1 Corinthians 9 - 10.5.26

Scripture

1 Corinthians 9:19-23

“Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.”

Observation

Paul is talking about how he operates in the mission field of sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ! He needed to know the people’s language and customs before he could reach them. In order to have a voice and operate within their world, he needed to know how to become like one of them. (Being a former Pharisee and persecutor of Christians, he already had a leg up.)

I thought it was interesting how he even said that he became like someone under the law and like someone not having the law. He will do whatever he needs to do to win people to the faith, without compromising or becoming like the world. He knew how to live IN the world, but not OF the world.

The Apostle Paul knew that reaching a lost world meant that even though he was called to be set apart, he also had to be educated about how they dressed, spoke and lived their everyday lives.

Application

In order to reach people for the Gospel, we need to infiltrate the culture.

When I first became a Christ follower, I thought I had to quit everything that I had a passion for, such as the arts (music and dance), sports, movies, etc. and only have Christian friends with an ultimate calling of working in a church setting. I also started dressing extremely conservative. I’m all for modesty, but it was to an extreme.

However, as I was taking myself out of the world, I was also losing influence with those IN the world because I appeared too “holier than thou.” I was separating myself way too much from the lost people God had called me to reach.

When I was in college and talking to some students who were getting reading to go into the mission field, they told me that they spent months prepping (before heading there), by learning the language, culture and customs of the people who they were about to preach the Gospel too.

Also, in some areas that didn’t allow Christian missionaries, they would have to learn another trade (like being an engineer or school teacher), in order to get a foot in the door of that country.

Even when I studied children’s ministry (before having kids), my professor would tell us to find out the types of cartoons that the kids were watching and study what they were interested in so that I could begin to connect with them.

As I look at the life of Jesus, He spent time teaching in the Temple, but He also spent A LOT of time outside with “sinners” and in the world.

We must be interested and ask more questions to people who are different than ourselves. We cannot reach a lost generation if we are unwilling to learn and be surrounded by unbelievers. As the Bible says, “If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.” -‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭13‬:‭1‬ ‭NIV‬‬

What would draw people to listen to my testimony and the Good News I have to share about Jesus? Why would they care if I don’t even care about their story?

We must meet people where they are at, just like Jesus met us where we were at.

Prayer

Dear Lord,

Thank You for reminding me that in order for my light to shine brightly for You, I need to be willing to be in dark places, where the people who need You are. You say that it is the sick who need a doctor, not the healthy. You have brought me through so much in my life and it’s easy for me to forget that that’s NOT the end goal. Please forgive me. Please reveal to me the everyday places where Your light can shine most brightly for Your Kingdom. Amen.

-Michelle Gaddi