Being Unique and Avoiding Extremes
1 Corinthians • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Now as a concession, not a command, I say this. I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another. To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain single, as I am. But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion. To the married I give this charge (not I, but the Lord): the wife should not separate from her husband (but if she does, she should remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband), and the husband should not divorce his wife. To the rest I say (I, not the Lord) that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her. If any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever, and he consents to live with her, she should not divorce him. For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. But if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so. In such cases the brother or sister is not enslaved. God has called you to peace. For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?
Welcome
Let’s again remember that we are preaching through a letter that is really meant to be heard all at once. So it may seem like we are preaching about the same thing week after week, and that’s because we kinda are, at points.
We are continuing today in a section of the letter where Paul is addressing sexual immorality and the proper God-glorifying means of enjoying the gift of physical intimacy. Because as those washed, made holy, and declared righteous by God, we should seek to use the gift to honor God.
So we saw two weeks ago Paul’s focus on the wrong way to use it, and last week we saw Paul’s focus on the right way to use it.
This is truly a very practical section on Christian living. It is practical because we see all of the different real-life issues affecting the Corinthians.
But as Pastor Dave pointed out last week, we need to make sure that as we read this, we avoid extremes.
Because Paul is not speaking only in absolutes. Not everything he says here applies to every Christian in the church at Corinth. Some were living out their faith in a God-glorifying way.
Obviously, some were concerned about what was going on with others in the church, like Chloe and her people, and others wanted clarification to see if what was going on was honoring God, hence the letter to Paul.
But even more, Paul is careful not to lump everyone in to one category - he is addressing a church made up of different people, with different gifts and different levels of maturity, in differing life situations, and with different tendencies.
So what Paul says next cannot be taken as an absolute, because he doesn’t intend it to be that way.
And he makes that clear:
Now as a concession, not a command, I say this.
He says “as a concession.” It can also mean “as permission.” It literally says this is something to go along with what is already known. Paul is saying “I’m just giving you something to think about here” - he makes it clear that this is not a command.
So this is not an absolute. Quite the opposite, as we will see when Paul’s point comes into full view.
Why do I keep repeating that? Because this passage has caused a lot of confusion, historically, because Paul is about to talk about some of the advantages of being single when it comes to your walk with God - and we’ll see that even more in a few weeks - but that has led some to think that singleness is somehow more holy than being married.
There are still denominations that hold that view.
And if we think that’s what he’s saying, then if we want to please God, we’d all wind up in monasteries and convents. Like many did in the middle ages.
This is not a command. Paul is just asking the Corinthians to think about this.
And it isn’t all the Corinthians. This is just for a small group of them.
And what does he want them to think about?
I wish that all were as I myself am.
Paul says: “think about being like me.”
And what was Paul? Well, he is about to say that he is unmarried - that’s what he’s referring to. And that is who he is addressing here: the unmarried.
Paul later (in chapter 9) talks about how he has every right to be married, but has chosen to not use that right in order to better serve God in his calling as an Apostle.
But he is careful to point out even then that the other Apostles were married. And Paul later calls himself the least of the Apostles. So this is not elevating his unmarried status above theirs.
All he says that he wishes that the unmarried would consider being like him.
And if we’re honest, everyone wishes this! It would make things much easier if we were all exactly alike… and like me.
I wish that all Christians would be like me and study the original Biblical languages to better understand the Bible. It wold make my job easier.
My wife wishes I would be more like her and put things back where they belong after I use them. No, seriously, when I leave something out and she actually puts it away where it belongs, I usually can’t find it and have to ask her where it might be.
I wish everyone would love football as much as I do so we all had something in common and there’d be no awkward silences ever again. There’s always something to talk about when you love football!
But this isn’t the case. We don’t all love the same things, do the same things, think the same way, or pursue all the same things.
And Paul knows that. He knows that’s the case not just in Corinth, but in every church.
So in saying this, Paul is actually acknowledging that we are all very different. So all he is doing is commending this to his audience, knowing it isn’t for everyone.
And Paul is commending this to the singles in Corinth because he sees the benefit it has for him. Like I just commended football to you all.
But it isn’t for everyone. Football is not for everyone, and staying single to devote yourself to the work of the Gospel is not for everyone.
And Paul makes that clear.
I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another.
This is really the center of this passage. Each of us - every single person - has their own gift from God. And they vary, sometimes greatly.
Paul’s gift is not everyone’s gift.
Think about Paul. Not everyone can change their entire life in a moment and devote themselves to nothing but the Gospel. Because not everyone was as well-studied in the Scriptures as Paul already was.
And not everyone had a physical encounter with the risen Christ and not everyone was expressly commissioned to suffer in order to bring the Gospel to the nations.
And not everyone is an Apostle. Paul will make that clear later in chapter 12.
You see, Paul was unique. God used Him in a unique way and for a unique purpose. And Paul’s life, up until Christ called him, prepared him to answer that call. It prepared him to respond properly to the risen Lord.
So he devoted himself, 100%, to nothing but the spread of the Gospel to the point that he stayed single. And he wished that some of the Corinthians would consider doing the same.
But that is not his point.
His point is that each of them had a unique gifting from God to be used for the sake of the Gospel. Everyone is unique. And not the “everyone is special” way of our culture. No, that ideology tells you that you are unique and should be celebrated for it - that you deserve something for it.
What Paul is talking about is the unique gifting we all have, and the unique path we have all taken to get to where we are, right now. And right now, we are to use what God has uniquely gifted to us to humbly serve Him and move the mission of the church forward.
We are to be like Paul in that way, regardless of our gifting.
And this is not to say that people do not have the same gifting. There isn’t only one preacher in our church, or one person with the gift of hospitality, or one person who can sing - but we are each as unique as Paul in that our experiences and our abilities and our desires have all been used by God to get us exactly where we are - each of us.
This is why Paul often refers back to his former life before he knew Christ, and his call by Christ.
Do you ever think about your former life and your call?
Have you ever thought back to how God was in it all along - even when you didn’t know Him. Maybe, like Paul, even when you were against Him.
Even when it seemed like things were at their worst and He wasn’t there. Can’t you look back now and see how God used it all?
Nobody else took that same exact path. You are unique.
And the way God called you is unique. We all have a testimony of how God called us. For some it was a very long process. For others, there was a seed planted that grew in due time. For some, like me, there was that lightning bolt moment where everything changed.
But for all of us, there was a point that we heard the call of Christ and responded to that call.
But God took us all on different journeys to Him. They are all unique.
He called us all in different ways. We all have a unique story.
He has given us each a unique combination of gifts. Each has his own gift from God, one of one kind, and of another.
And the way God wants to use you now is unique. It is what He has prepared you for.
He has a reason He called you. He has a reason for all that has happened up until now because it has made you who you are.
He made Paul who he was, and Paul wants to commend to the Corinthians a singular focus on the God that called them.
For Paul, that meant singleness. But it doesn’t for everyone.
This is why Paul says this is his wish and not a command.
And to keep from going to extremes on what Paul is saying here about being like him, let’s keep this in context. Paul is still addressing something the Corinthians wrote to him. We saw this last week:
Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.”
Paul is still responding to this extreme. To this blanket statement that some of the Corinthians made. Some of them thought being sexually abstinent was somehow more holy than having sex even with their own wives - that’s an extreme.
It is an extreme like the extreme he addressed right before that where some people thought sexual immorality of all sorts was fine.
And note that Paul doesn’t start his response by saying: “hey, you’re right! I am sexually abstinent so you should be too.”
No. They say this and He starts by saying: “Nonsense! If you’re married, you have an obligation to your spouse in this department. And it is God honoring to keep that obligation.”
Now he says - “but if you are not married, you might want to think about not getting married. But that is not for everyone.”
Paul is actually, once again, speaking against the worldly wisdom that had crept into this church. The lofty speech and wisdom that some of the Corinthians were so intrigued by.
Stoicism and Cynicism - two popular schools of philosophy of the day - believed that singleness and abstinence aided a philosopher in his pursuit of wisdom. They also believed that a man could not be married and at the same time be fully committed to the gods and their service.
So, according to this thinking, those who could remain unmarried and celibate were considered more virtuous and closer to the gods.
Paul is turning that around here in a few ways.
He is first pointing out who the true God is. This is about the Lord Jesus Christ.
But second, he is actually saying that there are ways to serve God in every situation - in this case, both married or unmarried, as we will see.
Paul is arguing against this extreme, and is again arguing against the extreme of some Greek religious communities that used sex in their actual worship of the gods.
But there’s more. Paul is also speaking against certain Jewish sects - like the Essenes - who believed similarly. They believed in that monk life - where you separate and devote yourself only to the inner life.
But that led them to disengagement from the world - even their fellow Jews who were not as “holy” as them in their minds, and in fact, were not even believed to be true Jews because of how they lived.
So Paul is discussing sexuality and how it is to be used and not used in opposition to every extreme. And he opposes both worldly philosophy and misunderstandings of God’s commands - which is exactly what the Corinthians were buying into with their statement that it is better for a man not to have sexual relations even with his wife.
And Paul continues his argument against this way of thinking.
So he says:
Now as a concession, not a command, I say this. I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another. To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain single, as I am.
He says that if you are not married - which as we will see includes singles, lawfully divorced people, and widows - then he says there is a benefit to staying unmarried.
But don’t lift this verse out of context. He is not saying this is a blanket rule - that being unmarried is always better than being married.
He already qualified what he’s saying in the previous verse. He has benefited from being unmarried - but that is not what God has granted to everyone.
And once again, Paul is only pulling from the teaching of Jesus.
When Jesus addresses divorce and why it was allowed under the Mosaic Law, He says that sexual immorality by your spouse is the only lawful reason for divorce. Then his disciples follow up with Him:
The disciples said to him, “If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.” But he said to them, “Not everyone can receive this saying, but only those to whom it is given. For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let the one who is able to receive this receive it.”
Even Jesus’ disciples think His definition of lawful divorce is too narrow, and say it would be better to not marry at all.
And Jesus’ answer assumes that not being married means being celibate, and He, like Paul, knows that’s not for everyone.
Jesus said that some can be celibate for the sake of the kingdom because they have been called to that, and others have not been called to that.
Some have been gifted for that, and others have not.
This is what Paul is saying. It isn’t for everyone.
And for those people for whom it is not, marriage is actually better for those who want to serve God.
And I couldn’t agree more. It has been said many times, and I wholeheartedly agree, being a pastor is not a job for single men. Because there is no one who can be as supportive, or as plainly corrective, as a Godly wife. And that’s a gift.
And not just to me, but you all. Believe me, Jenine keeps me going when I feel the pressure, and Jenine keeps me in line and corrects me when I make a mistake.
I could not do what I do if I was single. If you ever want to thank God for your elders, do not forget to thank Him for our wives.
So Paul has addressed the unmarried, and he is now going to address marriage.
But Paul here is still speaking of the proper use of the gift of sex. Don’t forget that.
He says that God gifts some with the ability to go without it, and others he does not.
And he clarifies that with what he says next:
But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
Who’s the “they?” Still the unmarried. If they are not gifted with that self-control by God, they should marry. It is better for them, in fact, that they do marry.
Paul just spoke about self control. He said that married people should not withhold themselves from their spouse except for a time agreed upon for the purpose of prayer - but even then, he said not to let too much time go by without physical intimacy because Satan will use that as an opportunity for sin because of the lack of self-control.
Paul now says that this doesn’t apply only to the married. He says that if you do not have the self-control to remain unmarried - which I think most do not - then get married to use the gift of sex in the only way that honors God.
Now, we need to once again not take this to the extreme. As I said, this section applies to the single, the widowed, and the lawfully divorced. But Paul is explicitly talking here about the unmarried and the widow.
Do not take this to the extreme and think this means that Paul is approving of remarriage after an unlawful divorce.
Why do I point that out?
Because I have seen this single verse be taken right out of context to justify a supposedly Christian man leaving his current wife for another woman he finds more desirable. I wish I was kidding.
So Paul addresses the unmarried and the widow. Only then, after saying this, does Paul address divorce.
How do we know what constitutes a lawful divorce? Well, Jesus said that divorce because of sexual immorality was allowed under the Mosaic Law.
But there is more to it than that.
So Paul tells us:
To the married I give this charge (not I, but the Lord): the wife should not separate from her husband (but if she does, she should remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband), and the husband should not divorce his wife.
Now, it is important to remember who Paul is writing to. He is writing to Christians. He is assuming that those reading this letter are saved by God’s grace. That they have been made righteous, have been washed, and are being made holy.
So Paul says to Christians that, in most cases, if you are unlawfully divorced, and you cannot control your sexual desires, then your only option is to go back to your former spouse. Remember, two become one in the marriage bed. God designed it that way. Jesus said that no man should separate what God has brought together in this way.
So if you are unlawfully divorced, getting remarried - joining with someone else - is just adding sin upon sin. Either stay single and celibate, or, if you still have the desire for physical intimacy, repair your broken marriage.
And that sounds so restrictive, doesn’t it?
But this is why I say that the culture has influenced the church more than the other way around. This goes to show that many of us have been convinced that sex is, in fact, no big deal. Certainly not important enough to govern who we may or may not marry.
And note that Paul says this is a command. We are out of the realm of “this is something to think about,” and on to actual commands that have already been given and that they should already know.
Simply put, Christians are not supposed to get divorced.
But wait - didn’t I just say that God allow for divorce in the Old Testament? Well, yes. But why did He allow it? Jesus said it was only because of sin. God put laws for divorce in the Mosaic Law to protect women because he knew the hearts of some men were hard and sexual sin would put women in danger.
Remember, when the Law was given, polygamy was very common.
And if a man took another woman, a wife could be neglected, or put out of her husband’s house with nowhere to go and with a stigma upon her. It would be better for her if the man could lawfully release her from the marriage so she could be remarried.
And note here that Paul talks about a woman separating from her husband and the husband divorcing his wife. Do you know why? Because only men could lawfully initiate a divorce. That is why women needed to be protected.
But though God allowed for it, Jesus tells us that divorce was never intended to be. It is because of sin that divorce was allowed.
The prophet Malachi - after Israel and Judah broke the covenant and were sent into exile, and then returned to the land, and still remained faithless - tells the returning remnant why God has not restored His favor to them. He lists a bunch of things they were still doing to sin against Him. And part of that is this:
And this second thing you do. You cover the Lord’s altar with tears, with weeping and groaning because he no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand. But you say, “Why does he not?” Because the Lord was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring. [This is the creation mandate that Pastor Dave spoke about last week] So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth. “For the man who does not love his wife but divorces her, says the Lord, the God of Israel, covers his garment with violence, says the Lord of hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not be faithless.”
I think Paul has this in mind with what he says in this passage.
As we saw a few weeks ago - he says physical faithlessness is spiritual faithlessness. We saw that you cannot separate the physical from the spiritual. That is what God said through Malachi.
And why is that? Because the covenant of marriage mirrors the covenant of a believer with God. This is ultimately about being unfaithful to God. And we are unfaithful to God when we are unfaithful to our spouse.
You see, this is the reason divorce was never intended: separation from God was never intended. But sin changed that. Sin separated man from God, and sin is the reason God allowed a man to divorce his wife.
But now, as Christians, we have a restored relationship with God. We have entered into the new and better covenant with Him. And if we are married, our marriage covenant reflects our covenant with God. Just like Malachi said.
So the fact of the matter is that there are endless reasons I love my wife. She is beautiful to me in every way, and just based on her cooking alone I could never leave.
But the most important reason to love her, is because loving her is the primary way I show my love for God. He is the real reason I should love her. I am to love her like Christ lives the church. And brothers and sisters, He will never leave or forsake us.
So, divorce was not God’s plan. It is the result of sin - of living in a world broken by sin. As I said when I preached on divorce a few years ago - though not everyone involved in a divorce is guilty of sin regarding the divorce, sin is always the reason for divorce.
So Paul tells the Corinthians that they - believers - should not initiate divorce. But we live in an imperfect world. So if they do, their options are celibacy, or reconciliation:
To the married I give this charge (not I, but the Lord): the wife should not separate from her husband (but if she does, she should remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband), and the husband should not divorce his wife.
Okay, but what about those who are married, whether happily or not? Whether to a faithful believer or not?
To the rest I say (I, not the Lord) that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he should not divorce her. If any woman has a husband who is an unbeliever, and he consents to live with her, she should not divorce him.
“The rest” is the married. This is Paul’s instruction to them.
And based on how specific Paul is here, I can only surmise that some of the Corinthians were using that “it is better not to have relations with a woman” as a justification for divorcing their unsaved spouses. That may even be the context of the statement in the letter they sent Paul, which is why Paul is addressing this specific situation here.
And please, please, and I repeat PLEASE - do not take this “I, not the Lord” and say that this is not as binding as something Jesus commanded. Don’t be a red-letter Christian. The entire Bible is breathed out by God. What Paul says here the Holy Spirit says.
All he means is that Jesus did not address this specific situation in His teaching.
The Holy Spirit carried Paul along to offer his “something to think about” - what was not a command. And the Holy Spirit here is speaking through Paul with a command.
And he says, even if you are married to an unbeliever, you - Christian - do not initiate a divorce. If your unbelieving spouse is willing to stay with you, the matter is settled.
Because, again, Christians should not get divorced.
But note something here. Paul actually makes the woman and man equal here - he applies the right to divorce to the woman as well as the man.
But by Jewish law and Roman law, women could not technically initiate divorce.
Paul is making a bold statement here. He is changing the rules of marriage, as it were, to make the husband and wife true partners, in contrast to the Mosaic Law and the law of the land.
So not only is he saying that Christian marriage is different than the marriages of the world, but this shows that marriage is not truly confirmed nor upheld by the state.
God confirms and upholds marriage.
And, remember, the Old Testament laws were given at a certain point in time where the entire world was completely patriarchal. This was beginning to change more in Paul’s day - and it is completely changed today, as least legally, though some would still argue that patriarchy is alive and well
Plus, by this point, polygamy was no longer acceptable in mainline Jewish life, and was not allowed under Roman Law. But a man could still divorce his wife, and many did, especially if they had the chance to marry into a more affluent family that would raise their social standing.
So Paul is saying that as Christians, we are not under the Mosaic Law, and we are not under the laws of the world. We are under God.
And here is where Paul talks about the benefit of marriage. You see, he is not taking an extreme stance on singleness. Marriage is actually a great benefit to the cause of the Gospel and the kingdom.
He tells Christians that if they are married to an unbeliever, they stay married to them.
Why?
For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.
Again, this is a callback to the Malachi passage. God said through the prophet that the covenant made between a man and a woman is witnessed by Him, and then Malachi says:
Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth.
This is what Paul is talking about here:
For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.
And this is not advocating the idea of infant baptism as if they are in the covenant because they have a believing parent so they are holy the same way a believer is.
Paul said that he is single and remains so, so that he can focus on his mission as an Apostle and spread the Gospel.
He is saying here that a believing spouse has the same responsibility to his or her family. If you are a believer and some in your nuclear family are not - and some of you are in that position - Paul is saying that because you were washed, and you were made holy, and you have been made righteous - that holiness and righteousness are in your family and your home because of you.
The Holy Spirit is there. Do you not know that you are a Temple of the Holy Spirit Whom you have from God?
Your holiness will influence your spouse’s holiness.
Your washing with the Spirit - your cleanness before God - will influence your children and their holiness.
In other words: you are in the position you are - God used all that came before, and the calling He has put on your life - in order to show your family Who He is, through you.
And if you - a Christian - if you dissolve that union with your unbelieving spouse, you are ignoring where God has you, and what He wants to do through you.
This is why the powers of darkness love divorce. This is why the world thinks divorce is no big deal. This is why “no fault” divorce is perfectly legal. The powers of darkness want to steal that holy influence from those who do not know God.
And this is why the utter disregard for the importance of the nuclear family has been one of the leading factors - if not the leading factor - in the decline of our culture. And this is why the family is the primary target of the devil.
And as Christians, we need to recognize that. And we need to take our responsibility very seriously.
Honoring our marriage vows, is spiritual warfare.
So if you have an unbelieving spouse, you need to stay in your marriage.
But what if the unbelieving partner doesn’t want to stay?
But if the unbelieving partner separates, let it be so. In such cases the brother or sister is not enslaved. God has called you to peace.
Here is another example of a lawful divorce. If your unbelieving spouse leaves you, you are free. Remarriage in this case is not a sin.
It literally says “if the unbelieving partner separates, separate.” In the Greek the second “separate” indicates a permission granted.
And the emphasis here is on the “not enslaved” and “called to peace.” Marriage is not a prison. It has a unique purpose in the plan of God.
Christians are not to break the covenant of marriage. But if your unbelieving spouse does, you are free.
Now, this is not really a message about divorce, you can go back and listen to my message on divorce from a few years ago if you want more detail, but I don’t want to leave the topic without saying a few things.
First, divorce is not the unpardonable sin. If you are divorced and it was not for an explicitly lawful reason, even if you have since remarried and are now in covenant with your current spouse, there is forgiveness.
But I would encourage you, if you have not, you need to confess your past sin and be forgiven.
Second, the command for a Christian not to initiate divorce cannot be taken to an extreme. It does not mean that you stay living with your spouse if there is any danger to you or your children. If there is any abuse - physical or emotional or otherwise - you are not under obligation to remain physically with your abuser.
And if you need help, the church is here to be your refuge.
Third, as I said, God made provision for divorce as a protection for the wronged party in the dissolution of the marriage relationship. Now a days, that can be a woman or a man. If the sin and the hardness of your spouse’s heart has made your situation unlivable - especially if there is adultery taking place - there is recourse. I can’t get into all of it here, but if that is the case, I would encourage you to come see me.
So, to finish off what Paul says here, he lays out a lawful reason for a marriage to end. If the unbelieving spouse leaves, you are released from the covenant. But Paul is saying this to emphasize his previous point. That as a Christian you are to remain in your marriage even if your spouse is an unbeliever.
And as I said, he has the Malachi passage in mind which is why he speaks of the holiness of your family because of your objective holiness.
And so he ends this section with a further encouragement:
For how do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?
Again, the holiness that God has granted you is the greatest means to bringing an unbelieving spouse to faith in Christ. That is where God has you, and He has you in this unique situation for a unique purpose.
And we will explore that idea more next week. But for now, I want to leave you with a few closing thoughts.
If you have unbelievers in your home, be encouraged - God has a purpose in your marriage if your spouse is not a believer. He has a purpose in your marriage if your children are wandering from the faith or even if they have outright refused Christ to this point. God uses your holiness and your righteousness to reveal Himself to your family. Have faith.
Remember that you are unique. God has used everything in your life to make you who you are right now, and to get you right here, right now. (we will see next week Paul expand upon this). That means you are in a unique position to shine God’s light and further the mission of the church because of your unique circumstances. Don’t overlook that. You have an opportunity to make a difference for the kingdom, no matter where you are right now.
You are gifted and you are called to use your gifts for Christ (Paul will get into great detail on this later in the letter when he talks about the right way to use your gifts and the wrong way to use those gifts). And there is a right way and there is a wrong way to use them. But not using them is not an option. Show forth God’s goodness and grace by using your giftedness.
Do not take all of this talk about sexual immorality and marriage and divorce out of the larger context of the letter.
I always encourage people to read any NT letter in one sitting. You lose the flow so easily breaking it up.
Remember what Paul said to open this letter:
I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge— even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you— so that you are not lacking in any gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
And remember that this lays out what he is talking about in the whole letter. And the focus here, if you’ll remember, is on what?
The fact that Jesus Christ is Lord, and you belong to Him. He’s got you.
Your end is sure. So make your “right now” - this unique moment in the history of salvation - a moment to honor Him. Let’s fulfill our calling together and live out our faith - in our marriage, in our singleness, in our uniqueness - let’s live like we believe what Paul says here.
And God will use us for His glory.