1 Corinthians 7:36-40 If anyone thinks he is acting improperly toward the virgin he is engaged to, and if she is getting along in years and he feels he ought to marry, he should do as he wants. He is not sinning. They should get married. But the man who has settled the matter in his own mind, who is under no compulsion but has control over his own will, and who has made up his mind not to marry the virgin — this man also does the right thing. So then, he who marries the virgin does right, but he who does not marry her does even better. A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord. In my judgment, she is happier if she stays as she is — and I think that I too have the Spirit of God.
Once again in the above focus, Paul presents his perspective on following Christ wholeheartedly. Christ is life to Paul, everything else is incidental in his understanding of what it means to live. We see Paul telling the man who will not get married for Christ's sake that he does better than if he had married. He tells the women whose husbands have died to stay single, not to get entangled again with the demands of married life. Why? Because in their singleness they might live lives more committed to Christ. Christ is everything in Paul's teaching. He makes this clear in these words: But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. (Philippians 3:7-8) Paul considered all relationships within the purview of serving Christ. In last week's breakfast we thoroughly addressed his comment: I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord. (1 Corinthians 7:35) In this week's focus we see him doubling down on this theme of sole commitment to God. He desires men and women to serve Christ in undivided devotion to the Lord rather than serving their own emotional, psychological, and biological needs. He clearly addresses all of this within the context of whether a man should or should not get married. If he does get married because of harboring a guilty conscience concerning how he has treated his virgin, it is appropriate to marry. If anyone thinks he is acting improperly toward the virgin he is engaged to, and if she is getting along in years and he feels he ought to marry, he should do as he wants. This decision to marry is acceptable as far as Paul is concerned, but he who does not marry her does even better. Implied in all of this is that living for the Lord is better than living to fulfill your personal needs. By adding that he has the Spirit of God, Paul implies that God would want what Paul has described for his children.
In finishing chapter 7, we should consider how the Spirit of God desires for us to live? How should we plan our lives to give God preeminence? Paul tells us to remain single if possible, to avoid entanglements in the world, to live for Christ and not for ourselves. Paul kept his eyes on Jesus. He said, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:14) But our lives are often entangled in the things of this world. We have jobs, relationships, spouses, children, and daily duties. We have all of these cares; plus we live in communities, social, political, and religious, that demand our participation and best efforts. Within these responsibilities, how do we live our lives for God with total commitment to Christ as Paul has demanded? Is it possible to live in the twenty-first century fully surrendered to Christ? Can we marry the concerns of Paul to our daily existence as Christians? Is it possible to know Christ in our daily lives in an intimate way without totally isolating ourselves from the cares of life? Paul reminded Christians that they were not to become one with the world. He quoted the words of the Lord in his second letter to the Corinthians to make this clear: “Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” (2 Corinthians 6:17-18) We know many religious orders in the Middle Ages established monasteries on high pinnacles of mountains so they might be protected from the demands, rigors, and chaos of daily living. In their enclaves, they committed to serving God without distractions. In some of their orders, they were forbidden to speak at certain times so they might hear God. They were to dress differently, look differently than the ordinary person. They dedicated many hours to prayer, meditation, and Bible reading. All of this was so they could commit totally to God. But this is not a reasonable model for most of us today.
Yet, are we not the temple of God? Does not God dwell in us? Seeing Jesus, John said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29 NKJV) The perfect Lamb was slain for us that we might have an intimate relationship with God in our personal temples. Our temples have been cleansed by the blood of The Lamb of God. No matter where we are or what activity we are participating in, God through the Holy Spirit is present in our temples, these human bodies. His voice is in us; the voice that created all that exists. We do not have to go on some mountain or to an isolated place to commune with God. We do not have to avoid others to make God real in us, for He is in us at all times. If we draw near to him in our spirit, He will draw near to us; for the Word says, Come near to God and he will come near to you. (James 4:8) God is not only personally involved in our temples; He has also placed us in the body of Christ, his church. We know God singularly and corporately: For in fact the body is not one member but many. (1 Corinthians 12:14) Well then, what is Paul's concern in chapter 7 if God is always with us in our temples and if He goes where we go? Paul asks us not to clutter up our lives with our own self-interests. He wants us to be vibrant testimonies of Jesus Christ and his works in us. He wants us to seek first the kingdom of God in all our choices and decisions. Our mornings should open with prayer, and our evenings should end in prayer. Our voices should express him in words and with songs. Christ's nature should be obvious in all of our interactions and relationships. Everyone should know who we are because of our love for humanity. We should be the epitome of mercy and grace to all, deserving or undeserving. We will be more generous than the world. We will not be as the world--critical, judgmental, angry, deceitful--for these are instruments of darkness and death. The temple of God brings life; we are the temple of God. Wherever we go, the temple goes: the image of God to the world. Listen to his voice today, for He constantly speaks to us. He is The Advocate, The Counselor, The Comforter that dwells in us. He is the pillar of fire at night, the cloud by day. Look for that fire, that cloud, and follow him through life. When you do, He will order your life correctly. You will produce abundant fruit for his glory.
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