1st Corinthians 7:17-24

Recap:

Okay so Here we are tonight picking up where we left off in 1st Corinthians ch 7

The first week in this chapter Ben went through the first 9 verses

and then 2 weeks ago I went from verse 10- 16

Now the whole point of this chapter is to speak on Marriage, Singleness/ The unmarried , and those that have Lost a spouse/ Widows

And throughout this chapter its very important that we keep context in Mind because it can be very easy to take the side of singleness

we have to remember who the Audience was that Paul was addressing

It was the Corinthians

1)The people of the church of Corinth were divided, ( they thought it was wise to chose certain leaders to follow within the church instead of following God ! 1 Corinthians 1:12 “12 Now I say this, that each of you says, “I am of Paul,” or “I am of Apollos,” or “I am of Cephas,” or “I am of Christ.”” ( we do this in the church today) (expound)

2) They were defiled, they were so caught up in the sexualized culture of their time that they became very laxed in their view of sexual immorality,

sex of all kinds was normalized , which included prostitution, fornication, adultery, pedophilia, and Homosexuality

the average person during this time viewed anything sexual as something to fulfill their appetite for the moment

it was like eating a meal off of a plate

3) They were Defamed: there reputation as so called christians was terrible, they were divided, caught in sexual sin and making themselves look like real peaces of work to the world around them

they were giving the christian name a bad name to the people that did not believe in christ

not only that, but this audience that he was addressing was also persecuted very much

many of them were beaten physically, imprisoned, stoned, and even would receive threats toward themselves and family members all for being christians

so when we hear Paul talk about being single , we have to remember the circumstances that were present at the time

it is also noted that Pauls view of singleness is really His opinion and not a commandment from God, it is Permitted not commanded 1 Corinthians 7:6 “6 But I say this as a concession, not as a commandment.”

not only is it permitted and Pauls opinion, but Singleness is actually a gift from God that is not a gift that everyone has

1 Corinthians 7:7 “7 For I wish that all men were even as I myself. But each one has his own gift from God, one in this manner and another in that.”

So this is the context that we have regarding this chapter. Its not a call to be single because singleness is better , Ill get more into this as we get into the text.

Recap VS 10-16 No spiritual Grounds for Divorce

vs 10-11

we are not to get a divorce thinking that it will bring us spiritually closer to the Lord, or to think we will be better off single. It is never grounds for divorce

If God has called us to marriage than we should never abandon the marriage He has called us to

Grounds for Divorce

The only time that divorce is warranted is if there is sexual immorality that is plaguing the marriage

divorce when we look at the worlds view of it is just another thing to do

when people throw around divorce like its no big deal, were they ever really committed to their marriage ?

People are always going to fail us, even our marriages , but many of you who were at camp learned that Love goes far beyond a feeling

Love is a choice and love is an action

Marriages that Last a long time last a long time because two people chose to love each-other even when it was difficult to love

Now in Matthew chapter 19 vs 3-9 there is a very clear picture that divorce itself only happens, even when sexual immorality is committed against another, when there is a hardness of the heart

Jesus died on the cross for our sins and he forgave us

so that means even the sexual misconduct done against another is forgiven

Now obviously those things take time and God has the ability to reconcile that marriage but divorce is always suppose to be the last option not the first

vs 12-13

Marriage sometimes happens when a couple is not saved

sometimes, actually all the time, a couple will get married and then years later God will grab ahold of their hearts

sometimes only one spouse may get saved and Accept the Lord

when one becomes saved and the other is not saved , this does not give us justification to get a divorce

Holding something over your spouse is not okay

its actually sad when couples get a divorce because one is not a believer and the other is

Divorce believe it or not is not a salvationary issue

you don’t get to just divorce someone simply because they are not a believer

The only grounds for a marriage to be broken is by death or by adultery, because both are physical

vs 14

salvation is an individual gift not a gift because a spouse is saved

the whole family is not saved because Daddy is saved

if you want to accept Jesus as your lord and savior , you have to follow through with that response

now family that has a mother or a father that is saved will have a front row seat to an example of christ

you think of all the families where one parent is saved and the other is not, God does a work in those people and he brings them into the Light eventually

those saved parents have a beautiful opportunity to share and minister to their unsaved family

vs 15

if a non believing spouse wants to leave, they are not in bondage and they are free to go, especially if the spouse that is saved has done nothing wrong

sometimes a spouse that is committed to the lord drives away the spouse that isn’t, for what ever reason those spouses want to get out of that relationship

so Paul is saying if that happens let them go Peacefully, since God has called us to Peace

Romans 12:18 “18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.”

Now thats a short recap of the first 2 studies of chapter 7 so lets get into verse 17

Starting in Vs 17

1 Corinthians 7:17 “17 But as God has distributed to each one, as the Lord has called each one, so let him walk. And so I ordain in all the churches.”

all of us as believers are called and or have a calling on our life

that calling on our life does not change

wether it be that we are married, single, divorced, widowed or remarried, it does not change the calling that God has on your life

we also should not dwell on the past reflecting on what has happened in our past relationships

there is a subtle warning here about trying to undo the past in regard to relationships. When we repent we move on from the sin we repented of. If you have a second wife after wrongfully divorcing the first one and you become a christian. You don’t divorce the second wife to go back to the first one.

If you have been called to a second wife, remain with her. The past is the past

Im sure there are many people that walk around with guilt about destroying a 1st marriage and carry baggage into a new one

but that doesn’t mean we can divorce our second spouse to go back to the first one

what should matter is our walk with the Lord. We are to WALK with Jesus no matter the situation or circumstance we are in regarding our relationships

You know thats why it is very important that we listen to the word of God when it comes to relationships

if it is done right that relationship should never have to worry about divorce, or choosing the wrong person or someone cheating, all of that comes from a person not being close with the Lord and a relationship that is not rooted in the Lord

When you guys go to date its okay to be picky and to have standards, don’t settle, be with who God calls you to be with

Prayerfully that is a Godly Man or Woman

so again Live for God where you are ! Not the Past, not the Future but now !

verse 18 we see the example that Paul Gives us

1 Corinthians 7:18 “18 Was anyone called while circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised. Was anyone called while uncircumcised? Let him not be circumcised.”

1 Corinthians 7:19 “19 Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God is what matters.”

1 Corinthians 7:20 “20 Let each one remain in the same calling in which he was called.”

circumcision , it was the sign of the covenant that the Jewish people Had between them and God

Genesis 17:10–14 “10 This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male child among you shall be circumcised; 11 and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you. 12 He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised, every male child in your generations, he who is born in your house or bought with money from any foreigner who is not your descendant. 13 He who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money must be circumcised, and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. 14 And the uncircumcised male child, who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant.””

this circumcision was a symbol from the old testament that symbolized purity and a devotion to God

it represented the covenant that was made to God, a sign of membership in the community of the faithful, and a symbol of cleansing

so remember that Paul in this Book is addressing the Jews and the Gentiles

the Jews would have been made up of People who followed the Laws of the Old testament and would be circumcised, and then the Gentiles were non Jews , some greeks and some random people, these people were probably not circumcised

but the example here is, that it doesn’t matter wether or not you are circumcised, what matters is that you remain in the same calling in which God has called you

so regarding marriage, divorce , singleness, it does not matter at all

Just serve the Lord as you are !

Serving God has nothing to do with circumcision

Another Example Of Serving God as we are called is here in these Last 4 verses

1 Corinthians 7:21 “21 Were you called while a slave? Do not be concerned about it; but if you can be made free, rather use it.”

1 Corinthians 7:22 “22 For he who is called in the Lord while a slave is the Lord’s freedman. Likewise he who is called while free is Christ’s slave.”

1 Corinthians 7:23 “23 You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men.”

slaves during this time period sometimes were faced with an opportunity to get out of slavery. Usually through escaping

but what Paul is saying here is that it doesn’t matter wether or not you are a slave

if you are a slave or a free man, you can still be who God needs you to be, you can still Live as you are called !

the only slaves we should be are for christ ! SO wether we were free or a slave it should not be a concern

a true free man was a man that was never enslaved

if you are a christian and a believer, you are not enslaved to anything but God and God is true freedom

Galatians 5:1 “1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.”

John 8:36 “36 Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.”

2 Corinthians 3:17 “17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”

freedom is in christ not Circumstance

1 Corinthians 7:24 “24 Brethren, let each one remain with God in that state in which he was called.”

Christians should never have to drastically change there life circumstances just because they have become a christian, we should focus on faithfully living in the current calling God has for us

Wether thats marriage, divorce, remarried, non believer to believer, single, slave, none of it matters

what matters is what are you doing now! Are you living out the calling in your life? Or are you allowing the circumstance in your life to dictate your calling ?

be committed and be faithful to where God has you

one of the worst things we can do as a believer is allow our circumstance in which we are called dictate how well we serve the Lord

now just to point this out, Living as you are called does not mean that if you are living in a sinful relationship or living in sin that you don’t have to change

if you are truly called by God then that sinful relationship should strive to be a spiritual relationship

Hopefully if you were living with someone you are not married to, you recognize and are convicted by Gods word and you get married or separate.

Remaining with God in a circumstance is not Justification for Sin

Now we are going to Get into the Unmarried Christians Of this Day and What Pauls Insight was:

1 Corinthians 7:25 “25 Now concerning virgins: I have no commandment from the Lord; yet I give judgment as one whom the Lord in His mercy has made trustworthy.”

so Paul now is addressing the Virgins, virgins meaning unmarried, some may have never experienced intimacy but he’s using it as a broad term

some may have even been engaged waiting to be married

1 Corinthians 7:26 “26 I suppose therefore that this is good because of the present distress—that it is good for a man to remain as he is:”

1 Corinthians 7:27 “27 Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be loosed. Are you loosed from a wife? Do not seek a wife.”

1 Corinthians 7:28 “28 But even if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Nevertheless such will have trouble in the flesh, but I would spare you.”

going back to the time that they were Living in, we can take this out of context and say that its good to be single but thats why context is important

there present crisis during this time was persecution, they were christians at the time and christians were persecuted for there belief in Jesus as the messiah

John 16:33 “33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.””

to be a believer is to be at peace with God, But to have tribulation, trials and hardship with the world

thats what Paul was warning them about in regard to marriage

the future was unknown and what could potentially be an issue is marriage

for the time they were living in it would be almost better to stay single

He also said that if you are married, no need to divorce, if you aren’t married don’t seek to get married

If you get married it is not a sin however you will potentially have issues

Paul was trying to spare the people of this time, hardship

the things that we do for the Lord change when we are married, especially at a time like this

it was almost better to be single so that a Person could focus on the Lord and not have to worry about taking care of a souse and a family

This brings me to a point that we kind of talked about last time

but Be free in the Lord, you are all single and young and God wants to work in your life’s and he wants to grow your relationship with Him

you are only single one time in this life if you get married and there are things that a single person can do that a married person cant

( Give some Examples and Expound )