God's People Must Be United and Growing in Holiness
As preached at Rolling Hills Church on Sunday, March 11th, 2012
1 Corinthians 7:17-24[1]
17 Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches.
18 Was anyone at the time of his call already circumcised? Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision. Was anyone at the time of his call uncircumcised? Let him not seek circumcision.
19 For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God.
20 Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called.
21 Were you a slave when called? Do not be concerned about it. (But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.)
22 For he who was called in the Lord as a slave is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a slave of Christ.
23 You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men.
24 So, brothers, in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God.
Here is the message I see in this text, and hope to unpack for us now:
We are called to be devoted to Christ – just as we are. In this section Paul teaches the Corinthian church about the gospel call and contentment.
The Call of God
Effective calling is an act of God the Father, speaking through the human proclamation of the gospel, in which he summons people to Himself in such a way that they respond in saving faith.[2]
Remain Just as You Are
In regard to the Old Testament Law. Circumcision is nothing; uncircumcision is nothing. Obedience to God's commandments is the focus, and both Jew and Gentile, circumcised and uncircumcised should obey God. Having come to Christ, it would be no better to be Jew or Gentile, so why seek to change that, either socially or literally? Some Jews, under Roman rule, did reverse the circumcision to fit in when visiting the public baths. One Roman encyclopedia writer gave a detailed description of the surgery in the first century A.D.
In regard to your legal position: slave or free. Some believe that up to half the population in Paul's day were slaves; many were well educated, and some were skilled accountants, doctors, teachers, and other professionals. Of course some were poor and mistreated[3]. But slavery was so ingrained into the culture that most would no more think of changing that than we would think of changing Officers and Enlisted positions in the military, or management/labor in the work place. I am not comparing slavery to those: I am saying they accepted it as normal, just as we accept those positions as normal. I know we can't comprehend that, but it is simply the way it was. Why else would the apostle give instruction on how to live as slaves and masters?
Eph 6:5-9
5 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ,
6 not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,
7 rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man,
8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free.
9 Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him.
Paul said if you can get free then do so, but not to FOCUS on that, or to think that you couldn't serve Christ UNTIL you were free.
Whatever condition you were called, remain with God. This is stated three times; verse 17, verse 20, and verse 24.
Remain in the condition God called you in.
What condition were you in? This is the application for us; we don't necessarily have to change our vocation, our situation, or our location when we come to faith in Christ.
What government system do we live in when we are saved? Be a Christian in that situation. Social change may come as a result of Christians living differently, but I don't see the Bible teaching us to FORCE social change as much as to LIVE our Christian faith.
If we can help or change people, of course we should! We have led in orphanages, hospitals, etc. But folks, Americans think upward, improvement, and change; that can be good, but it is not necessary to follow and obey Christ. THAT must be done WHEN God calls us.
Is this to remain in sin? No, we died to sin. Should Paul have continued persecuting Christians as a representative of the Sanhedrin? No! Should temple prostitutes or homosexuals or thieves have remained in the condition they were called in? By no means! God's call is a call to believe in and follow Jesus Christ. We have to change from flagrant disregard of God and disobedience to God to faith in Christ and obedience to God.
Some have said we must bloom where we've been planted. This is a good statement concerning our faith in Christ.
We are called to be devoted to Christ – just as we are.
[1] All Scriptures, unless otherwise noted, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, (via E-Sword Software) © 2001 Crossway Publishing. All Rights Reserved. I paste them in red for distinction.
[2] Wayne Grudem's definition in Bible Doctrine, published by Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids. Copyright © 1999 by Wayne Grudem. All Rights Reserved.
[3] As provided by The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: 1 Corinthians, by John F. MacArthur. Copyright © 1984 by The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago. Published by Moody Press, Chicago. All Rights Reserved.
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