Day 17: 7:25-40 (Living Faithfully in Every Decision)

Regardless of the circumstances, choose to follow God's will and wisdom, and live faithfully in accordance with those choices.

1. SCRIPTURE: 1 Corinthians 7:25-40
 Now concerning[f] the betrothed,[g] I have no command from the Lord, but I give my judgment as one who by the Lord's mercy is trustworthy. 26 I think that in view of the present[h] distress it is good for a person to remain as he is. 27 Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek a wife. 28 But if you do marry, you have not sinned, and if a betrothed woman[i] marries, she has not sinned. Yet those who marry will have worldly troubles, and I would spare you that. 29 This is what I mean, brothers: the appointed time has grown very short. From now on, let those who have wives live as though they had none, 30 and those who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no goods, 31 and those who deal with the world as though they had no dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away.
  I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. 33 But the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife, 34 and his interests are divided. And the unmarried or betrothed woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit. But the married woman is anxious about worldly things, how to please her husband. 35 I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord.
36 If anyone thinks that he is not behaving properly toward his betrothed,[j] if his[k] passions are strong, and it has to be, let him do as he wishes: let them marry—it is no sin. 37 But whoever is firmly established in his heart, being under no necessity but having his desire under control, and has determined this in his heart, to keep her as his betrothed, he will do well. 38 So then he who marries his betrothed does well, and he who refrains from marriage will do even better.
39 A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord. 40 Yet in my judgment she is happier if she remains as she is. And I think that I too have the Spirit of God.

2. OBSERVATIONS :
a.  What did this passage mean to its original audience? 
In this passage Paul offered wise counsel, rather than a command from the Lord, to the Christians living in Corinth during a season of distress.  He encouraged those who were single and those who were married to remain as they were during this season. His main point was to stress the need for everyone, single and married to devote themselves to the Lord. He didn’t say that marriage was wrong or inferior to being single, but that in the present situation it would be more beneficial to remain single. The widows are permitted to remarry but they must marry a man who is also “ in Christ” as she is. Verses 29031 are not to be taken literally. These statements are a  rhetorical device which makes the point that Christians are not to be consumed by the cares and affairs of this  life, but to be devoted to Christ.

b. What does this passage reveal about God?

• God deserves our highest devotion.

c. What does this passage reveal about people?

• Some people have the ability or “gift” to serve the Lord as a single person. Being single does allow a person more time and freedom to serve the Lord than those who are married. This is especially true for those who are married with children. The whole passage stresses the importance of being primarily devoted to the Lord. 

 3. APPLICATION: What does this passage impact my affections, attitudes and actions?

• As a married person I have a responsibility to  be devoted to my wife. Her needs take precedence over the needs of those I am called to minister to. In other words, my first place of ministry is in the home. It is also true that in order to serve my wife best, I need to put Christ first.

4. PRAYER:
Dear Lord, Thank you for my marriage. Help us to serve you together and help me to recognize that my calling to serve you requires me to faithfully take care of my wife.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.