Graced Where You're Placed

1 Corinthians 7:17-24

Intro:

As followers of Christ, Figuring out what we should do with our lives as we live in this present world can be a complex matter. That is to say, it’s difficult to take next steps and discover our purpose in the everyday.

Sometimes the driving force for these decisions is the little phrase “If only...”—

If only I had a career in ___ I would feel satisfied and content

If only I was married then I would feel content!

If only I wasn’t married then I would feel content!

If only I was making more money… On and on it goes

Let me ask you… What is your “if only...”?

This has to do without our personal happiness, sense of identity, and satisfaction.

Or maybe that’s not it for you. Maybe you’re seriously wondering how you can please God in this world and in the church

You want to know your sense of purpose as a believer. You became a follower of Jesus or after a long time of walking away from Him He brought you back in repentance and you’re asking the question “now what?”

This sense of discontentment, angst, or lack of purpose could’ve been hanging in the air as Paul the apostle is addressing the questions the Corinthian believers were submitting to him.

Most believe Paul in this section (chapters 5-7) Paul is addressing certain concerns the believers in the church had regarding marriage and relationships. After correcting their skewed view of sexuality and relationships he goes on to offer principles for honoring Christ as the end-time people of God.

You may remember God redeems a people called Israel out of slavery and after giving them a new identity and calling them to be His people, He gives them the law and part of that included what’s known as the “holiness code” in Leviticus 18. This had to do with sexuality and what it looked like to be separated from the immoral nations surrounding them.

Paul just got done reminding the believers in chapter 6 that they are now, just like Israel was, the new creations, the new people of God that Christ has redeemed to be separate from the practices and ideologies of this world. He issues as it were a new holiness code. Now the body is used for the glory of God and not for unclean sexual practices all because of the gospel of God’s own son Jesus Christ. As one teacher put it, This whole section is all a blueprint for human flourishing that came from the mind of an infinite God who doesn’t run out of wisdom and knows what is best for His children.

Hence the instructions on marriage and various relationships in the world.

I usually like to state a main point of the text and the entire sermon, but we don’t have to look any farther than the text itself— Vs 24 plainly expresses the main point of this passage as well as the main point of this Sermon: So, brothers, in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God.

Paul explains this as we’ll soon see and essentially says that Belonging to Jesus Christ doesn’t pit you against the ordinary circumstances you’re called into, but enables you to trust Him, obey Him, and display contentment IN the ordinary circumstances.

Let unpack this principle and try to trace Paul’s argument—

We’ll look at this by looking at The Principle First Stated, The Principle Further Expounded, The Principle Freshly Applied.

1. The Principle First Stated- Vs 17-19

(Read Vs 17)- Paul begins with the word “only” to begin this little section. This word denotes a connection between what was just said about marriage and the various questions he addressed, and what will be said about singleness. That word only can be seen as a way for Paul to express a new thought but it’s a thought that zooms out to the general principle which should be driving everything before and everything after. He presses it home with his apostolic authority- The authority given by Jesus to establish the church in His commands and speak on His behalf.

In other words, in Paul’s various instructions about marriage and singleness, the question can be asked: “Alright Paul what’s your point? What are you getting at?” Well Paul states his point and the point of this little section as I said. It’s this:

Lead the Life God has assigned for you- Don’t think that now that you are a Christian you now have pressure to make decisions regarding your ethnicity or status in society.

Maybe you felt this when you were first saved. Maybe you know someone like this— There’s a bit of a freak out moment: Oh no now that I’m a Christian, do I leave my nonbelieving spouce? Do I now leave my boss whose not a Christian? Do I move to a monastery??!?!!

Example #1: Ethnic/cultural status (Read Vs 18)

Remarks

The first example given to help understand is ethnic status or the outward mark of a Jewish person— namely, circumcision.

Now if you were here last week, you see what Paul is doing. He’s stating the general principle of the chapter and broadening who he’s applying it to.

Not just married people, but also those who have an identity marker related to ethnicity.

Commentary

Now a majority of the congregation would have been gentile or non-jewish members

When he says here “The time of His call” he’s referring to the call that the Spirit gives to each of us when He grants us the ability to believe in Christ, grants us repentance, and calls us to salvation. Some have called this an efficacious call or effectual calling. He makes us alive.

So any who at the time of this calling was circumcised or a practicing jew, they shouldn’t seek to reverse that. And conversely, if anyone was uncircumcised when saved, they are not to seek to be circumcised.

Perhaps this could be that there were Jews in their midst who were converted through Faith in Jesus and all of a sudden they’re wondering if they should be concerned about them bearing the marks of Judaism now that they are not bound by the law of moses which required this. This is what marked the people of God.

But Paul goes on to say in the next verse what truly matters to the Christian- He really goes on to say 2 things here, God’s providence and God’s precepts. Read Vs 19

He says that it is keeping the commandments of God that what matters above circumcision.

The immature gentile believer here may have been taken aback by such a statement and say “wait, isn’t circumcision God’s law??? Aren’t we suppose to go on to be circumcised?”

But Paul is reminding them that the old covenant which bound God’s people has now become obsolete just as the writer of Hebrews makes clear. In other words, Paul can be saying, Jesus fulfilled this aspect of God’s law when He was crucified, being cut off for the sake of His people. Now only the moral law of God as seen in the ten commandments guides our living in Christ as a loving response to our savior, we obey— albeit imperfectly.

But treasuring God’s precepts is what matters most. Obedience to His commands is what “marks out” so to speak the people of God.

Peter makes this Point “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” 1 Pet. 1:14-16”

Peter says we’re children, but children who delight to obey our loving Father and being set apart from this world.

So the application is, remain faithful and content in your cultural setting. God has called you there! How do you know? Because you’re here right here right now- the calling on the christian is not to divorce from the ordinary cultural surroundings, but to quietly obey God in the midst of it.

Or put another way, Being saved by the gospel doesnt mean breaking ties with the secular, but trusting God’s providence, and treasuring His precepts wherever you are.

This angst can well up in us when, as a conservative in a liberal American culture, we can want to pick up and move to a more conservative area with better laws. We think, “well, I’m a Christian after all! How on earth can I live here!”

But God’s call for us is not for a change of location. That’s not what changes society or changes you.

I’m not saying Christians have the best of intentions when doing this, perhaps it can come from truly honoring the Lord and if that’s where God calls you then fine, but the reminder is here “remain where God has placed you!” You never know how your perseverance in obedience will impact your church and the society around you!

This is where the the first verse of our text comes in with trusting God’s providence

Look at what it says, “lead the life the Lord has assigned”

God has sovereignly saved you and sovereignly set you down where you are.

His providence is the idea in scripture that God doesn’t just let the world exist but is personally involved upholding and controlling all circumstances for His own glory and the good of His people.

For the church in Corinth who were in a horribly immoral greco-roman, pagan culture, this would have been such comforting truth! You don’t need to worry about your standing in culture when it comes to your ethnicity any longer! That isn’t what matters most.

God’s sovereignty over all things in your life is FOR you not against you if you belong to Him.

This causes contentment and rest in the fact that He knows what He is doing

“Whate’re my God ordains is right, He never will deceive me...”

2. The Principle Further Expounded- Vs 20-23

(Read vs 20) Now Paul repeats Himself and restates the principle.

What else does this look like in Paul’s mind?

Example #2: Social status.

3. The Principle Freshly Applied- Vs 24

Or put another way, Being saved by the gospel doesn’t mean breaking ties with the secular, but trusting God’s providence, remembering His presence, and treasuring His precepts wherever you are.

A right understanding of the good news of what Christ has done enables, not a separation from every earthly circumstance, but freedom to abide in Christ, with contentment, wherever God places us.