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For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. 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. 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. 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. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.

What are you willing to do to win some… Paul seems fairly clear that he is willing to do whatever it takes to see people come to know Jesus Christ as their Savior, yet, he would not compromise his character. As a believer, his sins were forgiven and Jesus… yet Paul did not have the mindset to live however he wished, that’s not true freedom. He made himself a servant. Just as he taught in the previous chapter, it’s not a matter of “what CAN I do?” but “what does the most good?”. He doesn’t compromise, the “weak” are not those who sin, but those who don’t take advantage of all their rights in Christ, and that doesn’t bother Paul. He does it all, the laying aside of his rights, for the sake of the good news for Jesus’ sake. So should we.

Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up. If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, he is known by God.Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “an idol has no real existence,” and that “there is no God but one.” For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”— yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols? And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.

We have a big problem in Christianity today, it’s an attitude which says “I want it, and I have a right to it…” The choices we make as Believers should have very little to do with whether or not we “can” do something, that’s no choice at all… no, for we who follow Jesus, our decision needs to be made on the bases of “does this help?”. Am I helping people move closer in their relationship with Jesus, or perhaps even encouraging them to begin one. If anything harms someone’s faith, we shouldn’t do it. “But wait, they should be mature enough to know…” Wow, we really are self-centered, aren’t we? Paul says it is on the very basis of the fact that your faith is strong and their faith is weak that YOU need to set aside your “rights” and do what does the most good. Be good, do good… help.

Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free from a wife? Do not seek a wife… Yet those who marry will have worldly troubles, and I would spare you that… But if you do marry, you have not sinned… 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… So then he who marries his betrothed does well, and he who refrains from marriage will do even better.

The New Testament teaching about marriage is quite different from modern day encouragement. Far too often, we are led to believe that marriage is the solution to a problem. If we feel alone, if our life is disorganized, if we struggle with issues like same-sex-attraction… we might give, or be given, the erroneous advice “you just need to get married.” Marriage is a wonderful thing, but understand that it is a commitment, it is a willingness to “give up” and it is not about what you “get.” So many people get divorced because they didn’t “get” what they thought the “benefits of marriage” were supposed to be. Marriage is a vow to serve, not to be served. Thus, it is a beautiful picture of what Jesus did for us. You shouldn’t seek to be married for marriage sake. If you pine away the hours thinking: “oh… I wish I were married…” and you don’t have a person in mind, that’s not healthy for the Christian. Paul makes it clear, getting marriage isn’t a sin, you do just fine getting married, in fact, most people will get married, but if you can remain single, that’s even better. You probably won’t hear that from most Christians because they’re potential grandparents… 😉 If I can boil down Paul’s advice, it’s this: only get married if you have to, and it’s okay if you have to.

do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

There are some who want to jump through hoops to not make these words mean what they very plainly mean. This verse isn’t talking about the temptations we have, it’s not even talking about the sins we occasionally fall into in moments of weakness, it’s talking about our lifestyle. It’s talking about a person who would give in and just say: “well, this is just how I am, and that’s just how it’s going to be…” This is a scripture about people, the kind of people who will be in heaven. I know, it’s popular to quip “I’m just a sinner, saved by grace…” but that’s not true. If you’re saved, the Bible never calls you a sinner. You are either a former sinner saved by grace, or you’re a sinner in need of grace. There will be no sinners in heaven. That’s not to say saints don’t make mistakes, but our mistakes don’t define who we are, Jesus does.

It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father’s wife. And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you… I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one.

There’s a subtle sin of the church we don’t like to talk about, or don’t even know is a sin… the sin of looking the other way. It’s popular to think “hey, all sins are the same, who am I to judge… I lie sometimes, I can’t say anything about Bob’s infidelity… right?” WRONG! There are sins which are worse, one of which is sexual immorality. If you’re part of a church, and you know about someone who is (brace yourself for an old fashioned phrase) “living in sin” then you have an obligation to say something. People never like it when I tell them “you need to get married or move out.” In fact, they generally have the attitude of “well, who are you to judge…” to which I’d say, not that I am their pastor, but that I am their fellow member in Christ. We all have a responsibility to keep the Church pure by regularly evaluating not only our own lives, but each other’s as well. The church is a place for repentant people, not the arrogant who think sin is no one’s business but the sinner’s. This does get tricky, because while we are called to not even associate with “Christians” who have lifestyles of sin, this is not talking about the lost. We should expect sinners to sin, and we should invite them to become part of the church… but that means they’ll change. There is no salvation without transformation… let’s hold each other to this.