Content in Your Circumstances | 1 Corinthians 7:17-24

I think you'll agree with the statement I'm about

to make. Few things characterize our modern world

more than anxiety. We are an anxious people.

Everything today seems to make us anxious. You

look at the political craziness, you look at

the crime statistics, fights over immigration,

race relations, perspectives on the war, financial

troubles, the job market, housing affordability,

health care costs. There's a lot going on, isn't

there? And a lot of it makes us feel very unstable.

And it causes us to worry about our place in

the world and our role in the world. And then

exacerbating all of these feelings are our failing

media that is so biased and so awful, plus the

social contagion of social media. both of which

are designed to stir everything up, to pit us

against each other, and literally to make us

angry and fearful. That's what they do. Here

we are, the human race, designed by God for belonging

and purpose and communion with Him, yet because

of the fall and because of our fallen nature,

every day now feels like a constant battle with

uncertainty and loss and hatred and fractured

relationships. And in the midst of that kind

of turmoil and anxiety and failing expectations,

what most people do to try to cope with all of

it is not turn to God, but to turn to all kinds

of other forms of gratification, all the wrong

things. The fact is the human heart has an almost

unlimited number of idols that it can seek after

when it feels threatened. And Jesus directly

addressed this issue of anxiety in the Sermon

on the Mount in Matthew 6. And in that sermon,

he didn't deny that we need basic things, right?

We need food and clothing and work and safety.

But what he wanted to do was turn our attention

from anxious self -preservation to the care of

his Father and to give that to him. In fact,

this is some of the things that he said in that

sermon. He said, don't store up for yourselves

treasures on earth. Why? Well, moth and rust

destroy it. Thieves break in and steal it. And

he said, don't be anxious about your life. Can

any of you add a single hour to your life by

worrying? Your heavenly father knows that you

need all these basic things. So seek first his

kingdom and his righteousness and all these things

will be added unto you. Now, most of us know

that passage. Are we? actually applying that

in our lives. Here's the thing. When you and

I start to believe lies, and we do this often,

we believe lies. When we falsely come to the

conclusion that we are sovereign over the outcomes

of our life, that it's up to us to make sure

that we have all these things, safety, security,

our needs met, even our desires, we think it's

up to us to make sure these things happen. That's

when we... Allow anxiety and worry to set in.

That's when we stop seeking first his kingdom

and his righteousness. That's when we start to

lose sight of basic Christian principles because

we're so anxious about everything. We lose sight

of the fact that we are known and loved by God,

that we are secure in Christ. We forget that

he's promised to provide all our needs. We forget

that he's gifted us and called us into his service.

We forget that we're really just pilgrims in

this life, right? And that we have an eternal

home that we're looking forward to, a future

that is beyond our comprehension in terms of

its glory. And as we saw just a few weeks ago,

we then have the added layer of security and

peace that comes with being a member of a local

church. We are fellow members of God's household.

We are members of one another. So we are never

alone, never alone in this pilgrim journey that

we're on. Yet we're called to walk through this

life and we'll see that in today's passage. And

as we walk, we are always tempted to worry about

the world around us and the situation that we

find ourselves in. We're tempted to become discontent

about the condition that we live in. Always wondering,

is there something better out there? Is there

something that I need to be doing to fix things?

And we get our eyes down on our circumstances

rather than lifting our eyes and fixing them

on Christ. we start to wonder if maybe we should

seek to change our outward circumstances. Thinking

again that if I do the work, I can control the

outcome. And then there's all these choices then

that pop up before us. Well, where should we

live? Should we move? Right? And there's been

a social contagion with that recently. We just

got to get out of California, right? Because

that's going to fix everything. So everybody

else is going, should we go too? What career

should I pick? Do I need to change jobs? Should

I get married? Should we have kids? Can I ever

afford to buy a house? And then it gets deeper.

What if I make a mistake? What if I choose poorly?

What if I'm outside of God's will? Will I ever

feel settled and secure? And as we do that, we

play those games and we allow lies to set in.

We suddenly realize, there I go again. I'm worrying

and I'm anxious and I'm fearful. And I'm trying

to control everything. And then it hits us again.

Wait, I'm supposed to seek first the kingdom

of God. So while I'm worrying about so many things,

am I being faithful in the place that God has

placed me and in the role that he's called me

to? These are important issues. So grab your

Bibles. We're going to look at what Paul says

about this today. Go to 1 Corinthians chapter

1 Corinthians 7 · chapter mention

7. Did that introduction sound about right for

life today? As I was writing it last night, I

was like, oh my gosh, I might just overwhelm

everybody. Are you more anxious right now? Don't

be. We're going to get the antidote for that.

1 Corinthians 7. If you were with us last Sunday,

we talked about moving from one uncomfortable

sermon to another. A couple weeks ago, we talked

about sexual sin. And then last Sunday, we looked

at marriage and divorce. So this morning we had

a bit of a break. Beginning in verse 17, Paul's

going to take a break from those important topics

and talk to us about our place in the world and

the role that God has called us to. And I think

it's going to be really practical and hopefully

really helpful for everybody here this morning,

but maybe most importantly for the younger people

in the audience who I know these days feel just

disenfranchised, just... set aside. You're all

looking at boomers like us and going, you have

no idea, Jeff. But I get it. It's hard out there

today. So I want to empathize with you in that.

Okay, verses 17 to 24. Let's read. Only as the

Lord has assigned to each one, as God has called

each in this manner, let him walk. And so I direct

in all the churches. Was any man called when

he was already circumcised? He's not to become

uncircumcised. Has anyone been called in uncircumcision?

He's not to be circumcised. Circumcision is nothing,

and uncircumcision is nothing. What matters is

the keeping of the commandments of God. Each

man must remain in that condition which he was

called. Verse 21, were you called while a slave?

Do not worry about it, but if you're able to

become free, rather do that. For he who was called

in the Lord while a slave is the Lord's freedman.

Likewise, he who was called while free is Christ's

slave. You were bought with a price. Do not become

slaves of men. Brothers, each one is to remain

with God in that condition in which he was called.

Okay, so the plan for this morning is to try

to nail down Paul's big idea here and then to

look at the two illustrations that he uses. to

make his point. And we'll try to make some cultural

connections between the first century and today.

But first, let's start. Look at verse 17. Let's

take note of a very basic biblical principle

related to God's sovereign rule over all things.

This is a foundational principle that we need

to accept, receive and accept, if we're going

to understand God's plan for our lives. Verse

17 says, called each. Underline those two words.

Highlight them. Whatever you do in your Bibles,

assigned and called. Both are actions that the

father has accomplished in the lives of his children,

in you and I. He has assigned you a place and

he has called you to a role within that place.

And that means you are who you are and you're

where you are and you're doing what you're doing

by God's sovereign Design. Do you believe that?

And when I say that, I mean that everything about

your life, right up to this morning, has been

assigned to you. The date of your physical birth.

How many of you guys controlled that? No. God

sovereignly gave you the date and time of your

physical birth. Your particular heritage and

cultural identity. Your social and economic status.

The place where you were raised. Your marital

status, your talents and skills, your current

workplace, the date of your spiritual rebirth,

even the church that you belong to right now.

To all these things, God has called you. In fact,

before the foundations of the world were laid,

God knew you and loved you, and he marked you

out for salvation. That's straight from Ephesians

Ephesians 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1. And of course, he knew that in this

life, he would draw you to himself at a particular

time, and he would justify you in his sight.

And already at that point, he had the course

of your life mapped out. And as to this situation

or this condition that you've been assigned and

called, it is not random. It is not by chance.

Paul talked about this when he went to the city

of Athens and spoke on Mars Hill. He spoke to

these unbelievers about this. Here's what he

said. He said, the God who made the world and

all things in it, including us, he made from

one man. every nation of mankind to live on the

earth, the face of the earth, having determined

their appointed times and the boundaries of their

habitation. So he is Lord over the rise of kingdoms

and nations and geographical boundaries and the

people in those nations. And yes, that includes

you and I in the United States of America. He's

sovereign over all of it. The Bible repeatedly

tells us that God is sovereign over both the

breadth of human life Our times and places, but

also the particular paths that we take. And yet

it also consistently treats people as responsible

agents who make very real choices and we make

very real plans and we are accountable to God

for all of it. Those two things work together,

God's sovereignty and our responsibility. But

here's the thing you have to understand. None

of our plans are autonomous. None of our plans

are autonomous. This is why we reject the commonly

held position that man has this thing that everybody

likes to talk about, free will. Is our will really

free? Are we in bondage to sin? Human beings

do make real choices. I'm not denying that. We

do make genuine plans. But God governs the final

course of all things, shaping everything that

we do into his appointed purposes and ends. So

our so -called free will is always subject to

the divine will. Always. He has the sovereign

right and power to direct us, to confirm our

plans, to delay our plans, to say no, not now,

or no, permanently. or to redirect our plans.

He has that right and that power to do that.

And we see this all over the pages of Scripture,

especially when you look at the wisdom literature

in the Old Testament. I'll give you a few examples

here. Proverbs 20, 24 says, Man's steps are,

great word, ordained by the Lord, superintended

by God. All of your steps. Proverbs 69, the mind

of man plans his way, but the Lord directs. His

steps. Proverbs 19, 21. Many plans are in a man's

heart, but it's the counsel of the Lord that

will stand. Proverbs 21, 1. I love this one.

The king's heart. So the most powerful man in

the world, the king's heart is like channels

of water in the hand of the Lord. He can turn

the heart of the king wherever he wishes. If

he can do it with the king, he can do it with

me and you, right? Even in the New Testament,

we see this laid out in the book of James. where

he rebukes human presumption as if we're sovereign

somehow, like we can control things and we're

sovereign and God isn't. You probably know this

passage in James. It says, come now, you who

say, today or tomorrow, we'll go to such and

such a city. We'll spend a year there and engage

in business and make a profit. How many of us

are guilty of doing that, right? Yet you do not

know what your life will be like tomorrow. You

are just a vapor that appears for a little while

and then vanishes away. Instead, here's what

you ought to say. If the Lord wills, because

he is sovereign, if the Lord wills, we will live

and also do this or that. God ordains them all.

He is sovereign. The point that Paul is driving

at is this. The Lord calls his elect out of the

world into all kinds of places and in all kinds

of walks of life. And he assigns us each a role

to play in building his kingdom. That's the most

important purpose of our lives, right? To build

the kingdom of God. And we can serve God's kingdom

in a wide variety of situations and places. And

so Paul says, wherever you are, wherever God

has placed you, rest in his calling and his purpose

for you. Be at peace in it. Don't be anxious

all the time about changing your outward circumstances.

And that's the big idea that Paul's driving at

here. In fact, he's going to make this point

three times in this passage. Three times. So

when you see things repeated in the scripture,

it should stand out. It's important. Three times.

Find contentment in your situation. That's the

big idea. We see it in verse 17, where it says,

Only as the Lord is assigned to each one, or

God has called each, in this manner or in this

situation, let him walk. Let him lead his life.

In this condition. In verse 20, each man must

remain in that condition in which he was called.

Brethren, verse 24, each one is to remain with

God in that condition in which he was called.

Three times. Three times he lays this out. Now,

that first word only in verse 17 obviously connects.

to what Paul has just said about marriage and

divorce in the previous passage. Remember, some

of the Corinthians were under the wrong impression

that now that they're saved, they're found in

Christ, they should make all these radical changes

in their life. This is the context here, right?

So they now had all these questions for Paul

that they asked. Should a Christian spouse divorce

his or her unbelieving spouse? Should I make

that change? And Paul says, no, no, no, no. Don't

divorce him or her. That spouse is sanctified

by your presence in the home. Don't do that.

Well, should a Christian couple who wants to

be more spiritual abstain from sex? No, no, no.

Paul says, don't do that. You should fulfill

your marital obligations to one another as a

protective measure against falling into sexual

sin. Okay, well, should an unmarried person who's

feeling the heat of sexual temptation marry quickly

just to get out from under it? Paul says, no,

no, no, no, no, don't do that. Exercise self

-control. Well, should a Christian spouse resist

an unbelieving spouse who wants to leave and

abandon the marriage? No. Paul says, you're called

to peace. It's okay to let them leave. Paul's

answer to all these questions is no. Now that

you're found in Christ, don't seek to radically

change your circumstances in a way that's only

going to create more turmoil and more disorder.

Instead, take stock of the condition or the situation

that you find yourself in. Know that God has

sovereignly ordained that place and seek to be

content there. That's the context of what's being

said in this passage. And be content, by the

way, even if you've arrived in your current situation,

because I know this may be a question that you

have. What if I've arrived in my current situation

because of a past sinful choice or some lack

of wisdom? God would say, well, don't compound

the problem by now rushing into another bad choice,

right? Be content. Listen, God can even take,

this is how sovereign God is, you ready? And

I don't even understand how God can do this,

but he has a permissive aspect to his will where

we sin. He allows us to sin, to make poor choices,

and still he shapes it into his purposes and

plans. How does he do that? That's above my pay

grade. I don't know. But he does. But if you've

arrived in your situation because of a bad past

choice, don't make it worse by rushing into some

other radical change that's going to create more

turmoil. Now, as I say all of this, one thing

you can't get twisted. If you are in a lifestyle

right now that is blatantly sinful or illegal,

you need to stop that right away. That type of

change has to be made. But what Paul's talking

about in this passage is social, relational,

and vocational situations. In those things, don't

be a person who's always looking for the next

new thing to run after. We do this, don't we?

Social media, I think, stirs this up in us. Here's

the newest thing. Run after this. And we make

radical changes in our lives. Paul says, no,

no, no, don't do that. Don't do that. God has

you where you are for a reason. So take a deep

breath. Sit tight. And get to work for the kingdom.

Amen? This is one of the most beautiful things

about the Christian faith. It can be lived out

in any scenario or any situation and be incredibly

fruitful. That's one of the things he's going

to show us in this passage. Because the fruitfulness

of our ministry for the kingdom isn't dependent

on those outward circumstances. Therefore, Paul

says, don't let those things drive your decision

making. Your job, your apartment, your bank account,

your family situation. Don't let those things

drive your decisions. Don't let them cause anxiety

in you and hold you back from faithful service

to the king. Find contentment in your identity

in Christ. Find your contentment in the condition

he's called you to and serve Christ where you

are. And listen. Many of you here today have

faced this decision, even about the church you

belong to. Have you ever asked yourself the question,

why are Jeff and Tanya still here after 20 years?

Because we love this place. We're content. This

is where God assigned us. This is where he's

called us. Why do our elders have they served

for 12, 14, 16, 18 years in this one church?

Because God has assigned us here. He's called

us to this role. planted us, and this is where

we need to bloom. This is, by the way, Paul's

whole theory of contentment. And this was our

call to worship from earlier, so I'm going to

put it on the screen so we can look at it again.

Paul lays out his thankfulness for the support

he received from the church in Philippi. Listen

to what he says, and I know you probably know

this verse, but in light of what we've just read

about in 1 Corinthians, think carefully about

what he says here. Paul says, I rejoice in the

Lord greatly that now at length you've revived

your concern for me because they had come to

his rescue to support him. You were indeed concerned

for me. I don't doubt that, he says, but you

didn't have the opportunity and now you do and

you've come through. Well done. Well done, Philippian

church, right? It's one of the best churches

in the New Testament, right? Then he says, not

that I'm speaking of being in need. I'm glad

you're concerned for me. I'm glad you came through

with this gift, but I, I didn't ask for it out

of a sense of need. He says, because I've learned

in whatever situation I am, I can be content.

I know how to be brought low, and I know how

to abound. Isn't that good news? Sometimes, some

seasons are really fruitful and wonderful, but

also some are low. In any, underline it, any

and every circumstance, I have learned the secret

of facing plenty and hunger. abundance and need.

It all happens, this is why he can be content,

because of the one who strengthens me. Because

Christ strengthens me in all circumstances. What

a beautiful passage. He also explained this principle

in his first letter to Timothy. He talked about

false teachers who, he says, suppose that godliness

is a means of selfish gain. And here's what he

says in return. He says, Godliness actually is

a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment.

Right? For we brought nothing into the world,

so we can't take anything out of it either. If

we have food and covering with these, we shall

be content. Man, that is not an American ideal,

is it? I just need the basics, and I'm content

because I can serve God and I can love my brothers

and sisters. I don't need much. Contentment is

the confidence and peace that comes with walking

in the Spirit. It empowers us to be satisfied

in our situation and to serve God in the midst

of all of it, even when it's low, even when it's

hard. Remember, we're not about the prosperity

gospel, where everything's about comfort and

worldly success and material upgrades. trying

to find ways to avoid all kinds of hardship.

That's not the way the Bible tells us the Christian

life is. Those are false promises that are laid

on unsuspecting people. Paul talks about this

in 2 Corinthians 4. I'll just summarize it. He

says, look, I know your outer man is decaying,

right? Your outer man's decaying. And he says,

look, in this life, you're suffering affliction.

But he says it's momentary, so we don't lose

heart. Why? Because he says our inner man is

being renewed day by day. We're getting closer

to heaven every single day. And because the affliction

we experience in this life is actually producing

for us an eternal weight of glory that's far

beyond our comprehension. And so we're able to

look beyond the vapor of this life and see the

glory that awaits. See, the changes God desires

in our lives aren't so much about outward things.

They're about our character within, right? They're

about our faithfulness, about our trust in him.

That's what he wants to change. And so Paul's

exhortation is focus on being content and being

faithful wherever you currently are. Now, having

laid that out, I'm going to anticipate the objection

that you might have. Because, by the way, one

of the first things I do when I write a sermon

is I start underlining all the big principles

and I go, okay, what are people going to object

to? Right? Because if I see it, you see it, right?

So let me address the objection. Does this mean

I can't have any ambition at all? No ambition

at all. I'm not allowed to better my life in

any way. Some people will take that from this

passage. I'm not allowed to look for a better

job or a better car or a better housing situation.

And this just kills my incentive to grow and

improve my life or my family's life. So let me

give you the right perspective on this, because

this is important for us. And again, this is,

I think, really important for the younger people

in the room this morning. With the right heart

and attitude, with the right heart and attitude,

a Christian can be content in their current circumstances,

wherever God has them, while at the same time

working with energy. and optimism for growth

and opportunity. Those things can coexist. As

in all things, the key is what? Motivation of

the heart. Why do we seek after the things that

we seek after? Is the desire to improve your

situation motivated by the right things? Is it

motivated by biblical values? Is it motivated

by glorifying Christ? Or is it about your personal

needs and wants, your ego, or your personal achievement?

that brings you attention. These are the really

hard, hard questions we have to ask when we want

to improve our lives and we look at our options,

ask yourself the hard questions. What am I motivated

by? Listen, Paul was an ambitious apostle, wasn't

he? He was an ambitious missionary. He had a

strong desire to advance Christ's work in the

world, but his ambition was always superintended

by two things, by God's will. And his love for

other people. Not by personal gain. Certainly

not for more comfort in life because he didn't

have much. So his heart was motivated by the

right things. But he was ambitious. See, contentment

says this. It's on the screen. God is good and

the condition I'm in right now is sufficient

for my needs. Healthy ambition says, because

I'm found in Christ, I will faithfully walk through

the doors that he opens for me. in order to pursue

wise opportunities for me and my family and so

that I can serve him more fruitfully. Those two

things can coexist. So don't get me wrong. Biblical

contentment is not being apathetic or lazy or

saying, please, Lord, give me more hardship.

It's trusting God with outcomes that you cannot

control. It's receiving your current circumstances

with joy. Rather than making the desires of your

heart a condition for your joy. Oh, if I just

get this thing or if I just get that job, if

I just, just, just, just, just, just, then I'll

have joy. Now you've missed the mark. So it's

possible to walk into this week saying this to

the Lord in prayer. You ready? Lord, I would

welcome any opportunity to pursue this change

or that change. But I will not withhold my thankfulness,

my service, or my joy if you, Lord, say no or

redirect me. Does that make sense? That's important.

That's a good prayer. That's a good, healthy

prayer. And if a door does end up opening for

you, then you have some choices to make and some

questions to lay before the throne of grace and

maybe bring to a trusted counselor to ask for

advice. What you want to do is saying, gosh,

I really want this thing. And when the door opens,

go, yes, that's what I've always wanted. No,

that's not the primary thing. The questions are,

would this change help me live more faithfully

in my walk with Christ and in my responsibilities?

Can I pursue this change honestly, patiently,

and without neglecting the responsibilities that

God has entrusted to me in my current situation?

Does it line up with scripture? Is it affirmed

by wise counsel? Am I willing to rejoice and

press on faithfully in my current situation if

God ends up closing that door? This is how we

test our heart when change and opportunities

come our way. Amen? I know some of you guys are

taking pictures of this. That's good. You can

always text me or email me and say, send me those

slides. Happy to do that. So bottom line, rather

than spending fruitless amounts of energy complaining

or agonizing over your current circumstances,

Paul's advice is focus on contentment. Don't

shut out opportunities. Welcome them with the

right heart motivation. But focus on being content.

Focus on all the blessings you already have.

Right? We always want. But what about the blessings

you already have? What about all the good gifts

that you've received from God? Seek to be thankful

and joyful in your current situation and serve

the kingdom from that place and from that role

that God has called you to. And if change is

going to happen, if God's going to open those

doors to better your life in some way, trust

him to bring it about without you trying to break

your way through that door and manipulate the

situation for yourself. Trust that he'll open

those doors. Is he sovereign? If he is, he can

make that happen. Trust him. Be patient. in those

things. Okay, that's the big idea that Paul wants

to get through. What we need to do in the time

we have left is now walk through these two illustrations

that he gives us to prove his point. And they

may seem strange to us living in the 21st century,

but there's actually a ton of wisdom here. So

before we look at verses 18 and 19, let me put

up on the screen a very important verse. It's

from Galatians 3 .28. And here you're going to

see how Paul lays out three major distinctions

that existed in the congregations of the first

century church. And Paul takes great pains in

Galatians 3 to show that being in Christ supersedes

all physical and social distinctions. What matters

most is the unity of the body in spite of our

circumstances. So look what it says. He says,

So those are the three human distinctions that

the early church was dealing with. Jew and Gentile,

slave and free, male and female. Now if you come

back to the text in 1 Corinthians, the two illustrations

that Paul uses are two of these three same things

that he's going to show to us. So look at verse

18. He says, So who's he referring to there?

Jews. He's referring to any Christ follower in

the Corinthian church who was drawn into salvation

while being an ethnic Jew. Some of you have been

circumcised according to the Old Testament law.

And what does Paul instruct this Jewish Christian

to do now that he's in Christ? Do not become

uncircumcised, he writes. And a better way to

understand that is don't seek to undo the marks

of your circumcision. Now. As I say that, how

many of you are thinking, how is that anatomically

possible? It's okay. It's okay if that came to

your mind. If you think that's impossible, I'm

about to tell you a story. Sorry, Jason. Second

row up here. I'm going to try not to be graphic.

This is going to be a G -rated story. Actually,

we're going to call this Jeff's Historical Corner.

I need a theme song, Grant. We're just going

to take a break from the text for a second. And

you guys know how I love the intertestamental

period, right? Okay, I'm going to tell you a

story because this is a real thing. This is a

real thing from history. Several hundred years,

in fact, I'll put a picture up. Several hundred

years before Paul wrote this letter to the Corinthian

church during the intertestamental period around

the year 175 BC. When the Holy Land was under

the occupation of the Greeks, the Seleucid Empire

ruling over the Jews, there was this powerful

movement among ethnic Jews toward Hellenism,

toward moving away from their Jewish identity

and moving towards becoming more Greek. It was

the popular thing to do in that day, especially

among, not surprisingly, the young people. who

saw this as the new and exciting thing. And by

the way, we have multiple historical sources

for this. You'll find this story in the book

of 1 Maccabees. You'll also find it written about

by Flavius Josephus, the Jewish historian. And

it all takes place under the reign, shockingly,

of a Jewish high priest whose given Hebrew name

was Yeshua or Joshua, but he took upon himself

the Greek name Jason. Sorry, man. Jason, Jason

the high priest. Do the research later today.

This Jason came to believe that being Greek was

the pinnacle of human development. And he was

entranced by the culture that the Greek Seleucids

brought to the land of Judea. So he petitioned

the king at the time, Antiochus IV, to give him

permission, get this, to turn Jerusalem into

a Hellenistic city. He actually wanted to rename

it Antioch after the king. And he did for a time.

And Jason did two things that shocked the traditional

Jews of that day. First, he established something

that we call an ephibion, which was a youth training

institute where young Jewish men were recruited,

raised, and trained to be Greeks. They'd be trained

in Greek philosophy, civics, athletics, military

tactics, basically replacing their Jewish identities

and culture. By the way, that's not a new idea

in the ancient world. Do we not see that in the

book of Daniel? The Babylonians exiled the best

of the young Judean men, and they bring them

to Babylon, and what do they do? They train them.

They change their names, their identities, and

they train them to become good Babylonians, good

servants of the Babylonian king. So this wasn't

new, but this was happening to the Jews in the

intertestamental period. So he established this

institute, first of all. That was bad. The other

thing he established was actually much worse

and more shocking. He built a massive gymnasium

on the south end of the citadel right up against

the Temple Mount. And you're thinking, what's

the big deal about building a gymnasium? I go

to a gym. Oh, boy. In Greek culture, athletic

contests were always done in the nude. Are you

glad that doesn't happen in the Olympics anymore?

In fact, the root word, Greek word for gymnasium

is gumnos. And you know what it means? Scholars,

it means naked. Try to think about that when

you go to the gym this week. But that's what

it means. And so Jason's gymnasium was where

the elite men of society went to work out. and

where they bathed naked right there in the shadow

of the Temple Mount. And traditional Jews were

appalled by this. But listen now, the young progressive

Jews of that day, they were very much drawn to

this idea of being more Greek. And here's why

this matters for our text in 1 Corinthians 7.

A young Jewish man participating in the activities

at the gymnasium would physically stand out because

of his circumcision. And so we're told by these

sources that many of these young men underwent

primitive surgeries to reverse their circumcision.

In fact, Josephus gets very graphic in his description

of this. I'll leave that alone. So for ambitious

young Jewish men who wanted to advance in Greek

society, they had to hide their Jewish identity,

imbibe Greek culture, because that was socially

advantageous, and many of them did it. So when

Paul says don't become uncircumcised, that's

a real thing, shockingly. By the way, this Hellenizing

movement of Jerusalem and Judea by Jason, that's

eventually the cause of the Maccabean Revolt.

When the traditional Jews of the day finally

stood up and said, nope, no more. And they took

up arms against the Greeks and actually won their

independence in a war. So, consequences. All

right, so coming back, that was Jeff's historical

corner. Any chance to talk about the intertestamental

period, I'm going to do that. Okay, coming back

to Corinth and Paul's day. To the ethnic Jews

in the Corinthian church, don't seek to undo

the marks of your circumcision. God is saying,

don't change who you are. It doesn't matter.

Don't try to be Greek. In God's eyes, you are

beloved as an ethnic Jew who's trusted in Christ

as Messiah and Lord. Now, it's likely that in

the Corinthian church at this time, there were

traditional Jews who had a traditional view of

their identity. In fact, they might have boasted

in their circumcision because they were physical

descendants of Abraham. They were God's covenant

people under the old covenant. There might have

even been some Judaizers. In the Corinthian church

at this time, Jewish men who were saying to the

Gentiles, you guys should get circumcised. If

you want to experience the fullness of the blessing

of Christ, you should be circumcised. You should

become Jewish before you become Christian. And

we call those Judaizers. So there's all kinds

of people in the Corinthian church. So Paul addresses

that in verse 18. He writes, has anyone been

called in uncircumcision? Meaning you were called

as an ethnic Gentile. Paul's advice to them is

straightforward. He is not to be circumcised.

Don't let those Judaizers influence you. Do not

become circumcised. You too are beloved as an

ethnic Gentile by God. And in verse 19, he lays

out the principle for both of them. Look at it.

Circumcision is nothing. And uncircumcision is

nothing. It just doesn't matter under the new

covenant, whether you're Jew or Gentile. Paul

wrote the same thing to the Galatian churches.

He said, both circumcision and uncircumcision

mean nothing. What matters, he says, is the new

creation. Ah, that's what matters. Being born

again by the Spirit, becoming new creations in

Christ, that is what changes everything. That

is what levels the playing field among all of

mankind. And so outward ethnic distinctions no

longer matter as they once did. It's not our

identities as Jews or Gentiles or even male or

female that are most relevant. By the way, those

conditions still exist. Men are still men. Women

are still women, despite what the culture says.

Gentiles are still Gentiles. Ethnic Jews are

still ethnic Jews. That's fine. It's just that

those identities have been superseded by the

shared identity we have in Christ. That's important.

That was Paul's point in Galatians 3 .28, right?

The oneness in Christ is what matters most. By

the way, we should always remember that circumcision

was a covenant sign given in the law, which pointed

to a greater reality, right? It's not just about

cutting the flesh, right? It's pointing to something,

this great reality, a circumcision of what? Of

the heart. which was promised to come to God's

people through the promised seed and the blessing

of all nations. And now, in the new covenant

era, the significance of that sign has been replaced

by the substance that it once pointed to. Who's

that? It's the person of Christ, the Savior and

the Son of God, right? And we take hold of him

by faith, which, by the way, just as Abraham

was counted righteous by faith prior to receiving

circumcision. So the sign was given, but it always

pointed to something far more important and far

greater. The danger that Paul is warning about

here in verses 18 and 19 is that Christians will

become more committed to outward things than

inner realities. Focus more on the outside of

the cup rather than cleaning the inside of the

cup. And so you see Paul adding in verse 19,

what matters is not circumcision or uncircumcision,

but what? The keeping of the commandments of

God. Meaning what matters more than outward signs

is internal faithfulness. A life lived for the

glory of God in obedience to his will. That is

ultimately what reveals who God's people are,

whether we're Jew or Gentile. It's obeying the

divine will. So that's illustration number one.

I know it's a little confusing, but it's important

for us. Let's look at the second example and

we'll close with this. It's another distinction

that was highlighted in Galatians 3 .28. Slaves

versus freemen. Verse 21 says this. Were you

called while a slave? Don't worry about it, Paul

says. Don't be concerned about it. Easy for us

to say, right? Does that statement shock you,

by the way? Don't worry about being a slave.

It's a pretty extreme example. And it's an interesting

question. Could you be content as a Christian

if you were a slave? Consider that. It certainly

tells us something about the ease of our modern

lives, right? Because we complain about all kinds

of things, right? We complain about not having

things or situations we're in today that would

make an ancient Greco -Roman person shrug their

shoulders at you in disbelief. Like, really?

That's what you're complaining about? I'm a slave.

The reason why we react so strongly to this,

and I don't have time to unpack all of this,

maybe a podcast at some point, but the reason

why we react so strongly to this is because of

the immediate connection that we make as Americans

to our experience of slavery, right? The horrors

of the transatlantic slave trade. that took place

at the founding of our nation back in the 17th

century. But here's what we have to do historically.

We have to be careful not to apply our experience

to other forms of slavery at different times

and in different places, because they're not

the same thing. Slavery in the Greco -Roman world,

first of all, was not racially based, and it

didn't look anything like slave plantations in

the southern colonies in America. Slavery in

the Roman world was much more common than it

was in the colonies, much more prolific. In the

city of Rome, and in Italy in general, about,

get this, 30 to 35 % of the population were slaves.

When you extend that out to other parts of the

empire in places like Corinth, it drops a little

bit down to about 20%, but we're still talking

about 10 million people in the Roman world who

lived in slavery. So it's a major part of Mediterranean

life, and it's a part of the economic power that

lies behind the city of Corinth. And back in

that day, you could find yourself in slavery

for all kinds of reasons. Yes, many people were

born into slavery because their parents were

slaves. But you might be a prisoner of war. The

Romans took a lot of prisoners of war and shipped

them right into slavery. You might have sold

yourself into slavery to pay off a debt. Some

people even volunteered to be slaves because

they didn't think they could survive the harsh

conditions of life back then. And it made more

sense to go into a household that could help

them to survive. So slaves came in every shade

of skin color and from all nations across the

world, from Gaul and Iberia, Germania, the Balkans,

North Africa, Egypt, and more, from all over

the world. And there were many types and conditions

of slavery back then. At the bottom end of the

spectrum were slaves who were really poorly treated

and lived in deplorable conditions. They worked

in the fields, they worked in quarries, some

of them worked in mines, and that's where they

died. as slaves. Then there was the middle layer.

There were slaves who worked as household slaves

and sometimes as artisans and shopkeepers, and

they were treated better. And even some of those

folks in that middle layer could actually win

their freedom over time. And then, this was rare,

but there's the elite side of slavery in the

Roman world. where highly skilled slaves went

to work for their master in a way that resembles

more like our employer -employee situation today.

So a wealthy Roman household would have a cook

and a laundress and a tutor who taught the children

and a secretary who handled correspondence and

a steward who supervised the estate and an accountant

who oversaw the books and workers to work the

shops. So these were elite slaves that had really,

really good lives. So regardless of what kind

of slavery a Christian might find himself in,

even that most brutal form of slavery, Paul's

exhortation applies. Listen, it's still just

an outward earthly condition. It's still just

an outward earthly condition. And a change in

status from slave to free isn't required to live

out a fruitful Christian life. You can be a slave

and be a fruitful Christian. Do you believe that?

Any scenario, any situation, you can be a fruitful

Christian. So Paul says, don't let your status

as a slave consume you. You have Christ. He's

sufficient for all things. Not just in this life,

but in the life to come. Even more so in the

life to come. And isn't your status in eternity

far greater than your status of suffering during

this vapor of life that we have on the earth?

That's the perspective. And in that, even as

a slave, You can be a fruitful Christian. And

look, I know this is hard for us because we know

that slavery is such an appalling evil, and Paul's

not defending it here. He's not defending it.

He's simply writing as a voice of wisdom in the

midst of the harsh realities of the world that

he lived in. In fact, in Ephesians 6 and Colossians

3, he talks about how a Christian who's a slave

can live with integrity and glorify Christ. Look

at this. Look at this verse. Slaves, obey your

human masters with fear and trembling, he writes,

in the sincerity of your heart as to Christ.

Don't work only while being watched as people

pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing God's

will from the heart. With goodwill, render service

as to the Lord and not to men, knowing whatever

good each one does, slave or free, he will receive

this back from the Lord. That is a, that is a,

whew. What a passage. Do you see the key, though,

to living out a fruitful Christian life, even

in slavery? The key to faithfulness. And again,

whether you're a slave in the ancient world or

you're an office worker today, right, or anywhere

in between, the key is the sincerity of your

heart. Living out your place, living out the

role that God has called you to, the condition

that he has placed you in. doing it with the

same integrity that you would render if Christ

were standing right next to you. And the promise

for that kind of faithfulness, when yes, I have

to serve this earthly master, and maybe he's

the biggest jerk in the world, maybe he's even

abusive, right? The promise for faithful, integrous

living as a Christian with a testimony for Christ

is that even if you're a slave all your life,

look at the last statement, You have the promise

of an incomprehensibly great reward from the

Lord. That'll get you through, won't it? Friends,

if this idea of being content as a slave still

causes you anxiety or frustration, I get it,

but will you remember this as well? Jesus doesn't

ask anything of us that he wasn't willing to

do for others. Jesus completely turned the relationship

of status and service on its head. Jesus didn't

view menial labor as demeaning. He washed feet.

As the Lord of glory, he washed feet. He became

a servant for us on the cross. His apostles weren't

even ashamed to call themselves slaves. Slaves

of the Lord, they called themselves. That was

their favorite way of referring to themselves

in scripture. We're bond slaves of Christ. And

because of his faithful service on our behalf,

God elevated Christ to a position of even higher

glory. And those apostles who called themselves

slaves to everyone else, guess what? In the era

to come, they get to sit on thrones, which tells

us something. The way up is always down. The

way up is always down. Jesus and the apostles

actually show us the way. Now, having said that,

how wonderful is it that Paul writes in the second

half of verse 21, because look, he knows how

hard being a slave was. He empathizes with them.

He says, but if you are able to become free,

do it. Improve your life. Take that opportunity.

If God opens that door, walk through it, improve

your life in ways that will glorify God and build

his kingdom. And then he adds this beautiful

paradox in verse 22. We're just about done. And

it points to this theological truth that is so

much bigger than our circumstances on this earth.

He says, for he who was called in the Lord while

a slave is actually the Lord's freedman. In other

words, you might be a slave physically, but as

a Christian, you've been freed. Freed from slavery

to sin and death. Freed from the curse of the

law through Christ. That makes you spiritually

free. And if you're spiritually free, you are

free indeed, no matter what your circumstances

are. What a hopeful thing for a slave to read.

I might have to have these physical chains on,

but I am spiritually free in Christ. Likewise,

the verse goes on, he who was called while free

is now Christ's slave. So even those who are

called into the kingdom of God as free men, we

welcome the idea of becoming slaves to the one

who purchased us with his blood. That's us. That's

you and I. We're physically free, but we are

spiritually free. Slaves now. Do you welcome

that? Slaves to Christ, slaves to righteousness.

What Paul's showing us in all of this is that

outward things simply don't matter that much.

So he says, don't be so concerned about them.

Don't be anxious about changing your condition

or your situation. Lay it before the Lord with

the right heart motive. Trust in him to open

the doors. Trust in him to guide your steps.

And in the meantime, above all things, Paul says,

be content. Be content. Amen? Let's bow our heads.

Heavenly Father, what a passage. What a hard

thing for us to process through as 21st century

Americans. Modern day Christians who we look

at our problems and yeah, Lord, for our time

they are substantial. But wow, to see the things

that Christians in the first century had to walk

through. All of the turmoil, the disorder, trying

to get their minds right around the apostles'

teaching. What a benefit we have living 2 ,000

years later to be able to look back and to learn

from your word and then to apply those things

culturally to our day. Heavenly Father, would

you seal these truths to our hearts? Will you

take our particular circumstances? Each one of

us, whatever situation we're in, will you take

those things, Lord, and speak to us by your spirit

this week? Help us to grow in our joy and our

peace in the place that you've put us. Help us

to grow in contentment in the role that you've

called us to. And Lord, even if we're looking

out there and looking for change and opportunities,

would you correct our heart motivation if it's

not in the right place? Would you do these things

by your spirit, Lord? And would you do them for

your glory and for the building of your kingdom?

Thank you for our time of the word this morning.

We love you. We praise you. In Christ's name,

amen.