DEVOTION
THE 1ST LETTER TO THE CORINTHIANS
LIVING CONTENT
1 Cor 7:17-24
17 Nevertheless, each one should retain the place in life that the Lord
assigned to him and to which God has called him. This is the rule I lay down in
all the churches. 18 Was a man already circumcised when he was called? He
should not become uncircumcised. Was a man uncircumcised when he was called? He
should not be circumcised. 19 Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is
nothing. Keeping God's commands is what counts. 20 Each one should remain in
the situation which he was in when God called him. 21 Were you a slave when you
were called? Don't let it trouble you — although if you can gain your freedom,
do so. 22 For he who was a slave when he was called by the Lord is the Lord's
freedman; similarly, he who was a free man when he was called is Christ's
slave. 23 You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men. 24 Brothers,
each man, as responsible to God, should remain in the situation God called him
to.
NIV
This portion of Paul's letter has direct instruction that was practiced
on the day this letter was written. It is highly doubtful there is any need for
this to be done today. When Paul speaks about this rite of the Jewish people of
circumcision, it was the law as given to Moses and it was done only by the
Jews. Gentiles were not circumcised although there were Jewish believers who
have been called Judaizers. They insisted that gentiles could not be a
Christian unless they first became a Jew through the rite of circumcision. Paul
speaks directly that is should not be the case. If a gentile hears the call of
God and is uncircumcised he should remain that way. As far as Paul's instructions
to those Jews who were circumcised, he tells them not to try to become
uncircumcised. Without giving any details, as it would not be appropriate to
anyone traveling this journey with us, there was a practice that could appear
to do something to a man’s flash that would make it appear as though he was not
circumcised. This would have been thought important to some believing Jews who wanted
to hide their Jewishness because of, again the practice of that day, entering a
public bath. However, the main point Paul is making which we can apply to ourselves
is being the same person we were when God called us. If Jewish, remain so, if a
gentile, remain so if as a slave, remain so, if a freeman, remain as one. We
should not try to pretend to be anyone else other than we were are. This
applies so much to our culture as it seems many attempt to impress everyone
around them. There is an old Latin saying, “vestis virum facit”, although some
claim Mark Twain coined the phrase. It means clothes make the man. Twain used
it in the sense that a naked man never impresses anyone, but Paul has given it
meaning in the sense that we should not live to impress men, by trying to
become someone we are not. We are not to live to please men, but God. He called
us to himself as he created us and in what area of life he placed us. The
movie, "A Knight’s Tale" gives the idea of a man being able to change his
stars, increase his station in life, which he does. It is not that we should
not endeavor to improve ourselves in life, but that in doing so there is an
inherent danger of always being discontent with our current lot in life. The
fact is we are all responsible to God, which is under his care and direction.
If we are living to please God, he will direct our paths, and He will bring us
to where we can do the best of being a believer who lives in the kingdom of God
for the Kingdom of God. When we pay too much attention to please men or live
to impress others, we are not impressing God, nor are we lifting up God, but
rather we are lifting up ourselves. God has called us just as we were, and yes,
we have changed our stars in one sense, as once we were dead in our sins, and
now we are alive in Christ. But that is all on God, He is the one who created
us and He is the one who is transforming us. We live in contentment.
No comments:
Post a Comment