1 Corinthians 9:19-23 says...
Today's verses are 1 Corinthians 9:19-23, which read,
v.19 - For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more.
It is by the blood of Jesus Christ that Paul has been saved. It has not been by himself or any other man, he is free because of Jesus. Because of that freedom, Paul made a choice to set aside all, even the support of man, to enslave himself to reaching others with the gospel of Jesus Christ. In his circumstance which is in the context of this passage was to support himself so that he would not burden those who needed to hear the word about Jesus.
He has been instructing those who have accepted the gospel through this compulsion given to him by God to come to them with Jesus to support those who are doing the same thing so that the gospel can go further. He has been telling the Christians of the Corinthian church to put their resources in these areas.
v.20-22 - To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law; to those who are without law, as without law, though now being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some.
Paul had a drive within him, put there by Christ, to share the gospel message of Jesus. If the person was a Jew that was raised with all the traditions and festivals, he understood them in that position and even though he was not bound by those things, he found ways to reach out to them. If the person was a Gentile that was raised without Biblical morals but within the world's values, he understood them in that position and even though he was free from the lure of the world, he found ways to reach out to them. If a person was weak in their thinking, even though he was very educated in the world's eyes, he understood them in that position and he found ways to present the gospel in a way that they would understand. Paul set aside himself and looked at the other individual and asked the question, "How do I tell them about Jesus Christ?" So we find Paul even evangelizing the soldiers that were guarding over him in prison at times.
What a devotion to the gospel message that deserves our full support. We need to be doing the same and also supporting those who are going to people of another culture and bringing with the message of Jesus. It might be in a country on the other side of the continent or it could be in our own neighborhood that is becoming so un-churched in our day.
v.23 - I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it.
When a Christian has the opportunity to share the gospel message that they have received themselves with another, then that Christian is a fellow partaker of it. The gospel is to be received but it is also to be shared. If I just receive it without being used and willing to be used by God to share it then I am missing out on something. We should be praying daily to be used by God to share the message that we have received. It should be our greatest joy when God opens up the door for us to give a word of testimony about Him and His love for us given so that we might be with Him forever. We cheer about a lot in this world. We clap for every little achievement. Do we reserve our greatest excitement when we or another brother or sister in Christ reports about the sharing of the gospel with another?
We are truly partaking of the gospel when we share the gospel with another and not just hold it within ourselves. That is the position of the one who buried the talent when his Master told Him to use it. We are missing out on one of the greatest joys that God has prepared for us. It will make you run laps around the sanctuary when you think of others for the sake of telling them about Jesus and "some" will say "yes." They will say "yes" and be won by Jesus and we were able to be used by Him to see another answer the call to Christ. Don't miss out on the blessing that is above all other blessings.
"Lord, we have elevated so many other things to receive our praise. We have elevated so many other things to consume our time and energy. We have elevated so many other things to devote our resources that You have provided to us to consume whatever we have elevated. May we see that the message of You getting out to the world and the world around us is more worthy of anything else we can do or support in this life. May it bring the loudest cheer from our churches as we truly partake in the gospel that we have received. Amen."
Pastor Adam
v.19 - For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more.
It is by the blood of Jesus Christ that Paul has been saved. It has not been by himself or any other man, he is free because of Jesus. Because of that freedom, Paul made a choice to set aside all, even the support of man, to enslave himself to reaching others with the gospel of Jesus Christ. In his circumstance which is in the context of this passage was to support himself so that he would not burden those who needed to hear the word about Jesus.
He has been instructing those who have accepted the gospel through this compulsion given to him by God to come to them with Jesus to support those who are doing the same thing so that the gospel can go further. He has been telling the Christians of the Corinthian church to put their resources in these areas.
v.20-22 - To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law; to those who are without law, as without law, though now being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some.
Paul had a drive within him, put there by Christ, to share the gospel message of Jesus. If the person was a Jew that was raised with all the traditions and festivals, he understood them in that position and even though he was not bound by those things, he found ways to reach out to them. If the person was a Gentile that was raised without Biblical morals but within the world's values, he understood them in that position and even though he was free from the lure of the world, he found ways to reach out to them. If a person was weak in their thinking, even though he was very educated in the world's eyes, he understood them in that position and he found ways to present the gospel in a way that they would understand. Paul set aside himself and looked at the other individual and asked the question, "How do I tell them about Jesus Christ?" So we find Paul even evangelizing the soldiers that were guarding over him in prison at times.
What a devotion to the gospel message that deserves our full support. We need to be doing the same and also supporting those who are going to people of another culture and bringing with the message of Jesus. It might be in a country on the other side of the continent or it could be in our own neighborhood that is becoming so un-churched in our day.
v.23 - I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it.
When a Christian has the opportunity to share the gospel message that they have received themselves with another, then that Christian is a fellow partaker of it. The gospel is to be received but it is also to be shared. If I just receive it without being used and willing to be used by God to share it then I am missing out on something. We should be praying daily to be used by God to share the message that we have received. It should be our greatest joy when God opens up the door for us to give a word of testimony about Him and His love for us given so that we might be with Him forever. We cheer about a lot in this world. We clap for every little achievement. Do we reserve our greatest excitement when we or another brother or sister in Christ reports about the sharing of the gospel with another?
We are truly partaking of the gospel when we share the gospel with another and not just hold it within ourselves. That is the position of the one who buried the talent when his Master told Him to use it. We are missing out on one of the greatest joys that God has prepared for us. It will make you run laps around the sanctuary when you think of others for the sake of telling them about Jesus and "some" will say "yes." They will say "yes" and be won by Jesus and we were able to be used by Him to see another answer the call to Christ. Don't miss out on the blessing that is above all other blessings.
"Lord, we have elevated so many other things to receive our praise. We have elevated so many other things to consume our time and energy. We have elevated so many other things to devote our resources that You have provided to us to consume whatever we have elevated. May we see that the message of You getting out to the world and the world around us is more worthy of anything else we can do or support in this life. May it bring the loudest cheer from our churches as we truly partake in the gospel that we have received. Amen."
Pastor Adam
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