Purpose

Advantage, Them

Humans are, if nothing else, master justifiers. We are great at coming up with excuses and explanations for why we do the things we do. We must have learned this from our forefathers – after all Adam started the trend in the Garden of Eden and Eve quickly followed suit. Even when we know something is generally wrong, we try to explain why it is specifically right for us.

Christians aren’t exempt from this proclivity. We tend to add an extra layer of perceived holiness to our excuses when we twist Scripture to support our bad choices. Perhaps no Scripture is more abused in this arena than Paul’s proclamation in I Cor. 9:22b. “I’ve become all things to all people” has been repeatedly misused as a lame excuse to justify sinful choices.
The reason this misapplication happens so easily, is the same reason that most misinterpretation of Scripture occurs. We fail to read the entire passage. If we did so, we would read:
“I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.” (I Cor. 9:22b-23, emphasis added.)
Later, Paul continues on the same topic when he writes,
“just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved.” (I Cor. 10:33, emphasis mine)
Did you notice that last bit? We tend to use this verse to substantiate why we can do the things that we want to do, but that wasn’t Paul’s motivation. He did it so that it might benefit other people. In other words, the advantage wasn’t going to Paul but to the people he was ministering to. It wasn’t about getting what he wanted, but giving them what they needed. And what they needed was Christ.
It’s the same motivation that should drive our decisions. We should ask ourselves whether what we want to do brings someone closer to Christ? Is this beneficial to their walk with God and not just a fulfillment of our desires? Does the advantage go to them or is it about us?
Our focus shouldn’t be on attempts to justify why we should be getting the things we want, and doing what we want to do. Instead we should adjust our lives in such ways that as a result, “many will be saved.”
What do you think? Why are we tempted to misappropriate these verses to justify doing what we want to do?
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Growth Hope

Past, Present, Future

I was recently talking with a friend about how hard it is for kids to appreciate the sacrifices of their parents. The kids, after all, don’t comprehend what it’s like to get up from a deep sleep in order to grab a bottle, the hours of thought and planning that go into making the right educational choices, or the hard work that is required to put a roof over their heads. Especially when they are young, it is difficult for them to realize how the reality of the past effects their present condition, let alone how it will shape their future.

Kids, however, aren’t the only ones that struggle with this understanding. Just like a child only sees what’s right in from of them, sometimes all we can see is the trial that we are dealing with right now. We want to be rescued from the pain of today, often neglecting to dwell on the fact that not only has our rescue already been accomplished, but our rescue will be completed one day as well. It can be difficult for the Christian to see how the reality of the past affects them in the present, let alone their future.

But as one pastor has stated, salvation is past, present and future. We were saved on the cross, we are saved when we turn from our sins and put our faith in Christ, and we will be saved from just punishment at the coming judgment. The reality of what was accomplished two thousand years ago when Jesus died and rose from the grave not only paid the penalty of our sins, but it provides us with assurance that we need to persevere in picking up our cross and following Him daily, looking forward to the future salvation that will come.

Yet, it can be hard to appreciate this fact, just as it is hard for the child to appreciate the good that has already been done on their behalf. We may be tempted to act as if it is expected, just as many children assume the benevolence of their parents, not realizing that the past good is accomplishing our present good as well. Just as maturing means a greater appreciation for the time, energy and effort that parents spend in raising us, so a maturity in faith means a greater appreciation for how the work of the Cross must not be left in the past, but must continue to effect our present as we look towards its work in the future.

It’s a hard truth to grasp. Yet considering how much time is spent wondering about the past, dealing with the present, and worrying about the future, it would be good for us to increase our appreciation of how Christ’s death and resurrection changes all three.

 

For a great message on the doctrine of the resurrection, check out this sermon.

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