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Remain, if you are free as you are. Seek to follow the Lords leading but remember this number one priority. It seems wholly out of place between these to say, "If you can gain your freedom, do it." Rather, we are to walk as a faithful Christian in the very place of life where God has called us to Himselfand to let Him use us there, in that place, as His witnesses for Christ. 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. O God, give me the grace to obey your commandments, which I know are all summed up in this, to love my neighbor as myself. 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. To what degree should the outside be changed? One of the questions that they asked had to do with their marriages. In other words, coming to faith in Christ does not make a person want to abandon relationships appointed by God, but to sanctify them. Was anyone at the time of his call uncircumcised? We say, white is beautiful, black is beautiful, red is beautiful, yellow is beautiful; therefore, don't try to switch cultures. Let me conclude now with some practical implications. Some of them had become born again by faith in Jesus, and were now brand new creations in Christ. 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. When you are called to Christ, even as a bondservant you dont belong to your master but to the Lord. They would find his favor to be life and his loving kindness to be better than life.. In light of the glorious heavenly calling that we have received, our earthly circumstances are in fact rather unimportant. Paul had planted the church in Corinth on his second missionary journey ( Acts 17:16-18:17 ). Here begins our text in 1 Corinthians 7:17. In other words, so that we can have by the transformed lives to the gospel lives that are lived obediently to what God is calling us to. Thats the most important thing. Those arent even the right questions to ask.Instead we need to ask how do I serve Christ and others here, right now in these relationships, in these circumstances that God has put me? What does that mean? We belong to Him wherever He calls us; For, as Paul tells us in verses 22, he who is called in the Lord while a slave is the Lords freedman. We wonder if the grass is greener or if our good shepherd might be leading us to greener pasture syndrome. We dont follow the law in order to be saved, we arent saved by keeping the law, but what the scriptures tell us we are saved for keeping the law. Circumcision was an old covenant symbol and the purpose of the picture was to point to a person, the person of Jesus Christ and out of the Jewish circumcised people came the Lord Jesus Christ. "A man's mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps" (Proverbs 16:9). Thats the call, our assignments are ultimately irrelevant. For those principles from your word, for the clear teaching of your word to so saturate everything we think and do that your Holy Spirit can illuminate our responsibilities, our vows, our promises, the needs of others around us in a way that accords with what you have taught in your word. There are times where opportunities present themselves to make something different of our circumstances. And note one more thing. God's Word To The Separated - 1 Corinthians 7:10-16 How To Tame Temptation - 1 Corinthians 10:12-14 This Do In Remembrance Of Me - 1 Corinthians 11:23-32 A Time We Call Communion - 1 Corinthians 11:23-24 Our Time At The Lord's Table - 1 Corinthians 11:17-34 The Lord's Supper Service - 1 Corinthians 11:17-34 Repent from your sins and ask God to forgive you for what you have done in rebellion against him. It is so important, in fact, that Paul repeats it three times in this short passage. God can save you and make you clean. I think that the greatest explanation of what Paul meant is found in Romans 2. God alone rules each circumstance of life. Or to put it another way: How you do your job is a big part of your obedience to Jesus. Stated as a prayer, the main point today is: Father, grant to us all the grace to be conscious of your presence at our work and to obey your commands in all our vocational relationships. And thirdly, I believe we should always strivewherever He has usto be a faithful witness for the Lord Jesus Christ. 19 For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God. The early church lifted up the single lifestyle. When I read in Ephesians five that I need to lay down my life for my wife, I have to think about my conversations with her. In verse 21, he wrote, Were you called while a slave? (a member of the Sanhedrin would have Romans 3:23 - 24: "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. 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. 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. 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. This passage teaches us that we can all calm down; we dont have to get anxious about our calling in life. That was about the most offensive thing Paul could say to a Jew: Circumcision is nothing. But Paul was urging that this was not at all necessary for a believing Jewish person to do. It may be helpful to think of these as three pieces of bread in a double-decker sandwich (like a Big Mac). The Holy Spirit living in us helps us to walk through life in a new way. The principle that Paul had already taught in relation to marriage is here mentioned clearly three times. We have in this congregation nurses, teachers, carpenters, artists, secretaries, bookkeepers, lawyers, receptionists, accountants, social workers, repairmen of various sorts, engineers, office managers, waitresses, plumbers, salesmen, security guards, doctors, military personnel, counselors, bankers, police officers, decorators, musicians, architects, painters, house cleaners, school administrators, housewives, missionaries, pastors, cabinet makers, and many more. And in this vocation or station in life another calling comes from God. Do you notice how he was able to say how thankful he was for his calling? In chapter 1, verse 9, Paul says, "God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. A- He has discussed marriage and divorce. Has anyone been called in uncircumcision? So; thats what this principle looks like in relation to outward traditions. Bethany Bible Church Sunday Message; January 27, 2019 from 1 Corinthians 7:17-24. Those are the vertical, the authority, differentials. For 33 years, he served as pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota. We can remain our situations because we abide with God. It deals with the single lifestyle and what if offers compares to the marriage. So often when we go to the Bible, we are trying to get answers to our questions; what school should I go to, who should I marry? We should learn to accept His calling, and to be confident in it, and to even thank Him for it. 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. I have to ask for the illumination to understand the objective teaching of scripture, does that line up with this situation? Paul says, white is nothing, black is nothing, red is nothing, yellow is nothing, but keeping God's commandments is everything; therefore, don't try to switch cultures. 18 Was any man called when he was already circumcised? This was meant for all of Gods people in Christ. Its in almost every verse. What a wonderful way it is that God places us in a ready-made mission field in which to serve Him as His new creation ambassadors for Christ! Text: Acts 20:17-38 Sermon Series: On Mission. Never mind." If we are faithful in the place where He has called us, then He is better able to lead us to another place of calling if He so chooses. by Alistair Begg. In Corinth, there was a grave danger facing a girl who had reached the age of marriage. *"This date is an approximation of when this sermon was delivered." THE text does not say that time is short. Likewise he who is called while free is Christs slave. As the Bible tells us, if the Lord Jesus sets us free then we are free indeedeven if, culturally speaking, we are still in a state of slavery. Westminster Larger Catechism, Question 67 You should be able to say to your position, "Never mind. Likewise, he who was free when called is a bondservant of Christ. Ultimately your circumstances are of deeply secondary importance. He has sovereignly called us as He did for a purpose. Heaven is open, as St. Stephen saw it open (Acts 7:55); and we hear God when He addresses us in Baptism, in Holy Communion, in confession, and in His Word as it proceeds from the mouth of the men who proclaim His message to the people." --Martin Luther (1/19/1538 [LW 22:202])-- Send Pastor Mark Schlamann an email. If so, the application is clear, respond. He told them; If any brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her. We're the "church on the hill. Jun 14, 1981. Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold. And Jesus said to him, Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost (Luke 19:8-10). When you serve your master, you are not serving him, but the Lord. Faith in Christ as Lord and Savior will never destroy the covenant of marriage which God ordained at creation. Thats not what Im saying.The Bible talks about how husbands should relate to wives, but the Bible doesnt tell Jacob how he should relate to Allison. They were called into a relationship with Jesus Christ from the midst of a sinful culture. Responsible Freedom - 1 Corinthians 8:1-13. Stay where you are and obey God. But otherwise, the believer is to remain in the place where God had called them to Himself; and they should continue walking faithfully with Him there, and allow Him to use them as His witnesses for the kingdom of Jesus. Picking Your Fights - 1 Corinthians 9:1-23. If you are married and you have an opportunity to divorce your spouse and go after someone else, the Bible tells you that is sin and you may not do it. Were you called while a slave? 2) Even before our salvation God worked for our good. Bible Study & Sermon Videos; 1 corinthians 16:17-18; 1 Corinthians 16:17-18. 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. The circumstances you are in are relatively unimportant because of the glory that God is calling to you in Christ. He ought to be able to say, "Never mind." The moment any woman or man or young person places their faith in Jesus Christ, they become completely born-again in Him. 17 Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. In both of those cases, Paul is saying remain in your assignments, whatever they may be as you await the hope of glory when Christ returns. He used circumcision and slavery as illustrations to describe God's sovereignty over the social and religious barriers of his day. He repented of his sinful practices. Why You Should Preach This Book. If instead we are looking to serve, theres always opportunity. Application. Paul is not pronouncing a blanket condemnation upon all those who adopt aspects of other cultures and give up aspects of their own. They are new creations. Most practically, how do we evaluate opportunities that present themselves? For many of us that may mean turning over a new leaf tomorrow morning. Another example in verses 1216 is the question, What should we do if one marriage partner puts his or her faith in Christ but the other doesn't? This doctrine of effectual calling changes what we expect out of life. We will have confidence when Jesus Christ returns. Is yours a menial job? He makes them new creations from their inner-most being, and calls them to walk faithfully with Him in the outer life. But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity" (RSV). 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. All of those things are, by the providence of God, a part of our callingin the very midst of which He calls us into a relationship with Jesus. Do not be concerned about it; but if you can be made free, rather use it. We are to live in the same family with God. You dont have to join a new people group. 1 Corinthians 7:19, ESV 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. Therefore, when Paul says in 1 Corinthians 7:17, 20, and 24 that we should remain and live with God in the state in which we were called, he means: Remain in the state you were in when you were converted, when you were drawn by God into believing, loving fellowship with his Son. Scripture: 1 Corinthians 7:1-7. The Bible tells us that He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:7). 18 Was anyone at the time of his call already circumcised? 1 Corinthians 7:17,20 But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. Do not be concerned about it. I have to think about my actions, what did I do, what didnt I do? Are you feeling and sensing Jesus Christ drawing you to himself through his spirit? This is my rule in all the churches. Am I living my best life now? Now we need to see how Paul applied this principle in his day, and what it means for us today. "Were you a slave when called? ", John Piper is founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary. How do I bloom where Christ has put me? in which God called him," and when he says in verse 24, "In whatever state each was called, there let him remain with God," he is referring to a divine call by which we were drawn to believe in Christ. He wrote; For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God (Romans 2:28-29). Besides this, we know that there are some jobs in which you could not stay and obey God's commands: e.g., prostitution, numerous forms of indecent and corrupting entertainment, and others in which you may be forced to exploit people. And if we understand its broad cultural application, it offends all of us. Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision. Never mind. Part 2: The Truth from God, John 7:37-39 Study Guide: What's the Deal with Jesus? I think it is true in the final analysis that this is not an absolute prohibition of accepting freedom, anymore that verse 18 was an absolute prohibition of circumcision. 44:54. But as you see, Zacchaeus didnt remain in that sinful lifestyle any longer. Sermon Trusting God to Work it Out by Brian Bill. You can't be white if you want to be accepted." For the scriptures to frame how we are looking at this question. By: Pastor Jacob Gerber | Series: 1 Corinthians. Preach on topics including unity among believers, immorality, spiritual gifts, the meaning of love, and the certainty of the resurrection. These assignments are the circumstances of our lives. Trending: The Cost of Discipleship. Paul is saying that circumcision has nothing to do with this. Gods Calling Transcends Horizontal Assignments In the process, the theological reason for it will emerge also. ", 18245 NW Germantown Road Is it a job that is not esteemed as highly as other professions? 22 For he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is a freedman of the Lord. 24 So, brothers, in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God.1 Corinthians 7:17-24, ESV The first time is in verse 17; where Paul writes, But as God has distributed to each one, as the Lord has called each one, so let him walk.. The most important thing is your faith and obedience and keeping the commandments of God. Gods joy gives us perseverance in the midst of sorrow. Gods Calling Transcends Vertical Assignments Were not automatically required to leave our families when we come to know Jesus Christ. 24 and are . When Paul says in verse 17, "Let everyone lead the life . Imagine you had the opportunity to work for that person as a low-level staffer at the White House. New practices and habits begin to be embraced. So, in verse nineteen Paul says, just to explain this a little further, Sermon . 1 Corinthians 7:17-24 A Sermon By Scott Lindsay We are continuing this morning in our study of Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, picking up at verse 17 of chapter 7 and working through to verse 24 of that same chapter. Were on a mission to change that. Let's read 1 Corinthians 7:1724. In a word, the application of Paul's principle to cultural distinctives is this: Don't fret and don't boast about your present state of cultural distinctives; they are of little importance to God compared to whether you are devoting yourself, soul and mind and body, to obeying his commandments, which are all fulfilled in this: "Love your neighbor as yourself" (Romans 13:810; Galatians 5:14). Instead what we need to do is to ask for illumination. 18 Was anyone at the time of his call already circumcised? Never mind. 1 Corinthians 1:1-17 - God Calls Us to Unity - Study and Obey 18 Was a man already circumcised when he was called? 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. Even though he or she may claim to be a Christian, but does he or she really love Jesus? What did I say, what didnt I say? This is my rule in all the churches. Brethren, let each one remain with God in that state in which he was called (vv. But the next things that Paul goes on to talk about in verse twenty through twenty-three are vertical boundaries. Do you see how he praised God for it? But instead make obedience a big deal; make the whole aim of your life to obey the moral law of God. Never mind. Understand that this is the glorious gospel of salvation in Christ. Look at that word remain in verse twenty. We dont need to be so concerned with what we are getting out of life. Father make us steeped in the scriptures, not so we can just spit out the right answers without thinking to complicated questions, but so that you can frame the way that we are thinking and wrestling with you in prayer. John Piper Dec 9, 1984. What wonderful news that is! Now Paul talks about those who are slaves or free. I love to watch Paul put his theology to work like this. He also gives us some illustrations of what this principle should look like in some specific cases. Its not quite what Paul is dealing with, but we might as well address it since Paul comes close to the topic. This is a very important principle. It doesnt work that way. 20 Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called.