November 17, 2024|Social Status & The Gosel|1 Corinthians 7:17-24
John-Daniel Cutler
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I think most of you would agree that we live in a culture obsessed with climbing the socioeconomic ladder. We are constantly told that if we go to this school, get this job, drive this car, marry this person, get this surgery, make this salary, that we will be more popular, happier, and successful.
If you don’t believe me, just watch a few commercials or ads on youtube. By late middle school, early high school, many of our students are already feeling pressured to choose the right school, the right career, when many of them need to worry more about passing math class than what career field they need to go into.
A quick google search of careers and salaries produced the following suggested searches for me.
What career pays the highest salary?
Which career has the highest salary?
What is the most paying job in TX?
What job pays the most without a degree?
There seems to be embedded in our society a desire to advance ourselves as far as possible both socially and economically. And because we live within a societal system where it is possible, many of us lean into this desire.
Even, within the church, the prosperity gospel abuses this inherent desire to advance…
But even within solidly evangelical churches, the gospel message can be overshadowed by a gospel message influenced by this ‘culturally American idea of socioeconomic ladder climbing’ that sounds like, ‘are you tired of trying everything else, try Jesus’. Or ‘if you want your life to be better, come to Jesus’. While there is truth in that statement, life is better in Christ, the message is lost on those who think that what is meant is better, socially, better financially, better in tangible socioeconomic terms.
Some pastors have filled stadiums with the message that your best days are ahead of you in this life.
So what do we do when we come to Christ and our marriage doesn’t get any better? Or our spouse doesn’t change?
So what do we do when we come to Christ and we are still struggling financially? Or still have mountains of medical bills?
So what do we do when we come to Christ and our career doesn’t advance? Or when we get fired or laid off?
I am comforted that these are not new questions and the Word is not silent about them.
The Apostle Paul wrote to 1st century believers in the city of Corinth that were struggling with some of the same questions.
For context, he has just come out of an extended discussion on marriage and singleness, dealing with both sexual desire and celibacy, and is going to go on to address the topic of the unmarried in more detail at the end of chapter 7. But here in the middle of that discussion he is going to share a principle that speaks to the underlying issue in the heart of the believers.
These men and women were confusing their socioeconomic status, their outward circumstances, with their status as believers.
Pressure from without and pressure from within was causing them to think that before they could be acceptable to God, before they could be the Christian they wanted to be, their situation needed to change.
In our previous sermons we have looked at the two opposing views that were active within the church. One, probably heavily influenced by the Jewish culture, was that singleness was wrong. That those who were single needed to get married in order to be pleasing to God. This is certainly still prevalent today, we assume that God’s plan for every believer is marriage, children, etc. Often ignoring that God does grant the spiritual gifting of a life of celibacy and singleness, such as he gave the apostle Paul.
The second view in the Corinthian church, probably heavily influenced by Gentile philosophies, was that marriage and sex was bad, and to be really pleasing to God, they needed to divorce and live a life of celibacy, devoting themselves fully to God.
In addition, it seems that gentiles were being told that to really fit into the kingdom of God, they needed to be circumcised, and Jews were being told that to really fit into the new body of Christ, they needed to abandon their Jewish past. Slaves were being told that to really be free in Christ they needed to break free from their masters.
It seems that many of the Corinthians were wrestling with the idea that something needed to change in their external situations in order for them to better or more fully follow Christ.
Have you ever felt that tension?
I know I am supposed to work unto the Lord, but until this dead end job ends, I don’t think I can.
I know I am supposed to lead my family as a husband and a father, but until my spouse changes, it’s impossible.
I know I am supposed to honor God with my money, but until my financial situation changes, I just can’t.
I know I am supposed to live sexually pure as an unmarried person, but you don’t understand the dating world in 2024.
I know I am supposed to live on mission, but until I go to the jungle of Africa, I just don’t see how I can.
Maybe once I get out of this town, out of this job, out of this financial situation, through college, promoted, and on and on the list goes.
I’m sure you could come up with many more examples, but the root is the same.
Something about my external situation, something about my socioeconomic status needs to change so I can better follow Christ.
Socioeconomic status is just a social science way of talking about your social standing, which takes into account your wealth, income, education, family background, power, job, etc…
If you don’t get anything else from today, here is the main point.
Your particular social situation does not affect your spiritual condition.
This is the main thrust of Paul’s argument here and really the only point of our text this morning. So with that in mind, I want to share three statements that support this main point with you this morning. The first statement for us to consider is…
Spiritual regeneration transcends physical circumstances
Let’s read the three versus where Paul states his main point, verses 17, 20, and 24.
1 Corinthians 7:17 (ESV) 17 Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches.
1 Corinthians 7:20 (ESV) 20 Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called.
1 Corinthians 7:24 (ESV) 24 So, brothers, in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God.
You see Paul both bookends this section with this statement as well as puts it in the middle of two illustrations of this principle. It is clear that he wants the Corinthians to understand this principle. Repetition is one of the ways we emphasize something, especially relevant when we realize that Paul was dictating to a scribe who was using precious materials to pen this letter.
He essentially says the same thing three times, with just slight variation in them. Let’s look at each one in particular.
1 Corinthians 7:17 (ESV) 17 Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches.
The word ‘only’ serves as a conjunction which connects what Paul has been saying to this principle. Perhaps it could be translated better as something like ‘nevertheless’. Paul uses two words that function like ‘but regardless of your situation’ let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him and to which God has called him.
If God has called you to himself in salvation and you are single, or married, or Jewish, or Gentile, or a slave, or free, it did not stop God’s effectual call to salvation and it does not stop his call on your life to live for Him.
Let’s take our historical context into consideration. Paul has been addressing different situations.
If you’re married, Paul says, stay faithful and fulfill your duties to your spouse.
If you’re single, remain single, unless you cannot, then marry.
If you’re married, do not divorce your spouse.
If you’re married to an unbeliever, do not divorce them, but you can allow them to leave if they choose.
We see that this principle is not absolute, Paul does make exceptions, as we will see in a moment, but it is a general rule that Paul discourages those who have been saved to try and change their situation to a ‘better’ one for reasons relating to their new status as believers.
God called you where you were, why do you think you need to change your situation in order to better follow him? If you’re married, stay married, if you're single, stay single.
Glorify and honor Christ where he called you.
Do you think God did not know he was going to call you when he allowed you to get married to that person? When he allowed you to pursue that career? Let’s go further. Do you think God did not know when he chose the family you would be born into, the state you would live in, the socioeconomic status you are in when he declared from eternity past to save you? Of course he did.
...the gospel is not about changing your situation, it is about changing your soul.
Now, obviously if you are living an immoral life, Paul is not telling you to keep doing that. If God saves a stripper or a drug dealer, Paul is not telling them to stay where they are. But in general, this is the principle Paul is telling us.
Why?
Because the gospel is not about changing your situation, it is about changing your soul.
Salvation makes us new creatures with a new heart and new desires, it changes the trajectory of our soul from eternal damnation to everlasting life, it changes the god of our life from the worship self or idols to the one true God, it indwells us with the Spirit of God that sanctifies us from the inside out. None of that is limited by our external circumstances.
We just had an election that was very polarizing and obviously each party has very different views on what our society should be and the principles that should guide us.
Let me say this as plainly as I can, even at the risk of offending some of you. The outcome of the election may affect a lot of things, but either way it went, it would have no effect on the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit in his people.
Pastor, how can you say that? Because there are people in communist China, under a Christ-hating government, who are still being sanctified by the Spirit in the midst of government sanctioned oppression and persecution.
This is the beauty of regeneration. God does the work on the inside of poor people, rich people, young people, old people, white people, black people, and everyone in between, on educated people and uneducated people, on men, on women, on oppressors and the oppressed, one people who are free and people who are not.
Are you starting to see how simple this principle is?
But notice, also, it’s universality, Paul says this is my rule in MOST churches, right? No, this is my rule in all the churches. This is not just a principle for the Corinthians, but for every group of called out believers that gather as the church.
The last way Paul states this principle in verse 24 is beautiful.
1 Corinthians 7:24 (ESV) 24 So, brothers, in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God.
No matter your external condition as a believer, God is with you, so remain with Him. Here is the encouragement Paul gives in his letter to the church at Rome.
Romans 8:35-39 (ESV) 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,
“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Is there any situation where you can be separated from God if you belong to Him? No. So there is no external circumstance that you can have that will stop God from working sanctification in your life. You know the best position to be in for your sanctification? The one God has you in. So friends, remain with Him there.
Our first statement is Spiritual regeneration transcends physical circumstances, our second is…
A relationship with Christ is compatible with any social situation
Let’s pick up in verses 18 and 19 where Paul makes his first supporting statement of this principle. Let’s read it together.
1 Corinthians 7:18-19 (ESV) 8 Was anyone at the time of his call already circumcised? Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision. Was anyone at the time of his call uncircumcised? Let him not seek circumcision. 19 For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God.
At the time of his call- When God created life and faith in you, when he saved you, when the Holy Spirit regenerated you
Were you already circumcised? Now, in our time circumcision is the medical default, but in Paul’s day it was a strictly Jewish religious practice. So Paul is obviously talking to Jews who had come to faith in Christ.
Maybe, having understood that God had created a new people from both Jew and Gentile, there were those who thought they needed to erase their Jewish heritage.
I will admit, the statement Paul makes to them, at first, seemed at worst unhelpful and at best some kind of representation of their Jewish heritage. You can’t become uncircumcised.
Except in my study, the author references a first century Jewish historian who records this very practice among some of the Jewish men.
To fit into the Greek culture, which often involved competing unclothed in athletic competitions and where bathhouses were culturally normal, there was a procedure where Jewish men could essentially undo their circumcision to fit into the culture and erase the evidence of their nationality in order to avoid the social pitfalls associated with being Jewish.
Paul essentially says, do not seek to erase your cultural ties, your heritage, do not estrange yourself from your tribe and nation in order to fit in. God called you as a Jew, remain a Jew.
On the opposite spectrum were Gentiles who either were being told or simply thought that to be closer to God, or to follow him better, they needed to become Jewish. Was anyone at the time of his call uncircumcised, let him not seek circumcision. To the gentiles, Paul says, did God save you as a gentile, remain a gentile.
Paul goes on to say why.
19 For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision
A more literal translation is ‘circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing’.
In this case, Paul says that your nationality contributes nothing to your standing before God.
But, some would argue, and probably did in Paul’s day, the Jews are God’s people, certainly there is some benefit before God. The answer is yes and no.
Paul himself addresses this in Romans, when he says.
Romans 3:1-2 (ESV) 1 Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? 2 Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God.
But he quickly goes on to say,
Romans 3:9 (ESV) 9 What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin,
So yes, Paul recognizes that God’s people have experienced his favor, that they have been entrusted with his word, and ultimately the Messiah came through the lineage of Abraham, but when it comes to salvation in Christ, it doesn’t matter whether you are Jew or Gentile.
Listen to the way he says it in Galatians.
Galatians 3:23-29 (ESV) 23 Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. 24 So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.
This verse has been quoted out of context by egalitarians to imply there is no difference between men and women, which is not at all Paul’s point.
His point is that in salvation through Christ, there is no distinction between nationalities, social status, or gender. We are saved by Christ alone, through faith alone, no matter whether we are Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female.
What is the one qualifier that Paul gives here in 1 Corinthians, what is the one thing that counts?
19 For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God.
What does he mean by the commandments of God? Is he saying that Jew or Gentile, we must keep the law? He does not clarify, but a quick cross reference to his other writings, helps us understand what Paul is saying.
Galatians 5:2-6 (ESV) 2 Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. 3 I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. 4 You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.
Galatians 6:15 (ESV) 15 For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.
Sounds very familiar to what our Lord Jesus said to his disciples, doesn’t it?
John 14:15 (ESV) 15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. This was echoed by the Apostle John in one of his letters as well.
1 John 2:3 (ESV) 3 And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.
What does the Lord command? To repent and to believe.
This is both the initial response and the ongoing posture of someone who is in Christ.
Repenting of sin, turning from sin, and believing in the atoning work of Christ and sanctifying work of Christ in us.
And again, this ongoing relationship with Christ is not controlled, limited, or modified by our external circumstances.A Jewish man or woman or a gentile man or a gentile woman, a married person, a single person, not to belabor the point, but a rich person, a poor person, an educated person, and uneducated person, and on and on we could go. Your relationship with Christ is an inward reality that produces external fruit, not an external situation that produces inward fruit.
Our first statement was Spiritual regeneration transcends physical circumstances, our second was A relationship with Christ is compatible with any social situation, and our third statement is more applicatory in nature…
We should focus on who we are in Christ, where we are in the world
Paul has already told them to remain where they were when they were called to salvation by God, he has already told them that whether they are Jew or Gentile, it doesn’t add anything to their relationship to God in Christ, and now he is going to address another external circumstance that some of the believers found themselves in. Let’s pick up in verse 21 and go through 23.
1 Corinthians 7:21-23 (ESV) 21 Were you a bondservant when called? Do not be concerned about it. (But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.) 22 For he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a bondservant of Christ. 23 You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men.
Can you imagine a more extreme circumstance than being saved as a slave?
Being a bondservant was not the same as the institution of slavery we are familiar with in American history, but even though it was not racial motivated, or even always forced servitude, it nonetheless was to be under the complete control of another.
A bondservant, while they were in service was not free to do what he or she pleased.
You can imagine after hearing Paul say that in Christ there is neither slave or free, and that all men are equal in Christ, to remain physically in bondage would be morally crushing.
Paul says, do not demand immediate freedom, do not run away, but rather, surprisingly, he says, do not be concerned about it.
Literally, I want you to not care about it.
This may be the most important thing for you to hear from our text today.
Paul tells us that our concern should not be advancing ourselves socially, or even striving for a more desirable situation, but rather that shouldn’t even concern us.
Is Paul saying we should never get that promotion, change jobs, go to school, get married? Of course not, he offers an exception in the case of the brother in slavery.
If you can gain your freedom, do that. If God makes a way, it is okay to take advantage of that freedom.
This is similar to what Paul has said so far and will continue to say in this letter.
Do not be preoccupied or concerned with it, but if there is an opportunity to be free, take it, if you cannot endure singleness, get married, if your unbelieving spouse wants to leave, allow them.
Do you see? Paul is not saying that we don’t take advantage of the opportunities God brings us, but we do not concern ourselves with constantly trying to make things happen that will advance us socially or financially, etc..
How can Paul tell a believer that if he is in slavery, to not worry about it? Because the reality is spiritually you are already both free in Christ and a slave of Christ.
Even if you are a slave, you are free in Christ, and even if you are a free man, you are a slave in Christ.
You belong to Christ, regardless of your physical circumstances.
This is who you are, Paul says, no matter your situation.
Think about that for a moment. If you are in Christ it is because Christ paid the price for you, he purchased you, not with the blood of bulls or goats, but with his own precious blood.
That’s who you are, that’s what matters, that’s what you need to be concerned about.
How can I please God, serve God, and follow Christ where I am?Which, he says, does have implications, do not become bondservants of men.
As we have noted, slavery in the 1st century was different, if you were in debt, if you needed money, you could voluntarily enter a contract as a bondservant. Paul says, don’t do that, because you already belong to Christ. But, I think the principle goes even deeper.
In our pursuit of trying to advance our situation, to move up the socioeconomic ladder, we can become enslaved with…
…what people think of us and our status.
…trying to keep up with people financially who have more than we have.
…by racking up debt to appear to have a lifestyle larger than we can afford.
We can become enslaved in our thinking that we need something external to change in order to be a better Christian, to serve God better, to fill in the blank.
You already belong to Christ, every decision you make ought to be made with that in mind. How does this free me up to serve, how does this increase my ability to give generously, how does this help me engage with lost people who need to hear about Jesus?
Wherever we are, whatever external circumstances make up our life, right now, in this moment, that is the place where we are to serve and follow Christ as faithfully as we can. This is what the Apostle Paul wants all believers in all churches to understand.
Imagine you are a believer in Corinth receiving this letter from the Apostle Paul.
You are married but you are feeling like you could serve the Lord better if you were divorced.
You are married but your spouse is an unbeliever and you are worried you are going to be corrupted before God by the relationship.
You are single, but you are feeling like you are not really pleasing to God unless you get married.
You are a Jew, but you are feeling like you need to break ties with that identity in order to be accepted by society or to better integrate into this new thing called the church.
You are a gentile, but you are feeling like you will never really belong to God until you convert to Judaism.
You are a slave, but you feel like unless you are free, you will not be able to truly serve God.
In the midst of all of this, Paul’s letter is read aloud and you hear.
1 Corinthians 7:17 (ESV) 17 Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches.
1 Corinthians 7:20 (ESV) 20 Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called.
1 Corinthians 7:24 (ESV) 24 So, brothers, in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God.
God’s work in you transcends your physical circumstances.
Your relationship with Christ is compatible with any social status in which you find yourself.
You should focus on who you are in Christ, wherever God has you in that moment.
It’s easy for us to see the application in these Corinthian believer’s lives, but I have no way of knowing what situation you are dealing with today that this principle applies to, but God does. His Spirit knows where you need to apply this to your life.
When you hear the question, I could follow Christ more closely if…what? What is the thing that the enemy has told you needs to happen before you can be accepted by God, before you can belong to Christ, before you can serve and follow Christ, before you can honor God with your life.
May God show us clearly this morning that there is no external situation or circumstance that can keep us from following Christ and honoring him with our life.
Let us pray.
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