Devotions

unique — so genuine

Posted on April 7, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

1 Corinthians 9:1-7

1Co 9:1 Am I not free? Am I not a missionary? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord?

1Co 9:2 If to others I am not a missionary, at least I am to you, because you are the seal of my missions work in the Lord.

1Co 9:3 My defending argument to those who are examining me is this:

1Co 9:4 Don’t we have the right to eat and drink?

1Co 9:5 Don’t we have the right to bring along a Christian wife like the other missionaries, the Lord’s brothers, and Cephas do?

1Co 9:6 Or do Barnabas and I alone have no right to keep from working?

1Co 9:7 Who makes war at their own expense — ever? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its fruit? Or who shepherds a flock and does not consume the milk from the flock?

unique — so genuine

Paul’s indignation in this section of the letter is not the irritation of a thin‑skinned leader but the wounded concern of a spiritual father whose integrity has been unfairly questioned. The very people who should have been most grateful for his ministry had begun to cast doubt on his legitimacy. Corinth owed its existence as a Christian community to the labor of Paul and his team, yet some within the congregation were now suggesting that he did not meet the qualifications of a true missionary. Their criticisms were not theological but personal and superficial.

One accusation centered on Paul’s decision to support himself through tentmaking while ministering in Corinth. Instead of receiving financial support from the church, he chose manual labor so that no one could claim he preached the gospel for personal gain. Ironically, this sacrificial choice was twisted into a sign of inferiority. Other missionaries received support; Paul did not. Therefore, some argued, he must not be a genuine apostle.

Another criticism targeted his singleness. Prominent Christian leaders such as Peter were married, and some in Corinth used this as a benchmark for legitimacy. Paul’s unmarried status, they claimed, made him an outlier and therefore suspect. In their minds, deviation from the norm was evidence of deficiency.

Paul responds by turning their logic on its head. He affirms that he had every right to receive financial support and every right to marry. These were legitimate freedoms granted to those who serve the gospel. Yet he voluntarily relinquished those rights for the sake of the mission. His refusal to take support was not a sign of weakness but a deliberate strategy to remove obstacles to the gospel. His singleness was not a flaw but a chosen form of devotion that allowed him to serve with greater mobility and focus.

Far from disqualifying him, these distinctive choices reveal the authenticity of his calling. He was not driven by comfort, reputation, or conformity but by the advancement of Christ’s kingdom. His uniqueness was not evidence of failure but of faithfulness. In a community tempted to measure leaders by worldly standards, Paul reminds them that true apostolic authority is marked by sacrifice, humility, and a willingness to lay aside personal rights for the good of others.

LORD, you have blessed us with a variety of servants who faithfully work among us. Teach us to accept all of them as gifts from you, no matter how different they are from one another.

Posted in church, genuineness, missions, Paul | Tagged 1 Corinthians 9 | Leave a comment

protecting the weak

Posted on April 6, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

1 Corinthians 8:10-13

1Co 8:10 Because if someone sees you, the one who has this knowledge, reclining where an idol is displayed, won’t his weak conscience be encouraged to eat food offered to idols?

1Co 8:11 Because this weak one – by your knowledge – is being destroyed – this brother for whom Christ died!

1Co 8:12 Now when you are sinning like this against the brothers and punch their weak conscience, you are sinning against Christ.

1Co 8:13 For this reason, if food is causing my brother to fall, I will not ever eat meat for the rest of my life, so that I won’t cause my brother to fall.

protecting the weak

The Corinthian situation reveals how easily a good doctrine can be mishandled when love is not guiding its application. Within the network of congregations in Corinth, a confident faction emphasized the freedom believers possess in Christ. Their theology was sound: idols are nothing, food is morally neutral, and the gospel has released God’s people from the ritual restrictions of the old covenant. Because of this, some among the “strong” felt perfectly at ease walking into the marketplace, purchasing inexpensive meat that had previously been used in pagan ceremonies, and enjoying it without a second thought. To them, it was simply a practical decision grounded in correct theology.

Paul does not dispute their understanding. He agrees that the meat itself carries no spiritual contamination. Yet he presses them to look beyond the correctness of their doctrine and consider the impact of their behavior. Corinth was filled with new believers who had only recently turned from paganism. Their former lives were saturated with sacrifices, idols, and rituals. For them, seeing a respected Christian purchasing meat from a stall associated with idol worship could easily stir confusion or even draw them back toward old patterns. What the strong regarded as harmless could become, for the weak, a spiritual snare.

This is why Paul reframes the entire issue around love. Freedom is real, but it is not ultimate. Knowledge is valuable, but it is not supreme. The spiritual well‑being of a brother or sister takes precedence over personal liberty. Paul goes so far as to say that he would gladly abstain from meat altogether if doing so would protect a vulnerable believer from stumbling. The principle is clear: failing to guard the conscience of a weaker brother is not merely inconsiderate; it is a sin against Christ himself, who purchased that brother with his own blood.

Paul’s example exposes the heart of Christian maturity. Strength is not measured by how much freedom one can exercise but by how willingly one limits that freedom for the sake of another’s growth. A community shaped by this kind of love becomes a place where the strong protect the weak, where liberty is guided by compassion, and where the good of others is held above personal preference.

LORD, help us to protect our Christian family, even sustaining from things we are free to do – for their sake.

Posted in animism, conscience, consideration of others, freedom, idolatry | Tagged 1 Corinthians 8 | Leave a comment

considering the consciences

Posted on April 5, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

1 Corinthians 8:7-9

1Co 8:7 However, this knowledge is not in all of us to the same degree. In fact, some have habitually thought like idolaters until now, so when they eat food that has been offered to an idol, their weak conscience is corrupted.

1Co 8:8 But a food will not really affect our standing in God’s sight. Neither are we lacking his blessing if we do not eat it, nor do we gain his blessing if we do eat it.

1Co 8:9 But you all had better see to it that your right to choose in this matter does not become a cause of tripping up the weak ones.

considering the consciences

Many of the tensions in the Corinthian churches did not arise from false doctrine but from people who held correct doctrine and applied it without regard for the spiritual well‑being of others. The issue of meat offered to idols is a clear example. Some believers understood the gospel rightly: idols are nothing, food does not commend anyone to God, and Christ has freed his people from the dietary restrictions of the old covenant. Confident in that truth, they felt no hesitation in purchasing the inexpensive meat that had once been part of pagan rituals. To them, it was simply food, stripped of any spiritual significance by the reality of the one true God.

Paul does not correct their theology. He affirms it. Their understanding of Christian liberty was sound. The problem lay not in what they believed but in how they behaved. Their actions failed to take into account the consciences of fellow believers who did not share the same level of confidence. Some in the congregation still associated that meat with idolatry. For them, eating it felt like participating in something spiritually corrupt. When the stronger believers exercised their freedom without restraint, they placed unnecessary pressure on the weaker ones, tempting them to act against their own conscience and wounding them in the process.

This dynamic is not confined to the first century. It is alive in the modern church as well. Many today are quick to assert personal rights—rights to entertainment, to consumption, to lifestyle choices—without pausing to consider how those choices appear to younger or less mature believers who are watching closely. A generation is growing up within the church, observing the habits of those who claim to follow Christ. In some cases, what is defended as freedom may be interpreted as inconsistency or even hypocrisy. The issue is not whether certain activities are inherently sinful but whether the unrestrained exercise of liberty becomes a stumbling block to others.

Paul’s counsel invites a posture of humility and self‑restraint. Christian freedom is real, but it is never an excuse for indifference. Love limits liberty for the sake of another’s spiritual good. A community shaped by that kind of love becomes a place where believers grow in confidence rather than confusion, and where the strong use their strength not to flaunt their rights but to protect the vulnerable.

LORD, give us wisdom as to how we display our freedoms.

Posted in conscience, consideration of others, hypocrisy | Tagged 1 Corinthians 8 | Leave a comment

imposters

Posted on April 4, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

1 Corinthians 8:4-6

1Co 8:4 So, about eating food which has been offered to idols, we know that “an idol in this world is nothing,” and “there no God, except for the one.”

1Co 8:5 Because even though there are those spoken of as gods in the sky or on the land – yes, there are many such gods and many lords —

1Co 8:6 but to us – one God, the Father, from whom came all things, and we are for him, and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom came all things, and we live because of him.

imposters

Paul’s words still speak into a world where idolatry is not a relic of ancient history but a present and powerful reality. Across continents and cultures, countless communities remain bound to systems of belief in which carved images, ancestral spirits, or localized deities are treated as the key to prosperity, protection, or healing. The outward forms vary, but the underlying impulse is the same: people turn to these figures because they believe such beings can be persuaded, appeased, or manipulated into granting personal desires. The term “worship” hardly fits, for the relationship is transactional rather than reverent. These gods “exist” only because people imagine them, carve them, and sustain them through ritual. They are projections of human longing, fear, and self-interest.

Paul’s contrast could not be sharper. Against the backdrop of many gods and many lords, he proclaims one God and one Lord Jesus Christ. The difference is not merely numerical; it is ontological. The idols exist because people create them. Humanity exists because the living God created and sustains it. Idols depend on human imagination. Humanity depends on divine will. Idols are shaped by human hands. Humanity is shaped by the breath of God. Idols are invoked to serve human purposes. Believers exist for God’s purposes.

Paul’s confession reorients the entire conversation. The Corinthian believers were surrounded by a culture saturated with images, temples, sacrifices, and spiritual intermediaries. Yet Paul reminds them that their identity is rooted not in the marketplace of competing deities but in the Father who made them and the Son who redeemed them. The Lord Jesus Christ is not an image fashioned from stone or metal but the true image of the invisible God, the One who reveals the Father and brings his people into genuine relationship with him.

This truth renders all substitutes unnecessary. No carved figure can mediate divine presence. No ancestral spirit can secure blessing. No ritual manipulation can produce life. The living God has already acted decisively in Christ, drawing his people into fellowship with himself. That reality frees believers from fear, from superstition, and from the need to control the spiritual world. It anchors them in a relationship grounded not in human invention but in divine grace.

LORD, purge from us the stupidity of idolatry in all its forms.

Posted in animism, dependence upon God, discernment, idolatry, Uncategorized | Tagged 1 Corinthians 8 | Leave a comment

gossip game

Posted on April 3, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

1 Corinthians 8:1-3

1Co 8:1 Now regarding your question about food that has been offered to idols. Yes, we know that “we all have knowledge” about what is happening. But knowledge makes a person arrogant, love builds him up.

1Co 8:2 If someone thinks he knows something, he does not yet know as well as he needs to know.

1Co 8:3 But if anyone loves God, this is known by God.

gossip game

The situation in Corinth reflects a familiar human pattern: when a community becomes more interested in circulating information about one another than in building one another up, the atmosphere quickly turns toxic. In this case, some believers had discovered that others were purchasing discounted meat from the less reputable stalls in the marketplace. Everyone understood what that meant. Such meat had previously been offered in sacrifice to a pagan deity before being resold. Instead of addressing the matter with maturity, the congregation allowed the rumor to spread until it became a defining topic of conversation. The issue grew large enough that it found its way into the letter sent to Paul, inviting him into the swirl of speculation.

Paul does not begin by analyzing the meat or the marketplace. He begins by addressing the deeper spiritual problem: the difference between possessing knowledge and practicing love. Knowledge, he insists, is always partial. Even the most informed believer sees only in part, understands only in part, and interprets life with limited clarity. Knowledge can easily inflate the ego, creating a sense of superiority over others. Love, however, does not suffer from those limitations. Love is capable of embracing others even when understanding is incomplete. Love can act faithfully even when knowledge is small. God’s love for his people is not hindered by their immaturity or their misunderstandings, and believers are called to reflect that same posture toward one another.

This is why Paul insists that discussions about morally complicated issues must begin with relationships rather than information. The Corinthian believers were treating the situation as an opportunity to display insight, to demonstrate who understood the finer points of Christian liberty and who did not. Paul redirects their attention to the fact that the individuals being discussed are people whom God knows, loves, and has claimed as his own. Before any believer presumes to speak critically about another, that reality must be allowed to settle deeply into the heart. Gossip becomes far less attractive when the subject of the conversation is recognized as someone cherished by the Lord.

Paul’s pastoral wisdom exposes the real danger in Corinth. The problem was not meat but pride. The community had allowed curiosity and judgment to overshadow love. By calling them back to the primacy of love, Paul invites them to see one another not as topics of debate but as members of God’s family, worthy of patience, compassion, and honor.

LORD, forgive us for slandering those whom you have chosen to love.

Posted in consideration of others, criticism, gossip, love, relationship with God, Uncategorized | Tagged 1 Corinthians 8 | Leave a comment

distracted by desire

Posted on April 2, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

1 Corinthians 7:36-40

1Co 7:36 But if anyone thinks that he is not behaving properly toward his fiancé, if his passions are strong, and so it has to be, let him do what he wants to; he is not sinning. Let them marry.

1Co 7:37 But the one who stands firm in his heart, being under no necessity but having his own desire under control, and has determined in his own mind to keep her as his fiancé, he will do well.

1Co 7:38 So then, he who marries his fiancé does well; and he who refrains from marriage will do better.

1Co 7:39 A wife is tied down as long as her husband lives; but if her husband is dead, she is free to be married to whomever she wants to, only in the Lord.

1Co 7:40 But in my opinion she is happier if she stays the way she is; and I think that I also have the Spirit of God.

distracted by desire

The concern circulating among the young men in Corinth seems easy to reconstruct. They had heard a statement—likely from Paul himself—that “it is good for a man not to touch a woman.” Detached from its context, the statement took on a life of its own. Some began to fear that marriage might place them outside the will of God. Others worried that their desire to marry was itself a sign of spiritual weakness. The result was confusion, hesitation, and unnecessary anxiety.

Paul’s reply is calm, balanced, and rooted in pastoral realism. He acknowledges the truth of what he had said earlier: in the particular circumstances facing Corinth, remaining unmarried carried certain advantages. It allowed for fewer distractions, fewer obligations, and greater freedom for kingdom work. In that sense, it was better not to marry.

But Paul refuses to let that principle become a burden. If the desire for marriage is strong enough to create distraction, preoccupation, or inner turmoil, then marriage becomes the wiser path. The issue is not moral superiority but spiritual clarity. A mind consumed with longing is not a mind free for undivided devotion. In such a case, marriage is not a concession to weakness but a recognition of reality.

Paul’s counsel preserves two truths at once:

Singleness can be a gift, offering a unique freedom for service.
Marriage can be a gift, offering stability and the resolution of distracting desires.

Neither state is inherently more spiritual. What matters is the capacity for focused, faithful living within the circumstances God has given. Paul’s wisdom allows room for both paths, without elevating one or condemning the other.

LORD, we want to be as committed to you and your kingdom as possible. Help us to keep our other desires and plans under control.

Posted in commitment, discipleship, marriage, self-control | Tagged 1 Corinthians 7 | Leave a comment

worry engines

Posted on April 1, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

1 Corinthians 7:32-35

1Co 7:32 But I want you to be free from unnecessary worry. One who is unmarried worries about the things of the Lord, how he may accommodate the Lord;

1Co 7:33 but one who is married worries about the things of the world, how he may accommodate his wife,

1Co 7:34 and he is distracted. And the woman who is unmarried, and the virgin, worries about the things of the Lord, so that she may be holy both in body and spirit; but one who is married worries about the things of the world, how she may accommodate her husband.

1Co 7:35 And I am saying this for your own benefit; not to put a noose around your neck, but to help you make right choices, and to assure undistracted devotion to the Lord.

worry engines

Paul’s insight here touches something profoundly true about the human mind: it is capable of choosing its focus. Thought is not merely reactive. It can be directed, shaped, disciplined. That is the heart of his counsel to the Corinthians. Their minds had become preoccupied with earthly concerns—marriage plans, anxieties about future responsibilities, worries about how to manage relationships. These concerns were not sinful in themselves, but they had begun to dominate attention and drain spiritual energy.

Paul’s point is not that marriage is unimportant, nor that daily responsibilities should be ignored. His concern is the distraction that comes when the mind becomes consumed with secondary matters. Some in Corinth had the gift of singleness, and for them, the absence of marital obligations created space for an undivided devotion to the Lord. Their minds were free from the constant pull of relational concerns, and Paul wanted them to recognize the value of that freedom.

The principle extends beyond marriage. Human minds can become crowded with concerns that, while legitimate, slowly erode the capacity for spiritual attentiveness. Worry multiplies. Focus fragments. Energy that could be directed toward kingdom life becomes scattered across a dozen lesser anxieties.

Paul’s counsel invites a different way of thinking:

Choose what occupies the mind.
Guard the inner life from unnecessary burdens.
Recognize the gift of an undistracted heart when it is given.

For those able to live without certain commitments, the freedom can become a channel for deeper devotion. For those already committed, the call is to honor those commitments without letting worry dominate the mind. In either case, the mind remains a place where faith is practiced—by choosing what to dwell on, and by directing attention toward the things that matter most.

LORD, train us to focus our worry engines on you and your kingdom.

Posted in commitment, discipleship, holiness, marriage, relationship with God, self-control, worry | Tagged 1 Corinthians 7 | 1 Comment

a dissolving world

Posted on March 31, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

1 Corinthians 7:29-31

1Co 7:29 But I am saying this, brothers: the time which is appointed to us has been shortened, so that the ones married to wives are as though they are unmarried,

1Co 7:30 and the ones weeping, as though they did not weep; and the ones rejoicing, as though they did not rejoice; and the ones buying, as though they did not possess;

1Co 7:31 and the ones making use of the world, as though they did not make full use of it; because the shape of this world is dissolving.

a dissolving world

Paul’s analogy about “the present form of this world passing away” captures a reality that fits both Corinth and the modern age. He describes a world in motion, a world in flux, a world dissolving at the edges. In such a setting, the question is not merely how to survive but how to live faithfully when everything feels unstable.

Paul’s answer is strikingly simple: keep non‑essential commitments few so that essential commitments can be kept well. That is why he urged the unmarried in Corinth to think carefully before adding the weight of marriage to their lives. The issue was not the goodness of marriage but the burden of additional obligations in a time of crisis. Fewer entanglements meant greater freedom for kingdom work.

The principle remains sound.
Some commitments enrich life and deepen faithfulness. Others complicate life without advancing anything eternal. Paul’s counsel invites sober reflection: which commitments belong to the core calling of a believer, and which merely add weight to an already heavy world?

For those already married, the commitment stands as a covenantal reality. Paul never encourages abandoning what has already been vowed. But he does acknowledge that in certain seasons, a life without additional relational obligations can be less stressful and more focused.

Paul’s wisdom pushes toward clarity:

Essential commitments anchor the soul.
Extraneous commitments drain energy needed for kingdom life.
Discernment is required to know the difference.

In a world that feels as unstable as Corinth’s, that discernment becomes a form of spiritual stewardship—choosing what strengthens the calling and releasing what distracts from it.

LORD, give us wisdom to make only the essential commitments.

Posted in commitment, discernment, discipleship, time, wisdom | Tagged 1 Corinthians 7 | Leave a comment

consequences of commitment

Posted on March 30, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

1 Corinthians 7:25-28

1Co 7:25 But as to your question about those yet unmarried, I do not have a specific command from the Lord, but I can give an opinion as one who is faithful by the Lord’s mercy.

1Co 7:26 I think then that this is good in light of the present crisis, that it is good for a man to stay as he is.

1Co 7:27 Are you already committed to a woman? Do not try to get out of the commitment. Are you free of any obligation to a woman? Do not look for a wife.

1Co 7:28 But if you marry, you have not sinned, and if an unmarried woman marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will experience distress in this life, and I am trying to prevent you from experiencing that.

consequences of commitment

Paul’s tone in this section is noticeably pastoral and provisional. He signals that his counsel is shaped by “the present crisis”—a phrase that almost certainly refers to some combination of social instability, persecution, economic uncertainty, and the moral volatility of Corinth itself. Because his advice is tied to that context, it must be handled with care. It is not meant to become rigid ecclesiastical law. It is situational wisdom, not universal command.

Yet even within that context‑bound counsel, Paul offers a principle that transcends the moment.

Paul’s immediate concern

Paul wants those considering marriage to recognize the weight of the commitment. Marriage is not a casual decision. It brings responsibilities, obligations, and divided attention. In a time of crisis, those added pressures could become overwhelming. For that reason, Paul believes it is better—in Corinth’s present situation—for unmarried believers to remain single. Not because marriage is inferior, but because the circumstances make singleness strategically wiser.

The enduring principle beneath the counsel

From this passage emerges a general truth that applies far beyond Corinth:

The fewer entangling commitments a person carries, the freer that person is to pursue kingdom life.

Marriage is a gift, but it is also a commitment that necessarily divides attention. Paul is not criticizing marriage; he is simply acknowledging reality. Those who are already married should honor the commitment they have made. Those who are not married should consider carefully whether adding that commitment will help or hinder their ability to serve Christ in their particular context.

Paul’s realism

Paul does not romanticize either path.

Marriage brings joy, companionship, and covenantal strength—but also stress.
Singleness brings freedom and focus—but also loneliness and vulnerability.

Neither state is inherently more spiritual. Each has its own burdens and blessings.

Paul’s pastoral heart

What stands out is Paul’s refusal to treat marriage or singleness as a spiritual badge. His concern is not status but wisdom. He wants believers to make decisions that reduce unnecessary burdens and increase availability for kingdom work. And he wants those already married to rest in the commitments they have made, not to second‑guess them.

In some seasons, a life without a marriage partner is indeed less stressful. In others, marriage becomes a source of strength. Paul’s counsel allows room for both realities, while calling believers to discernment shaped by their context and their calling.

LORD, give us wisdom when we consider our life commitments.

Posted in commitment, discipleship, marriage, Uncategorized | Tagged 1 Corinthians 7 | Leave a comment

purchased at a high price

Posted on March 29, 2016 by Jefferson Vann

1 Cor. 7:21-24

²¹ Were you called while a bondservant? Do not worry about it; but if you are able also to become free, I would rather you use that opportunity. ²² Because the bondservant called by the Lord is emancipated by the Lord, just like the free person is a bondservant of Christ. ²³ You were purchased at a high price; do not become bondservants of other men. ²⁴ As each has been called, brothers, stay in that state in the presence of God.

purchased at a high price

Paul now turns to yet another relational category in Corinth—bondservants—and he treats it with the same pastoral realism and theological depth that shaped his counsel on marriage and ethnicity. The Corinthians had been asking how becoming a Christian should alter their social relationships. Paul’s answer, repeated like a refrain, is that conversion does not require a person to overturn the external circumstances in which God first called them. Marriage does not need to be dissolved. Ethnic identity does not need to be changed. And now, Paul says, neither does one’s status as a bondservant.

Paul’s general principle

Paul applies the same guiding rule he has used throughout the chapter: remain in the condition in which God called you. Faith does not demand a social revolution in order to be authentic. A bondservant who becomes a believer is not spiritually inferior, spiritually handicapped, or spiritually restricted. God’s call reaches into every social condition, and the Spirit’s work is not limited by human structures.

Paul’s two important qualifications

Yet Paul adds two clarifying truths that reshape how bondservants should understand their identity and their future.

1. A higher reality now defines every believer

Regardless of earthly status, every Christian has been bought with a price—the death of Christ. That means no believer ultimately belongs to a human master. Even a bondservant is, in the deepest sense, free in Christ. And even a free person is, in the deepest sense, Christ’s servant. Earthly categories remain, but they no longer define the believer’s worth, dignity, or calling.

Paul is not endorsing the institution of slavery; he is relativizing it. He is placing it beneath the greater reality of redemption. The cross has redefined ownership. Christ alone claims the believer.

2. If freedom becomes possible, it should be embraced

Paul then makes a practical concession: if a bondservant has the opportunity to gain freedom, that opportunity should be taken. Not because bondage makes someone less spiritual, but because freedom allows greater flexibility for gospel work. A believer who is not tied down by contractual obligations can serve more freely, travel more easily, and devote more energy to the kingdom.

Paul is not commanding escape or rebellion. He is simply recognizing that freedom, when available, is strategically advantageous for the church’s mission.

Paul’s pastoral balance

Paul’s teaching avoids two extremes:

He does not demand that bondservants overthrow their social condition in order to be faithful.
He does not romanticize bondage or treat it as spiritually ideal.

Instead, he affirms that God calls people in real circumstances, not ideal ones. And he insists that God can use them powerfully right where they are.

The heart of Paul’s message

Conversion does not require external upheaval.
Christ’s redemption gives every believer a new identity that transcends social status.
Freedom, when available, is a gift that can be used for the kingdom.
Bondservants are not spiritually disadvantaged; they are fully God’s people, fully God’s temple, fully God’s servants.

Paul’s counsel is both liberating and stabilizing. It honors the dignity of believers in every condition while encouraging them to pursue opportunities that expand their usefulness to Christ.

LORD, thank you for setting us free by the high price you paid for us. Thank you, also, for the servanthood you have called us to – to a better master.

Posted in change, employment, loyalty, responsibility, Uncategorized | Tagged 1 Corinthians 7 | Leave a comment