifts for the Common Good, 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 Study Guide: One Body, Many Members, 1 Corinthians 13:1-8 Study Guide: Love Never Ceases, 1 Corinthians 13:8-13 Study Guide: When the Perfect Comes, 1 Corinthians 14:1-25 Study Guide: Pursuing Love and Desiring the Gifts, 1 Corinthians 14:26-40 Study Guide: Orderly Worship, 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 Study Guide: Gospel Centered Faith. Paul intended this to be a fundamental principle for all people who have put their faith in Jesus Christ and have become new creations in Him. Thats because its a manifestation of Gods providential work in our lives. Theme: We are to walk as a faithful Christian in the place of life where God has called us to Himself. They might be translated slightly differently in your Bible, but we are going to go with the words that ESV has since thats what Im preaching from. Scripture: 1 Corinthians 7:17-24 Denomination: Baptist God's Word About Sex, Divorce, & Singleness Series Contributed by A. Todd Coget on Mar 6, 2003 based on 27 ratings | 5,976 views The purpose of this sermon is to teach God's Word about these areas and inspire obedience to it. 11 (but if she does, she should remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband), and the husband should not divorce his wife.1 Corinthians 7:11, ESV And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. We start seeking out fellowship with other Christians. Now obviously, staying in that place in which He called us assumes that it is not an inherently sinful place. God had providentially called them from within that particular relationship in order that He might use them as a witness to their unbelieving husband or unbelieving wife. Picking Your Fights - 1 Corinthians 9:1-23. Paul says you are missing the point, you dont have to worry about the ethnic or national boundaries that existed in the old covenant because the call of Jesus Christ comes to all kinds of people in all kinds of cultures and the call says, follow Jesus where you are. Bloom Where You're Planted. So all Christians, and only Christians, are called in this sense. To be perpetually mindful of his presence and favor. What should you do? Let him not become uncircumcised. To be circumcised, of course, was to bear upon ones self the covenant sign of Israel. With long-suffering and prayer and humble, exemplary conduct, the believing partner longs to win the unbeliever. Likewise, he who was free when called is a bondservant of Christ. How do we discern the Lords word in our lives? You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men. 23 You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men.1 Corinthians 7:23, ESV Let me give you an illustration of what this might look like. The fact were urged to stay in the place we were when God called us does not mean that thats where God will always keep us. Slaves were sometimes highly educated and trusted with administrative responsibility. Either way, we belong completely to Jesus as His new creations. Paul is saying that circumcision has nothing to do with this. 3 The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy (1 Corinthians 7:12-14). In whatever place of life we were in, at that time when we were called by God to place our faith in Jesus and trust Him as our Savior, we are to remain there as if with God. If that is true, then we need to think through our opportunities and our assignments with that lens. The new legalism would say, "You can't be circumcised if you want to be saved. And to a certain degree, that new inner life also has an impact on the outer life. . The word of God for all us "success seekers" is this: Take all that ambition and drive that you are pouring into your upward mobility and pour it instead into a spiritual zeal to cultivate an enjoyment of God's presence and obedience to his revealed will in Scripture. Are you feeling and sensing Jesus Christ drawing you to himself through his spirit? Even in there God made a way that he powerfully calls us out of ourselves and open our eyes to see Jesus and how good and glorious and radiant he is. verse 15), but also because Scripture depicts and approves such changes. Let him not be circumcised. Trending: The Cost of Discipleship. 1 Corinthians 7:17-24 Live as You Are Called 17 Only let each person lead the life3 lthat the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. The Bible tells us that He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:7). 1. 22 For he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is a freedman of the Lord. (All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version, unless otherwise indicated). Has anyone been called in uncircumcision? So, these are the horizontal assignments, the boundaries, the people Gods. He is radically God-oriented. And so, the apostle Pauls specific instruction to usthat is, that we remain in the place we were in at the time God called us to Himselfshould be understood to mean that we are not to continue practicing sin.
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