Sermon Text:

This morning we continue our series, “Growing in Grace”, where we are working our way verse by verse through the letter of 1 Corinthians. Although a lot has changed in the world since Paul wrote to the Corinthians the nature of sinners and the grace of God has not. We deal with the same issues that Paul addresses in this letter and the Holy Spirit works through the teaching of the word as much in the church today as He did for those original recipients. As we meditate upon the truths of God’s word, we pray that the Sprit would shape us to me more like Jesus.

Last time we saw that Paul was teaching on marriage and singleness and he is going to come back to that after the passage we are looking at today. Our text this morning is an aside that is in the middle of a longer teaching on marriage. In this passage, Paul makes a general observation that supports what he says about his teaching on marriage. As I looked at this though I wanted to handle it separately because it is a very important principle that has an application that goes far beyond just marriage relationships.

The main idea is regardless of social or economic status, every believer is called to sacred work. Let me say that again, regardless of social or economic status, every believer is called to sacred work.

We do not need to be so caught up in trying to change the circumstances of our lives that we miss the truth that God has placed us where we are for a reason. Our priority in every situation should be to glorify God where He has placed us. Our goal is not primarily social, economic, or political revolution because God’s kingdom is not of this world and our hope is in that kingdom.

We begin this morning with 1 Corinthians 7:17. If you are using the blue Bible we provide, it is page 119X. If you do not own a Bible or have need of one, please take that one with you as you leave as our gift to you. The word of God says,

¹⁷ Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches. ¹⁸ Was anyone at the time of his call already circumcised? Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision. Was anyone at the time of his call uncircumcised? Let him not seek circumcision. ¹⁹ For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God. ²⁰ Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called. ²¹ Were you a bondservant when called? Do not be concerned about it. (But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.) ²² For he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a bondservant of Christ. ²³ You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men. ²⁴ So, brothers, in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God.

Paul is again emphasizing that it is not the external circumstances of our lives that determine our value in the Kingdom, but our faithfulness. The Gospel has revolutionary implications, but we are not called to be social, economic, or political revolutionaries. Instead, we are called to work for the Kingdom through the power of the Gospel.

All other revolutions are an attempt to usher in a better kingdom through external things. Better laws, better government, better economic systems. These all fail because of sin. God, however, will usher in a better kingdom by destroying sin. He will establish better institutions by creating better people. Therefore, the Gospel is far more radical than any revolutionary could hope for. It also means through the Gospel God’s kingdom is infiltrating every level of the kingdom of Satan and every position and kind of work done by a believer in faith is holy, it is set apart, it is sacred.

We can see three reasons for this in what Paul says. He tells us:

1. God has strategically placed each of us where we are.
2. Every station has honor, dignity, and purpose.
3. A believer’s satisfaction is found in Jesus rather than in the world.

The first thing I want you to recognize is that God has strategically placed you where you are. God is sovereign, He is all wise, He is good, and He works all things to His glory and the good of those who love Him. You are not where you are today by accident. Almighty God has placed you there for a reason.

This passage has a bracketed envelope structure. An envelope structure is when a teaching passage in the Bible is tucked between verses that repeat the same idea. It is a way of helping us to see what is being emphasized. The emphasis in our text this morning is that believers should not be restless but should be faithful in the place where God has put them.

Notice that the first statement, the one right in the middle, and the last statement in this passage all say the same thing.

It begins in verse 17 with,

¹⁷ Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him.

Right in the middle, in verse 20 we have,

²⁰ Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called.

And then Paul ends the section in verse 24 with,

²⁴ So, brothers, in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God.

Paul is emphasizing that each believer is strategically placed by the sovereign God in the position they are. In each of our lives there is a reason why we are where we are. Instead of being frustrated by that we should be asking ourselves how we can best glorify God in the position we find ourselves.

We live in a culture where what we have is never good enough. We are restless and always looking for that next thing. Ambition is seen as a virtue and contentment is seen as foolishness. On average, we have far more money, far more discretionary time, far more sources of entertainment, and far more variety of food, clothes, etc. than any people who have ever lived in history. In many ways the standard of living of the average working class person in our country exceeds that of the wealthiest of our ancestors. Yet we are surrounded by voices whispering to us that it isn’t enough, that we deserve and should demand more.

I recently read that 75% of the American workforce are frustrated at work and would like to change jobs over the next couple years. 75%! Listen, I realize that there are some jobs that are not good jobs, but a number like 75% suggests something else is going on. The human heart is restless and discontent.

I heard about a manager that overheard one of his workers telling another that if she could just get another five percent in her check she would be happy and content. The manager thought the matter over and called her in to tell her he was increasing her salary 5%. She thanked him and left his office. As she returned to her workstation he heard her saying she was kicking herself that she hadn’t said 10%.

That is the way it often works with us. We no sooner get what we wanted than we are looking for something else. Of course, the apostle Paul isn’t saying that we should never seek to improve ourselves or society. Notice what he says to the bondservants.

²⁰ Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called. ²¹ Were you a bondservant when called? Do not be concerned about it. (But if you can gain your freedom, avail yourself of the opportunity.)

Right after saying that we should stay where we were called Paul tells those who were slaves to not be concerned about it. But he also tells them that they should gain their freedom if they have the opportunity.

A large portion of the Roman society was comprised of people who were slaves. Roman slavery was different in many significant ways from the slavery of the American south, which is probably why the translators use the word bondservant, but nevertheless, these were people who did not own themselves. They were the property of other people and were retained to do various kinds of work. They were at the very bottom of the social, economic, and political ladder.

Paul says, “don’t be concerned about that” but he also doesn’t command them to stay slaves if they can gain their freedom. So, the Bible isn’t teaching that we should live with some kind of caste system. It isn’t a sin to get a better job. The point is that we should look at our present condition as a calling. We should see our jobs, our social setting, etc. as a place that God has placed us to glorify Him in that context. Rather than being discontent with where we are we need to recognize it as an outpost in the Kingdom of God.

The Gospel is going out into all the world and Christ is redeeming people from every corner of this world. He places disciple makers in the mills and the malls, on docks and in data rooms, in boardrooms and butcher shops.

Abraham Kuyper, the Christian statesman and theologian rightly said, “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is sovereign over all, does not cry: ‘Mine!’”

Therefore, our view of our current circumstances ought always begin with the truth that it is our loving Father who has placed us where we are. Our primary desire then should be to seek our satisfaction in Him and to be pleased to be or go wherever He calls us.

That leads us to the next observation. Being obedient to our calling will never result in a loss of dignity because every station has honor, dignity, and purpose. We are not seeking the glory the world gives, we are seeking the glory that comes from God. We do not judge the way the world judges, but we judge based upon the word of God. Paul shows us that every calling through which we can live faithfully has honor, dignity, and purpose. Every calling for the Christian is a ministry of God.

It is not the external things that sanctify us or our work, but the transformation of our heart. Look at what Paul says,

¹⁸ Was anyone at the time of his call already circumcised? Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision. Was anyone at the time of his call uncircumcised? Let him not seek circumcision. ¹⁹ For neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision, but keeping the commandments of God.

These outward signs of religion are not important. He says they don’t count for anything. What is important is that we are seeking to be obedient to God. It isn’t the trappings of faith that matter, it is the life we lead. If you drive around with a Jesus fish on your car but are not seeking holiness, it is useless. If you listen to Christian music or wear Christian T shirts but have no brokenness about your sin, it is for nothing. If you are constantly positing Christian quotes and prayers telling everyone how much you love Jesus, but are not striving to keep the commandments of God, it is meaningless.

If, however, through faith you have been given a desire to honor God and to serve Him then it doesn’t matter what your job is, how much money or social status you have, or where you live. You are holy. Your work is sacred work. In the scripture we do not see a distinction between clergy and laity. Every believer is a minister of Christ. Every vocation is sacred when done for Christ.

I heard a story that Martin Luther was once approached by a man who enthusiastically announced that he’d recently become a Christian. Wanting desperately to serve the Lord, he asked Luther, “What should I do now?” As if to say, should he become a minister or perhaps a traveling evangelist. A monk, perhaps. Luther asked him, “What is your work now?” The man replied, “I’m a shoe maker.” Much to the cobbler’s surprise, Luther said, “Then make a good shoe, and sell it at a fair price.”

I couldn’t verify this story, but it does highlight a biblical truth that Luther did frequently talk about. All believers are commanded to love our neighbors and God Himself provides for and cares for people through the work and service of people. Luther said it is God Himself who milks the cow through the labor of the milkmaid. We are obedient to God and show love to our neighbors when we do good work. Colossians 3:23–24 says,

²³ Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, ²⁴ knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.

If you are a factory worker, then doing quality work and ensuring that the products are produced efficiently and properly is ministry. If you are truck driver, making sure your rig is safe and driving well shows love to those around you and is obedience to Christ. Every calling is transformed by faith into a participation already in the blessing of the kingdom of God to our fellow man. It also is a good witness to our neighbors and positions us well for the sharing of the Gospel. When a believer lives by faith, God is present in everything they do. When we love and serve our neighbors and bless them by honoring God in our everyday calling, we bear the image of Christ.

It is not necessary for us to feel a burden to move on to greater and greater things. We do not need to seek transformation of our external realities to be useful to the King. There is nothing wrong with taking advantage of opportunities that arise where we may be able to serve God well, but we do not need to be concerned and restless.

We are free to honor God and be useful servants where He has placed us. On that great day when we stand before the Lord there will be many great men at the back of the line and many humble souls receiving crowns of glory. In Matthew 23:11–12 Jesus says,

¹¹ The greatest among you shall be your servant. ¹² Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

It is not what we do, but who we are that ultimately brings glory to God. That takes us to the third observation. A believer’s satisfaction is found in Jesus rather than in the world.

The world desperately seeks after validation and satisfaction, but it never finds it. People look for it in their jobs, their education, their hobbies, and even in their families and relationships but none of those things can ever truly satisfy. It is only in our union with Jesus through faith that we can find rest and contentment.

Think of it like this. Every good blessing is like a beam of light that warms and illuminates us on our way. The more light we have the more blessed we are. But to posses Jesus Christ is to have the sun itself. He is the source of every beam of light that reaches us. He is the source of every blessing and every good thing. When we are united to Jesus through faith, we find our contentment in the source itself. Our joy and our satisfaction are made complete in the only inexhaustible source of joy in the universe.

This is so foundational to the Christian life that it is with this powerful truth that the great theologian Augustine begins his massively influential book The Confessions. It begins like this,

“Great are you, O Lord, and exceedingly worthy of praise; your power is immense, and your wisdom beyond reckoning. And so we men, who are a due part of your creation, long to praise you – we also carry our mortality about with us, carry the evidence of our sin and with it the proof that you thwart the proud. You arouse us so that praising you may bring us joy, because you have made us and drawn us to yourself, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.”

This is the truth the apostle Paul is pointing us to in this passage. What is important is our relationship with Jesus. This reality transforms everything else and since our contentment comes from God, we need not be restless about our outward circumstances. Listen to how Paul explains the way our faith transforms our perspective on our situation.

²² For he who was called in the Lord as a bondservant is a freedman of the Lord. Likewise he who was free when called is a bondservant of Christ.

Servants who have faith are free in Christ and those who are free in this world who have faith are servants of Christ. We need not be anxious about such things for we have an inheritance in heaven.

Every one of us is born a sinner. That means that we seek to serve ourselves rather than God. We may go through the motions of doing good things but if we do, it is ultimately to serve some self-serving need. Every one of us has rejected God in that we have looked to enjoy the blessings He offers without enjoying Him. We want the world on our own terms. When we do that, however, we add to the pain and suffering in the world because we contribute to the disruption of the good creation God made.

We are all spiritual vandals who ignore God’s laws and damage His good creation for our own enjoyment. As a result, God will call us to account and if we are judged on our own lives, every one of us is guilty. The penalty for those crimes is death and eternity in hell. You may be thinking that such a sentence is extreme. We are tempted to think we are not really that bad, but the Bible shows us that every one of us deserves that penalty.

Have you ever given the love and devotion that only God should receive to something or someone else? I have. Have you ever used the Lord’s name as a cuss word or failed to honor your parents? I have. Have you ever lookup upon another with lust in your heart? I have. Have you ever taken something that didn’t belong to you, or said something that wasn’t true, or been jealous of what someone else has? I have.

These are just a few of the counts that will be brought against us. When we stand before the Lord and the indictments are read, none of us will be acquitted because we were good enough. However, in an act of amazing grace and Love, the Father sent Jesus to be our advocate and representative. He lived a perfect life under the law, without sin. Then He paid the penalty for the sins of all those who would accept Him as their substitute by faith. He was tortured and crucified upon a cross.

He took upon Himself God’s holy wrath upon sin so that God’s justice could be satisfied. The price was paid. The sins of everyone who puts their faith in Jesus was paid in full. In addition to paying the penalty for sins, Jesus also paid the price so that all those who trust in Him would be adopted as sons of God and heirs to the Kingdom. Jesus died so that we could live. He came down from heaven so that we could be lifted up to it. Then after being in the tomb for three days, Jesus rose again and ascended into heaven where He is seated at the right hand of the Father.

This shows that the work was finished. The offering was acceptable. Our works need not testify on our behalf because we have been adopted by the King. We are accepted by the Father and are declared righteous before the Judge. We have received the Spirit of Christ which works through us to bring glory to God. In the same way that we draw life giving breath from outside us into our lungs, we are sustained by drawing upon Christ. He is in us and we are in Him.

This new reality frees us and transforms us to bring Christ into every mundane aspect of the world. We no longer need to work toward being acceptable to God because if we have faith in Jesus, we are accepted in Him. Now, we are free to love our neighbors selfishly. We no longer work for our own sake, but for the sake of others.

Have you ever been in a situation where funds were tight, and a group of friends asked you to join them for dinner or something like that? You start wondering if they are offering to buy for you or if you will need to pay or maybe even split the bill among everyone and that creates anxiety. You would love to go but you aren’t sure you can even afford groceries, let alone a restaurant bill. But when you know your bills are paid for you can enjoy the company of your friends and are not worried that your generosity might cost you too much.

That is like how the Gospel frees us to love. Our bills are paid. We are no longer working to meet our needs or to impress anyone. We can love others and serve them knowing that in Jesus we have all we need. We can be content with whatever God calls us to do because His love for us does not depend upon anything we do, but on what He has done.

Because it is Jesus Himself who is working through us when we are faithful to our calling, everything we do is sacred work. You see, our calling isn’t so much about what we do, but what God is doing through us. God calls us to live out our lives as an illustration of the Gospel for all the world. These illustrations are intended for the family, the workplace, our neighborhoods, and beyond. The external things are really not as important as we think because ultimately the purpose of every calling is for us to love God and love our neighbors.

We are to be walking, breathing applications of Gospel theology to all those that God places in our path. We are to truly be the body of Christ, the expression of His presence and love in the world. Through us, God cares for and blesses our neighbors. We are called to interact with the culture by loving and serving the real people that Lord has put in our lives. Paul’s point is that we do not need to transform our external circumstances to do this. We do, however, need the transforming grace offered in Jesus Christ. Without it, we can do nothing good.

I encourage us all to think more about how we can love others and glorify God where we are now than we do about what we might be able to do in the future if we only had X or could do Y.

In Jesus holy name,

Amen