1st Corinthians Ch 7 Part 3

1st Corinthians Chapter 7 VS 25-40 Unmarried and Widows Part 3

• 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 and he’s using it as a broad term 

some may have even been engaged waiting to be married  

but for the most part He’s referencing the unmarried

Now Paul is addressing them based on His judgement not in obedience to a commandment

remember singleness is a gift, a choice rooted in the will of God for a persons Life

Most people probably don’t wake up thinking they are going to be single for ever

Its something that God has to prepare the heart for and clearly Show them !

So remember celibacy is permitted not commanded, not only that a-lot of what we are reading is from a man that was believed to be hearing from the Holy spirit

1st Corinthians 7:40 Paul Says “according to my Judgement and i think also I have the spirit of God”

So some of the things regarding singleness are for some people and some of the things regarding singleness are not for others ‘

either way there is no wrong way

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 

their 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 

So when we look at this we know that Paul is warning them of what could potentially be

Its much easier for a man to live and be persecuted without a wife or child being involved

think about the leverage someone could have by using a child or a wife as a form of torture ! 

its what they do in the movies all the time , Kelci and I are watching this show on Netflix and this dude is an FBI agent and He’s suppose to protect this girl and he does but then they start to fall in Love , like come on dude how are you suppose to do your Job.

Marriage can be used as Leverage and thats what Paul is referring to - We see a little more how Paul was thinking when we read in John chapter 16

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 spouse and a family 

Free In the Lord 

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 and he wants to grow your relationship with Him

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

there is a time for singleness and there is a time for marriage 

Being single and serving the Lord , i use to be able to sleep In a little bit, wake up take my time eat breakfast sometimes i wouldn’t , call some buddies and see what they were doing, go surf come back take a nap, eat chik-fil- a, Workout , go home and play call of duty , All on my own terms 

Now today I mean i can still do those things but its way more work. I cant just play video games or go hang with the boys, i gotta make plans and go through the process of making sure it doesn’t interfere with all 4 of the girls 

My life has completely changed to taking care of them instead of myself

But that is all apart of getting married 

Singleness has its benefits and season, and so does marriage 

( Give some Examples and Expound )

1 Corinthians 7:29 “29 But this I say, brethren, the time is short, so that from now on even those who have wives should be as though they had none,” 

1 Corinthians 7:30 “30 those who weep as though they did not weep, those who rejoice as though they did not rejoice, those who buy as though they did not possess,”

1 Corinthians 7:31 “31 and those who use this world as not misusing it. For the form of this world is passing away.”

“Time is short” meaning that even then, even way back when this was written Paul recognized that here on earth we do not have much time, and that we should focus on Eternity because the Lords return was near 

Romans 13:11 “11 And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.”

Matthew 24:44 “44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” 

Paul is not saying that you should go around if you are married acting like you are not married 

we as married couples should still fulfill the duties we have as a married spouse

we don’t get to just abandon those duties to become more spiritual

 as married couples or people we have to factor in what it takes to take care of the family that we have, especially during a time like this that was difficult

Also as a married person with family, for us we have to be careful not to make our families here on earth our absolute everything

some people actually do, its okay to Prioritize God, Wife , Family but when we prioritize wife and family above God, we are doing it wrong

I believe as a married man one of the hardest things to do is find balance between the the three. Its never perfect and it is always a work in progress

Life on earth is short, temporary so the things we set our minds on should be things that are eternal like Paul is talking about here

the Last verse Paul says that the “Form of this world is Passing away”

Today in our staff Devo we went over Proverbs chapter 23: vs 4-5 and ill read it to you

Proverbs 23:4–5 “4 Do not overwork to be rich; Because of your own understanding, cease! 5 Will you set your eyes on that which is not? For riches certainly make themselves wings; They fly away like an eagle toward heaven.”

what is your focus on here on earth ? What are you working for ? to be rich with worldly possessions or are you setting your eyes on the things of the Lord and storing up your treasures in heaven ?

the worldly things here on earth that we work so hard for fly away like an eagle toward heaven

How funny is it when we work so hard , focus so much on something we want here on earth and then once we get it, its almost like we have buyers remorse

it never adds up to what we thought it would ( Expound )

it never satisfies the soul the way we thought it would, were left some what bummed out and chasing for more

1 Corinthians 7:32 “32 But I want you to be without care. He who is unmarried cares for the things of the Lord—how he may please the Lord.”

1 Corinthians 7:33 “33 But he who is married cares about the things of the world—how he may please his wife.”

1 Corinthians 7:34 “34 There is a difference between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman cares about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But she who is married cares about the things of the world—how she may please her husband.”

1 Corinthians 7:35 “35 And this I say for your own profit, not that I may put a leash on you, but for what is proper, and that you may serve the Lord without distraction.”

Okay so just further cementing some of the points Paul has already made regarding marriage vs singleness during this time period that the church of Corinth was Living in

caring for your husband or caring for your wife is something that should be on your mind if you are married

if your mind as a married person is not on your significant other, you are doing it wrong

Paul here is telling us How it should be if you do get married and are in a relationship ( you should care deeply about your spouse and your family )

if you are not married you can live care free of the distraction of a relationship

you have the ability to care only about the Lord during a time of singleness

the Holy spirit can be facilitated much easier because you have the ability to have undivided devotion to the Lord

You are more free to serve the Lord when you are single

Matthew Ch 6 in the Sermon on the Mount , Jesus warned His followers about being so concerned with material things in this life that distract them from being fully devoted to God

Matthew 6:25–34 NKJV

25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

I can say as a married man that it is not easy to live care free and to not worry about the things that are listed here in Matthew chapter 6

If you have a family to take care of Men , Women if you have children to take care of. Devotion to God is simply going to be more difficult for you. Not impossible but more difficult

You know much of my free time now a days since we have 3 Kids is from 9pm to about 11pm if i can stay awake

Scotti wakes us up about 2-3 times a night with the twins a couple of times a night, so my mornings are absolutely shot

If your single you don’t need to worry about that, you can roll out of bed by 730 am and have peace

Enjoy this single season that you are all in

I find it crazy when as teenagers you get infatuated with being in a relationship, to me i just don’t understand it because at 15, 16, 17 years old what can you do with that relationship? Are there rare cases that you can stay together and get married ? absolutely , Look at Mikey and Isabel Rodriguez. Home girl was telling her dad that she was going to marry Mikey as a freshman. They are married now and have bobby and saint but that takes alot of Maturity and Leaning on the Lord to work out

Again Enjoy being single Man, don’t take it for granted

1 Corinthians 7:36 “36 But if any man thinks he is behaving improperly toward his virgin, if she is past the flower of youth, and thus it must be, let him do what he wishes. He does not sin; let them marry.”

1 Corinthians 7:37 “37 Nevertheless he who stands steadfast in his heart, having no necessity, but has power over his own will, and has so determined in his heart that he will keep his virgin, does well.”

1 Corinthians 7:38 “38 So then he who gives her in marriage does well, but he who does not give her in marriage does better.”

So this verse is worded Like Most Paul verses , but he’s talking about a virgin male or female that has not been married and wants to get married

Back in this day arranged marriages were typically how people got married

so Paul is speaking to the father of a Son or Daughter that has yet to be married saying that it is okay to get married, or okay to let your son or daughter get married. ( Share the story of Ashish and Susan )

“ Let Him do what he wishes” , He does not sin , let them marry

the choice was up to the Father

if the father believed that it was wise for His son or daughter to stay single, the choice was His to make, it also went alot deeper than that.

There were 3 things if a father believed his daughter was to be single,

1) he had to recognize that His daughter was gifted in the area of singleness vs 7 of ch 7,

2) He had to follow through on His conviction and Have the Authority to do so (vs 37),

3) he was not forced to marry off His daughter due to circumstances that were out of his hands,

If all 3 of these things were right and lined up properly, a father was actually encouraged to Aid his daughter/son in being single

A single Child was considered a good thing in Pauls Eyes

Remarriage and Widows

1 Corinthians 7:39 “39 A wife is bound by law as long as her husband lives; but if her husband dies, she is at liberty to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord.”

1 Corinthians 7:40 “40 But she is happier if she remains as she is, according to my judgment—and I think I also have the Spirit of God.”

Back in verse 8-9 Pauls counsel to widows was to remain single , but Paul recognized that it was impossible for that to happen

He made it known to a christian widow that if they were to re marry, they should remarry a christian ( he must belong to the Lord )

Now if you think about this, during this time to remarry another christian was difficult. There weren’t too many widowed Believers hangin around to get Hitched , so it left options slim

Now because of that it would have been better to stay single than to try and remarry the wrong person ( someone who was not a believer )

Now with LL OF THIS BEING SAID, even though Paul is addressing widows , the Same still applies to all of you single people who are waiting to get married one day

its very important that you all fall in Love with the right person ( a believer)

In context earlier on in the chapter when Paul is talking about one spouse being a believer, that was because they were married before they believed , not because they married unbelievers

SO when your mom and Dad tell you that you should marry a believer, that is true and that IS the Way Our creator would want it

we don’t want to be unequally yolked with our spouses, because if we are thats not starting our marriage off very well

so my encouragement to all of you, Mary a Godly man or woman that Loves Jesus more than anything in this world. If you can’t find that person, that sucks for you stay single ( Like Kayla)