Not for an answer, but for the wisdom that other believers, who are further along in the faith perhaps, have gained through the Holy Spirits illumination in their lives as they have been faced with similar questions. 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. God is sovereign. 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. Lets have enough confidence in Gods call upon us to trust Him in it, and to let Him use it, and to even thank Him for it. 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. Father we ask that you will give us grace to seek you, to seek your will, to seek your favor, especially as we wrestle though a thousand difficult questions. Christianity is not a revolutionary religion of upward social mobility. Let each one remain in the same calling in which he was called. 24 So, brothers, in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God.1 Corinthians 7:17-24, ESV You should not be driven from one by fear or despair, nor allured to the other by wealth or pride. Most practically, how do we evaluate opportunities that present themselves? You would be functionally a slave, yet what an honorable position working for that great politician. As theyve had to search the scriptures and see the various principles and how the light of Gods word shone into their lives by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. It may be that He calls us to that place for the initial stages of our walk with Him; and all so that He can train us for what He has for us in the future. Were not automatically required to leave our families when we come to know Jesus Christ. 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. In verse 18, he wrote Was anyone called while circumcised? Our sermon ideas on 1 Corinthians will help you preach a powerful message on sound conduct and doctrine within the church. . He is not to become uncircumcised. That is the great message of this mornings passage. In the minds of most Jewish people, he was something close to a gangster. Do not be concerned about it. Now, in actual fact, the whole section - from verse 17 through to the end of the chapter, at vs40, really ought to be . That is when he invites us to trust in the Lord Jesus through faith. Let me conclude now with some practical implications. This may be correct, but I find it hard to accept since the principle he is illustrating is expressed in v. 20 as "Everyone should remain in the state in which he was called," and in verse 24 as "In whatever state each was called, there let him remain with God." Wherever you are now, reject a consumers mindset where you just want to take and instead embrace a servant mindset. Remain, if you are free as you are. Our responsibilities to our families, to our work, to our neighbors, to our churches. 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. Podcast: Play in new window The principle that Paul had already taught in relation to marriage is here mentioned clearly three times. 1 Corinthians 7:17-24 April 21, 2002 Intro: Again Paul seems to be alluding to a series of questions presented to him. All things truly have become new. Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision. Let's read 1 Corinthians 7:17-24. Then verse 24, "So, brethren, in whatever state each of you was called, there let him remain with God." 19 For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God. He makes them new creations from their inner-most being, and calls them to walk faithfully with Him in the outer life. Let him not become uncircumcised. So; thats what this principle looks like in relation to outward traditions. Do you notice how he was able to say how thankful he was for his calling? It is, in fact, a principle for all those who believe on Jesusand in all the churches that belong to Him. The old legalism said, "You must be circumcised in order to be saved (Acts 15:1). The Bible tells you to love your neighbor as yourself and that looks different in different relationships. We talk about language where we say that God is leading me here or some people say that they have a word from the Lord. 1 Corinthians 1:1-17 - God Calls Us to Unity - Study and Obey 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 For holy Scripture causes a hard knot in this matter, in that the Apostle says, that, by commandment of the Lord, the wife ought not to depart from . For example, when Jesus when off to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane, he told his disciples abide here while I go to pray. The idea was wait here until I come back. 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. They were believers who now, suddenly, found themselves married to non-believers. As one commentator, Lenski, writes, Paul is taking the minor idea of these assignments that we have, and he is including them with the major blessing to the call to faith in Jesus Christ.. What did I say, what didnt I say? Our new Preaching Suite solution makes it easy to prepare, preach and archive your sermons. 4 For the Was anyone at the time of his call uncircumcised? Once the person came the sign gave way to a reality. )1 Corinthians 7:21, ESV verse 15), but also because Scripture depicts and approves such changes. Let's all pray before we set out to work: "God, go with me today and keep me conscious of your presence. 23 You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men. Gods Calling Transcends Vertical Assignments 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 hope of glory when he returns. Those are the vertical, the authority, differentials. Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called. I have a responsibility to my wife that no one in heaven or earth shares. 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. 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. The Sermon below tackles about the Biblical teachings about marriage, marital relationship and divorce. Let him not seek circumcision. 44:54. Gods joy gives us perseverance in the midst of sorrow. If everything on the inside is new, should we then completely get rid of every aspect of the outside life and start over? Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Ultimately your circumstances are of deeply secondary importance. If you were converted as a Jew, don't try to become a Gentile. If we translated this really literally, it would go like this, Only to each as God assigned, in the situation in which God has called each thus let him walk.. 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. Between the top two pieces are verses 18 and 19 where the principle is applied to the issue of circumcision and uncircumcision. 24 So, brothers, in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God.1 Corinthians 7:17-24, ESV If you are Mexican, don't try to become American; if you are American, don't try to become Mexican. 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. 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. Were you called while a slave? In other words, in communion with God this would secure their contentment and happiness. I love to watch Paul put his theology to work like this. He looks to the slave who may feel hopeless and says, "In Christ you are a free man. He didnt have to be circumcised, and become a devoted follower of the Jewish religious traditions. Paul's first application of the principle is not to vocation, but to circumcision and uncircumcision. 1 Corinthians 7:17-24 (ID: 1640) In 1 Corinthians 7:17-24, Paul called for stability and contentment among believers regardless of their station in life. Part 2: The Truth from God, John 7:37-39 Study Guide: What's the Deal with Jesus? Not only the president but anyone at higher rank than you could dump whatever work they wanted to on you. My life is to obey God and enjoy his presence.". 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. But it may be, as Jesus predicted in Matthew 10:34ff., that the rebellion and unbelief of the unbelieving spouse will turn Christianity into a sword that severs, instead of a peaceful balm that heals. What should you do? Even if you are free, you are not free. 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. And for those of us who have already trusted Him, lets walk as a faithful Christian in the place of life where God has called us to Himself. This doctrine of effectual calling changes what we expect out of life. You have to be asking does this person really love Jesus. Romans 3:23 - 24: "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. 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? 17 Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. Sometimes we start to ask, what if my good shepherd wants me to go to a greener pasture? Up to this point Paul has been talking about remaining in the situations that we find ourselves in in our marriages. Never mind. Now, notice that later on in verse twenty-one, God doesnt prohibit slaves from leaving their circumstances. John 7:1-13, 40-52 Study Guide: What's the Deal with Jesus? 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. He made application to Prior Richard at a local monastery, asking to be accepted as a contemplative and spend the rest of his life in the monastery. If they were called to God in a state of cultural freedom, then they are to be faithful to walk with Jesus Christ as His servants within their liberty. Am I living my best life now? There is no clear objective rule on this. Theme: We are to walk as a faithful Christian in the place of life where God has called us to Himself. Search the scriptures, but not for an answer. NOTE: Paul was separated unto Christ from his mother's womb but not saved until the Damascus Road Galatians 1:15; Acts 9. 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. If they were called to God in a state of cultural slavery, then they are to be faithful to walk with Jesus Christ as His servants within that state of slavery. *"This date is an approximation of when this sermon was delivered." THE text does not say that time is short. They may look the same on the outside, but their inner beingtheir spiritis completely transformed. We will pervert Paul's teaching and miss his intention if we take the sentence, "Let the uncircumcised not be circumcised" (verse 18), and make it an absolute prohibition of cultural adaptations. 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. I have to ask for the illumination to understand the objective teaching of scripture, does that line up with this situation? 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? Do not be concerned about it; but if you can be made free, rather use it. With God! Sometimes we think of calling in the sense of vocation, but the word calling as Paul uses it has to do with Gods effectual calling. Instead what we need to do is to ask for illumination. And to a certain degree, that new inner life also has an impact on the outer life. Your Job as Ministry. Sunday services at 10:30 am. Let him not be circumcised. If a Gentile man became a believer in Jesus the Jewish Messiah, he himself did not have to then become Jewish. To what degree should the outside be changed? Trending: The Cost of Discipleship. Their condition as married people did not need to change. If instead we are looking to serve, theres always opportunity. What Paul is talking about here, hes not laying out the gospel message about what Jesus Christ has done for us. I think we have a great example of this from the Bible. Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision. Was anyone at the time of his call uncircumcised? You have heard this morning about how He transforms the lives of all those who trust Him. Any duration. Third, for you younger people who have not entered a profession yet, the implication of our text is this: When you ask yourself the question, "What is God's will for my life?" What should we be saying? 22 For he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is a freedman of the Lord. Amen (1 Timothy 1:12-17). What if you are dating? Paul is not pronouncing a blanket condemnation upon all those who adopt aspects of other cultures and give up aspects of their own. All of us are prone to asking whether or not the grass may be greener somewhere than where we are living our lives right now. Paul has already used this word a few times and its good to look back and see them. 29. Never mind. 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. Rather, he simply meant that in terms of a saving relationship with God through Christ, those things are not what is important.