I have to think about the specifics of that in relation to who I am and who she is. Dont be anxious about your assignment in life. Dont put yourself in slavery because you were brought with a price. In other words, don't make such a big deal out of whether you are circumcised or not, or whether you are white or black or red or Swedish. by Alistair Begg. Sometimes we start to ask, what if my good shepherd wants me to go to a greener pasture? Let Him make you into a new creation. He may call us to Himself while we are in a place of sin; but He then leads us to live for Him outside that place of sin. When Paul says in verse 17, "Let everyone lead the life . Scripture: 1 Corinthians 7:17-24 Single And Whole Contributed by Rick Gillespie- Mobley on May 30, 2018 | 5,574 views This sermon deals with the reality that every single person is a whole person. How can I love the Lord God with all my heart, soul, mind and strength and how can I love my neighbor as myself wherever I am?What this passage teaches us is that we cannot search for satisfaction in what we are doing, but in how we are doing what we are doing. They are made brand new on the inside. A life that is lived in faith to Jesus and the way the he appoints for believers to live in. The greener grass syndrome, where we look for somewhere else or a different situation where my life would be easier or just flat out better. 19 For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God. Our responsibilities to our families, to our work, to our neighbors, to our churches. The Jews were separated physically from other people by the sign of circumcision that God gave to them. Your job is to search the scriptures and ask how this speaks into the general principles as you are praying for illumination. We often use the word "calling" to refer to our vocation: my calling is to be a homemaker; my calling is to be a salesman; etc. There are times when we should avail ourselves of opportunities. 29. Sermon Discipleship is a Process by Brian Bill. It doesnt mean that you are fixed there forever, but the default is bloom where you are planted. 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. 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. You dont have to join a new people group. 19 For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God. 1 Corinthians 7:22, ESV Hes talking about this calling about what Jesus has done and a calling to believe that what Jesus has done is for me.Let me read you what the Westminster Larger Catechism, Question 67 defines the effectual call as it looks at all the places this word is used in scripture. Never mind. 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. You are not my life. However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life. Never mind. Our separation from the world as Gods holy church is not marked by ceremonial circumcision, but by holy obedience that God graciously enables through Christ by his spirit in our lives. 2. Even if you are free, you are not free. 1 Corinthians 7:19, ESV He applies it like this: if you were converted as a Gentile, don't try to become a Jew. 18 Was anyone at the time of his call already circumcised? I have to think about my actions, what did I do, what didnt I do? But having said that in verses 12 and 13, the apostle does allow that, if the unbelieving partner deserts the believing partner and wants nothing more to do with the believer, then the believer is not bound forever to the relationship. I have a responsibility to my wife that no one in heaven or earth shares. Devote yourself to that with all your heart, and take whatever job you want. Thats why Paul said that circumcision is nothing, uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God is what matters.. But it's true. And the reason the person who is free can say, "Never mind," is similar: "He who was free when called is a slave of Christ." One of the most amazing and encouraging verses in the Bible is 2 Corinthians 5:17. office@harvestpca.org | (402) 558-4119, Copyright 2023 Harvest Community Church (PCA) | Site Map | Terms & Privacy, Jesus Divides the Earth Matthew 10:3442, No Comfort for the Lonely City Lamentations 1:1-22, "Marriage, Divorce, and Remarriage" (1 Corinthians 7:1016), The Present Form of this World is Passing Away (1 Corinthians 7:25-31) . Look at that word remain in verse twenty. Literally verse twenty says, each one in the calling in which he was called, in this let him remain. Here is the closest place that Paul uses calling in the way that we usually mean it, our responsibilities, our vocation, the assignments that we have in life. 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 Faith in Christ as Lord and Savior will never destroy the covenant of marriage which God ordained at creation. How to Survive the Last Days, Part 3 - 1 Corinthians 16:17-24. God alone rules each circumstance of life. Now that they were made new on the inside, did their condition as married people also need to change? 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? Paul then learned of divisions . In verses 17-24, we see that Paul applies this principle to all of life. Building On The Past - 1 Corinthians 10:1-12. The "called" are not all who hear the preaching, but those who receive it as wisdom. Likewise, he who was free when called is a bondservant of Christ. Fourth, and finally, this text implies that the job you now have, as long as you are there, is God's assignment to you. 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. 22 For he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is a freedman of the Lord. Thats the call, our assignments are ultimately irrelevant. 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. The word that occurs in each statement of the principle and nine times altogether in this paragraph is the word "call." 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. Ill show you where Im going to be getting these terms from. Then we ask am I obeying? The Bible tells us that He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:7). It was all for a glorious purpose. In verse 19, Paul wrote, Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing And we should understand that Paul, in saying this, didnt mean that such things didnt matter. He was considered a traitor to the covenant promises of Israel, and a robber of his own people. Here begins our text in 1 Corinthians 7:17. Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision. First, I believe we should learn to be confident in Gods call for us. 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.. Some of them had become born again by faith in Jesus, and were now brand new creations in Christ. 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. Praise God for the total transformation that comes from being a new creation in Christ. Only let everyone lead the life which the Lord has assigned to him, and in which God has called him. 1) God put us here. (All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version, unless otherwise indicated). In the assignment in which the call of God came to you, walk in that. Stay where you are and obey God. The real contrast, it seems to me, should be expressed as: "Don't let your slavery make you anxious, but instead use it." . Genesis 5:22-24 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. Our big idea today is this,We can abide in our circumstances because God calls us to abide with him. And what we all need to hear is that what lies most on the heart of God is not whether we move from one to the other, but whether in our present work we are enjoying God's promised presence and obeying his commands in the way we do our work. Rather, he simply meant that in terms of a saving relationship with God through Christ, those things are not what is important. 1 Corinthians 5:1-13 Study Guide: The Sin of Tolerance. (But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity. 1 Corinthians 7:17-24 April 21, 2002 Intro: Again Paul seems to be alluding to a series of questions presented to him. 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. . b. It is no accident that you are where you are. In verse 21, he wrote, Were you called while a slave? Gods call transforms and transcends us, as one commentator writes, in all of the circumstances that we find ourselves in. What does that mean? John 5:19-29 Study Guide: Jesus Gives Life, John 5:30-47 Study Guide: The Scriptures Point to Me, John 6:22-40 Study Guide: I am the Bread of Life, John 6:41-59 Study Guide: Jesus Addresses the Skeptics. (2) If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast aboutbut not before God. The things we used to love to do, we no longer want to do. 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. We are to go to the same job or the same schoolbut were to now do it all as before God, and as His servants, and with trust in Him, and as unto His glory. The Bible tells us that. Then Paul gives the theological reason for this admonition. Likewise, Paul also said, Was anyone called while uncircumcised? We are to live in the same neighborhood with God. The opportunities may arise and if so, you are free to take them as long as its to a good thing. NOTE: Paul was separated unto Christ from his mother's womb but not saved until the Damascus Road Galatians 1:15; Acts 9. Jesus Is Wounded By The Dividing Of Church Contributed by Lay Man on May 28, 2015 . If she wanted to marry, and her father would not allow her to do so, she might disgrace her father and ruin her own testimony by marrying the wrong person. Most modern versions say, "Were you a slave when called? 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.". In 1 Corinthians 7:8, He says if you have an opportunity to gain your freedom, avail yourself of that opportunity. 2) Even before our salvation God worked for our good. Respond to Gods effectual call through faith in Jesus. Someone was just as able to be called to God through Christand to live for Jesus just as faithfullyin a state of slavery as much as in a state of freedom. This passage teaches us that we can all calm down; we dont have to get anxious about our calling in life. Thats why slave of Christ, in verse twenty-two, could be an honorable designation suggested a position of some authority.. Do you have to become a member of a different people group? Any date. To be perpetually mindful of his presence and favor. Let me suggest a few things. Were on a mission to change that. Please answer His call. And likewise, the Bible tells us that we are not our own, but that we have been purchased at the cost of the blood of Jesuseven if, culturally speaking, we are now in a state of freedom. Look carefully at that phrase as God has distributed to each one. 20 Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called. I have to think, do those things line up? Stay in the relationship you were in when God called you to faith. We wonder if the grass is greener or if our good shepherd might be leading us to greener pasture syndrome. There are times where opportunities present themselves to make something different of our circumstances. When we read this and we have to ask, okay I have this job opportunity in front of me. What do we mean by this? Gods joy gives us perseverance in the midst of sorrow. God is sovereign. 21 Were you a bondservant when called? 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. Now, Paul is then drawing the application of this point to probably one of the most difficult circumstances to find yourself in, that of a bondservant, a slave. And so I ordain in all the churches. Many of them had lived very sinful lifestyles. Up to this point Paul has been talking about remaining in the situations that we find ourselves in in our marriages. verse 15), but also because Scripture depicts and approves such changes. That is the great message of this mornings passage. What if you are dating? If everything on the inside is new, should we then completely get rid of every aspect of the outside life and start over? Understand that this is the glorious gospel of salvation in Christ. Gods Calling Teaches Us to Abide with God Indeed, becoming a slave of the right person could be a career choice. 17 Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. Between the bottom two pieces are verses 2123 where the principle is applied to slavery and freedom. Then Paul turns in verses 2123 to apply his principle to the issue of whether one is a slave or a freedman. You have to be asking does this person really love Jesus. 1 Corinthians:7:32 . The principle that Paul had already taught in relation to marriage is here mentioned clearly three times. He found it to be exhausting and difficult and almost impossible to keep. I have to ask for the illumination to understand the objective teaching of scripture, does that line up with this situation? Notice how radically different Paul's rationale is for keeping your cultural distinctives than the rationale current in our day. Second, I suggest that we should always be flexible to change. John Piper Dec 9, 1984. 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. A- He has discussed marriage and divorce. 19 For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God.1 Corinthians 7:17-19, ESV Paul could have given the very same theological reason for this position as he did in verse 19. (But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.) This is clear from the fact that he had Timothy circumcised (Acts 16:3), and from his own statement that he becomes all things to all men that he might save some (1 Corinthians 9:22). 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. Christians are prone to this too. This is my rule in all the churches. You should not be driven from one by fear or despair, nor allured to the other by wealth or pride. 17-24). 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. Portland OR 97231, Posted by Pastor Greg Allen on January 27, 2019 under 2019 |, Bethany Bible Church Sunday Message; January 27, 2019 from 1 Corinthians 7:17-24. 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). Playing To Win - 1 Corinthians 9:24-27. Should the believer pull out in order to keep pure? 21 Were you a bondservant when called?