Bible Reading Challenge #21

1 Corinthians 9:19-23

19 For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. 20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. 21 To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. 23 I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.

Do I care about preaching the gospel as much as Paul did (and yes, we are all called to preach/share the gospel)?

That is our driving question for this second-half of 1 Corinthians 9. Yesterday we looked at Paul sacrificing monetarily/comforts of life to make a greater gospel impact. Today we have an even more sensitive challenge for us as Americans. Today, Paul gives up his freedom to share the gospel more effectively and with more people.

Rather than living exactly how he wants, Paul instead makes significant life changes to meet people where they are. He undergoes Jewish purification rituals he knows are pointless since Christ has made him clean. But it does give him more common ground with which to share the gospel with Jews. Paul then doesn’t live out the law when around the gentiles (I imagine this looks like not eating kosher, dressing as they do within reason, engaging in their cultural practices like athletic games, etc). This may not be natural or even comfortable to him being raised in the Jewish religious elite, but it gives him more ways to share the gospel with gentiles.

But how does this translate to us today? I think there are three key guiding questions to ask ourselves.

Does the way I live my life allow me to meet non-believers (in a way that does not bring unnecessary temptation to sin into my life)?

Here’s an even harder question. Do I take those opportunities to befriend and build relationships with non-believers?

Finally the hardest question. If I make space in my life to make sure I meet non-believers, and I befriend them, do I ever take the effort/risk to share the gospel with them?

How many of us can say yes to all three of those questions? I fear the answer is not many.

Unless we are willing to give up some of the freedom to live our lives as we choose, we will never be able to answer a confident yes to all three of these questions and we will never be effectively sharing the gospel God has called us to share!