1 Corinthians 7:1-28 - Part C

Let God work with what you came with your background. No need to fit in for any special occasion because he says, keeping the commandments of God is what ever relationship with God's bidding do his will keep his commands give our lives to Jesus. Sometimes we try to become someone else.

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You get online securely. I connectwithskip.com/offer or call 892 1888 chapter 7 so much joy Skip is pretty easy to understand teaching on merit, straightforward God's original intention was originally designed as one man one woman, one lifetime is original design does not get marred just as messed up. Yes, this is sometimes need to be adjusted. Yes, and the parameters are clearly laid out in Scripture there's no ambiguity. Really, in these things, but even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried. This this has bothered some believers. They say what will why do unbelievers. You know, get all forgiven for their pastor believers you know are kind of like fenced in railing you cannot answer that you and I are Christians you are called to a higher level where called and empowered by God to live at a higher level and so because were now under the covenant of God's grace all the passages wash away, but now as God's children. There are certain ways that we live that glorify God in our body and her spirit which belong to him. That's a higher standard.

So he lays it out.

Look stay married if one of you please. Then you have to stay unmarried, you live that way you've chosen that life so you stay unmarried. Now or at some point in the future you reconciled to the spouse you left those of the two options and is pretty clear. Well, there was other issues, though in the Corinthian church because what happens if a believer or let's say you have a marriage you have to unbelievers one gets saved in the same believer ghost man I'm a Christian. Now I want my my hat was a husband to be a Christian or I want my wife to be a Christian if you're a man so you got a believer or nonbeliever and the believer wakes up and it goes way to minute this is an unequal yoke I married to a nonbeliever on didn't didn't Paul say only believers are to be married to believers but but now I find myself married to an unbelievable yeah, but that's because you got St. Yetman now emerge on a believer now have an unequal yoke. Besides that, I met this cute Christian girl at churches, thanks. I'm awesome and spiritual and smart and witty and maybe it's the Lord.

Note your hormones. Pretty sure so he gives directions for that to the rest I say to the rest I'm not the Lord say that is this has been addressed specifically in the words of Jesus or in the Old Testament. If any brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her. So the unbeliever says you know what I don't want to bail on the marriage I still love you as my spouse. I want to make these things work out. I don't agree with your religion.

Not all into that but I love you and I'm committed to you if you're a believer. Let that happen and he explains why a woman who has a husband who does not believe if he is willing to live with her, let her not divorce him for the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband. Otherwise, your children would be unclean, but now they are holy.

What is it mean that one is sanctified by the other or tell you what it first doesn't mean it doesn't mean they are automatically saved because one person and that family is a believer mean that because if it meant that he wouldn't call them a spouse who doesn't believe he says give a husband who does not was a nonbeliever when calling unbeliever if there automatically save another believer so it doesn't mean that if you marry a nonbeliever. The unbelievers now saved.

It means there sanctified or set apart or in a position of influence by you, so here's the ideal immediate analogy. The unbeliever is not directly under the spout with the blessing comes out you as a believer are under the spout with the blessing comes out, but as the blessing comes out on you, child of God.

The droppings and the splashing's room to go on your family the grace of God is going to be conferred in an influential way a sanctifying way. A special grace kind of away because of the presence of just one believer in that household.

Do you know that's a biblical principle of the God sometimes blesses an entire household because of one person, the household of Laban was blessed because of Jacob, Pete, Laban had to admit that himself because you know what I and my whole family, my thoughts, my herds have been blessed because of you, Jake, just because you've been hanging around. I've gotten the blessing the Bible says the house of Potiphar was blessed because of Joseph's presence within it member in the Old Testament when God was about to destroy Sodom.

Abraham finds out it's is a God. If you find 50 people in that city will you spare the city for 50 righteous God said, done, find 50 righteous people in Sodom and I won't nougat when he knew he couldn't find 57 would you go for 40 sure if I'm 40, and I can find for about 30 to 30 got Gerald over to get them all away down to 10. If I find 10 righteous people done. I need 10 righteous with the presence of 10 righteous people is enough for me not to judge a whole city see that works that city was sanctified by them just like a marriage is sanctified by unbelieving spouse. Now he does say otherwise, your children would be unclean.

I think what he's referring to is a text in Malachi chapter 3, I always like to find out where things are implied in the parts of the Scripture to get the idea of the author, the original author's original intent. So in in Malachi, sorry chapter 2 in verse 14.

Let me read it to you yet you say, for what reason. That is the judgment, because the Lord is been witness between you and the wife of your youth with whom you have dealt treacherously, yet she is your companion and your wife by covenant but did he not make them one having a remnant of the spirit and why one he seeks godly offspring therefore take heed to your spirit and let us and let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth for the Lord God of Israel says that he hates divorce for covers one garment with violence as the Lord of host therefore take heed to your spirit. You do not deal treacherously believers provide a special channel of blessing and grace to unbelievers. He seeks godly offspring verse 15 that's what I believe he is or is a reference at side reference to this in first Corinthians chapter 7 the sanctifying influence you know I seen it. My wife was raised as an atheist, Lenny was raised in an atheistic home.

No believers at all. Her father wrote a book on the power of positive thinking doctrine bed every night told her God didn't exist and told her little stories, bedtime stories, parables, a night of how it's all by human achievement. There is no God. It's all you baby all the way and you can do it you can do those kind of stories. That's how she grew up.

So he was a rabid unbeliever and positive thinking humanists and an atheist. One day he gets converted to Christ he get saved.

He's a very intelligent man.

He was a doctor, a surgeon and and became a lawyer so I mean a high achiever, but he was reading the New Testament one day to see if Jesus was a positive person, and as he was reading the Gospel of John.

He turned it turned to his wife and said if what I just read is true. I'm in deep trouble and he said, and I think I believe what Jesus said and I need to get baptized and his wife looked at him like much learning is made, you map I mean what. Who are you will, but if you don't with my husband and you you were this atheist or not you want to get baptized while he ended up getting baptized, he went down Chuck Smith baptizing in the ocean and he immediately called up all of his family and said let me tell you what Jesus did in my life and what he needs to do in your life so because he was saved. Lenny got saved there. One of their other sons got saved, so the blessing spreads in a family and Paul is in a balloon to this in the next few verses, verse 15 but if the unbeliever departs, let him depart and believes is yeah I know I'm not in your whole religious thing and I thought I could handle you but I can handle you. I just really want out of the marriage. I want to I want you to smile all the time and me, or let's pray before meal or look at you with your little Bible study. I don't want to do. I'm a manager.

So if unbeliever departs, let him depart.

A brother or a sister that is a Christian is not under bondage in such cases, God is called us to peace for how do you know all wife whether you will save your husband how do you know husband whether you will save your life. That's why say when this is there sanctified. It is been there say because how do you know that maybe they will get saved but not saved yet because of the presence of one believer, you follow the sanctifying influence is different from the salvation that may or may not come as a result of your faithful testimony and the marriage looked out but how do you know it might actually happen.

So, so far he has said that the marriage bond, a sacred the marriage bond can only be broken by death by adultery or by the unbeliever departing the believer. Those of the three bodies God is distributed to each one as the Lord has called each one, so let him walk your gifting your calling for singleness for marriage for remarriage, so let him walk. And so I ordain in all the churches was anyone called while circumcised, let them not become uncircumcised. Now I don't know how critically you read the Scripture.

I don't know what what depth you question it, but have you ever thought help that is even possible once or circumcised right yeah undo that. So what is he mean exactly by that anyone's call while circumcised, but I'm not become uncircumcised was one called while uncircumcised letter not be circumcised know that is a possibility. Circumcision is nothing and then circumcision is nothing but keeping the commandments of God is what matters. Let each one remained in the same calling in which he was called Caldwell a slave. Do not be concerned about it. But if you can be made free rather use it. It's hard for us living in America. Modern America postmodern America post-COBIT postmodern America for us to realize the kind of impact that Christianity had in an empire like Rome and an enormous social impact. There was class warfare in Rome that the church ended so in Rome.

It mattered if you are a Jew or Gentile enrollment mattered. If you are a slave or free man.

It it mattered if you were this class or that class. The church was the only institution in the Roman empire were those things did not matter at all that there was no social division.

They were all one in Christ. Paul writes to the Galatians is neither Jew nor Gentile slave nor free, male or female were all one in Christ, he said I was groundbreaking that was earth shattering.

There was not an institution like that in the entire empire, so he knows that some are going to come in about the Jewish background. Some of the Gentile background is circumcised and uncircumcised buses. If you came with the Jewish background you have to disassociate yourselves from that identity as a Jewish person now. Josephus actually tells us that during the height of the Greek influence in the Greek and Roman empires that Jewish men who had been circumcised subjected themselves to a surgical operation that made them look like they had not been circumcised so that they would be accepted in the public baths. The public gymnasiums in those days so that they would be accepted by the Greek culture. They went through some were willing to go through that maybe Paul is as that of micros don't do that. Don't do that. Don't worry about fitting in. In the gym or at the back realize that you're in Christ there is no divisions in the church, and if he called you while you were circumcised. Okay that your identity, you don't have to shirk that if you are a Gentile, you don't have to try to become Jewish. It's funny how many gentiles I meet who try to become Jewish innovate there wearing a teapot even though they're not Jewish. They're always keeping the festivals, even though they're not Jewish, but always talking Hebrew even though they're not Jewish and it's almost like they're trying to become you know like Neo Jews view yar man let let God work with what you came with your background and no need to fit in for any special occasion because he says, keeping the commandments of God is what matters. That's what matters. Just have a relationship with God love him do his bidding do his will keep his commands. That's all that really matters is a matter if you try to not be a Jew anymore is a Gentile. Try to be a Jew just be what you are for. He was called verse 22 in the Lord while a slave is the Lord's freed man. Likewise, he was Caldwell free, is Christ's slave. I love the way he words that now he Paul is not condoning slavery but he's not trying to say let's have a insurrection against aroma and demanded ticket in front of Caesar's Palace, not the one in Vegas and one in Rome you know that that we want our freedom. Christ wasn't here to start a revolution.

So if you're a slave be a good slave. Paul knew he couldn't overturn Roman slavery. He wanted the slaves to live a good witness because those slaves masters may come to know Christ and those that did often would set those slaves free.

But he also says if you're a free person and you might have no compulsion under a master whatsoever. Keep in mind you really are.

The Lord slave. So were all slaves of Christ, and he is our master, by the way, you should know also that a large percentage of the Roman empire's population were slaves, some some racking up to 50% were owned by other people and it wasn't just unskilled labor. There were professionals, accountants, doctors, lawyers, professional musicians who were who were owned by a large number of rich patrons in the Roman Empire.

Verse 23 you were bought at a price do not become slaves of man brethren, let each one remain with God in the state in which he was called now concerning virgins.

You probably don't start many conversations like that. But Paul does Now concerning virgins Parma noise.

The Greek word usually refers to unmarried girls now concerning virgins. I have no commandment from the Lord. That is, there's nothing written about in the Gospels or in the Old Testament concerning virgins.

Those young women who have never married. I have no commandment from the Lord.

Yet I give judgment as one whom the Lord in his mercy has made trustworthy, I suppose. Therefore, this is good because of the present distress that it is good for a man to remain as he is. Are you bound to a wife, do not seek to be loosed are you loosed from a wife.

Don't seek a wife. But even if you do married you have not seen and if Virgin Mary, she is not sin. Nevertheless, such will have trouble in the flesh, but I would spare you what Paul was speaking about exactly I am not sure he talks about a present distress. Was he talking about a political uprising. Was he talking about a persecution probably was but were not sure a persecution that was fomenting and he could see it on the horizon.

We know that a persecution would get so fierce that would take his own life. He would stand before Caesar Nero, Caesar would let them go than Caesar would rearrest imminent Caesar would cut his head off or have his head cut off.

So Paul I think could see that were living in some tough times and some distressful times and so on. He just is just kind of stay put stage you are Corinthians.

But if you get married already, but you haven't send, but he says nevertheless as such will have trouble in the flash but I would spare you know we don't have much time I thought would be able to get to WHAT will woe I'll spare you over till next week, but when he writes about this trouble in the flesh. It's pretty straightforward, common sense stuff when a person gets married when two people get married they have to adjust a lot. Do I get an amen from that for maybe have an amen.you is out right don't you have to adjust a lot to calm. Don't you people come in that relationship with all their habits and ideologies and messiness and baggage and that has to get sorted out distress present distress is here trouble in the flesh, that concludes height six message from his series expound first you Skip message for our God has upon mass wisdom and power that knowledge should give us great peace and comfort because we are in his care.

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